Fuel reduction plan released for over 3700 acres of National Forest lands

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Fuels on 3,737 acres of South Lake Tahoe area National Forest lands will be reduced by thinning forest stands and removing forest biomass vegetation, prescribed burning, and reforestation.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) announced the the final decision on the project last week. This project helps decrease the risk of wildland fires and complements defensible space treatments implemented by local municipal fire districts on adjacent non-federal lands.

“I am pleased to announce we have completed the planning phase of the South Tahoe Fuels Treatment project, accelerating the pace and scale of forest fuels reduction and healthy forest management on over 3,700 acres,” said LTBMU Forest Supervisor, Jeff Marsolais. “This project was planned in just five months using the Categorical Exclusion authority within the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act, both expediting the planning process and providing safeguards for resource protection.”

Treatments include forest thinning using hand and mechanical methods, cable yarding and prescribed fire operations involving pile and understory burning. Tree planting will occur in some areas to promote tree species or forest structure diversity. Treatments will take place in areas primarily thinned within the past 15-25 years and in some areas that will be treated for the first time.

In addition to possible short-term impacts to recreational areas, thinning projects change the appearance of our forests. Treated areas may look disturbed at first, but recover visually within a few years and provide for a healthier, more resilient forest over time.

Work could begin as early as 2018 and may take approximately 10 years to complete, depending on funding and conditions.

As the project proceeds, the Forest Service will send out updates to inform the public of possible impacts to trails or recreation areas.

The Decision Memo is available at http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/ltbmu/SoTahoeFuels.