Forest thinning project to be continued near Fallen Leaf Lake

A three-month long tree removal project off of Fallen Leaf Lake Road near the campground will start around May 15, 2016. Due to the heavy equipment needed, the Forest Service will issue a forest order closing the project area (units 1 and 148) to pedestrians from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit resumes this work on what is officially known as the South Shore Hazardous Fuels Reduction and Healthy Forest Restoration project. This authorizes thinning of trees and brush on approximately 10,000 acres of National Forest System lands on the south end of the Lake Tahoe Basin to reduce the risk of severe wildfire and create healthier forests.

Mechanical whole tree removal involves cutting the entire tree and moving it to the landing area to remove the limbs and cut it into sections. The closure of the area to pedestrians is because of hazards and safety issues posed by heavy equipment and falling trees. The area will be closed during the day from 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., but the Forest Service warns people that hazards may be present even when operations have ceased for the day and the closure is not in effect. The Forest Service will post closure signs in the area. It will also be posted at

In addition to temporary closures of recreational areas, other short-term impacts from fuels reduction projects include changes to the appearance of basin forests. Treated areas look disturbed at first, but recover visually within a few years. Overall benefits to forests in treated areas include reducing fuel for wildfires and providing the remaining trees with less competition for resources such as water, sunlight and nutrients, which allow the trees to grow larger and become more resistant to drought, insects and disease.