City of South Lake Tahoe to begin fuels reduction and flight safety project around airport

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The City of South Lake Tahoe is planning some hazardous fuels reduction and flight path safety work on the land surrounding the airport to commence after Labor Day. Newly minted airport manager John Dickinson, who brings extensive experience in FAA regulations and safety management, flagged an opportunity to partner with CalFire.

"Taking advantage of this opportunity to work with CalFire on a cost-effective fuels reduction contract will free upwards of one to two hundred thousand dollars in the City's budget for other projects," said Dickinson. "This is work that is necessary to keep safety equipment accessible and reliable while also keeping flight paths in compliance with FAA regulations."

Environmental concerns are always top of mind. The City works closely with the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency in pursuit of fire safety and environmental compliance for brush and tree removal. A migratory bird survey was conducted just for this project to make sure no inadvertent harm would come. The City's Sustainability Coordinator, Sara Letton, was consulted and agrees that fuels management and forest health are sustainability and climate priorities in the bigger picture, "even when it means that some carbon-sequestering trees have to come down sometimes."

Work is set to begin after Labor Day and may be visible to those utilizing nearby trails. Crews will focus on brush reduction around avionics equipment and will later target some trees in a nearby stream environment zone on City-owned property. In the longer term, the City will be working in partnership with the California Tahoe Conservancy and the USDA Forest Service on tree removal in the longer flight path and around beacons in the next few years.