Eldorado National Forest

The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) has announced that William “Bill” Jackson has been selected as the new Forest Supervisor for the Lake Tahoe Basin. Jackson is scheduled to arrive at the LTBMU on Dec. 6, 2020, and comes to the area from the White River National Forest in Colorado, where he served as the District Ranger for the Dillon Ranger District.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The planned two-week closure of U.S. Highway 50 along a 1.2 mile stretch of Echo Summit will begin Friday, September 18 at 3:00 a.m. One-lane controlled traffic has been happening all week, and now both lanes will be closed as crews replace the 1939 bridge with brand new girders to meet seismic and safety standards.

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - The forest closure order for the national forests has been extended and did not expire Monday as some had hoped. Eldorado National Forest Supervisor Jeff Marsolais said fire concerns remain, especially near the Fork Fire.

At this time, the Fork Fire has burned 1,752 acres and remains at a seven percent containment line. At this time, 300 personnel are assigned to the incident.

The Fork Fire continues to burn west of Lake Tahoe in the Rubicon River drainage and near the King Fire burn scar.

An infrared (IR) flight was not available again last night and the estimated 2,200 burned acreage is National Guard data from a drone and firefighter observations on the ground. The fire is seven percent contained.

UPDATE 10:30AM 9/9: The Fork Fire is now measured at 2,500 acres. It continues to burn in the Crystal Basin/Gerle Creek area, 15 miles northeast of Pollock Pines.

UPDATE 7:30PM: The Fork Fire in the Pacific Ranger District is 15 miles northeast of Pollock Pines. It is now 500 acres with 0 percent containment and is spreading toward the 2014 King Fire burn scar in the Rubicon drainage on the Georgetown Ranger District.

Forest officials everywhere are saying: Recreate Responsibly.

Despite large campaigns about fire restrictions and "pack it in pack it out," many visitors to the Eldorado National Forest are not acting responsibly.

Fire and law enforcement officers had another busy weekend contacting a record numbers of visitors about campfires they had made that are not allowed under the current fire restrictions in the Eldorado National Forest.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Do you love the Wilderness? Would you like to help preserve its’ breathtaking beauty and natural pristine environment? Do you love spending time outdoors and helping people? Do you have the willingness and dedication to volunteer and help preserve one of our most popular back-country areas overlooking Lake Tahoe and the Crystal Range?

If the answer is yes, then Desolation Wilderness, co-managed by the USDA Forest Service’s Eldorado National Forest and Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU), may offer exactly what you’re looking for.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) will begin the sale of Christmas tree permits on Monday, Nov. 25, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. Permits cost $10 each payable by cash, check or credit card (though they prefer the quicker transaction of cash).

There is a change to the policy this year - only one permit will be allowed per family or per address, instead of the previous two. They said by limiting permits to one per family, more will enjoy cutting down a tree this year.

There was minimal fire activity on the Caples Fire last night due to near freezing nighttime temperatures, high relative humidity, and very light winds. The natural wind patterns from the west/southwest will continue to be good for suppression actions. Temperatures are moderate during the day and the relative humidity is low, and those nighttime conditions help with light winds and high relative humidity recovery.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Smoke from the prescribed burn near Caples Creek should affect the Lake Tahoe Basin through Wednesday afternoon, then shift direction as the winds come from the Northeast.

The USFS Eldorado National Forest has completed ignitions on the Caples Prescribed Fire. Crews will patrol and monitor the area over the next few days during the wind event Wednesday through Thursday. Smoke sensitive individuals are encouraged to reduce their exposure by avoiding smoky areas, closing windows, or staying indoors.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Eldorado National Forest crews have begun a prescribed fire on 143 acres of understory four miles northwest of Kirkwood. This fire is along the northern ridge above Caples Creek.

The resulting smoke has been seen in the southwestern portion of Lake Tahoe, drawing concern of many in the area. Smoke will continue to be seen from SR88 and Highway 50 for the next two days.

Because of the prescribed burn area, part of Hay Flat Trail will be closed.

The Eldorado National Forest is consolidating Visitor Information Services (VIS) on the Highway 50 corridor. All visitor services currently located at the Pacific Ranger District three miles east of Pollock Pines will move to the Placerville Ranger District in Camino on October 15. The Placerville Ranger District location at 4260 Eight Mile road, Camino (take Highway 50 exit 54) will handle Desolation Wilderness permits, the Pacific District recreation information and rental cabins in addition to their regular visitor information services at that point.

Today, CAL FIRE awarded four grants totaling $27.5 million to fund high-priority forest health projects designed to combat climate change and reduce the risk of wildfires.

The rerouting of a 1.3 mile section of the joint Tahoe Rim Trail and Pacific Crest Trail near Echo Summit has been proposed in order to move hikers away from the noisy highway and instead traverse the far side of a ridge that offers more pristine views and less traffic noise.

This will be a partnership between the Tahoe Rim Trail Association (TRTA), the Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA), the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit and the Eldorado National Forest.

The Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) and the Eldorado National Forest (ENF) will begin the sale of Christmas tree permits on Monday, November 13, 2017. Permit holders may choose from a variety of pine, fir or cedar trees up to six inches in diameter at the base in designated cutting areas. Trees must be cut on the forest where the permit was purchased (the ENF is south and west of the Lake Tahoe Basin, on the west slope).

The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) is planning to more than double their current cloud seeding program over the American River watershed from the current 190 square miles to 444 square miles.

Since 1968, SMUD has been involved in the practice of cloud seeding in El Dorado, Amador, and Placer counties to benefit electricity generation in the Upper American River Project (UARP) in Eldorado National Forest.

There are multiple prescribed fires both in the Eldorado National Forest and around the Lake Tahoe Basin today, but it is one of those that had residents worried and resulted in phone calls into local fire departments and the Forest Service.

This week, 119 acres are being burned by Owens Camp, near Silver Fork and the American River west of South Lake Tahoe, and the winds associated with a front moving into the Lake Tahoe Basin Tuesday resulted in visible smoke that could be seen around the lake.

If you see smoke around Amador, Georgetown and Placerville it will most likely be from 12,671 acres of National Forest land being burned this fall by the U.S. Forest Service.

USFS will begin its fall prescribed burn program in the Eldorado National Forest as soon as weather conditions are favorable. Fire managers plan to burn approximately, 12,671 acres of National Forest land this fall, winter and spring using a combination of understory and pile burning techniques.

8:30 p.m. update 7/4/16: Firefighters working on the Trailhead Fire in El Dorado County gained a lot of ground Monday, getting a containment line around 50 percent of the fire. So far, 5,444 acres have burned.

Joy Barney was recently honored for her dedication to the U.S. Forest Service's educational programs in the Lake Tahoe basin.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) Conservation Education Program Specialist was awarded the Gifford Pinchot Pacific Southwest Region Interpreter and Conservation Educator of the Year Award. Named in honor of the first Chief of the Forest Service, the annual award is a national honor given to Forest Service employees for achievement in environmental interpretation and conservation education.

8:00 p.m. update 8/9/15

The 21 year-old firefighter who died in Saturday evening as he was working on the Sierra Fire has been identified as Michael Hallenbeck of Shingle Springs, CA.

Hallenbeck was a member of Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) Organized Crew 36.

The El Dorado Chapter of the California Native Plant Society presents Before and After the Flames: Fire, Forest and Climate Change in the Sierra Nevada, a talk by Dr. Hugh D. Safford, Senior Vegetation Ecologist for the US Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Region (including California, Hawaii and Pacific Islands) and Dr. Becky Estes, ecologist with the the US Forest Service, Tuesday, January 27th, 7pm at the Planning Commission Meeting Room, Building C of the County Office Buildings, 2850 Fairlane Court in Placerville. The presentation is free and open to the public.

Laurence:

This fall, while under your supervision, approximately 16% of the Eldorado National Forest burned due to the King Fire. You are entrusted to protect and maintain the health of this critical forest/watershed. Given the extreme drought and high fire risk conditions we experienced this summer, what fire restrictions, ranger alerts, precautionary measures, were in place the week of Sept 07, 2014? Arson yes, but could we have been more alert?

The Eldorado National Forest has issued a closure order for public safety in the area impacted by the King fire beginning September 18, 2014, until the fire is declared out. The closure order includes the Desolation Wilderness.

“Under our Unified Command System, our top priorities are fighting this fire and keeping the fire fighters and the public safe, said Crabtree. “We cannot safely fight this fire with intermingled publics. Please stay out of the closed areas until I can reopen them, which I intend to do as soon as possible.”