U.S. Forest Service

Weather permitting, North Lake Tahoe and Tahoe Douglas fire protection districts, California State Parks, California Tahoe Conservancy, and the U.S. Forest Service may continue prescribed fire operations next week beginning May 15, 2017. If conditions are favorable, operations may take place near Sugar Pine Point, Brockway Summit, Incline Village, Glenbrook, Lower Kingsbury Grade, Ski Run Boulevard, Lake Tahoe Airport, Fallen Leaf Lake and Meyers. Operations may continue over the next several weeks, weather permitting.

A) 5 acres on Lower Kinsgbury

Snow is preventing some Lake Tahoe West Shore campgrounds from opening, but others are ready to go beginning May 12, 2017.

The West Shore campgrounds still have a large amount of snow at lake level which is causing the delay in their opening. Meeks Bay Campground will open on May 19, and Kaspian and William Kent campgrounds will open on June 2.

Fallen Leaf Campground will open May 12, but some sites will be closed due to wet conditions.

Here is a list of USFS facilities and projected open and close dates:

64 Acres Beach - Year-round, weather permitting (walking access)

North Lake Tahoe and Tahoe Douglas fire protection districts, California State Parks, and the U.S. Forest Service are planning to continue prescribed fire operations next week beginning May 1. If conditions are favorable operations will take place in the following areas:

A) Glenbrook Area - 30 acres
B) Lower Kingsbury Area - 5 acres
C) Upper Jennifer/Tyner Area - 32 acres
D) Sugar Pine - 5 acres
E) Highway 50 and Logan Creek - 50 acres
F) SR89 and Grass Lake/ Luther Pass - 30 acres
G) SR89 and Fallen Leaf Lake Road - 40 acres
H) SR267/Brockway Summit - 40 acres

Wildlife survival, avalanche safety, snowmaking, and environmental restoration are all part of the curriculum at a unique outdoor classroom at Heavenly Mountain Resort.

Nearly 300 fifth-grade students from Lake Tahoe Unified School District (TLUSD) took part in the EpicPromise Winter Adventure Program over five days in January and March. The program includes a ride up the ski resort’s Aerial Tram, snowshoeing, and getting hands-on learning experiences at a trio of educational stations.

Trees will need to be removed from the Emerald Fire area, and the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) is asking for comments on a proposal to remove the hazardous trees and plant seedlings in that area.

“Restoration of the Emerald Fire area will help restore habitat for various wildlife species and provide benefits to the Lake Tahoe watershed,” said LTBMU Forest Supervisor, Jeff Marsolais. “The restoration effort will also provide visual benefits to residents and visitors and allow for a more fire resilient landscape.”

Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District (TDFPD), California State Parks (Parks) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) have scheduled more prescribed burns in the Lake Tahoe area, as long as weather permits the operations.

Starting Monday, April 10, burning may take place near Tahoe City, Glenbrook, Round Hill, Lower Kingsbury Grade, South Lake Tahoe, and Meyers.

Areas on the map above:
A) 30 acres in the Glenbrook area (TDFPD)
B) 40 acres in Edgewood Creek area (TDFPD)
C) 15 acres in Lower Kingsbury area (TDFPD)
D) 30 acres at Burton Creek State Park (Parks)

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District, California State Parks and the U.S. Forest Service plan on continuing prescribed fire operations April 3, weather and conditions permitting.

Scheduled operations are near Tahoe City, Glenbrook, Round Hill, Kingsbury Grade, and Meyers.

A) 30 acres in Glenbrook
B) 40 acres at Edgewood Creek
C) 15 acres on Lower Kingsbury
D) 30 acres at Burton Creek State Park
E) 50 acres at Logan Creek and Highway 50 near Cave Rock
F) 20 acres on Grass Lake Road and SR89
G) 30 acres on SR89 and Luther Pass

Over 16 million people use the Pacific Southwest Region of the U.S. Forest Service (R5), and input is needed from those users on what they feel are nine to 15 priority areas for needed trail maintenance.

The region encompasses California and contains more than 16,000 miles of trails managed by USFS.

One the public helps them identify needs, the USFS effort will be with partners and volunteers to increase the pace of trail maintenance.

The U.S. Forest Service has released two videos created to not only highlight the upcoming World Cup ski events at Squaw Valley, but to celebrate the Tahoe National Forest.

Olympic gold medalist Julia Mancuso is featured in each video showing the beauty and recreational values of the forest where she grew up.

Tons of new snow has fallen in the Lake Tahoe Basin over the past week, just in time to Ski with a Ranger. The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit invites the public to participate in the free program while skiing and boarding at Heavenly Mountain Resort beginning Friday, January 20, 2017. Tours begin at the top of the gondola every Monday and Friday at 1:00 p.m. The tours last approximately one hour and continue through April 7, 2017, weather permitting.

If conditions are favorable, the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District and the U.S. Forest Service will continue prescribed fire operations on Tuesday, January 3, 2017. They will take place on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe near Tahoe City, Kings Beach, Carnelian Bay, and Incline Village.

A) Jennifer/Tyner Urban Fuels Reduction area near Incline Village will have 34 acres of hand piles scheduled to be burned.

B) Tahoe City along Fairway, across from NTFPD Station 51 - 8 acres to be burned.

C) Hwy 267 has 50 acres schedule for burning.

If weather conditions allow, the California Tahoe Conservancy and the U.S. Forest Service have scheduled prescribed fire operations at four South Lake Tahoe area locations.

South Upper Truckee area (B on the map) - 50 acres of hand piles will be burned by USFS starting December 12 and continuing as conditions permit. Seven days burn down time. Smoke should flow North /Northeast.

North Upper Truckee area (D on the map) - 12 acres of hand piles will be burned by USFS starting December 12 and continuing as conditions permit. Seven days burn down time. Smoke should flow North /Northeast.

Are you a college student looking to intern for the winter? Are you a retired school teacher but miss your students, love to snowshoe and want to give back to the community? Or maybe you simply love the outdoors and working with children and want to be involved in your community. The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) is seeking volunteers to assist with the 2017 Winter Trek Conservation Education Program that begins January 2017, at Heavenly Mountain Resort.

Plans for the Taylor Creek and Tallac Restoration Project have been finalized and work in the area could start as early as May, 2017 according to an announcement Friday by the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU).

The goal of the project is to restore the Taylor and Tallac creek ecosystems, maintenance and improvement of recreational facilities and enhance non-motorized access to the area.

Continuing prescribed fire operations by the North Lake Tahoe and Tahoe Douglas fire protection districts and the U.S. Forest Service are scheduled to resume on Tuesday, November 15 in several areas around Lake Tahoe.

If conditions are favorable, buring is scheduled at Stillwater Cover near Crystal Bay, off Logan Creek Drive, near Cave Rock, Zephyr Heights and Round Hill, and on urban lots near Heavenly Mountain Resort, off North Upper Truckee Road and near Big Meadow off Highway 89 South. Operations will continue as conditions allow.

The Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District and U.S. Forest Service have scheduled prescribed fire operations around the South Shore from Spooner Summit to Meyers, weather and conditions permitting.

Starting Sunday, November 6, the agencies will start burning hand piles off Logan Creek Drive and on Kingsbury Grade on the East Shore, and on urban lots near Heavenly Mountain Resort and off North Upper Truckee Road on the South Shore.

Nevada (Locations and planned date of ignition):
Logan Creek - 10 acres of hand piles start November 6

It's that time of year again when the U.S. Forest Service resumes their prescribed burns in the Lake Tahoe basin to reduce fuels in sensitive areas.

Fire restrictions have not been lifted in the basin yet, but it is not uncommon for the Forest Service to conduct operations while those restrictions are still in effect according to Lisa Heron of the USFS Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.

What is becoming almost a daily occurrence, firefighters in South Lake Tahoe have responded to another fire in the forested area in the outskirts of the city.

On Wednesday, at 2:11 p.m., an El Dorado County Sheriff's deputy spotted smoke and made the first call to 911. The fire started in the area between Lodi Avenue in the Sierra Tract and the Lake Tahoe Airport.

According to the U.S. Forest Service, .18 acre burned. As of 4:00 p.m., there is a full containment line and firefighters remain on the scene.

5:50 p.m. update: A vegetation fire in Rave Meadow between Kahle Drive and Elks Point Road in Stateline consumed about 1/4 acre before being contained by fire crews Sunday afternoon.

U.S. Forest Service, Tahoe Douglas Fire and Calfire crews responded.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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A second fire is burning in the brush off of Kahle Drive in Stateline. First responders said flames are five feet high and so far a patch of 20 feet by 20 feet has burned with a low rate of spread.

If conditions are favorable, prescribed fire operations will return to the region on Tuesday, October 11 near Big Meadow off Highway 89 on Luther Pass.

There are 300 acres full of hand piles ready to burn. Christmas Valley residents may get some smoke as the flow will be in a north/northeast flow.

Recreational facilities managed and owned by the U.S. Forest Service around the lake are starting their seasonal closures.

These winter closures apply to many Forest Service recreation sites including beaches, campgrounds, and picnic areas, which traditionally close in mid-October. Forest roads close around mid-November for soil protection and public safety.

A major restoration project of the Upper Truckee River channel and surrounding meadows is about to be completed, three years and $7 million later. Known as Reach 5, the U.S. Forest Service project is improving the river channel stability and aquatic habitat along 1.2 miles of the river adjacent to the Lake Tahoe Airport.

Another goal of the project is to restore surface and subsurface channel connectivity to 120 acres of floodplain, increasing deposition of fine sediments and nutrient uptake on the floodplains as well as raising the ground water levels in the meadow.

2016 is the 26th year that the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency has handed out its "Best in the Basin" award for projects in the Lake Tahoe basin that demonstrate exceptional planning and implementation and compatibility with Lake Tahoe’s environment and communities.

During Wednesday's TRPA board meeting in Kings Beach, the nine winners for the year were honored.

The City of South Lake Tahoe was one of those recipients for the Bijou Bike Park project, a collaborative effort between the City and Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association.

The U.S. Forest Service and California Tahoe Conservancy are hosting a field trip for any members of the public interested in their multiple-year project, the Upper Truckee River Reach 5 Restoration Project in South Lake Tahoe.

On Wednesday, September 28 at 5:30 p.m., people invited to head out there to see the final stage, a project over a decade in the works