usfs

Living the New Reality: What You Should Know About Climate Change & Wildland Fires
Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019
8 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Harveys Lake Tahoe Cabaret Theater
FREE TO PUBLIC - with free validated parking in Harveys garage

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Report (IPCC) – Update (8 - 9:15 a.m.)
What consequences does the recent IPCC report indicate? Impacts on humans and natural systems of additional warming? Adaptation and mitigation options for reducing risks over shorter and longer time scales.

Speaker:

Location

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A large controlled burn on Lake Tahoe's West Shore Monday drew some concern as it sent smoke throughout the Basin.

Just west of Lake Tahoe is a fire in the Hell Hole area on USFS land. It is a new fire as of 4:00 p.m. and no data is available at this time.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. - El Dorado County Sheriff's Office responds to calls throughout the county. The following are calls that only pertain to the South and West Shore, including Meyers, South Lake Tahoe, Meeks Bay, Tahoma and the Echo Summit area. There may be some missing calls due to sheriff's logs not being completed at time of story.

Some of those recently added to last week's log:

10/17

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Weather and conditions permitting, California State Parks and the U.S. Forest Service will continue the fall prescribed fire program with operations in D.L. Bliss State Park on the West Shore tomorrow, October 23, 2018, and in Baldwin Meadow on the south end of Lake Tahoe on Wednesday, October 24. Smoke will likely be present. Both of these operations will involve understory burning, which is explained below. A map with project locations and details is available for viewing at http://www.tahoefft.org.

Bridgeport, Carson City, and Santa Rosa Ranger Districts on the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest have lifted their Stage 1 Fire Restrictions, but the Mountain-City-Ruby Mountains-Jarbidge Ranger District’s fire restrictions remain in place as do those in Lake Tahoe.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) is pleased to announce that Danelle D. Harrison was selected as the new Deputy Forest Supervisor for the Lake Tahoe Basin. Harrison arrived at the LTBMU a few weeks ago and comes to us from the Kaibab National Forest in Arizona, where she served as the District Ranger for both the Williams and Tusayan Ranger Districts since 2014.

US Forest Service law enforcement officer Adam Nadeau will be at Freel Perk in Meyers on Wednesday, October 3 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. as part of the national "Coffee with a Cop" day.

The public is invited to join him. The mission of Coffee with a Cop day is to break down barriers between the public and law enforcement. Residents are welcome to ask questions, voice concerns and get to know officers.

Freel Perk is located at 3141 Highway 50 in Meyers.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - An illegal and abandoned campfire near the Pacific Crest Trail ignited a fire on Wednesday evening.

Crews from USFS, Lake Valley Fire and Calfire were called to the 5:20 p.m. fire on September 19. They staged at the Echo Summit Caltrans maintenance yard on Highway 50, and when determined to be on Forest Service land, the Engine 42 crew from USFS hiked into the fire location and the others were on call in case needed.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Nature is healing, and a new partnership between the U.S. Forest Service and Barton Health is bringing the benefits of 154,000 acres of wellness around Lake Tahoe to the public.

"Nature is medicine, nutrition is medicine and you don't have to pop pills for health," said Nancy Laurenson of Barton Health during a recent wellness outing on the Rainbow Trail at the Taylor Creek Visitor Center.

Fire restrictions on National Forest System lands in the Lake Tahoe Basin began Friday, August 17, 2018, and will remain in effect through November 15. Warm temperatures and dry vegetation combined with numerous wildfires burning in our region prompted the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) to implement restrictions intended to safeguard our communities across the Tahoe Basin.

A Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) agreement between the California Tahoe Conservancy and U.S. Forest Service is in the works that would allow the Conservancy to begin maintaining and restoring USFS urban lots in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

There are less than 2,200 urban lots that can fall into this agreement, most of which are less than one-acre and located near lots the Conservancy already owns and maintains.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Friday morning started off clear and sunny, but by mid-morning smoke from from several California fires filled the Lake Tahoe Basin.

The smoke Friday has been a combination of the Carr Fire, the Mendocino Complex fires (Ranch Fire and River Fire) and the two western El Dorado County fires according to the USFS office in South Lake Tahoe. The Whaleback Fire and Ferguson Fire are also burning north and south of the lake.

As most people have experienced, cell phone coverage around Lake Tahoe can be trying at times, especially during heavy tourist days when thousands of extra users are in the area. Combine that with over half of homes ditching their land-lines and relying only on cell phones, demand has greatly increased.

Lake Tahoe cell phone coverage may soon be improved as Verizon is working with Liberty Utilities and NV Energy and local governments to place small, seven-foot, grounded cell towers on top of current power poles on all sides of the lake.

The U.S. Forest Service ordered Fire Restrictions across the Tahoe National Forest starting Monday, July 16, 2018. The decision to order fire restrictions came after an analysis of current fuel conditions and weather observations. This analysis revealed the potential to support large fire growth across the Tahoe National Forest.

Tahoe National Forest covers land from the Sierra foothills to the California/Nevada state line, except for the Lake Tahoe basin.

The Fourth of July holiday period is upon us and signifies the busiest time of year in the Lake Tahoe Basin. The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) asks residents and visitors to keep the following tips in mind to help everyone enjoy a safe and fun holiday.

To promote public safety, the annual alcohol ban will be in effect at the following locations:

· Nevada Beach on July 4, from 6 a.m. until midnight.

The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit will begin the sale of personal use fuelwood permits at the Forest Supervisor’s Office in South Lake Tahoe on Monday, June 4, 2018, and at the Incline Village Forest Service office on Wednesday, June 6. Permits cost $20 per cord, with a two-cord minimum purchase and a limit of 10 cords per household.

Permits have specific conditions and complete information is provided when the permit is issued. Maps to designated cutting areas are provided and must be in the permit holder’s possession along with the valid permit when cutting.

A project to improve existing skiing and snowboarding terrain at Heavenly Mountain Resort was approved this week by the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU).

Improvements will include selective widening of ski trails, removing trail obstacles and relocation and/or realignment of some portions of existing snowmaking air and water pipelines to improve user experience, maintain user safety, increase energy and water efficiency, and maintain native species.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) will soon begin the process of opening recreational facilities in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Weather and snow conditions permitting, Inspiration Point will be the first site to open on Saturday, April 14, 2018. Baldwin and Nevada beaches open April 28. The Taylor Creek Visitor Center opens Friday, May 25. The Tallac Historic Site parking area opens Tuesday, May 15, and will be staffed beginning Saturday, May 26.

The following is a list of opening/service dates, weather and snow conditions permitting:

Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team has announced continued prescribed fire operations by the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team at several locations in the Lake Tahoe Basin this week, weather and conditions permitting. Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District, California State Parks, California Tahoe Conservancy and the U.S.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is looking for hard-working, dedicated volunteers that are interested in helping to preserve one of our nation’s most beautiful wilderness areas, Desolation Wilderness. Interested and committed individuals are invited to attend an informational open house on Thursday, March 15, 2018, from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. and/or Saturday, March 17 from 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. at the Forest Supervisor’s office, 35 College Drive, South Lake Tahoe, California 96150.

Non-profit partners of government agencies play a critical role in managing trails, recreation, planning and other essential activities taking place on public lands. Locally, the Tahoe Rim Trail Association (TRTA) is the region’s largest non-profit trail organization and has the primary responsibility for managing and maintaining about 200 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails in and around the Tahoe Basin in partnership with the US Forest Service (USFS) and NV State Parks.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. - Do you love the wilderness? Are you committed to preserving its’ breathtaking beauty? Do you love working with people and spending time in the outdoors? Can you match your motive for volunteering to the mission and priorities of the Forest Service? Most importantly, do you have the time, willingness and dedication to volunteer and help preserve one of our most popular back-country natural areas near Lake Tahoe?

Six delegates visiting the United States from Russia stopped by Lake Tahoe last week as part of the cultural exchanges programs, Friendship Force and Open World.

The delegates first stopped in Washington, D.C. before heading to the Reno/Lake Tahoe area.

Damage to natural resources was recently discovered in South Lake Tahoe after an unknown person, or persons, was found to have driven on a meadow near Heavenly Creek off Pioneer Trail.

USFS is reminding everyone that it is against the law to cause resource damage, punishable by a fine of $5,000 or more, and/or six month in jail. They are also reminding drivers that they must stay on designated roads only.

The Forest Service employees will continue to monitor areas throughout the Lake Tahoe Basin for compliance in order to protect all natural resources.