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The 2018 Winter Trek conservation program for fifth-grade students will run from January 9 to March 29, and sign-ups with U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) for the popular program begin December 18.

Fifth-grade teachers may reserve a spot by calling the Forest Supervisor’s office at 530-543-2789, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Field trips are generally three hours long and are offered on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, weather permitting.

It took less than two weeks for the U.S. Forest Service to sell out of Christmas tree cutting permits. Since November 13, the first day of sales, 2,250 permits were sold from the USFS offices in South Lake Tahoe, Incline Village and Tahoe City. No additional permits will be authorize for this season.

Permits may still be available in locations outside of the Tahoe Basin. Call ahead to see if they still have the $10 permits on hand:

Bureau of Land Management
Carson City Office
5665 Morgan Mill Road,
Carson City, NV 89701
775-885-6000

Prescribed fire operations in both the Eldorado National Forest and Tahoe National Forest Truckee Ranger District are sending smoke into the Lake Tahoe Basin Thursday.

If you have low tolerance for smoke, please take the following precautions to reduce your exposure.
· Stay indoors as much as possible especially seniors and children. Avoid physical exertion.
· Close windows, doors, and outside vents when it is smoky. Use a fan or air conditioner to re-circulate the air. Ventilate your home and work place during periods when it is least smoky.

The Table Fire burning west of Lake Tahoe, three miles northeast of Ice House Reservoir, is now at 250 acres and 20 percent contained.

Crews worked on line preparation on the east, west, and south sides of the fire yesterday. The north direct line is completed. They started tactical burning operations on the northeast corner to remove fuel between the prepared line and the fire.

9:30AM Update 10/11 - Fire was active last night as it slowly backed down the mountain towards the indirect check lines. The fire is in remote country and not threatening any structures.

So far, 50 acres have burned and it is 10 percent contained.

The smoke from the Table fire is visible from Highway 50 and the Tahoe Basin. This is a lightning start from a previous storm that Sunday's high wind event activated.

Note: the smoke blanketing the Placerville and Pollock Pines areas is not from the local fires.

California State Parks will kick off the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team (TFFT) fall prescribed fire program next week, beginning October 10, 2017. If conditions are favorable, prescribed fire operations will take place in D.L. Bliss State Park on the southwest end of Lake Tahoe. Smoke may be visible and is expected to last through the week. To receive prescribed fire notifications, send an email to pa_ltbmu@fs.fed.us.

View the map with project locations and details at http://www.tahoefft.org.

The winter took its toll on the new Upper Truckee River channel near the Lake Tahoe Airport, and crews from the USFS Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) are doing stabilization work in the area.

Today at the 21st annual Lake Tahoe Summit, the creation of a new partnership of state, federal, environmental, industry, and research representatives working together to protect Lake Tahoe and the surrounding central Sierra Nevada was announced. The effort, the Tahoe-Central Sierra Initiative, is focused on restoring the health and resilience of the area’s forests and watersheds. It builds on the legacy of work that has been done to “Keep Tahoe Blue,” and a variety of activities already underway in the Central Sierra landscape.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Starting later this month, the USFS Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) will start using chemical treatment to try and eradicate, control and contain known infestations of invasive plants. Their focus will be on 90 sites covering 18.25 acres of sites inside the Lake Tahoe Basin.

Two Bombardier CL415 firefighting aircraft have returned to South Lake Tahoe for their third summer, using the airport as a base once again to fight fires across the nation.

In 2015 the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) got the aircraft on a five year contract to use at their disposal. They can be used around Lake Tahoe or sent to other states, depending on the need.

Two local firefighters will be joining almost 600 California-based U.S. Forest Service wildland firefighters and support personnel as they head to Arizona and New Mexico to fight massive fires.

In Arizona, almost 40,000 acres have burned in over ten fires; In New Mexico 13,000 acres have burned this week, over 30,000 acres last week.

The personnel that are part of this mobilization come from all 18 national forests in California (Pacific Southwest Region).

Roadwork stops in South Lake Tahoe at 6:00 a.m. Friday, so drivers have an easy go of it until 6:00 a.m. Wednesday as crews break for the Memorial Day holiday. Those working on the City of South Lake Tahoe roads go by the same rules as Caltrans, so both will stop for this period.

Starting Wednesday, Caltrans continues on the three-year Highway 50 project from the Y to Trout Creek. This year's work is from the Y to Tahoe Keys Boulevard. Another project is the completion of the bike trail from El Dorado Beach to Ski Run Blvd.

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)

If conditions are favorable next week, the Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District, California State Parks and the U.S. Forest Service are scheduled to continue prescribed fire operations starting Monday, April 17. If favorable, operations are scheduled near Meeks Bay, Tahoe City, Glenbrook, Round Hill, Lower Kingsbury Grade, South Lake Tahoe, and Meyers. Weather permitting, operations may continue over the next several weeks.

The following areas are scheduled:

A) 30 acres in the Glenbrook Area - Tahoe Douglas Fire District

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)

What has become an out-of-control, unsightly and all too common practice at Lake Tahoe snow play areas now has a champion to control abandoned sleds.

Tahoe Fund Executive Director Amy Berry brought several organizations together to discuss potential solutions to resolve this issue. It had been on their radar for some time, but with the rapid growth of discarded sleds covering the landscape, Berry and the Tahoe Care Team of the agency knew something had to be done immediately.

If conditions are favorable, California State Parks and the U.S. Forest Service may resume prescribed fire operations beginning today, March 16, 2017. Operations may take place near Tahoe City and Glenbrook and may continue as conditions allow.

On the schedule is the burning of 50 acres of hand piles at Logan Creek Drive and Highway 50 as well as 30 acres at Burton Creek State Park between North Tahoe High and Rocky Ridge Properties.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. - The Lake Tahoe Basin Federal Advisory Committee (LTBFAC) is scheduled to meet Tuesday, February 28, 2017, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., at the Forest Supervisor’s office, 35 College Drive, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150. LTBFAC will address issues related to federal activities at Lake Tahoe.

Items on the agenda include an update on the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNPLMA) secondary list and priority setting, a review of LTBFAC goals and objectives, a schedule of 2017 meetings, and membership and vacancy information.

Based upon the National Weather Service issued blizzard warning, the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit offices in South Lake Tahoe and Incline Village will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday.

They plan to re-open on Thursday morning, conditions 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.

The North Lake Tahoe Visitor Center has run out of Christmas Tree cutting permits, but there are still some available at the Forest Supervisor’s office in South Lake Tahoe, the USFS office in Incline Village and at El Dorado National Forest offices.

Permits cost $10 each with a limit of two per family. They must be purchased in person, are not transferable and are sold on a first come, first serve basis through December 23, if available.

Prescribed fire operations by the Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District, California Tahoe Conservancy and the U.S. Forest Service will continue next week at several locations around Lake Tahoe.

Fall and winter bring cooler temperatures and precipitation, which favor prescribed burning. The joint efforts to remove excess vegetation are scheduled to take place at nine different locations including Glenbrook, Cave Rock, Round Hill, lower Kingsbury Grade, South Lake Tahoe, Tahoe Paradise and Meyers.

South Upper Truckee - 50 acres
North Upper Truckee, Homer - 20 acres

An individual alleges he was burned while sledding because of a controlled fire conducted by a federal agency that was hidden and left burning.

Gianfranco Rufino filed a complaint on Nov. 16, 2016 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California against United States, alleging negligence.