SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – There is growing local concern about the use of herbicides on the forest around Lake Tahoe as well as in the rest of the West. After a fire passes through, the first signs of plant life to emerge are weeds, plants and brush, some of which prevent the healthy rebirth of a forest.

With more severe wildfires and a changing climate, it seems a daunting task to bring a forest back, and over the past few years, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) has had several tools in its toolbox to accomplish this, including fire, hand and mechanical thinning, and pesticides such as glyphosate, more commonly known as Roundup.

Environmental groups and members of the public have had concerns about the use of a pesticide by hand-spraying the unwanted plants and shrubs, even if it is EPA-certified (Environmental Protection Agency).

It just isn’t the Forest Service that manages forests this way. According to a recent story published in Mother Jones, the reporter was on private and public timberland in Northern California, where trees are also grown for commercial uses. He found the lush beginnings of a new forest in stark contrast to private timberland. The reporter, Nate Halverson, spent a year investigating the use of Roundup after finding the normal groundcover, ferns, and shrubs missing, but in their place were rows of little conifers dotting the landscape on dirt. Halverson concentrated on Lassen National Forest, where the 2021 Dixie Fire roared through and burned nearly one million acres, and the nearby Park Fire in 2024 wiped out another 430,000 acres. USFS used glyphosate as part of the reforestation in Lassen, applied by someone wearing a portable backpack sprayer.

Of local concern is the upcoming plans to spray and use other tools on the land affected by the 2021 Caldor Fire, including areas near Heavenly, Sierra-at-Tahoe, and Meyers. In the Lake Tahoe area, 11,700 acres are involved.

In a 2020 Politico article, they found that glyphosate is a clear favorite of the USFS on forests. “In California, the Forest Service used 16,740 pounds of that herbicide on 5,726 acres in fiscal 2018, more than double the amount the prior year. In fiscal 2016, the agency used 3,805 pounds of glyphosate on 2,340 acres, according to the most recent reports filed for that region,” they said. Halverson said 266,000 pounds of pure glyphosate were applied on state forests in 2023.

To note, there has been more acreage burned in California wildfires since 2016. That year, 669,534 acres burned, followed by 1.55 million in 2017, 1.96 million in 2018, 4.4 million in 2020, and 2.6 million in 2021.

Before the Caldor Fire restoration project plans could move forward, public comment was accepted during the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) stage. The Final Environmental Assessment (EA) and Decision Notice for the Caldor Fire Restoration Project were officially released by the USDA Forest Service (Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit – LTBMU) on March 27, 2026.

“This decision will guide active forest management activities that will help accelerate post-fire recovery and enhance community protection,” said Deputy Forest Supervisor Rosalie Herrera on the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit in the decision notice. “Proposed restoration measures are designed to restore meadows and streams, improve wildlife habitat, and reduce hazardous fuel loads in areas affected by the Caldor Fire.”

Proposed restoration activities include:

  • Thinning surviving tree stands and nearby unburned trees
  • Removing diseased, insect-infested, fire-killed, or damaged trees
  • Preparing areas to plant native seedlings
  • Using approved herbicides to support reforestation
  • Implementing prescribed fire
  • Restoring stream channels, meadows, and aquatic and aspen tree habitats
  • Improving wildlife habitat, including Protected Activity Centers

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) commented during the scoping stage of the NEPA for the Caldor project.

TRPA spokesperson Jeff Cowan said they understand restoration won’t be successful if some plants aren’t eliminated, but they did have a couple of questions that are contained in the documents.

“Once implemented, the project will advance Environmental Improvement
Program (EIP) goals and help return the Caldor fire burn area to a healthier and more resilient forest ecosystem,” said TRPA’s Environmental Improvement Program Manager, Shannon Friedman in the reply.

There has been a Fuels Reduction and Forest Health Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the TRPA and USFS in place since the Angora Fire. The MOU exempts fuels reduction projects and supporting activities from TRPA review and permitting as long as agreements in the MOU are followed and upheld.

“Herbicide use is allowed but should be consistent with the TRPA Regional Plan, including the TRPA Handbook of Best Management Practices (BMP Handbook), and should limit use in and around stream environment zones, as explained in the proposed action,” said Friedman. (The BMP Handbook may be found here: https://tahoebmp.org/bmphandbook.aspx)

“The area is a popular recreation area. TRPA would like the LTBMU to notify the public where herbicide applications have occurred, so people are aware of the recent applications. This could be accomplished through signage and published maps identifying herbicide application,” stated TRPA in the response.

TRPA had a couple of requests: USFS to provide specific locations for the restoration work on Upper Echo Creek, Saxon Creek, Trout Creek, and Upper Truckee River. And for USFS to provide more information on why Osgood Swamp is included in the proposed action, as it is not within or downstream of the fire, so it seems outside the scope of this EA.

There were also 16 comments received from the public concerning impacts to recreation, public access, effects of the project in relationship to forest health and wildfire hazard, and the use of herbicides and its effect on human health and the environment.

Due to the time-sensitive nature of the proposed action and the continued deterioration of forest stands in the Caldor Fire burn area, LTBMU received an Emergency Action Determination for this project. This action waives the pre-decisional objection process and uses other emergency authorities to expedite project implementation. The scoping began in Spring 2025 with the comment period in December.

Preliminary survey and site preparation actions are planned to start in spring 2026.

The Final Environmental Assessment, Decision Notice, maps and supporting documents are available on the project webpage.

In the final document, USFS stated they will use “Herbicide treatment to aid site preparation before tree planting and to manage competing vegetation after planting when manual treatments are ineffective or expected to be insufficient.”