SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) is working on a large reforestation project on the Caldor Fire scar from the Lake Tahoe Basin and west of the lake. The 2021 Caldor Fire wiped out more than 220,000 acres, and LTMBU is working on 11,700 acres in the project, including areas near Heavenly, Sierra-at-Tahoe, and Meyers.

There are various methods used in reforestation, and the approved plan included the following methods:

  • Ground-based mechanical thinning (2,620 acres)
  • Hand thinning (2,420 acres)
  • Reforestation, including site preparation, planning, and competition release (2,400-3,600 acres) – 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.

For the next two seasons, LTBMU will not be using herbicides in the area, but relying on the other tools, according to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA). However, in the future, they could be considered under the approved project actions and resource protection measures described in the Caldor Fire Restoration Project Decision Notice.

“During the USDA Forest Service’s 2025 Environmental Assessment scoping period, TRPA encouraged use of other techniques, including hand-pulling and prescribed fire,” said a TRPA spokesperson on Thursday. “The Forest Service addressed TRPA’s requests to ensure that any herbicide use is managed in a manner that protects water quality, sensitive species, and recreation, in alignment with environmental threshold standards.”

They added, “TRPA regulations discourage the use of terrestrial herbicides, but do not prohibit it if it meets requirements.”

Public outcry, along with some misinformation, caused the project to come under fire due to the possibility of the herbicide glyphosate being used on up to 3.600 acres. It is used on thousands of acres annually across the West to help agencies bring back forests after fires.

During the environmental review process, TRPA voiced concerns about the herbicide possibly to be used at Upper Echo Creek, Saxon Creek, Trout Creek, Upper Truckee River, and Osgood Swamp.

According to the National Pesticide Information Center, glyphosate is a broad-spectrum, systemic herbicide and the active ingredient in weed killers like Roundup. It is widely used in agriculture, forestry, and landscaping because it kills broadleaf weeds and grasses without leaving residual activity in the soil.

A spokesperson from the U.S. Forest Service could not be reached for comment.