Forest thinning work resumes near Pioneer Trail and US-50
Submitted by paula on Sat, 09/24/2022 - 9:00pm
The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit in partnership with Great Basin Institute will continue mechanical whole tree fuels reduction (thinning) operations around neighborhoods and powerline corridors off Pioneer Trail near Meyers, Calif.
Thinning is scheduled to begin this week in Montreal Unit 25 near the intersection of Pioneer Trail and US Hwy 50. Cutting in Unit 8 is complete at this time, but log hauling will continue for the next week or two.
Mechanical whole tree removal involves cutting the entire tree and moving it to the landing area to remove limbs and cut it into sections. The Forest Service advises recreationists to avoid these areas due to hazards posed by heavy equipment and falling trees. Hazards may be present even when operations have ceased for the day.
Fuels reduction projects are designed to protect communities and neighborhoods by reducing excess vegetation that can feed wildfires. Major impacts from fuels reduction projects include changes to the appearance of Tahoe Basin forests. Treated areas look disturbed at first, but recover visually within a few years.
This forest thinning work is part of the Liberty Utilities Resilience Corridors and South Tahoe Fuels Treatment projects. More information about these projects can be found at the following links: