forest service.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) will host a public tour to announce the proposed action and public comment period for the Meeks Bay Restoration Project on Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2018. The public tour will take place from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. at Meeks Bay Resort, 7941 Emerald Bay Road (Highway 89), Meeks Bay, CA 96142. The 45-day comment period begins with the publication of the Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement in the Federal Register on Tuesday, Sep. 11, 2018. Comments are most helpful if received by Friday, Oct. 26, 2018.

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.

Heading to Lake Tahoe this Labor Day weekend to celebrate the unofficial end of summer? Below are some tips and important information for residents and visitors to keep in mind for a safe and fun-filled holiday weekend.

Join the 10th annual Great Sierra River Cleanup in conjunction with California Coastal Cleanup day. Hundreds of volunteers will be going out this day cleaning up the Lake Tahoe region on Saturday, September 15 from 9:00 a.m. to noon.

Bring your reusable water bottle, gloves if you have them and friends! Snacks and equipment provided.

A lunch celebration for volunteers will be hosted after the cleanup at the League to Save Lake Tahoe office at 2608 Lake Tahoe Boulevard, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150. Beer will be provided by Oskar Blues and wine by Robert Mondavi.

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 Tahoe Now will be publishing a series over the next few weeks, The Keepers of Tahoe History. We will be highlighting groups, locations and events around Lake Tahoe that are preserving the historic past of the area.

Over 50 possible major forest firest have been prevented in the Lake Tahoe Basin since the AlertTahoe camera system was installed around the lake over the last four years. The combination of technology, human observation and firefighters on the ground kept those small fires contained to a space of less than one acre.

First and foremost, my thoughts and prayers are with the communities and forests affected by the destructive and tragic wildfires across California, Nevada, and the West. Our Lake Tahoe Basin firefighters are responding to both local and national wildfires and providing assistance to those in need. I am very proud of each one and know their families go through added stress during their absence.

This time of year, wildfire suppression can overtake our thoughts and activities, however, a great amount of work is occurring around the Lake Tahoe Basin to create more resilient forests.

8:00 p.m. UPDATE: The evacuation of the Hung A Lei Ti neighborhood in Woodfords has been lifted and residents may return home. Power has been restored. According to the Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center, the fire size has been changed to 204.5 acres and containment lines are growing.

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The Washoe Tribe's Hung A Lel Ti community in Woodfords has been evacuated after the Dutch Fire started in Alpine County early Wednesday morning. At last count, 244 acres have burned and the fire is 5 percent contained.

Parking areas near popular spots for local young people to hang out after dark, Party Rock and Lookout Rock, will now be off limits at night after an update to City Code was approved Tuesday.

On October 13, 2017, several residents of the upper Saddle Road area met with U.S.
Forest Service, police and fire department staff. During the meeting, neighbors
expressed their frustration over the nighttime gatherings that take place in the area. One part of this meeting included a request by the neighbors to limit nighttime activities at nearby Party Rock.

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.

Construction is now underway on Forest Service Road 1202, known as Fountain Place Road, to replace the existing six foot culvert with a 30-foot bridge nd improve access by removing trees, patching asphalt, constructing infiltration basins and installing an 18-inch culvert.

The road is closed to vehicle traffic at Saxon Creek. There is a detour available for bicycles and pedestrians but no vehicles are allowed until the project is finished. The upper section of the road may be accessed from Powerline Road (12N08) to Saxon Tie Road (12N17).

Try something new this summer as you're enjoying Lake Tahoe and the National Forest lands - Hike with a ranger!

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) and Heavenly Mountain Resort invigte everyone to Hike with a Ranger this summer. The one-hour long hikes will take place every Friday and Saturday at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. at the top of the Heavenly Gondola.

Hikes will continue will continue every weekend through September 2, 2018, weather permitting.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - 499 volunteers hit the beaches of Lake Tahoe Thursday as part of the annual July 5 Beach Cleanup crew. Each year, volunteers hit the beaches to pick up trash left over by holiday revelers.

This year they removed 1,458 pounds of litter from five beaches: Commons Beach in Tahoe City, Kings Beach, Kiva Beach, Nevada Beach and Regan Beach in South Lake Tahoe. Not only did they comb the six miles of beach, but they also sorted and counted the items collected.

There are important regulations to be aware of when visiting and living in Lake Tahoe, and not all jurisdictions have the same rules.

City of South Lake Tahoe

No outside fires are allowed in the City unless it is a cooking fire with charcoal in a barbecue or in a fire pit with gas piped in, or one that uses liquid petroleum. Anything that creates embers is banned, including wood burning fire pits and backyard bonfires.

Even if wood fire pit has mesh lid, it is banned. No open burning is allowed at this time, including the burning of pine needles are yard debris.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) has published the summer 2018 edition of Tahoe In Depth. The award-winning newspaper, in its sixth year of publication, strives to provide residents, visitors, and policymakers with information about protecting, enjoying, and exploring the Lake Tahoe Basin.

The summer 2018 edition includes a special report on 10 years of fighting aquatic invasive species at Lake Tahoe, as well as the 10th anniversary of the watercraft inspection program that has successfully prevented any new introductions of aquatic invasive species over the last decade.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) will host the eighth Wild Tahoe Weekend 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., on Saturday and Sunday, June 23-24, 2018 at the Taylor Creek Visitor Center, located three miles north of South Lake Tahoe on Highway 89. The weekend event consists of the Native Species Festival on Saturday and the Lake Tahoe Bird Festival on Sunday.

UPDATE 11:09PM: A voluntary evacuation order was placed Tuesday night for the Carson Colony area off of Curry Street in South Carson City. The Voltaire Canyon area is also voluntary evacuation. Plans are in the works to open a shelter for those displaced.
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UPDATE 10:54PM: Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong said Tuesday night's fire at Voltaire Canyon was started by campers who were burning excrement and toilet paper.

There were two campers detained and were cooperative, said Furlong. There were up to eight individuals who were camping in the area who were taken off the hill.

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – As we’ve learned from the recent Fire Season Outlook, year-round fire season is the new normal in the Lake Tahoe Basin and throughout the country. Now is the perfect time to learn what to do to prepare your home and family to survive wildfire, and to take action. To help you with this, the collaborative members of the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team are once again conducting Lake Tahoe Wildfire Awareness Month throughout the month of June. We encourage you to “Prepare Now! Wildfire Knows No Season.”

The Tahoe Rim Trail Association (TRTA) and partners, the Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association and US Forest Service, are organizing a morning community trailhead cleanup on Saturday, June 2 at 9:00 a.m.

Celebrate National Trails Day, the nation’s largest gathering of trails by volunteering cleaning up the South Shore. Volunteers are needed to help remove graffiti off of massive granite boulders and remove garbage on a trail connector into Van Sickle Bi-State Park.

The morning event will wrap up by noon. Register at: tahoerimtrail.org/national-trails-day

Location

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) recognized four people for their commitment to protecting and enhancing Lake Tahoe’s environment with Lake Spirit Awards on Wednesday.

People whose passions include building new paths and trails led the way in nominations this year, with improving mountain biking routes, creating new multi-use paths, and advancing pedestrian and bicycle safety among the interests of the award winners.

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.

Work resumed May 1 on the SR 89/Fanny Bridge Community Revitalization Project in Tahoe City, a project that will bring a new Truckee River Bridge, three roundabouts, and street improvements including lights and sidewalks.

The old Fanny Bridge will be replaced with one that has a new bridge rail that matches the original bridge rail, plus there will now be sidewalks and bike lanes on both sides.