forest service

The U.S. Forest Service seeks input on their draft environmental assessment for the restoration for the Burke Creek Highway 50 Crossing and Realignment Project.

The first two phases of the proposed project would restore the Burke Creek channel and adjacent marsh, reduce the amount of sediment that flows into nearby Lake Tahoe and reduce the potential for flooding on U.S. Highway 50.

Prescribed fire operations are scheduled to continue around the Lake Tahoe Basin on Monday, March 21, weather permitting.

The areas on the map scheduled to be burned, weather permitting:

A) Burton Creek State Park between North Tahoe High School and Rocky Ridge Properties, 35 acres of hand piles to be burned by California State Parks starting 3/21/16.
B) Sugar Pine Point State Park - Hwy 89 across from General Creek Campground, 12 acres to be burned by California State Parks starting 3/21/16.

The State of California is offering financial assistance through grants for well managed off-highway vehicle recreation areas, and the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is applying for one. LTBMU would like to hear what local OHV needs are in the basin, so they are accepting public comment from March 8 to April 4, 2016. .

Funds for the grants come from the State of California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation (OHMVR) Division.

The public is invited to attend the next meeting of the Lake Tahoe Federal Advisory Committee (LTFAC) on Thursday, March 10, 2016 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the USFS offices in South Lake Tahoe.

On the agenda are issues related to federal activities in the Lake Tahoe Basin including an update to the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act, review of the environmental improvement plan and discussion on the comittee's future implementation strategy.

Weather permitting, the Nevada Division of Forestry and the U.S Forest Service are planning on continuing their prescribed fire operations next week beginning Monday, February 29, 2016.

On the East Shore, operations are scheduled to take place near Logan Shoals Vista Point, Camp Galilee, Spooner Summit and Sand Harbor.

On the South Shore, operations are scheduled to take place near Spring Creek, Panther Road, and Lake Tahoe Boulevard near Sawmill Road.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) received a $6,000 donation from NV Energy to their Penny Pines Program, which will be used in LTBMU tree plantation sites including the Angora Fire area.

“Environmental respect is one of the core principles of NV Energy. We want to help provide for a viable and healthy forest,” said BJ Viglione, Supervisor Vegetation Management for NV Energy.

The Penny Pines Program was established in 1941 with the goal of restoring forest areas devastated by wildfire, flood, and other disasters.

Through a new educational program spearheaded by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and other basin partners, Lake Tahoe Unified School District students are taking full advantage of winter to learn about avalanche safety, winter animal survival and the science of snowmaking.

There are two scheduled prescribed fire operations in the Lake Tahoe Basin this week in the areas of Logan Shoals Vista Point and Camp Galilee near Highway 50 on the East Shore.

At the Logan Creek Overlook there are 15 acres of hand piles being burned, with an ignition date of February 8 and will continue as conditions allow. Smoke should travel in a north to northeast direction.

Lake Valley and Tahoe Douglas fire protection districts, California State Parks and the U.S Forest Service have plans to continue widespread prescribed fire operations beginning February 1.

Lake Valley operations: 50 acres northeast of Lake Tahoe Airport off of Barbara Avenue. Planned ignition February 3. 10 days of burn down time. Smoke expected to travel southwest.

Two men trying to evade arrest on January 22, ended up calling 911 and telling officers they were freezing to death and in fear of dying.

Tristen Crossland and Derek Dion were the lone occupants of a car that was pulled over by a California Fish and Wildlife officer on the morning of Friday, January 22, near Highway 50 and Wrights Lake Road when they decided to flee on foot.

The latest round of funding through the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNPLMA) includes more than $3 million for projects to help reduce wildfire risk in Lake Tahoe communities.

The funding award for Lake Tahoe is part of nearly $40 million going to projects around Nevada to reduce wildfire risk, conserve landscapes, restore wildlife habitat, and improve public recreation. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced the funding awards this January.

Everyone is invited to "Ski with a Ranger" at Heavenly Mountain Resort beginning Friday, January 22, 2016. The popular program is offered by the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.

Tours will be held every Monday and Friday beginning at 1:00 p.m., last approximately one-hour and continue through April 1, 2016, weather permitting.

Unusual snowpack conditions in the Sierra Nevada are contributing to a type of avalanche problem that in the past decade has rarely been widespread in the region.

That’s according to the Sierra Avalanche Center, a non-profit organization that partners with the U.S. Forest Service to observe and analyze snow conditions in the Lake Tahoe area and beyond.

“There could be avalanches in places that have never seen avalanches before,” said Brandon Schwartz, lead forecaster for the center.

Construction at the Camp Richardson campsites will not be completed by June, 2016 which has led to the cancellation of the annual Renaissance Faire next summer.

Celebrate National Winter Trails Day by participating in a FREE guided snowshoe hike in Van Sickle Bi-State Park on January 9, 2016, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Participants will learn about Lake Tahoe’s pristine environment while experiencing the enjoyment of snowshoeing.

There is no cost to participate but it is only open to first 20 people to sign up. Register in advance by calling 530-542-6059 or email: kedwards@cityofslt.us.

Author William Morgan will share his newest book "Morgan's Tahoe". This intriguing book is a memoir of his time with the U.S. Forest Service at Lake Tahoe and, later, of his experiences as Executive Director of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) during one of the most tumultuous times in that Agency's existence. It has been said that Morgan's ideas resolved many of the long standing issues at Tahoe and led eventually to a spirit of cooperation among the various interest groups that survives to this day.

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Joy Barney has dedicated her life to connecting youth to the land. In the process she has touched many lives, so it comes as no surprise that winning a national award for her, is all about inspiring others.

Local fifth grade teachers may reserve a spot for the the 2016 Winter Trek Conservation Education program starting on Monday, December 14, 2015.

Led by Forest Service rangers and community volunteers, the Winter Trek program offers fifth-graders an outdoor winter ecology learning experience that takes place at 9,100 feet via the Gondola at Heavenly Mountain Resort. The program includes a snowshoe physical education adventure, while learning about fire and forest ecology of the Lake Tahoe Basin.

Heavenly is proposing improvement to their existing skiing and snowboarding terrain near the top of the gondola, and the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit wants input from the public.

Improvements would include construction of a permanent ticket sales kiosk, relocation of the Red Fir handle tow lift, installation of a Magic Carpet surface lift, obstacle removal and widening of the Tamarack Return Trail and tree removal under the Blue Streak Zipline.

Joy Barney was recently honored for her dedication to the U.S. Forest Service's educational programs in the Lake Tahoe basin.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) Conservation Education Program Specialist was awarded the Gifford Pinchot Pacific Southwest Region Interpreter and Conservation Educator of the Year Award. Named in honor of the first Chief of the Forest Service, the annual award is a national honor given to Forest Service employees for achievement in environmental interpretation and conservation education.

North Lake Tahoe and Tahoe Douglas fire protection districts will continue prescribed fire operations around Incline Village, Kingsbury Grade and Van Sickle Bi-State Park through next week as weather and conditions allow.

On the west side on Incline Village, crews will be burning 77 acres of hand piles starting Monday, November 23.

35 acres on Park Cattle property near Van Sickle Bi-State Park were ignited Wednesday and will continue as conditions allow.

North Lake Tahoe and Tahoe Douglas fire protection districts, the Nevada Division of Forestry and the U.S. Forest Service will continue widespread prescribed fire operations around the Lake Tahoe Basin over the next several weeks as conditions allow.

Operations may take place in the following areas:

Ward Canyon near Sunnyside will continue next week if not completed on November 13. Fairway Drive near Tahoe City - 28 acres
Carnelian Woods Avenue in Carnelian Bay - 137 acres
Anaho Road in Crystal Bay, Crosby Court, Jennifer Street and Tyner Way in Incline Village - 4.82 acres

The popular Lake Tahoe basin Christmas tree permits from the U.S Forest Service go on sale Monday, November 16 on both the South Shore and November 18 on the North Shore.

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. Even though USFS lists noon on December 24 as the last day for sales, they are normally sold out well before that date. In 2014, tree permits sold out on December 4. The last day to cut a tree down is Christmas Day, December 25, 2015.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) lifted fire restrictions on National Forest System lands on Friday, October 30, 2015.

“While conditions have allowed the Forest Service to lift fire restrictions, wildfires can still occur,” said Fire Management Officer, Kit Bailey. “Visitors to our National Forests need to educate themselves about how to safely build and extinguish a campfire, and should continue to be careful and remember that campfires are only allowed in certain areas.”