forest service

Fire crews are mopping up after responding to a small brush fire in Rabe Meadow on Sunday afternoon.

Firefighters from Tahoe Douglas Fire Department (TDFD) and the U.S. Forest Service got early control of the fire which was burning in dry brush on Forest Service land just northeast of the bike bath.

The fire is under investigation according to Fire Marshal Eric Guevin. "Anyone with information is to call the Forest Service or TDFD via 911," said Guevin.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit will resume work this week at Angora Creek near South Lake Tahoe. Crews will construct 700 feet of new stream channel to replace the existing Angora Creek channel, which was rerouted and straightened in the early 1900s to accommodate livestock grazing. Seneca Pond, constructed in 1964 when the area was under private ownership, will be returned to a wetland.

This week, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency voiced its strong support for legislation to reauthorize the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act that has been introduced in Congress by Tahoe’s Senate delegation.

Sponsored by U.S. Senator Dean Heller (R-Nevada) along with Harry Reid (D-Nevada), Dianne Feinstein (D-California), and Barbara Boxer (D-California), the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act would authorize up to $415 million in federal funding over 10 years to help continue critical environmental restoration work at Lake Tahoe.

It may seem like lyrics from the Five Man Electrical Band: Sign, sign, everywhere a sign; Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind' Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?

Everyone wants to enjoy the South Lake Tahoe area on the 4th of July holiday weekend. In order to keep everyone safe there are rules and regulations in place to do so.

1. Portable Charcoal Grills Prohibited on All Forest Service Beaches. You can use the limited number of Forest Service provided grills.
2. Campfires are not permitted on National Forest beaches or in the general forest.

Cooler temperatures and an increase in humidity have allowed firefighters working on the Washington Fire to make good progress, getting a line around 66% of the fire area.

Burning since June 19 in the hilly terrain south of Markleville, the lightning caused fire has burned 17,790 acres.

Twice in the last week, people flying drones disrupted wildfire operations in Southern California, causing federal, state and local wildfire managers to come out with a warning to the public, "Do not fly unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) within or near wildfires."

There are nine small lightning caused fires currently burning in or around the Lake Tahoe Basin, the largest one is one-half acre in size.

Staff from the U.S. Forest Service is at each scene with firefighters from the Tahoe-Douglas and North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection Districts, working to extinguish them. Most of the fires are single-tree fires with some ground fire.

Winds are calm, and the Lake Tahoe Basin received substantial rainfall in the area of the fire starts, so the rate of spread is low.

Rebecca Bryson and Joy Barney of the South Shore were honored for their work in local schools that resulted in progress and environmental improvements in the Lake Tahoe region.

During Wednesday's Tahoe Regional Planning Agency's Governing Board meeting, the two South Shore women were given the Lake Spirit award along with a family and person from the North Shore. The award has been given to "real people making real progress" at restoring Lake Tahoe since 2011.

1:35 p.m. update on 6/23/15

The fire figures were updated this afternoon. At 8 a.m. they report almost 16,000 acres, then downsized a bit at noon to 13,562 after analyzing infrared reports. The 1:35 p.m. update is as follows:

The Washington Fire is actively burning. It is spreading due to both fuel-and-slope-driven forces and in some some drainages off of the East Fork Carson River. It has also spread to the north and to the east.

Fire is burning in hazardous and inaccessible terrain and approaching an increasing number of structures and impacting travel corridors.

Safety for cyclists and pedestrians is a big concern for the South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD), cycling groups and those enjoying these activities.

In the last six years, 12 people have died in South Lake Tahoe while cycling or walking. In that same time, 42 people were injured while riding bikes on the road while 37 pedestrians were hurt.

A lightning-sparked wildfire has grown to 1,000 acres and led to a handful of evacuations in rural Northern California.

The blaze is burning for the third day Thursday in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest about halfway between Eureka and Redding.

The U.S. Forest Service says 17 helicopter and two air tankers are helping 160 firefighters take on the wildfire.

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Those of us living in the Sierra Nevada are well aware of the drought and of the growing threat of wildfires caused by dry conditions. Due to the threat of catastrophic wildfires in the West, three major players at the government level have called for reforms in the way the federal government funds wildfire suppression efforts.

The Lake Tahoe Federal Advisory Committee (LTFAC) is scheduled to meet from 9 a.m. to noon, June 22, 2015, at the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit Forest Supervisor’s office, 35 College Drive, South Lake Tahoe, Calif., 96150. LTFAC will address issues related to federal activities at Lake Tahoe.

Items on the agenda include an overview of committee history, review of committee charter, update on status of Lake Tahoe Restoration Act and Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act, and discussion of Committee’s future strategy.

The Tahoe Institute for Natural Science (TINS) in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) will host the sixth annual Lake Tahoe Bird Festival on Saturday June 13, 2015 at the Taylor Creek Visitor Center, located three miles north of South Lake Tahoe on Highway 89.

Residents and visitors are invited to attend this free family event from 10 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.

The Sixth Annual Native Species Festival will be held at the Taylor Creek visitor Center in South Lake Tahoe on Saturday, May 30 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This free family event is hosted by the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit and is a great way to spend the day outdoors and learn about the native species of the Lake Tahoe Basin.

The Visitor's Center is located three miles north of South Lake Tahoe on Highway 89.

What are homeowners in the Tahoe Keys doing to fight aquatic invasive species (AIS)? How successful was the pilot research project to reduce the Asian clam population in Emerald Bay, and what does it mean for future control projects? What does the latest research say about whether quagga mussels could survive in Lake Tahoe?

As South Lake Tahoe prepares to host Stages 1 & 2 of the AMGEN Tour of California Women's Race on May 8-9, people are working throughout the community, preparing for all of the events surrounding the world class cycling event.

There is a VIP reception and team presentation at Riva Grill on Thursday, May 7 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

A project to remove invasive plants from the Lake Tahoe Basin will continue this summer. The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) will eradicate, control, and contain these plants using chemical treatment. Work will occur at approximately 70 infestation sites beginning May 15 and continuing through September, 2015.

Prescribed fire operations may continue around Lake Tahoe this week if weather permits. There are just two areas planned for burning: Off Ski Run Boulevard near Heavenly and near Logan Creek Drive on the East Shore.

Smoke from the fires is normal and may continue for several days after materials have been ignited.

The Heavenly Valley fire area has 70.25 acres of hand piles to burn. There are 23 acres of hand piles and machine piles left to burn.

In South Lake Tahoe every year, many new species are brought in and out of the Lake. While some locals have boats, only some use them in other lakes. The city of South Lake Tahoe regulates wildlife brought in and out of the basin and lake by requiring boats to get inspected, but neglects the need to educate the future community about the harmful animals that can be brought into the lake. These are the new workers and people that will be living and giving to the community.

Closed since last fall's fire which burned over 97,000 acres near Pollock Pines, the King Fire area opens to the public on Saturday, April 25.

"I've decided to reopen the national forest lands in the King Fire area to the public beginning Saturday, April 25, in conjunction with the general opening of fishing season," said Forest Supervisor Laurence Crabtree. "Parts of the fire area are still hazardous, but that will continue to be true for years."

Weather conditions in the Lake Tahoe basin have been conducive to prescribed burns since fall, and as conditions permit, the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit plans on continuing prescribed fire operations starting Monday, April 20, 2015.

Expect smoke from planned operations at Blackwood Canyon between Tahoe City and Tahoma, at Ski Run Boulevard near Heavenly and on the East Shore near Logan Creek Drive. Burns may last through the next several weeks as conditions allow.

"You have to adapt to changes in life or you won't survive," John Rice told a crowd at Wednesday's 'Tahoe Talks' held at LTCC.

"Change is happening, clearly we're in a drought, whether it's here for short term, or long term, time will tell," said Rice, the VP and General Manager of Sierra-at-Tahoe. "The ski industry has the most to lose in a drought."

Several areas around the Lake Tahoe basin are slated to be burned starting Monday, April 13, as the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) continues prescribed burns.

Fire operations are scheduled in Blackwood Canyon between Tahoe City and Tahoma, on the south side of Meeks Bay, at Ski Run Boulevard near Heavenly and on the East Shore near Logan Creek Drive.

Operations may last through the next several weeks as conditions allow at the following locations:

Heavenly - 70.25 acres scheduled for fire operations
Logan Creek Drive - 20 acres scheduled for fire operations