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Local rivers may be eligible for inclusions in the National Wild and Scenic River system, and the Forest Service is asking for public comment as they evaluate the rivers in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

A webinar will be held on March 31, 2015 from 4:00 p.m. to 5 p.m. to explain the process being used for evaluation by the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU).

The LTBMU encourages public comment as part of the evaluation process, which is in response to objections raised during the LTBMU Land Management Plan revision.

A preliminary environmental report has been completed on the Tahoe Valley Area Plan and is ready for public input.

This report is created so the agencies developing the plan can determine whether a nEnvironmental Impact Report (EIR), a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND), or a Negative Declaration is required for a project under California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) guidelines.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is asking for public input on a proposal to reconstruct the Kingsbury Stinger Trail near Kingsbury Grade. The Stinger Trail runs approximately 2.75 miles from Genoa Peak Road (Forest Road 14N32) to Terrace View Drive on lower Kingsbury Grade and is open to all-terrain vehicles, motorcycles and mountain bikes. The trail is very steep in places, is prone to erosion, crosses private land for approximately 280 feet on the lower segment and no longer meets current Forest Service standards for safety and sustainability.

Fed up with waiting, Nevada lawmakers are ramping up efforts to have private companies, fire districts and others paid for work conducted years ago to reduce fire danger in vulnerable areas around Lake Tahoe.

The Legislature earlier this month passed a joint resolution urging Congress to pay contractors who performed extensive fuels treatment work in the wake of Tahoe's disastrous Angora Fire of 2007.

With the recent release of the first phase of the South Lake Tahoe Airport Master Plan, a follow up public meeting is being held on March 16.

Community involvement is being requested so all issues can be addressed and solved with public input.

Details of the plan are avaialble on the City of South Lake Tahoe's website.

Heavenly Mountain Resort added summertime activities to the top of the gondola last summer but that was only the beginning if the Epic Discovery Project gets approval from the necessary agencies.

South Tahoe Now is starting a new series of stories about historical places to visit, all within a couple of hours drive from South Lake Tahoe.

The Sierra Nevada and Carson Valley are rich in history. I knew this growing up, but never really appreciated it until I was well into adulthood. Having lived in South Lake Tahoe for over 35 years , I continue to learn about the area’s history and historical points of interest, and appreciate the previous residents more every day.

Tuesday's City Council meeting will cover a range of subjects, from commission appointments to a look at the Vacation Home Rental Policy.

At the January 20 City Council meeting, appointments were made to all boards but three spots remained opened. One should be filled at this week's meeting as there was one applicant for the Airport Land Use Commission opening. Scott Michal applied and will be appointed if Council believes he meets the qualifications.

Almost twenty years later and the Tahoe Valley Area plan isn't in place, yet. John Hitchcock, the City of South Lake Tahoe Planning Manager, gave the Council another presentation on the status of the plan and where things stand as of today during Tuesday's City Council meeting.

First proposed in the early 1990's, the resurrection of the Tahoe Valley Area plan made great strides towards adoption in 2014 with Hitchcock holding four public meetings where input was requested, presenting the plan to TRPA three times, three times to City Council and twice to the planning commission.

The City of South Lake Tahoe is soliciting applications for appointment to the following City Commission and Board:

AIRPORT LAND USE COMMISSION:

South Lake Tahoe's Jamie Anderson won her 10th X Games medal in Aspen, CO today, bringing home silver.

Anderson led the group of athletes in Snowboard Slopestyle through the first two rounds but failed to land cleanly on the last, allowing defending two time X Game Gold medalist Silje Norendal to win her third straight gold.

Today's event was Anderson's third straight X Game silver.

The Sierra-at-Tahoe snowboarder's medal count for X Games: 4 Gold, 4 Silver and 2 Bronze.

In their meeting of 2015, the South Lake Tahoe City Council will make appointments to four commissions.

Residents seeking one of the two available spots on the Airport Land Use Commission are Ted Long and Michael Siracuse. There are seven openings on the Building/ADA Board of Appeals, and six people seeking the spots: David Huber, Keith Cloutier, William "Chip" Henderson, Robert King, Dale Rise and Randy Vogelgesang.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) would like the public's input on their proposed restoration project at six impaired meadows near South Lake Tahoe. Restoration will include tree thinning and removal, prescribed fire, stream channel repair, planting of vegetation and rerouting trails.

Nevada is suffering from a debilitating drought, experiencing the impacts of a warming climate and, some say, is deficient when it comes to long-term water planning for the state as a whole.

Debate is mounting over the need to begin development of a comprehensive water plan taking into account available water supplies, drought, climate projections and development that will tap limited water resources across the nation's most arid state.

The man accused of starting the King Fire earlier this year has been indicted on felony arson charges according to the The El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson.

Wayne Huntsman is charged with felony arson of forest land with multiple special allegations of arson with aggravating factors. He sits in the El Dorado County Jail in South Lake Tahoe with a bail set at $10,000,000.

The League to Save Lake Tahoe was granted $35,000 by the Clarence E. Heller Charitable Foundation to support its land-use planning program. The foundation also added $200,000 to their endowment with the League.

As the keynote speaker at last month’s National Workshop on Large Landscape Conservation in Washington, D.C., U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell emphasized the central role collaboration must play for America to protect its natural resources, balance economic needs, and address emerging environmental challenges such as climate change.

“We are moving into an era of epic collaboration,” Jewell said, explaining that regional partnerships across jurisdictional boundaries are more important than ever for the federal department that manages 20 percent of our nation’s land.

As part of their mission to give back to the community and protect the environment, Vail Resorts gave away 49 grants to Lake Tahoe area groups during a ceremony on Tuesday at Heavenly Valley.

With empty lots in the South Lake Tahoe area owned by various agencies and private owners, the public doesn't know who to report incidents or situations to unless they are marked.

In order to help the public, the California Tahoe Conservancy began posting property tags today to help the public better identify its lands on the South Shore.

After witnessing the Tahoe Paradise Resort Improvement District (TPRID) meeting last week I starting thinking how the residents of Meyers and Tahoe Paradise could be better served.

What happened at the TPRID meeting was a sad display of a board in action. There was yelling, arguing and, what one person witnessing everything said, “don’t air your dirty laundry in a meeting like this.”

The campaign posters on Measures M, N and O that have plastered the west slope for a few months have now made their way to South Lake Tahoe. But, what are they all about?

Growth, to put it in one word.

On one side you have people who want to have control of growth in the county and not let it go to Sacramento. On the other side there is a grass roots movement to keep all growth out of the county unless Cal Trans says its okay.

All of the major cell phone companies were in town last week, meeting with local agencies to determine the need for better cell phone coverage. As most locals are aware, there are several pockets of "no cell phone" coverage in town.

Since 80% of the Lake Tahoe basin is owned by the U.S. Forest Service, the choice on where to put new cell phone towers is limited. They are looking into new partnerships with local land owners to see what can be done.

If you are a South Lake Tahoe area resident and want to be involved in your community, the City Council is looking for you!

They are now collecting applications for two-year appointments to the Airport Land Use Commission, Building/ADA Board of Appeals, Parks & Recreation Commission and the Planning Commission. Some of the openings are for City residents only while others just need to live in the Lake Tahoe basin portion of El Dorado County.

The El Dorado County Planning Commission will be holding a public hearing and workshop on the Meyers Area Plan at the South Lake Tahoe City Council Chambers on October 16 from 9 a.m. to noon.

The public has a chance to give input and share ideas on the plan which will be an update of the existing 1993 Meyers Community Plan.

The plan's goal is to:
1) Be a comprehensive land use plan for Meyers;
2) Realize Meyers’ Community Vision;
3) Provide consistent and simplified rules;
4) Assist in achieving Tahoe
Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) Thresholds;