ltbmu

U.S. Forest Service fuels management crews will conduct prescribed fire operations near Taylor Creek on Lake Tahoe’s South Shore and on Alice Lane in the Meeks Bay area of the West Shore on Friday, October 26, 2012. Each area is approximately one-quarter acre. On Sunday, October 28, 2012, prescribed fire operations will take place in the Timberland area of the West Shore, weather permitting.

A free screening of “Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time” will be shown at the Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences at Sierra Nevada College in Incline Village on Nov. 8. Filmmakers Ann and Steve Dunsky will be available to answer questions after the screening.

The Lake Tahoe Federal Advisory Committee (LTFAC) is scheduled to meet from 9 a.m. until noon on Thursday, October 11, 2012, at the Tahoe Environmental Research Center, 291 Country Club Drive, Incline Village, NV, 89451. LTFAC will address issues related to federal activities at Lake Tahoe.

Items on the agenda include an update on Biomass in the Lake Tahoe Basin, Aquatic Invasive Species in Lake Mead, and public comment. Members of the public interested in finding out more about the LTFAC are welcome to attend this meeting.

Last week, South Tahoe High seniors Emily Barnett and Tyler Myers traveled to Russia to present their field research project, “The Effects of Fire and Forest Thinning on the Biodiversity of Understory Plants in the Lake Tahoe Basin,” at the Ninth Annual International Junior Foresters’ Competition.

As tree-felling operations under the South Shore Fuels Reduction and Healthy Forest Restoration project move to new areas, the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit reminds the public to stay clear of active operations. “Heavy equipment operators can’t easily see people walking or biking through their operations, so if you’re disregarding posted signs and forest closures, you’re putting your safety at risk,” said LTBMU forester Duncan Leao. “Respecting closures will help us open recreation areas back up more quickly by minimizing interruptions to tree thinning operations.”

South Tahoe High seniors Emily Barnett and Tyler Myers will travel to Russia to present their field research project, “The Effects of Fire and Forest Thinning on the Biodiversity of Understory Plants in the Lake Tahoe Basin,” at the 9th Annual International Junior Foresters’ Competition. Their project was selected by the U.S. Forest Service International Programs office in Washington DC to represent the U.S. in the upcoming competition.

The Summer Keynote Speaker Series at the Taylor Creek Visitor Center continues every Thursday evening through August at the Lake of the Sky Amphitheater. Programs in August include “An Evening with Mark Twain” on August 2 at 7 p.m., “Leave No Trace” on August 9 at 8 p.m., “Winged Flight at Night” on August 16 at 8 p.m., "Stargazing with Richard Combs on August 23 at 8 p.m. and "Wild Things" on August 30 at 7 p.m.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit has opened comments on its Forest Plan through August 30, 2012. In doing so it has also planned four information meetings and will provide an interactive webinar to assist the public with review, commenting and revision of the plan.
The information sessions include work stations and will provide an overview of the four plan alternatives detailed in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Alternatives address vegetation, fire and fuels, wildlife habitat, watershed and recreation and access.

The Summer Keynote Speaker Series at the Taylor Creek Visitor Center begins the first week of July and continues every Thursday evening through August at the Lake of the Sky Amphitheater. The series kicks off on Thursday, July 5, 2012, with "Wild Things" featuring Sierra Nevada native animals live on stage at 7 p.m.

The Tahoe Resource Conservation District (Tahoe RCD) will hold conservation events that highlight environmental projects and stewardship opportunities in the Lake Tahoe Basin communities. These gatherings are part of the 2012 Community Watershed Partnership (CWP), a holistic program which provides a place for education, participation, and involvement in your local watershed.

As part of its Forest Plan revision process, the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is asking for public comment on four alternatives for managing National Forest System lands. The alternatives respond to public input obtained from comment periods and multiple public meetings in 2008 and 2010, as well as the multi-year Pathway 2007 interagency collaboration.

Applications for persons to serve on the Lake Tahoe Basin Federal Advisory Committee are being accepted now through July 20 by the U.S. Forest Service. The committee provides a critical role in advising the Secretary of Agriculture and Lake Tahoe's Federal Interagency Partnership on programs and funds to achieve the goals of the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit has released the draft Decision Memo for 2012 Capital Improvement Projects at Heavenly Mountain Resort. Improvements would include trail upgrades, a new surface tow lift, a new Kids Adventure Zone, an outdoor event facility, summer four-wheel drive tours and a new summer hiking trail. These projects are consistent with the improvements identified in Heavenly's Master Plan Amendment and are intended to improve the overall quality of the visitor experience.

Due to increased costs of doing business, fees at campgrounds operated by California Land Management on National Forest System lands in the Lake Tahoe Basin will rise by $2 this season.

Camping fees will increase at Fallen Leaf (now $30), Meeks Bay (now $25), William Kent (now $25), Kaspian (now $17) and Nevada Beach (now $30 for regular sites, $34 for premium sites) campgrounds. Even with the fee increase, CLM campgrounds are below the cost of privately operated campgrounds in the basin. The fees at Bayview Campground, beaches and day-use areas remain the same.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is asking for public input on the Environmental Assessment prepared for the William Kent Best Management Practices (BMPs) Retrofit and Administrative Site Redevelopment project. The proposed project area is approximately 22 acres and is located one mile south of Tahoe City on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe and consists of the William Kent Campground, the William Kent administrative site, and the William Kent day-use beach area.

U.S. Forest Service fuels management crews continue prescribed fire operations on Kingsbury Grade near Andria Drive the week of April 16, 2012. Operations may continue through the end of the week, weather and conditions permitting.
Residents and visitors can expect to see smoke from this prescribed fire project area. The Forest Service strives to minimize the impacts of smoke on local communities. Smoke-sensitive residents should consider staying indoors and keeping doors, windows and outside vents closed. To directly receive prescribed fire updates, send an email to pa_ltbmu@fs.fed.us.

U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit Supervisor Nancy Gibson has signed a Decision Notice/Finding of No Significant Impact authorizing restoration activities on National Forest System lands associated with the Upper Truckee River Sunset Stables Reach.

U.S. Forest Service officers cited four local men for riding snowmobiles at night in the Freel Peak/High Meadows closure area on the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.
While on patrol, officers observed fresh snowmobile tracks passing directly underneath closure signs and subsequently encountered the riders. One rider fled the scene, abandoning his snowmobile, which was towed and impounded.

Date & Time: Wednesday, March 28, 2012
7 p.m.

Location: Duke Theater
Lake Tahoe Community College
One College Drive, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150

Details: FREE Admission!
Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Followed by Q&A session

Contact Info: Lisa Herron, U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, (530) 543-2815, laherron@fs.fed.us, http://www.fs.usda.gov/ltbmu

Location

Smoke will be noticeable today at the north end of Emerald Bay as the U.S. Forest Service continues its prescribed fire operations. Here's the notice from the Forest Service regarding the controlled burn.

(News Release) — The Lake Tahoe Federal Advisory Committee (LTFAC) is scheduled to meet from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Feb. 9, 2012, at the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, 128 Market Street, Stateline, NV 89449. LTFAC will address issues related to federal activities at Lake Tahoe. Items on the agenda include reviewing and confirming the LTFAC Vision and Strategic Planning Session outcomes, and public comment.

A day after heavy smoke from a west slope prescribed fire in the Eldorado National Forest carried into the Lake Tahoe Basin, another controlled burn is planned closer to home before the onset of winter storms, according to the U.S. Forest Service. A prescribed fire is set for Wednesday in the McKinney and Rubicon Bay areas of Lake Tahoe's west shore.

A prescribed fire will begin Tuesday in Placer County, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The controlled fire is reported to be about a half acre in size and will last one day. Below is the official announcement by the Forest Service.

By Lisa Herron
The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is asking for public input on the proposed Fallen Leaf Lake Trail Access and Travel Management project. The proposed project would improve the recreation experience for residents and visitors to the Fallen Leaf Lake area, while protecting the natural, cultural, and historic resources of the area.