management

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - After much discussion and deliberation, the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) has made the difficult decision to cancel planned interpretive programs and visitor services at the Taylor Creek Visitor Center through the end of October, including second- and third-grade conservation education field trips. In addition, they have made the decision to cancel the Fall Fish Festival this year, an event that typically draws up to 12,000 visitors over the weekend.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Years of work by a team of professionals and public outreach has led to the release of the Draft State Route State Route 89 Recreation Corridor Management Plan.

Those who have been on this congested segment of roadway around Lake Tahoe are aware of the long list of issues including traffic issues, parking issues, and safety issues during the summer and popular weekends.

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. - When the three parking lots with 90 spaces were created last year in Incline Village for the popular East Shore Trail, they were free but all were told paid parking was coming in the near future.

That time has now come.

Tahoe Transportation District (TTD) has unveiled the Park Tahoe pilot program at the trailhead north of Ponderosa Rand Road. The lots were created to expand off-highway parking options along the high traffic area of SR28 between Incline Village and Sand Harbor State Park.

Out of four adults who are living with a serious mental health issue, more than one will also have a substance use problem. It is referred to as having a co-occurring disorder or dual diagnosis. While a mental health issue has unique symptoms and requires different treatment from those of a substance use disorder, they affect each other greatly.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - The Numbers Fire is now at 18,340 acres and 98 percent contained.

The fire started on July 6 at approximately 6:50 p.m. near the Pine View Estates area south of Gardnerville. Investigators found several fires along Highway 395 that they believe are related to the Numbers Fire.

Investigators with the East Fork Fire Protection District, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Land Management, and the US Forest Service worked together over the past week to determine the origin and cause of these fires.

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - The Board of Supervisors held a meeting on Thursday to discuss the current situation of positive cases of COVID-19 in the county, especially in South Lake Tahoe where numbers are starting to grow.

After almost four hours of discussion, both amongst themselves and during public comment, the Board made the following action items but didn't vote on any county-wide orders:

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - One man has been arrested in connection with three suspicious fires in the Echo Peak and Echo Lakes area on July 5, 2020. The fires, the Echo Fire, the Upper Fire, and the Lake Fire, appear to have been intentionally started.

UPDATE 7:335 p.m.: Douglas County officials say the Numbers Fire has now reached 18,000 acres and is 0% contained. The recommended evacuations for the Bodie Flats and Pineview areas have been lifted. Only residents are allowed to these areas. Please drive safely, watch for emergency vehicles, and be ready for possible future instructions in an ever-changing situation.

Multiple local, state, and federal agencies continue to work on containing the fire using dozers, hand crews, and aircraft.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - With months of people being under "Stay at Home" orders, and if the past few days are any indication, this holiday weekend will be busy at Lake Tahoe as people get out in the fresh air, hike, bike, go to the beach and get on the water.

The July Fourth holiday at Lake Tahoe will look a bit different this year with firework shows canceled, social distancing, the requirement of face coverings in public places and growing concerns about responsible recreation.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - South Tahoe Public Utility District invites private well owners to take a 5-10 minute survey about their well, water usage, and any concerns they may have concerning their well. For participation in the survey the District is offering guidance on well maintenance, a free site check to help prevent contamination from entering the well, and free water testing to understand the well’s water quality.

Update 6/25 at 9:00 a.m.: The Monarch Fire burning in Douglas County is now 1,794 acres. The fire is burning three miles south of Sierra Spirit Ranch in the Fish Springs/ Pinenut Creek Road area.

3:51 p.m. 6/24 update: From Douglas County: Several agencies including Bureau of Land Management, Douglas County Sheriff's Office, East Fork Fire, the US Forest Service and the Nevada Division of Forestry are currently responding to the Monarch Fire, a Brush fire in the Fish Springs Pinenut Creek Rd area. No structures are threatened at this time. No active road closures at this time.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Fire season is upon us and many restrictions are now in effect where outdoor burning, campfires, and fire pits are concerned. 2020 started out with the driest February on record since the 1850s, and there is an increased fire danger posed by dead grass and hotter, drier conditions in the region.

It is important to understand that with all of the different fire areas around Lake Tahoe, there are different rules.

Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit Engine 344 firefighters are on scene Monday afternoon after a report of a wildfire on Lake Tahoe's east shore.

The Chimney Fire was reported at approximately 1:00 p.m. and is located on National Forest lands south of Chimney Beach near the shoreline. Firefighters have the fire surrounded and have knocked it down. It was reported to be a five-foot by 10-foot fire, said Lisa Herron, spokeswoman for the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.

If ever there was a time to draw on the healing powers of Lake Tahoe, it’s now. The COVID crisis, complete with loss of life and wide-ranging financial impacts, is being compounded by human struggle and a wellspring of social justice demonstrations that are gripping the nation. One of our core values at the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) is collaboration -- building collaborative relationships to protect Lake Tahoe. I can tell you that Tahoe's successes have not ever come from reinforcing divisions. The imagined “us vs them" simply creates false divides.

The year 2020 started out with the driest February on record in California since the 1850s, and this combined with warming temperatures and recent winds are resulting in quickly drying grass.

The increasing fire danger posed by dead grass and hotter, drier conditions

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. - The Tahoe Network of Fire Adapted Communities is presenting their tenth and final "Tip of the Week," an ongoing series for the public since they are unable to perform their normal community outreach services. All tips are ways people can prepare for wildfire while staying at home.

Weekly Tip #10: Connect Virtually

Wilder Than Wild Virtual Screening

The Tahoe Network of Fire Adapted Communities (Tahoe Network), with generous support from the Tahoe Fund, is hosting a free virtual screening of the award-winning documentary Wilder than Wild: Fire, Forests, and the Future through the Tahoe Art Haus & Cinema from June 5 - June 11, 2020.

Wilder than Wild is a one-hour documentary that reveals how fire suppressioand climate change have exposed Western landscapes to large, high-intensity wildfires. The film goes on to explore strategies that are being developed to help mitigate the impact of these fires.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless (TCH) had settled into their new winter home on 3rd Street in South Lake Tahoe when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, forcing them to look for a larger space to get more people off the streets.

The City of South Lake Tahoe opened its recreation center to the nonprofit as it was already closed due to the pandemic, allowing TCH to add more beds and services and become a 24/7 facility.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - There have been two new cases of COVID-19 in El Dorado County today, one in the Greater Placerville area and the other in the Lake Tahoe region. Both are male, one aged 18-49 and the other in the 50-64 age range.

There have now been 80 cases of COVID-19 in the county. Currently there is one in the ICU and another hospitalized (from which region is not shared). There are currently 23 active cases.

To date, there have been 5,672 tests conducted, 174 of them Tuesday. There were no reported new recoveries.

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. - The Tahoe Network of Fire Adapted Communities is presenting their ninth "Tip of the Week," an ongoing series for the public since they are unable to perform their normal community outreach services. All tips are ways people can prepare for wildfire while staying at home. They will be providing a total of ten tips.

This Week's Tip: Up Your Preparedness Game With Online Tools

As the COVID-19 pandemic made its way across the globe, a shapeless and silent pandemic, borne of fear, anxiety, and uncertainty also began to take hold. While taking care of oneself has been focused on our physical health and hygiene, it has left the mental health and emotional states for many, in limbo and for others, pushed them into crisis.

The Heavenly Village in South Lake Tahoe is reopening over the Memorial Day Weekend and having a four-day celebration after being closed since March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"We are excited to have the village open and operating," said Heavenly Village VP Gary Casteel, Jr-. "I cannot stress the level of excitement I have received from our tenants to safely re-open. A special thank you to mayor pro-tem Tami Wallace for all of her support in the re-opening.”

Ambiguity, uncertainty, and contradictions abound in this pandemic. Add time to the list of contradictions swirling around us. Morning and night sometimes seem a week apart. The first month of shelter‐in‐place dripped by for many of us. The second month was gone before we knew it. And now summer is fast approaching. We welcome the season because in ordinary times it can elevate our well‐being, but these are not ordinary times. With most of the attention and intensity now on reopening, the question that hangs in the balance is, are we ready? Is it the right time?

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - On May 7, 2020, South Lake Tahoe lost a steadfast advocate for safe, clean drinking water and reliable wastewater services. James R. Jones, 77, a local engineer and avid sailor, served on South Tahoe Public Utility District’s Board of Directors for 39 years (1977-1989, 1993-2020). During his tenure on the Board, Director Jones focused on building for the future, instead of 'kicking the can down the road.’