national forest

The Eldorado National Forest is consolidating Visitor Information Services (VIS) on the Highway 50 corridor. All visitor services currently located at the Pacific Ranger District three miles east of Pollock Pines will move to the Placerville Ranger District in Camino on October 15. The Placerville Ranger District location at 4260 Eight Mile road, Camino (take Highway 50 exit 54) will handle Desolation Wilderness permits, the Pacific District recreation information and rental cabins in addition to their regular visitor information services at that point.

Due to extremely dry vegetation and very high fire danger, recreational target shooting is prohibited in the Eldorado National Forest until at least October 9, 2018. In the Lake Tahoe Basin, it is not prohibited but they suggest those wishing to target shoot go to one of the legal ranges in Carson City or Gardnerville for safety reasons.

As of Wednesday afternoon, 4,142 acres are burning between the North Fire, Sliger Fire and Boot Fire.

8:20 p.m. update 8/4/18: The North Fire acreage has grown to approximately 700 acres. It continues to burn in the North Fork of the American River Canyon, and area characterized by steep, rugged terrain. The Helibase has been been moved to Truckee. It remains at 10% contained.
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9:00 a.m. update 9/4/18: Updated mapping has shown the North fire has burned 500 acres. Hand crews, dozers, and engines worked through the night establishing an anchor point and starting to flank the fire with handline, hose lays, and dozer line. 10 percent contained.

Over the last several months there has been a great deal of wildland fire activity around the region. Sadly, most fires are human-caused and completely preventable if the public would take the time to better understand conditions that are favorable for fire starts. Fire prevention is the key to keeping our communities and forests safe from wildfire.

Although fire season is now considered a year-round event, wildfires mostly occur in the late summer and early fall when temperatures are still high, humidity is low and vegetation that can feed a wildfire is extremely dry.

There are still several fires burning in California but firefighters have gained the upper hand on many of them.

Ferguson Fire: The Ferguson Fire is now at 96,901 acres with 100 percent containment and 881 personnel currently engaged on the fire. During the most critical time in the fire, over 3,000 people were assigned to the incident from all over the world. There have been 2 fatalities and 19 injuries. 10 structures have been destroyed.

Smoke hasn't been as present in the Lake Tahoe Basin over the last few days as it has been, but fires are still burning in Northern California.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The National Forest Foundation (NFF) has received a major grant from the California Climate Investments Forest Health Grant Program to conduct important forest health work on the Tahoe National Forest, the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) and State Responsibility Area (SRA) lands in the Truckee / Tahoe region.

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Today, CAL FIRE awarded four grants totaling $27.5 million to fund high-priority forest health projects designed to combat climate change and reduce the risk of wildfires.

First and foremost, my thoughts and prayers are with the communities and forests affected by the destructive and tragic wildfires across California, Nevada, and the West. Our Lake Tahoe Basin firefighters are responding to both local and national wildfires and providing assistance to those in need. I am very proud of each one and know their families go through added stress during their absence.

This time of year, wildfire suppression can overtake our thoughts and activities, however, a great amount of work is occurring around the Lake Tahoe Basin to create more resilient forests.

Increased fuels due to the wet winter and spring, drying vegetation, high fuel loading, and increasing daytime temperatures have prompted the Bridgeport and Carson Ranger Districts on the Humbolt-Toiyabe National Forest to announce the implementation of fire restrictions beginning August 04.

Smoke from the Ferguson Fire near Yosemite continues to move into the Lake Tahoe Basin. On Sunday, that smoke will be joined by clouds and a 50 percent chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms starting after 12:00 p.m. and going into the evening.

On Saturday, hail and rain was very scattered, with people in the Kingsbury Grade and Heavenly Valley area seeing several minutes of a hail storm accompanied by heavy rain, with areas west of Ski Run Boulevard not seeing a drop of rain.

9:14 p.m. update: The James Loop Fire was reported at 12:45 p.m. at the James Canyon Development near Carson City, Nevada. Tonight, the fire was mapped at 260 acres and is currently 30 percent contained. The fire was caused by heavy equipment working on a new home under construction The fire burned 163 acres of private and 107 acres of Bureau of Indian Affairs lands, but threatened lands
managed by the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. The East Fork Fire Protection District was in unified command with the U.S. Forest Service.

The Fourth of July holiday period is upon us and signifies the busiest time of year in the Lake Tahoe Basin. The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) asks residents and visitors to keep the following tips in mind to help everyone enjoy a safe and fun holiday.

To promote public safety, the annual alcohol ban will be in effect at the following locations:

· Nevada Beach on July 4, from 6 a.m. until midnight.

The Lions Fire actively burning just west of Mammoth Mountain has burned 1,000 acres and is affecting air quality and visibility tonight as smoke settles into valleys.

Started by a lightning strike around noon on June 1 in the Sierra National Forest, the fire is burning near the Lion Point area in the Ansel Adams Wilderness. It crossed onto the Inyo National Forest on June 22 and is now being co-managed by both the Sierra and the Inyo National Forests.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) has published the summer 2018 edition of Tahoe In Depth. The award-winning newspaper, in its sixth year of publication, strives to provide residents, visitors, and policymakers with information about protecting, enjoying, and exploring the Lake Tahoe Basin.

The summer 2018 edition includes a special report on 10 years of fighting aquatic invasive species at Lake Tahoe, as well as the 10th anniversary of the watercraft inspection program that has successfully prevented any new introductions of aquatic invasive species over the last decade.

The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit will begin the sale of personal use fuelwood permits at the Forest Supervisor’s Office in South Lake Tahoe on Monday, June 4, 2018, and at the Incline Village Forest Service office on Wednesday, June 6. Permits cost $20 per cord, with a two-cord minimum purchase and a limit of 10 cords per household.

Permits have specific conditions and complete information is provided when the permit is issued. Maps to designated cutting areas are provided and must be in the permit holder’s possession along with the valid permit when cutting.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) has opened the comment period for proposed management of 1,083 acres on National Forest Lands off the Mt. Rose Highway above Incline Village, Nev.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Fuels on 3,737 acres of South Lake Tahoe area National Forest lands will be reduced by thinning forest stands and removing forest biomass vegetation, prescribed burning, and reforestation.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) announced the the final decision on the project last week. This project helps decrease the risk of wildland fires and complements defensible space treatments implemented by local municipal fire districts on adjacent non-federal lands.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) will soon begin the process of opening recreational facilities in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Weather and snow conditions permitting, Inspiration Point will be the first site to open on Saturday, April 14, 2018. Baldwin and Nevada beaches open April 28. The Taylor Creek Visitor Center opens Friday, May 25. The Tallac Historic Site parking area opens Tuesday, May 15, and will be staffed beginning Saturday, May 26.

The following is a list of opening/service dates, weather and snow conditions permitting:

Non-profit partners of government agencies play a critical role in managing trails, recreation, planning and other essential activities taking place on public lands. Locally, the Tahoe Rim Trail Association (TRTA) is the region’s largest non-profit trail organization and has the primary responsibility for managing and maintaining about 200 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails in and around the Tahoe Basin in partnership with the US Forest Service (USFS) and NV State Parks.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. - El Dorado County Sheriff's Office responds to calls throughout the county. The following are calls that only pertain to the South Shore. There may be some missing calls due to sheriff's logs not being completed at time of story.

Some of those recently added to last week's log:

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9:07 a.m. - Vehicle Theft - Kaska St - DEPUTIES RESPONDED TO THE REPORT OF A BURGLARY WHICH RESULTED IN THE THEFT OF A VEHICLE.

Natural disasters can occur at any given time and in any given area. The size, duration and damages are usually unpredictable. The devastation, destruction and cost of California wildfires are increasing annually.

A significant amount of Nestlé’s water diversions in the San Bernardino National Forest are unauthorized, state water rights investigators say.

The Swiss-based company has been diverting an average of 192 acre feet of water per year from the forest, which is more than the 26 acre feet it is allowed under its current water rights, according to a report released Thursday, Dec. 21, by the State Water Resources Control Board’s Division of Water Rights.