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Woodcutting permits on the Eldorado National Forest have been changed to allow larger standing dead conifer trees to be cut for firewood. A minimum of tTwo cords of wood can be cut for $15 per cord.

"This change in our woodcutting permits will encourage removal of potentially dangerous roadside hazard trees," said forest supervisor Laurence Crabtree. "Fire and bark beetles have left a lot of dead trees which could fall across forest roads, particularly the less traveled roads in the back country."

Lake Tahoe was at a crossroads in 1997. The lake’s famous water clarity, once measuring 100 feet, was declining year after year because of stormwater pollution from roads and developed areas and erosion from streams damaged by logging and cattle grazing.

Thinning of trees for fuels reduction and forest health will resume on Thursday, July 7 on approximately 178 acres of National Forest System lands on the northeast side of Highway 267, north of Lake Vista Road above Kings Beach and Tahoe Vista. Mechanical whole tree removal will take place off Forest Road 16N52 over the next several months and the area will be closed for public safety.

Most traffic-interfering work will be restricted from 5 a.m. Friday, July 1 until 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 5 due to the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS
State Route 89 (Placer County): Work continues on a $70.1 million project from Tahoma to just north of Granlibakken Road in Tahoe City that is upgrading storm water drainage and treatment systems, adding curb and gutter, resurfacing and realigning the road, adding new left-turn pockets and widening shoulders on an 8-mile stretch of the highway. Completion is expected by summer 2017.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS
State Route 89 (Placer County): Work continues on a $70.1 million project from Tahoma to just north of Granlibakken Road in Tahoe City that is upgrading storm water drainage and treatment systems, adding curb and gutter, resurfacing and realigning the road, adding new left-turn pockets and widening shoulders on an 8-mile stretch of the highway. Completion is expected by summer 2017.

You may have noticed the bulldozer and tree removal activity adjacent to the Community Playfield on Al Tahoe Blvd this week.

Work has begun on the Community Playfields Expansion Project, one by the City of South Lake Tahoe to bring two new playfields to the area next to the current soccer field at Lake Tahoe Community College.

A day full of activities celebrating the outdoors and pets will be Saturday, June 11 at the Harrah's Tahoe upper parking lot from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

The Action Adventure Expo will be partnering once again with the Hike for the Humane Society. Not only will there be guided hikes through Van Sickle Bi-State Park, but there will once again be a $5 vaccination clinic, and lots of vendor celebrating Lake Tahoe.

The hot, dry days of summer will soon be upon us. Preparing your home for wildfire is more important than ever. And now is a good time to get started. June is “Wildfire Awareness Month” in the Lake Tahoe Basin, and members of the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team are asking all Tahoe residents and visitors to “Think First to Keep Tahoe Fire Safe”

Drought conditions and resulting bark beetle infestations have caused pervasive tree mortality across the Central and Southern Sierra Nevada Mountains. It is estimated that there are over 29 million dead trees and this number continues to grow on a daily basis. El Dorado County is not immune to this epidemic as there are thousands of dead and dying trees threatening public safety and infrastructure.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit will begin the sale of personal use fuelwood permits at the Forest Supervisor’s Office at 35 College Drive in South Lake Tahoe on Monday, May 23, 2016, and at the North Shore office at 855 Alder Avenue in Incline Village on Wednesday, May 25, 2016. Permits cost $20 per cord, with a two-cord minimum purchase and a limit of 10 cords per household.

Permits should be purchased early and wood collected promptly as fire restrictions are likely to go into effect early and there may be days when no cutting is allowed.

A three-month long tree removal project off of Fallen Leaf Lake Road near the campground will start around May 15, 2016. Due to the heavy equipment needed, the Forest Service will issue a forest order closing the project area (units 1 and 148) to pedestrians from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily.

Prolonged drought periods often result in forest tree mortality, but this death varies across the Lake Tahoe Basin. The causes of tree mortality range from native bark beetles, forest pathogens (both native and invasive), stressors such as drought and salt stress, as well as historical land-use.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS
State Route 89 (Placer County): Work has resumed on a $70.1 million project from Tahoma to just north of Granlibakken Road in Tahoe City that is upgrading storm water drainage and treatment systems, adding curb and gutter, resurfacing and realigning the road, adding new left-turn pockets and widening shoulders on an 8-mile stretch of the highway. Completion is expected by spring 2017.

Officially Earth Day is over, but the spirit runs throughout the Lake Tahoe Basin all year long. One way that the public can help the environment is to join forces with the Sugar Pine Foundation.

The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office and California Highway Patrol continue to investigate a single-vehicle crash that claimed the life of a South Lake Tahoe teen early Saturday morning.

According to EDSO Lt. Jim Byers, 19-year-old Jillian Pruitt was the lone occupant in a car that collided with a tree on State Route 89 at 3:40 a.m. March 26, 2016.

Byers said the accident is still under investigation and few details are available at this time. He said that circumstance of the crash are making it complex.

The following is the ski, snowboard and weather report for Friday, March 11, 2016 for South Lake Tahoe brought to you by Lake Tahoe SkiBum.

Lake Wind advisory in place until 6:00 p.m. Friday
Winter Storm Watch in effect from 4:00 p.m. Saturday until 11 a.m. Monday
Flood Watch in place until 6:00 p.m. Sunday

The following is the ski, snowboard and weather report for Sunday, March 6, 2016 for South Lake Tahoe brought to you by Lake Tahoe SkiBum.

Winter Storm Warning until 3/7/16 10:00 a.m.

Wind and weather may be a factor today at area ski resorts.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) received a $6,000 donation from NV Energy to their Penny Pines Program, which will be used in LTBMU tree plantation sites including the Angora Fire area.

“Environmental respect is one of the core principles of NV Energy. We want to help provide for a viable and healthy forest,” said BJ Viglione, Supervisor Vegetation Management for NV Energy.

The Penny Pines Program was established in 1941 with the goal of restoring forest areas devastated by wildfire, flood, and other disasters.

The following is a list of all 911 calls received by South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) from January 12 to January 26, 2016.

January 12 - 9 calls: 7 EMS calls, 1 interfacility transfer, 1 assist other agency

January 13 - 9 calls: 5 EMS calls, 1 interfacility transfer, 1 detector activation-no fire, 1 vehicle accident-no injuries, 1 "special" outside fire (downed tree on fire, no cause determined)

January 14 - 9 calls: 3 EMS calls, 1 interfacility transfer, 1 house fire, 2 cancelled en route, 1 unintentional smoke detector activation, 1 false alarm

The Christmas spirit has been evident all through the South Shore over the past few weeks as many people and non-profit agencies have been blessed with donations of money, food and gifts to help make the holidays a bit brighter.

Here are some of the many Santas who've been busy at work:

The South Lake Tahoe Moose Lodge and Women of the Moose filled up 40 boxes with hams and food for families at Tahoe Valley Elementary school. The students decorated the boxes.

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Dear Henry,

I want to get my 5 year old son a puppy for Christmas, what do you think, good idea or not?

Thanks,
Marvin

Dear Marvin,

Select a fresh tree with good color and firm, flexible needles that do not easily pull from the branches.

Place the tree in plain water immediately after re-cutting the trunk at least ½” above the old cut. The container you use for your tree should hold 2 to 4 quarts of water. The longer you wait to place your tree in water, the greater the chances are that it will lose the required moisture content to keep it fresh through the holiday season. NEVER place your tree on a wooden stand.

The annual Light Up Lake Tahoe parade led people through town Saturday night on their way to light the Christmas tree at the Y. Carolers kept the crowd entertained, as did cocoa and cookies, as they waited for Santa to arrive via fire truck.

With temperatures sitting at 30 degrees, bundled up children and their parents, and local community members counted down the flipping of the switch for the tree which will stay lit through the holidays.

Heavenly is proposing improvement to their existing skiing and snowboarding terrain near the top of the gondola, and the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit wants input from the public.

Improvements would include construction of a permanent ticket sales kiosk, relocation of the Red Fir handle tow lift, installation of a Magic Carpet surface lift, obstacle removal and widening of the Tamarack Return Trail and tree removal under the Blue Streak Zipline.