Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management is cautioning local residents to follow proper procedures for discarding woodstove and fireplace ashes, after responding to two wildfires caused by disposal of woodstove ashes on National Forest System lands.

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 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.

By John Heil
California is expected to see a boost in its local mountain economies as a result of a new legislation that now permits year-long recreation opportunities on U.S. Forest Service ski areas. The Ski Area Recreational Opportunity Enhancement Act of 2011, which was signed by President Barack Obama on Nov. 7, is estimated to create and annually sustain up to 600 extra jobs nationwide.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is proposing to thin trees and brush on National Forest System lands near Incline, Nev., to reduce wildfire risk and restore forest health. The LTBMU is seeking public input on the Incline Fuels Reduction and Healthy Forest Restoration project by November 28.

The project area includes 3,927 acres of National Forest System lands on the northeast shore of Lake Tahoe, from the California-Nevada state line to Lake Tahoe-Nevada State Park.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit will begin the sale of holiday tree permits on Monday, Nov. 7, 2011. Permits cost $10 each (cash or check only, no credit cards) with a limit of two permits per family, valid for cutting on or before Dec. 25, 2011. Permit holders may choose from a variety of pine, fir or cedar in designated cutting areas and must abide by specific permit conditions for proper and responsible collection.

Permits will be available in two locations:

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit invites residents and visitors to attend the Kokanee Salmon Festival, which celebrates the annual fall migration of Kokanee salmon at the Taylor Creek Visitor Center. The event takes place the weekend of October 1 and 2, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. each day. The Visitor Center is located three miles north of South Lake Tahoe on Highway 89.

By Cheva Heck
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — A crew of military veterans who are preparing for future employment while they're helping to protect Lake Tahoe communities from wildfire were visited today by U.S. Forest Service and California Conservation Corps officials.

A flood advisory issued by the National Weather Service remains in effect until 9 p.m. on Friday for northeastern El Dorado and Placer Counties and includes creeks, streams and rivers near South Lake Tahoe, Tahoe City, Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is cautioning residents and visitors to be aware of fast moving water and quick changing stream flows, according to a news release issued Tuesday.

What do six months of record snowfall mean for South Lake Tahoe this summer? It translates to pure blue energy on and off the water, reports the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority.

The U.S. Forest Service Region 5 has named Nancy Gibson as the new Forest Supervisor for the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.

Gibson has been the Deputy Forest Supervisor on the Six Rivers National Forest for nearly three years. Previously, she served as the Administrative Officer on the Klamath National Forest. She also served as Acting Forest Supervisor on the Mendocino National Forest in 2009. Gibson holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Southern Oregon University.

Dennis Oliver, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency's public information officer, has died after a brain illness. He was 47.

Oliver was admitted to the hospital about three weeks ago, according to TRPA External Affairs Director Julie Regan. He died overnight Wednesday at Carson Tahoe Hospital of an apparent brain virus which attacks the meylin around the nerve cells, said friend Michael Carr.

"TRPA is deeply saddened to share the news with the community of the loss of Dennis Oliver, who was an extremely valued employee of the Agency over the last three and a half years," said TRPA Executive Director Joanne Marchetta. Click here to read the obituary.