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Vail Resorts, Inc. today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Kirkwood Mountain Resort at Lake Tahoe, Calif., recognized by skiers and snowboarders as offering some of the best high alpine advanced terrain in North America.

Recognized for stewardship and care taken in the building and construction of developments around Lake Tahoe, the 22nd annual Best in the Basin awards were announced Tuesday by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.
The TRPA, which sets policy for development around Lake Tahoe, will recognize the winners, listed below, during the 2011 Best in the Basin awards presentation during the meeting of its Governing Board on Wednesday, Feb. 22 in Stateline. Go here for the agenda.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency received a positive ruling in the opening stages of the lawsuit challenging the Homewood Mountain Ski Area Master Plan that was filed by the Sierra Club and the Friends of the West Shore, a Lake Tahoe environmental group.

Prescribed fires are planned beginning Monday at various Lake Tahoe basin locations, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The controlled burns are planned for Kingsbury Grade near North Benjamin in Douglas County, the Logan Creek area; north of Emerald Bay; Kings Beach and McKinney Bay near Homewood.

Carson City and Muscle Powered (a community group dedicated to making Carson City a better community for bicycling and walking) have been working with the US Forest Service and the public for many years to develop a trail system along the foothills of the Carson Range with connectivity to Carson City.

UPDATE 510PM: Fire burns more than 3,000 acres with zero containment; 4,000 evacuated; no count on home and structure losses.

At 4:40 pm this afternoon, Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, under his constitutional and statutory authority, made a state declaration of emergency which qualifies local governments for federal assistance associated with this event. The National Guard is on standby at the request of Sandoval and Washoe County. California has also provided fire assistance as part of a Governor to Governor agreement with Jerry Brown. “Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been and are being affected by this fire,” Sandoval said. “Declaring a state of emergency ensures that every resource from the local, state and federal level is available to assist. The Nevada Division of Forestry and the Department of Public Safety have also engaged with local responders.” Additionally, Nevada has been approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG). As a result, Nevada is eligible for up to 75 percent funding assistance for eligible costs. The request was made by the Nevada Division of Forestry on behalf of Washoe County at the onset of the fire.

More below the fold.

Expected strong winds to arrive on Sunday has the U.S. Forest Service asking Lake Tahoe fire agencies to be on alert for forest fires in the basin.
The wind, combined with virtually no snow or rain since November, has already pushed the fire danger level back to high. The Forest Service urges the public to use caution with activities that could start a fire.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit has approved a project that will reduce wildfire risk to communities on Lake Tahoe's South Shore and restore the health of the area's forests. The South Shore Fuel Reduction and Healthy Forest Restoration Project will thin trees and brush on more than 10,000 acres of national forest system land from the Nevada state line to Cascade Lake.

The Nevada Department of Wildlife, along with state and federal agencies, will jointly host a stakeholder update and engagement session on issues related to the conservation and management of Sage-grouse.  
The meeting will be held January 18 at 2 p.m. in Carson City at the Nevada Legislative Building at 401 South Carson Street in room CC1214.
The meeting will be linked via video conference to Elko at Great Basin College located at 1500 College Parkway, High Tech Center, Room 121 and to Las Vegas at the Grant Sawyer Building on 555 East Washington Avenue, Room 4412E.

One of many piles of pine tree slash the U.S. Forest Service was burning on Thursday, January 05, along California S.R. 88 between Kit Carson Pass and Caples Lake.
Photo by Don Quilici

The U.S. Forest Service and organizers of Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month are working together to promote and recognize the event at Lake Tahoe and elsewhere, highlighting the health benefits of winter outdoor activity.

South Lake Tahoe, Calif. – The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit wants to remind residents and visitors the last day to purchase your holiday tree permit is Friday, December 16, 2011.

South Lake Tahoe, Calif. – The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management is working with permit-holder ARAMARK Parks and Destinations to pull three underground fuel storage tanks and remove contaminated soil at Zephyr Cove Resort. Zephyr Cove Resort is open for business as usual. The work will be visible to the highway and to resort visitors.

A prescribed fire on Upper Kingsbury Grade conducted two weeks ago rekindled, touching off about 14 acres before it was fully contained late this morning, according to the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.

"The fire is 100 percent contained," said spokeswoman Cheva Heck.

Fire crews respond to the rekindling off Andria Drive on Kingsbury Grade, near Stateline. Three Forest Service crews and two engines responded. Cold weather and high winds had created difficult conditions for firefighters and interfered with the ability to pump water from engines.

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.
The project area totals approximately 12,960 acres on the South Shore of Lake Tahoe and includes 41.8 miles of existing trails. The project boundary extends from Pope to Baldwin Beaches on the north end to the south and west ends of Fallen Leaf Lake.

The Carson City Board of Supervisors is seeking applications from persons interested in serving on the Shade Tree Council. There are four (4) volunteer openings to fill a two (2) year term that expires January 2014.

The Shade Tree Council provides advice to the Board of Supervisors on matters concerning the development, maintenance, management and promotion of a safe, healthy and attractive urban forest in Carson City. Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of every other month at 5:30 pm in the Sierra Room at the Carson City Community Center.

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.

Of the more than 6 million trout that are released into Oregon waters every year, by far the largest are the ones that will be released over the next two months in Willamette Valley lakes and ponds.
Starting next week, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife will release 238 of the nearly 3,000 super-sized brood trout that will be stocked at popular fishing holes from Eugene to Portland from now through the middle of January.

You might have seen this on in our live update box yesterday, the McKeen Motor Car on display at the Nevada State Railroad Museum has been nominated as an historical landmark by the National Historic Landmarks Committee. If the nomination is accepted, it will become to only piece of railroad equipment to secure a spot on the list of National Historic Landmarks. Here is a video with some history on the McKeen Motor Car:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9Y4HHti0K0

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A weeklong effort by Carson City JobConnect has rounded up 521 job listings in the Carson City area. The effort's goal was to get more employers to list their job openings with the state's one-stop employment centers.

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Friends of the Urban Forest have begun an effort to plant 10,000 trees in Carson City over the next five years. With a grant from the Nevada Division of Forestry's Urban Forest Fund, they kicked off the effort last weekend by planting 30 native cottonwood saplings in Fulstone Wetlands Park, off Northridge Drive and Russell Way.

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Don't forget Carson Senators play Damonte Ranch tonight at 7 at home in the first round of the 4A playoffs.

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.

U.S. Forest Service fuels management crews are scheduled to resume prescribed fire operations on Kingsbury Grade near South Shore and on the West Shore near the Tahoe Heights area today, Wednesday, November 09, 2011, weather permitting. Both project areas are small, approximately two acres. Operations may continue through the week.

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.

Christmas tree cutting permits are available from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Carson Ranger District.Approximately 4,000 permits will be available beginning on Monday, Nov. 21, and ending...

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:

By the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
Restoring and protecting habitat for foraging elk and other wildlife headline a list of 2011 grants for Nevada from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.
The RMEF grants total $42,700 and affect Carson City, Churchill, Douglas, Elko, Lyon, Nye, Washoe and White Pine counties. One project has statewide interest, affecting teachers and students across Nevada.

As part of Granlibakken’s commitment to health & wellness, the annual Lake Tahoe Women’s Wellness Weekend – a long standing community event previously coordinated by the Tahoe Forest Hospital - will now be hosted by Granlibakken, Nov. 12-13, 2011. The event fuses Eastern tradition with Western practices to offer a balanced weekend interactive clinics on skin screenings, body/muscle testing; inspirational and informative seminars on health, nutrition, aging; recreational activities along with food and wine.

By the Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association
As pioneers made their way through the Shasta Cascade Mountain Range, there was a stream some had to cross.
While a couple of pioneers were crossing this stream, one of their hats had fallen off of their head and landed in the water.
Thus, Hat Creek was born, or so goes the old wives tale.
Hat Creek winds its way through the Lassen National Forest and is known as one of the most famous fly fishing streams in Northern California and offers some great spin fishing.

U.S. Forest Service crews could begin prescribed fires in the Angora fire area as soon as this week, according to a Friday statement from the Forest Service.The burn piles border the neighborhoods ...

By Kristi Boosman
The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency announced the winners of the Lake Spirit Awards honoring "real people making real progress protecting Lake Tahoe" at their first-ever Community Appreciation Day event held on September 29 at TRPA's office.