Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit

What has become an out-of-control, unsightly and all too common practice at Lake Tahoe snow play areas now has a champion to control abandoned sleds.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Are you a college student looking to intern for the winter? Are you a retired school teacher but miss your students, love to snowshoe and want to give back to the community? Or maybe you simply love the outdoors and working with children and want to be involved in your community.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit will offer Christmas tree cutting permits beginning Monday, Nov. 7, 2016. Permits are $10 each with a limit of two permits per family.

The Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team, which includes federal, state and local fire and land management agencies in the Lake Tahoe Basin, will begin their fall prescribed fire operations as early as next week, weather permitting.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit will soon begin the process of closing recreational facilities around the Lake Tahoe Basin for the winter season.

The Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Nevada Division of Forestry have announced the implementation of fire restrictions for all state and federally owned lands. In addition, the Carson City Fire Department has now implemented fire restrictions on city and privately owned lands within Carson City.

The Fourth of July holiday period is the busiest time of year in the Lake Tahoe Basin. For those visiting during the holiday and attending one of the firework displays over the lake, expect extremely crowded conditions and excess traffic.

With Memorial Day weekend approaching and summer around the corner, public agencies in Nevada, California and around Lake Tahoe are urging residents and visitors to practice proper food storage and trash disposal when living in or visiting bear country.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit will soon begin the planning process to designate National Forest System areas for snowmobile use in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

The latest round of funding through the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act includes more than $3 million for projects to help reduce wildfire risk in Lake Tahoe communities.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit invites residents to Ski with a Ranger at Heavenly Mountain Resort beginning Friday, Jan. 22, 2016. Tours are held every Monday and Friday beginning at 1 p.m., last approximately one-hour and continue through April 1, 2016, weather permitting.

Celebrate National Winter Trails Day by participating in a free guided snowshoe hike in Van Sickle Bi-State Park on January 9, 2016, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Participants will learn about Lake Tahoe’s pristine environment while experiencing the enjoyment of snowshoeing.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is asking for public comments on proposed improvements to the existing skiing and snowboarding terrain near the top of the gondola at Heavenly Mountain Resort.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit will begin the sale of Christmas tree permits on Monday, Nov. 16. Permits are $10 each with a limit of two permits per family. Permits must be purchased in person, are not transferable and are sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

A light smoke that began moving into Carson City early Saturday evening may be a result of controlled burn operations on the west shore of Lake Tahoe or open permit burning within the city limits, according to dispatch and the U.S. Forest Service.

The public is encouraged to comment on a proposed land exchange of properties in the Lake Tahoe Basin. The California Tahoe Conservancy and the U.S. Forest Service plan two open houses to present plans.

The proposal would transfer Forest Service urban lots to the California Tahoe Conservancy, while conveying some larger CTC parcels to the Forest Service.

“The proposed land exchange would increase the effectiveness of our urban lot program in meeting various environmental and public access goals in the Basin,” said California Tahoe Conservancy Executive Director Patrick Wright.

Sierra-at-Tahoe will hold a candlelight vigil Wednesday for Michael Hallenbeck of Shingle Springs, Calif. The 21-year old U.S. Forest Service firefighter died Saturday fighting a lightning-caused fire south of Echo Summit.

Known by friends and family as Mikey, Hallenbeck was a Sierra-at-Tahoe employee for the past two seasons and a local firefighter.

UPDATE: Sierra-at-Tahoe will hold a candlelight vigil Wednesday for Michael Hallenbeck of Shingle Springs, Calif. The 21-year old U.S. Forest Service firefighter died Saturday fighting a lightning-caused fire south of Echo Summit. Known by friends and family as Mikey, Hallenbeck was a Sierra-at-Tahoe employee for the past two seasons and a local firefighter.

UPDATE: A 21-year-old firefighter from Shingle Springs, Calif., died Saturday afternoon as a result of injuries received while suppressing a wildfire on the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit in Northern California.
Michael Hallenbeck was a member of Organized Crew 36 on the LTBMU. Go here for the full story.
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The U.S. Forest Service reports a wild land firefighter died Saturday night after being struck by tree in a remote area in the Lake Tahoe area. The following is from Forest Service spokesman Stanton Florea:

A Bombardier CL415 firefighting aircraft is now at the Lake Tahoe Airport for the summer to aid the U.S. Forest Service and other agencies in fighting fires, officials announced Tuesday.

Nicknamed the “Super Scooper” for its capacity to repeatedly scoop and drop large quantities of water on a fire, the CL415 provides the Forest Service with increased initial attack capability in the Lake Tahoe Basin and surrounding forests.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit will begin the first phase of the Camp Richardson Resort Campground and Vehicle Circulation Best Management Practices Retrofit to meet current standards for water quality protection and universal accessibility.

Work to remove around 250 trees in the campground on the north side of Highway 89 will begin Tuesday, July 21, 2015, and is expected to last about two weeks.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency on Thursday voiced its strong support for legislation to reauthorize the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act that has been introduced in Congress by Tahoe’s Senate delegation.

Sponsored by U.S. Senator Dean Heller, R-Nevada, along with Harry Reid, D-Nevada, Dianne Feinstein D-California, and Barbara Boxer, D-California, the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act would authorize up to $415 million in federal funding over 10 years to help continue critical environmental restoration work at Lake Tahoe.

Personal use fireworks are illegal to use or possess in Carson City, Lake Tahoe Basin and surrounding counties, including sparklers and so-called “safe and sane” fireworks. As you enjoy your holiday, leave fireworks to the professionals by attending one of the many public displays around Carson City and Lake Tahoe.

Fire restrictions on National Forest System lands in the Lake Tahoe Basin begin Wednesday, July 1, 2015, and will remain in effect until the official end of fire season, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Campfires will be restricted to certain exempted recreation sites and other fire-related activities will be prohibited.

Most of the fires are single-tree fires with some ground fire, and the largest is only a half-acre in size. Winds are calm, and the Lake Tahoe Basin received substantial rainfall in the area of the fire starts, so the rate of spread is low. The Forest Service is staffing all nine fires with the assistance of Tahoe-Douglas and North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection Districts.

Muscle Powered's Jeff Potter was honored recently for his work on the Ash Canyon to Kings Trail in Carson City at the National and International Trail Awards, held in Portland, Oregon.

American Trails presents the National and International Trails Awards Program to recognize the tremendous contributions of volunteers, professionals, and other leaders who are working for the betterment of trails both nationally and internationally and in both rural and urban settings. These awards are presented every two years at the International Trails Symposium. The ceremony was held May 19.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board on Wednesday unanimously approved Tahoe Transportation District’s plans to realign State Route 89 access at Fanny Bridge through Tahoe City as part of a community revitalization project.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit will host the sixth annual Native Species Festival on Saturday, May 30, 2015, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Taylor Creek Visitor Center located three miles north of South Lake Tahoe on Highway 89. This free family event is a great way to spend the day outdoors and learn about native species of the Lake Tahoe Basin.

The final hurdle in a process that began in 2013 was cleared Thursday for Heavenly Mountain Resort at Lake Tahoe with final approval by the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board for the Epic Discovery Project, a year-round outdoor recreation plan to straddle the resort's Nevada and California border.

Heavenly Mountain Resort has sought approval for expansions to its on-mountain summer activities, as part of Vail Resorts’ Epic Discovery program. The Epic Discovery plan was submitted in July 2013 and has undergone a comprehensive environmental and public review.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit will continue a project to eradicate, control, and contain known infestations of invasive plants in the Lake Tahoe Basin using chemical treatment. Work will occur at approximately 70 infestation sites beginning May 15 and continuing through September 2015.