national forests

USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region has decided to extend the developed campground closure on 12 National Forests in California to provide consistent COVID-19 mitigation response in accordance with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Stay-at-Home Orders. These Regional Orders will be in effect through Jan. 29, 2021.

Hello fellow anglers. Just got back from Oregon a few weeks ago and the world’s getting a little crazy. It's now fall, and it feels like we missed out on most of summer, between COVID-19 and wildfires, we might have to start doing some praying to get back to some sense of normalcy. We encountered 7 wildfires on our journey.

National Forest trails, trailheads, beaches and other day-use areas in the Lake Tahoe Basin have now reopened for day-use only as of Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020. Camping and overnight stays will not be permitted, and campgrounds will remain closed. Resorts will reopen for day-use only. Emergency Fire Restrictions will remain in effect through Nov. 30. I’ve attached the Forest Orders for your awareness.

Due to unprecedented and historic fire conditions throughout the state, the USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region on Tuesday extended the temporary Forest Closure Order of all 18 National Forests in California, which began last week.

The U.S. Forest Service announced Wednesday that it is temporarily closing the remaining 10 national forests in California, including Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, Eldorado National Forest, Plumas National Forest and Tahoe National Forest.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit released a list of beaches, campgrounds, resorts and public areas that are closed as of Monday because of dangerous fire conditions.

Most of California remains under the threat of unprecedented and dangerous fire conditions with a combination of extreme heat, significant wind events, dry conditions, and firefighting resources that are stretched to the limit.

Due to these conditions, the USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region is announcing the following temporary closures and fire restrictions to provide for public safety and reduce the potential for human caused fire starts.

U.S. Forest Service campgrounds in the Lake Tahoe Basin, and on the California side of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest will open to the public on Friday. Nevada group campsites and day use areas that hold less than 50 people will also reopen.

The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is enacting campfire restrictions to protect the health and safety of employees and communities, effective immediately and until further notice. Outside of developed campgrounds and certain permitted facilities, igniting, building, maintaining or using a fire on national forests in California will be prohibited.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE — In alignment with current federal, state and local guidance for social distancing and to ensure health and safety of its employees, visitors and volunteers, the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit has temporarily closed national forest recreation sites and areas in the South Shore Recreation Corridor. The closures were effective as of Monday, April 13, 2020.

The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest is implementing fire restrictions earlier than usual this year to reduce the number of human-caused fires and reduce firefighter exposure to COVID-19 during the current pandemic.

CARSON CITY — The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest welcomes Matthew Zumstein as the new District Ranger for the Carson Ranger District. In his new position, Zumstein will provide oversight of the staff and resources needed to manage over 400,000 acres of National Forest System lands in the eastern Sierra region of northeastern Nevada and eastern California.

PLACERVILLE, Calif. — There are less than 300 Christmas tree tags remaining out of the 4,500 that were available through the Eldorado National Forest Christmas tree permit program this year. The Placerville Ranger Station has already run out. As of this morning, the Forest Supervisor's office still had 175 tags; the Georgetown Ranger Station had 100 tags; and the Amador Ranger Station had 40 tags.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit began the sale of Christmas tree permits on Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018. Permits to cut Christmas trees on the Carson and Bridgeport Ranger Districts of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest have been available since Nov. 1.

With drying vegetation, increased daytime temperatures and several human-caused fires so far in 2018, fire restrictions on most federal public land in western Nevada begins Saturday and will last until further notice.

As we’ve learned from the recent Fire Season Outlook, year-round fire season is the new normal in the Lake Tahoe Basin and throughout the country.

Now is the perfect time to learn what to do to prepare your home and family to survive wildfire, and to take action.

The Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit and the Eldorado National Forest will begin the sale of Christmas tree permits on Monday, Nov. 13. Permit holders may choose from a variety of pine, fir or cedar trees up to six inches in diameter at the base in designated cutting areas.

Fall is the time of year for increased bear foraging activity and more human and bear encounters are possible, according to wildlife officials in Nevada and California.

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.

We just completed National Pollinator Week, a designation that recognizes all that pollinators do for our food supply, environment and economy. Last year the Obama administration released a “National Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators” led by U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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.

Tinder-dry vegetation, exceptional drought conditions, increasing daytime temperatures and several human-caused fires have prompted multiple agencies to implement fire restrictions beginning Friday on public land throughout western Nevada.

Tinder-dry vegetation, exceptional drought conditions, increasing daytime temperatures and several human-caused fires have prompted multiple agencies to implement fire restrictions beginning Friday on public land throughout western Nevada.

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.

Jeff Marsolais has been picked to lead the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit of the U.S. Forest Service, Region 5 officials announced Tuesday. Marsolais has served three years as the deputy forest supervisor for the Lake Tahoe unit. He replaces Nancy Gibson, who retired at the first of the year.

During that time Marsolais served as manager of projects and initiatives involving ski areas and recreation facilities.

Environmental groups and the U.S. Forest Service signed a settlement agreement earlier this month that ends a decade-long legal battle over the 2004 Sierra Nevada Framework Forest Plan Amendment, which affects management of the Sierra Nevada national forests in California.

Fire restrictions will begin Friday on public land throughout western Nevada, eastern California and the Sierra, according to the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management.

Below-average precipitation this winter and spring and a third consecutive year of drought have led to abnormally low soil-and-fuel moistures, increasing the potential for large and potentially devastating wildfires, the agencies announced.

The Clear Creek watershed that runs through Carson City and Douglas County and Franktown watershed at Washoe Lake are two of 10 areas within the Nevada's national forests to be picked as priority projects designed to combat damage from insects and disease that weakens forests and increases the risk of wildfire, U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell said Wednesday.

Responding to a provision in the new Farm Bill, Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval had asked Tidwell to designate the watersheds and eight other areas for forest health projects.

There was a run on Christmas trees in the Lake Tahoe Basin over Thanksgiving weekend. The bad news is that all 2,500 permits were snagged and there won't be anymore issued between now and Christmas.

The good news is nearby Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, which has 5,000 permits this season, continues to sell them at a rapid clip, Forest Service officials said.

Genevieve Masters has begun her new position as deputy supervisor for the 6.3 million-acre Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, officials announced Wednesday.

Masters arrived from the Apache-Sitgreaves’ National Forest in Arizona, where she served as the ecosystem staff officer since 2009.

“I look forward to getting to know the employees and contributing to a positive and transparent work environment,” said Masters. “I also look forward to working together with employees, communities, and stakeholders to manage the natural resources of the Humboldt-Toiyabe.”