By USFS staff

The U.S. Forest Service is restoring aspens at Kiva Point in South Lake Tahoe through the fall.

The project area is near the lakefront behind the Taylor Creek Visitor Center and Tallac Historic Site.

The Forest Service asks the public to stay on the trails or beach while this project is under way. Forest Service personnel may temporarily restrict trail access for public safety, because the project involves felling trees. Forest Service crews will remove conifers that are encroaching on aspen stands and limiting their growth. Downed conifers will be chipped and removed or piled and burned after the piles dry in one or two years. Large, old conifers will not be cut, and conifers may also be retained if they are helping to stabilize the shoreline.

Aspen are ecologically important to many species of plants and wildlife, but they are relatively scarce on the landscape. The health and survival of many local aspen stands are threatened by encroaching, shade tolerant conifers. Aspen need abundant sunshine to thrive. Removing conifers from aspen stands will improve their health and provide important habitat for plants and wildlife. The treated forest may appear disturbed and thinned until understory vegetation and aspen trees respond, reproduce and grow, but the eventually the aspen and associated plants and wildlife will grow and prosper.

The work at Kiva Point is part of the Aspen Community Restoration Project, approved in July. For a complete description of the project, go to http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/ltbmu/projects/local/aspen-rest.shtml.