Upper Truckee Marsh tree thinning project wraps up

By Kathryn Reed

Work wrapped up Monday on a two-week tree-thinning project in the Upper Truckee Marsh that involved clearing about 12,000 board feet (52 trees) and 50 tons of wood chips being hauled out.

A semi-truck early on the afternoon of Aug. 30 was full of chips being taken to the cogeneration plant in Quincy.

David Tormey adn David Mercer wrap up a thinning project Aug. 23 in the Upper Truckee Marsh. Photos/Kathryn Reed

Slash will be turned into mulch.

Slashed remained off San Francisco Street on California Tahoe Conservancy land. A specialized machine was to be brought in to turn it into mulch.

Six acres were treated here, with another 28 in the upland side of the meadow treated earlier by Cross Check Services out of Reno.

“This is for forest health and fire hazard reduction,” David Mercer of the tree cutting firm said. “It’s not that healthy of a forest to begin with.”

He pointed to gall rust and split trees as a problem.

But he Mercer, and his partner David Tormey, said the area looks better than it did.

Although CTC owns the land, this is a project funded by South Lake Tahoe through grants.