Meeting set to explain Lake Christopher thinning project
To combat potential public outcry when the 50-acre Lake Christopher fuels reduction project starts this summer, officials have scheduled an outreach meeting for Feb. 16 at 6pm at Lake Tahoe Airport in council chambers.
South Lake Tahoe firefighters plans to use hand crews and low-impact equipment, including a helicopter, around the Trout and Cold creek meadows. The project is slated for the first three weeks of June from 7am-6pm.
One foot path between Martin Avenue and Golden Bear Trail may be temporarily closed.
The goal of the Lake Christopher project is to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire by thinning overcrowded forest stands within South Lake Tahoe.
The helicopter will be used to assist in transporting cut material from the treatment area to the processing area. Small trees and slash will be chipped and transported to the landing for removal for use in biomass energy generation facilities, while sawlogs will be removed and delivered to log processing facilities.
The project is a collaborative partnership between South Lake Tahoe, Lake Tahoe Community College, California Tahoe Conservancy and the South Tahoe Public Utility District.
The cost of the project is approximately $174,000 and is being paid for by a grant from the U.S. Forest Service.
For more information, contact Ray Zachau at (530) 542.6166.
When did Lake Christopher become part of the City of South Lake Tahoe? I always thought it was in the County!
Lake Christopher was purchased by the city of SLT from the Johnson family. The dam was removed and the lake bed was restored to a meadow. It is not in the city limits but the city has fee title to the land which is landlocked by county land. It was and is a good project but the city didn’t have to pay for the land. The TRPA or other agencies should have paid for it.
Sounds similar to the City’s airport purchase blunder. No added benefit to city residents, but instead added unnecessary costs and expenses for city taxpayers.
Not much to remove in the 50 acres that I’ve lived next to for 38 years. Sounds like the airport tree thining project that was done without permits, and the city paid fines for doing it.
To Lou and Steve: The project is being permitted through TRPA and being paid for by grant funds, not city funds. Chief Zachau can confirm this.
School is out on the south shore hope there is another meeting.
Drew, grant funds don’t pay for staff time, check with Ray and let all of us know. Also city funds paid for the purchase, check out payment to Elwood Johnson, and ask Ray to confirm.
I understand that the cost for this fuel reduction project is approximately $174,000. Who receives the proceeds of the chipped biomass and sawlog sale? Is the objective supposed to remove the smallest trees first, and larger trees only when there is no alternative to create separation of fire hazard?