As tree-felling operations under the South Shore Fuels Reduction and Healthy Forest Restoration project move to new areas, the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit reminds the public to stay clear of active operations.

Thinning in the first unit along Highway 89 has been completed, and mechanical operations in the Nez Perce Drive area also nearly complete. Once that unit is complete, the contractor will be working near Fallen Leaf Campground and along Trout Creek off Pioneer Trail.

Noise from the operations near Fallen Leaf Lake may affect campers, although operations will occur during the daytime only. The work will also limit access to the Moraine Trail and other trails from the campground leading to Fallen Leaf Lake. The Trout Creek work will limit access to the Railroad Grade Trail.

Once work is complete, the Forest Service will restore official trails such as the Moraine Trail and the Railroad Grade Trail to their previous condition. The agency does not restore user-created trails, and these trails may be covered with slash that has been left behind for soil stabilization.

The Forest Service has also issued a number of contracts for hand-thinning and piling operations, in project areas around the Lake. South Shore project activities will continue as conditions allow, including possible over-the-snow operations during the winter.

The South Shore project includes mechanical and hand-thinning to reduce wildfire risk to communities, improve forest health and restore aspen stands. The project will treat approximately 10,100 acres from Cascade Lake to Stateline on the California side of Lake Tahoe over the next eight years.

For more information on the South Shore project, go online. You can view current forest closures here.