USFS thinning project to disturb recreationists

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit will begin forest thinning operations on National Forest System lands on the west side of Fallen Leaf Lake on Friday.

Operations will take place south of the dam and will move closer to the dam in a couple of weeks.

The Forest Service will issue a forest order to close a portion of the area from 7am until 6pm daily from Aug. 19-Oct. 11 for public safety due to heavy equipment operations and the felling of trees. Hazards may be present even when operations have ceased for the day and the closure is not in effect. Individuals disregarding the closure order may be cited, with subsequent fines or jail time.

The treatment method for this area will be cut-to-length thinning, in which trees are cut and processed on site by a harvester which removes the limbs and tops and cuts the tree into lengths for transport by a forwarder to a landing location. Also, there will be some roadway vegetation and tree clearing off of Cathedral Road to facilitate the access and safety needs for the road.

The forest thinning is part of the South Shore Fuel Reduction and Healthy Forest Restoration Project, which will treat approximately 10,000 acres between Cascade Lake and Stateline.