The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit will begin a large-scale tree removal project Sept. 8 near Page Meadows off of Chamonix Road.

The project uses a masticator to reduce material left behind after fuels reduction thinning. A masticator is a large lawn-mower type of heavy equipment that runs over debris and chops it up into smaller pieces. Flying debris from mastication equipment is common and large chunks of woody material can be thrown up to 500 feet.

Approximately 375 feet of the Tahoe Rim Trail crosses through the project area and there will be a one- to three-day period when equipment will be working near the trail. For public safety, hikers may experience a short delay while the equipment is stopped to allow safe passage.

Project work is expected to take approximately six weeks to complete and work will occur on weekends.