6 Tahoe basin meadows slated for restoration
Meiss Meadow is targeted for restoration by the U.S. Forest Service. Photos/LTN file
By Kathryn Reed
Restoring the health of six meadows in the Lake Tahoe Basin is the goal of a project the U.S. Forest Service wants to undertake starting this summer.
The agency is seeking comments on the environmental documents through the first week of February. Two options are part of the environmental assessment – do nothing and the proposed work plan.
Between 2000-11 the agency studied 37 meadows, with six rising to the top of needing immediate help.
Those six are Baldwin Meadow, which is south of Baldwin Beach; Benwood Meadow, south of Adventure Mountain snow play area on Echo Summit; Freel Meadow north of Thompson Peak, which is north of Luther Pass near Grass Lake; Hellhole Meadow, which is north of Freel Meadow; Meiss Meadow is on the south end of Meiss Country, north of Highway 88; and Star Meadow, which north of Freel Peak and west of Star Lake.
Restoration efforts would include a combination of tree removal, prescribed fire, stream channel repair, planting of vegetation and rerouting trails.
When asked why the USFS believes it is necessary to intervene with Mother Nature, the agency responded, “The Forest Service and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency have identified meadow ecosystems as an important focus area for restoration efforts in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Past land use and recurring droughts have impaired the natural function and processes of many meadows in the basin. Fire suppression, grazing, stream incision, conifer encroachment, climate change and recreation and trails have combined to produce complex effects on meadow function, composition and structure.”
The proposal calls for removing trees from 228 acres and thinning another 359 acres – all by hand. Controlled burns would occur on about 1,226 acres.
The corral in Meiss Meadow is on the repair list.
Stream channels, some of which are not named, will be worked on in every meadow area except Hell Hole Meadow. In total, about three miles of water will be affected. This includes planting willows on 22 acres.
Pacific Crest Trail hikers will be affected. The plan calls for 1.1 miles to be rerouted and 1.1 miles decommissioned.
“We are not sure when implementation will occur, therefore cannot identify how this will impact hikers next summer,” Herron said.
The goal is to build the new section, then decommission the old trail.
“The Forest Service plans to minimize impacts to hikers during implementation by coordinating the trail reroute alignments with the Pacific Crest Trail and Tahoe Rim Trail associations and notifying them both regarding timing of project activities,” Herron said. “We will work with both associations to alert trail users of planned work and potential impacts via their websites and social media.”
Lodgepole pine that will be removed from Meiss Meadow will be used to repair the old corral. This will allow pack animals visiting the area the opportunity for daytime or overnight stays.
A price has not been determined for the work that is planned – either by individual meadow or cumulative. A fraction of the millions that is needed will come from the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act. Other funding sources have not been determined. Money usually becomes available for projects like this once all the environmental documents are completed.
Work will take place as money becomes available. There is no time line for when the work will be completed.
“If additional work is needed in other meadows where long term plots have been established and continue to be monitored, additional projects may be proposed,” Herron said.
Notes:
• The deadline to comment is Feb. 6.
• The draft environmental assessment is available online.
• For more information, contact Matt Dickinson at 530.543.2769 or mattdickinson@fs.fed.us.
Usfs will destroy to create and then ban to protect. All the while spending millions that the US doesnt have.
Ponds become meadows, and meadows become forests. It’s the natural way of the world.
Funny, environmentalists are SO into ‘evolution’. But when they see a meadow ‘evolving’ they must stop it at all costs. They’re so afraid of change.
Leave the upper truckee river alone!! You guys are destroying it… It’s much prettier and healthier the way it is now…. What is the point of all this disturbance being done where sunset ranch is?
Now, I have been very critical of the US forest circus for years in regards to woodcutting firewood for personal use. However, I have some good friends on the team that does these wetland/meadow restorations. These meadows in the basin are big filter traps for what goes into our lake. Years of cattle grazing and moving the natural water courses have all but destroyed these meadows. Millions we don’t have?? How about the trillions spent on national defense?? That’s where the outrage should be. This is federal money being spent to benifit our local economy. I am behind this plan 100%!
These areas are not part of the lake clarity problem regardless of their past disturbance. The disturbance being done for restoration is much more impactful and destructive than if we left it alone. I don’t support this restoration anymore. Money that needs to be spent to keep people busy that’s all.
USFS and TRPA involved means NOTHING good for us or the forest. LEAVE NATURE ALONE FOR ONCE!!!!!!
All you whiners will be pointing fingers at the FS in 10 years when all the little trees fill in the meadow and create a fire hazard. Then you will complain the FS hasnt done enough to keep the fuel break these meadows create. Dog, reciently you were telling all of us to leave meyers along, you dont want change and now you are saying all us environmental types need to accept that things change, that change is inevitable. You need to stop contradicting yourself, but than you know all the answers anyway.
working on a crew with the forest service back in the 70,’s changed my life and helped me define my career. The jobs that are created and the work done for this town were measured by more than a paycheck. The jobs nurtured a love for this basin, many of the workers still live here and have had their families here, own homes, have contributed to the local economy. All you finger pointers can say whatever you want but you made your choices as young people to follow whatever path you did. It seems to me that you have sour grapes because you are wishing you had a job working in the woods with an employer that nurtures the workers and hopes that they stick around and be a long term employee. That was my experience and I was a grateful public servant. Most of the people i know that worked in some public service job are there because they care about what they do, regardless of the whiners on this blog…IMHO
Nature just reconfirmed my opinion that this is about employment and money.
The willows filling in Trout Creek (college) Meadow & Barton Meadow, ending those fires breaks right in town, worry me.
TomP, What are your thoughts on “6 Tahoe Basin meadows slated for restoration”? Like me, you know the area, so what do you think? OLS
Graham, whats wrong with jobs? Whats wrong with the FS spending money hiring people to work here in SLT? Whats wrong with the FS hiring young (or old) people to do work that is going to be done based on the FS Professionals studies that show these areas need work. How is that a bad thing? I dont buy that they are just squandering money on frivilous work. Obviously you arent one of the FS employees that will do this work there fore you are angry? Than get off your butt and apply for a job. These jobs are great for young people, they pay a good wage, they give training and opportunities for jobs in other parts of the country, its amazing what doors can open if you get one of these jobs. Its great seasonal work for people who are into that. Whiners will always whine……..
destroy ecosystems and spend tons of money. Nature does truly bat last.
How do these projects destroy ecosystems? The only complaint stated above has to do with spending money. Now if they start removing old growth trees or using herbicides id say STOP, but that hasnt been established as of yet. Read the proposals and environmental impact statements to determine if there is ecosystem destruction. Submit your comments if you want your opinions included in the process. Submitting your comments here will accomplish nothing.
I have been told by a local photographer and keen, constant eagle observer that the tree cutting by Taylor Creek and Baldwin will be detrimental to eagles. This part of the plan needs to be re-worked to allow for eagle activity.
Dog, not all environmental types would want you to lump them in with FS employees who are sometimes but not always environmentalists.
Graham: “These areas are not part of the lake clarity problem “. Please take a high school science class. Does anyone realize what a tiny percentage of our federal tax dollars goes to the US forest service? It’s spent on the military. A lot of misdirected anger here.
Bats, quit putting words in people’s mouths. I never said I didn’t want Meyers to change. I said GOVERNMENT had no business going in and making changes, and secret dealings, that private property owners did not want.
But You don’t actually care what people say, you just want to disagree with people you dislike.
Blue, since government spends so much on the military, that justifies spending more on the forest service? That’s why this country is so deep in the hole. It’s always, well, if they get THIS,then WE should get THAT. Maybe we ought to just stop it and cut it ALL back. A LOT.
‘This part of the plan needs to be re-worked to allow for eagle activity. ‘
You are assuming it isn’t or won’t consider eagles. Based on… ???. Look deeper into the wildlife studies that precede this kind of work and you will find mention of raptor studies. And tell that to the photographer so that they stop spreading misinformation.
As usual, the critics are unaware of the science and it is not a part of any of their comments.
The notion of them ‘destroying’ anything is ludicrous. In their current state, the meadows are in bad shape. Read some papers on meadow restoration, and how the health of a meadow is measured. Yes, it is possible to restore a meadow with bulldozers. That sounds crazy but the people who do this work care about meadows and are a lot more talented than many of you given them credit for.
-Sr. Fish (migrating to new name for 2015)
I hope the Forest Service can help the Upper Truckee. The Upper Truckee is a nothing more then a polluted ditch and needs some serious attention. Who else is going to restore it… the Chamber, the Casinos, the Keys, locals? LOL!
And remember, the Forest Service is part of the Agriculture Department, NOT the Parks Department… BIG difference.
I can’t believe the lunacy on this comment page. No sense in arguing with ignorance. It’s no wonder the whole program is messed up. Science class? Go look at the tmdl… And military? What the.. The UTR is not a ditch, you people are crazy. Lake is doomed. No sense in commenting on anything….
baldwin meadow has far too many dead an dying lodge poles. forest circus has been slackin.
polluted ditch? your talkin about lake baron right..
Bo ho ho Graham, duke of prunes is right!
Dog, well same bla bla bla, different story. Go figure…
If you have lived here for long enough, you have seen major FS screw-ups. Sometimes the “prevailing science” is cherry picked to justify the project that has already been decided upon.
You can lead an ignorant person to science but you can’t make it think.
Educate yourself, or graciously excuse yourself.
“It has never mattered to me that thirty million people might think I’m wrong. The number of people who thought Hitler was right did not make him right… ”
Frank Zappa
Science doesn’t care about opinion. What is your point?
Follow the money..not the science and you will find the truth
BO. “Follow the money..not the science?” Science, Mathmatics, Chemistry, Physics, Biology and the Universal Laws will be around long past the death of billionaires or trillionaires.
“Follow the money..not the science and you will find the truth”
The mantra of willful ignorance and scientific illiteracy condensed in to one sentence. Amazing.