With the onset of cooler, wetter weather, the Tahoe National Forest is beginning preparations for prescribed burns that will occur throughout the fall, winter and spring, as conditions allow.

Planned projects include burning piles of stacked vegetation and low to moderate intensity understory burns of vegetation on the forest floor. The primary goals of these projects are to reduce the severity of future wildfires and provide protection for communities in the wildland urban interface. In addition, the prescribed burns will promote a diverse and more resilient forest, as well as improve wildlife habitat.

All four ranger districts on the Tahoe National Forest are planning prescribed burning operations. While detailed information on prescribed burning projects is available from the districts, some of the planned projects include:

• The American River Ranger District will conduct understory and pile burning at Big Trees picnic area, Humbug Ridge, and the American Fire burn area.
• The Sierraville Ranger District will conduct understory burning at Lewis Mill and west of Highway 89 (south of Little Truckee Summit), as well as pile burning in the areas of Loyalton Pines, Sierraville, Calpine, and Sagehen Summit.
• The Truckee Ranger District will conduct understory burning east of Stampede Reservoir and on the west side of Highway 89 north of Tahoe Donner and Prosser Lakeview/Prosser Heights.
• The Yuba River Ranger District will conduct understory burning three miles east of Camptonville and along Highway 20 just east of White Cloud Campground, as well as pile burning along Madrone Springs Road east of Nevada City.