The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is seeking comments on a proposal to reduce excess vegetation on approximately 3,800 acres on the South Shore.

The purpose is to reduce the risk of wildland fires and create healthier forests. 

Treatments would include forest thinning using hand and mechanical methods, cable yarding and prescribed fire operations involving pile and understory burning. Tree planting may also occur in some areas to promote tree species or forest structure diversity. Treatments would take place in areas thinned within the last 25 years and in areas that have not been previously treated.

Hand thinning would take place on steeper slopes not accessible to mechanical equipment and generally steeper than 30 percent.

Mechanical thinning operations would include cut-to-length and whole tree removal. 

Work could begin this spring. It will take approximately eight years to complete. 

The proposed action available online. Comments will be taken until Feb. 16.