4-wheelers tear up USFS land in Tahoe City, South Lake
By Kathryn Reed
Ruts from illegal 4-wheel drive activity are marring U.S. Forest Service land throughout the Lake Tahoe Basin. In Tahoe City, what was a meadow with strands of green grass covering it now looks like a crime scene. And it is.
A price tag has not been put on the damage. The most serious incident this month occurred in Tahoe City, with the other in South Lake Tahoe.
A Tahoe City meadow has been ruined by illegal 4-wheel activity. Photos/USFS
Law enforcement is looking for the suspects in the North Shore case, while the three male 17-year-olds from Stateline who were caught on the South Shore were given a lecture. If they are caught doing it again, such leniency is not likely to be granted.
None of the violators was in a place that allows 4 wheeling even when it’s dry.
“Cross country is not allowed at all. They were in places that vehicles are never allowed,” USFS spokeswoman Cheva Heck said of the violators.
The meadow in Tahoe City has ruts at least 6 inches deep and several inches wide from some big tires. Tire marks show the violators were spinning doughnuts.
With the designated off-road trails super wet this year, some won’t open for a while. The Forest Service’s website lists projected opening dates for the trails. But with the National Weather Service issuing a flood advisory through 9pm June 24 for creeks, streams and rivers near South Lake Tahoe, Tahoe City, Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows, the dirt roads in the basin are going to be wet for quite a while.
Tire ruts will become hard and "permanent" as the water recedes.
“We are concerned for people’s safety and protection of resources of soil and plant habitat,” Heck told Lake Tahoe News.
Massive ruts, especially like the ones left in Tahoe City, stay that way until crews restore the land. This degradation leads to erosion problems.
The culprits on the North Shore accessed the area from road No. 73 off Fairway Avenue. Witnesses told authorities they saw a newer, blue pickup out there.
Penalties could be a maximum of six months in jail and/or a $5,000 fine. If caught and found guilty, the suspects would likely have to pay the Forest Service to restore the meadow to the pre-damage condition. This is never an inexpensive task. If they aren’t found, it’s taxpayer dollars that will restore the meadow.
On top of the damage to the meadow, the suspects left a smoldering campfire behind. The fire was reported June 13 and was most likely started the weekend of June 11-12, Heck said.
Anyone with information is asked to call (775) 831.0911. Anonymity will be granted and a reward may be offered.
The Forest Service was alerted to the South Lake Tahoe incident when someone reported the 4-wheeling to police, who then called the USFS.
Damage just outside Van Sickle Bi-State Park in South Lake Tahoe.
This area behind the now demolished Colony Inn Hotel is loosely called Chonokis Meadow. It requires crossing California Tahoe Conservancy land to get to the USFS owned meadow. CTC doesn’t allow motorized vehicles on its land – and the Forest Service doesn’t allow driving through meadows.
“(There was) no gate or signage there that says ‘road closed’ or anything of that sort. Since the damage, the USFS has put in Carsonite posts indicating that vehicles are prohibited,” Heck said.
The boys who were caught in the act had a Jeep and 4-wheel truck.
“They were very cooperative when officers spoke with them. Their impression was (the boys) didn’t realize what they were doing. They were really compliant and concerned,” Heck said.
The soil there was spongy and the damage is nowhere near as horrendous as how the culprits violated the meadow on the North Shore.
What a joke! A lecture? this type of “punishment” is why illegal off roading will never end! Slap them with a big fine, a violation on their driving record, and require them to pay for restoration! Make it hurt, and it won’t happen again! Ignorance of the law is no excuse!! These 17 year olds are laughing all the way to their next meadow distruction!!
Proof of how long lasting this type of damage is, was shown when a truck drove up through the meadow on the left, where hwy 89 closes from 4 lanes to two, heading toward Camp Richardson. This happened many years ago. It left two big ruts that the meadow eventually covered, but it took about ten years.
I agree with Steven if they get fined and have to do restoration they may think twice about doing it again.
How about the meadow across the river from the airport? That one get DEEP ruts every year from mountain bikes, for goodness sake. Once in awhile 4 WD’s get in there too, but mostly it’s the bikers too impatient to wait for it to dry out.
Let them help to restore the land that they destroyed? There is no room in jail for these people and a $5000. fine is not a deterrent.
These guys (and gals) need to not only restore the land they’ve damaged but in addition to paying a severe fine have to volunteer in helping Japan shore up the cracks at their nuclear facilities.
And now motorcycles are tearing up the forest trails on the land next to the STPUD pumping station at the end of Barbara street. STPUD – please police your property.
The meadow couple weeks ago up by Van Sickle park,behind Raley’s had the same thing.
I look for more destruction when they open the park.
Still think it’s a fire wind tunnel ready to happen when you get irresponsible people back there smoking,illegal camping.
Yes, I agree that the boys should be made accountable for their actions. They should have court ordered community service in the form of repairing the meadow that they destroyed.
The Tahoe City culprits should be fined to the maximum amount allowed and be required to repair all of the damage that they did as well. This area has gates and signs all around the USFS access routes, and they are closed right now. this means they had to go around the gates and/or access the area by just driving through the landscape.
A HUGE problem with this is that the Forest Service has not signed almost any of the areas where these idiots want to drive. No sign and you have a problem. Forest Service, get out and get some signs up in the most probable areas, like, say, Twin Peaks. The signs they do have are pathetic and tiny, kinda hard to see when you’re winging by at 30 on your motorcycle. They’re driving all over the place at Twin Peaks, off designated areas, destroying the place. Meanwhile, on the other side of the hill the Washoe Meadows was restored for a huge price tag. So to be clear, one side of the hill is OK to trash, while the other side is not, CRAZY. They all need to go down to G-Ville, take their trash with them-
I once saw a deer track and a bear track and a mountain lion track and a cow track and an elk track and even heard about a bigfoot track once in the forest. BAN THEM ALL, THIS IS MY LAND!!
Atomic—– They should change the law to forbid any offroad vehicle unless there’s a sign allowing it. Think of them money this would save.
Instead of a fine or jail time which seems to me like a waist of time. Make them spend all there weekends this summer fixing the mess they caused and they stay with it until it is done. Time has more value than money, Then hopefully they will get the point. The same goes for the kids that are painting our community with spray cans
“They should change the law to forbid any offroad vehicle unless there’s a sign allowing it. Think of them money this would save.”
“Closed Unless Posted Open” is a typical USFS policy for all trails (OHV and human powered). I’m not sure what the LTBMU policy is. The LTBMU website doesn’t serve-up an easy answer.
I agree, there needs to be an effective punishment. Give them a big fine, points on their license and have them fix their ruts over the summer to keep them busy and out of trouble.
Atomic,
MOST people play by the rules at the sand pit behind Twin Peaks. This is a legal area for riding and ATVing allowing younger types to blow off steam without trashing the fragile meadows around the Lake. Without this there would be a ton more damage done because there would no longer be a legal riding area hence more illegal riding. Police the rules but let the Sand Pit stay. Volunteers do a great job of keeping the pit clean and in self policing other riders not following the rules. We still need this type of place at Tahoe for recreation.