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Major North Tahoe first-thinning project begins next week

Staff report

CARNELIAN BAY, Calif. — Federal officials expect to begin a 3,000-plus-acre fuels reduction project next week on Lake Tahoe’s North Shore.

According to a news release from the U.S. Forest Service, the Carnelian Hazardous Fuels Reduction and Healthy Forest Restoration Project will reduce the risk of severe wildfire and improve forest health.

The project will thin trees and brush on 3,297 acres of National Forest System lands near the communities of Kings Beach, Tahoe Vista, Carnelian Bay, Cedar Flat, Lake Forest and Tahoe City.



Thinning methods include hand thinning, done by crews with chainsaws and involves piling material for burning at a later time; cut-to-length thinning, which cuts a tree down and removes it in sections; and whole tree removal, in which an entire tree is cut and moved for processing.

The first area scheduled for treatment is on the east side of Brockway Summit near Kings Beach, north of Speckled Avenue, according to USFS, where roughly 310 acres will be thinned. Work could begin as early as Monday, May 5.



USFS will issue a Forest Order to officially close areas during active operations; jobs may take three months to complete, although work will not occur Memorial Day Weekend.

Depending on funding and contractor availability, the entire project may take seven to 10 years to complete. For information on the project, click here.


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