Lisa Herron, U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit

LAKE TAHOE, Nev./Calif., July 14, 2023 – Recent international news stories showed shocking images of volunteers and nonprofits removing thousands of pounds of litter from one Lake Tahoe beach following the July 4th holiday. The media coverage caused public outrage and drew widespread attention to the challenge of preventing litter at the iconic Sierra Nevada […]

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev., May 24, 2023 – As temperatures start to warm and snow begins to melt, a new crop of bear cubs are emerging from winter dens with their mothers. Yearlings, which were born last year, are also on the move. Some are still with their mother bears, some are solo after separating before […]

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif., May 5, 2023 – Do you love Desolation Wilderness? Can you help preserve this special place of breathtaking beauty and keep it wild? Would you enjoy doing something meaningful by joining volunteers who spend time “giving back” to ensure this unique area will remain special? The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin […]

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev., Jan. 31, 2023 – The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) are proud to support BearWise, the innovative North American program that helps people live more responsibly with bears. The BearWise website, www.bearwise.org, offers a wealth of scientifically sound information and practical advice. The […]

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif., Jan. 6, 2023 – The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is pleased to announce the 2023 Winter Trek Conservation Education Program at Heavenly Mountain Resort. Winter Trek is scheduled to begin Monday, Jan. 23, 2023, and will continue through the end of March, weather permitting. Field trips are […]

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev., May 4, 2022 – The snow is melting in the Lake Tahoe region and a mild winter has given way to a bustling, early spring for wildlife in the area. Bears have emerged from their dens, are on the move and hungry! In the fall, black bears experienced hyperphagia (pronounced hai·pr·fei·jee·uh), which […]

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif., Jan. 13, 2022 – The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) is pleased to announce the acquisition of a sizable parcel of undeveloped land in the southeast portion of the Lake Tahoe Basin known as the Cold Creek purchase. Funding for the purchase came from the Bureau of […]

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev., Jan. 10, 2022– Weather and conditions permitting, the Tahoe Fire & Fuels Team (TFFT) may conduct prescribed fire operations over the next two weeks at Lake Tahoe. Operations will continue throughout much of the winter season to help land managers reduce hazardous fuels that can feed unwanted wildfires. Smoke will be present. A […]

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU), in partnership with the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA), has begun the largest invasive plant removal project at Lake Tahoe, the LTBMU said today. This new project will remove 17 acres of invasive plants in the Taylor and Tallac creeks and […]

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. Winter is coming and as bears search for dens for the cold months ahead, they may decide that your house in the Lake Tahoe Basin is just the right place. Black bears typically enter dens between mid-November and December. Wild bears usually look for natural dens in rock crevices, under fallen logs […]

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif., Dec. 10, 2021 – A few weeks ago, a USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) wilderness ranger discovered a very large, illegal campfire near Round Lake in Meiss Country. Meiss Country is a popular backcountry destination south of Lake Tahoe on Highway 89 that receives approximately 50,000 visitors […]

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif., Dec. 2, 2021 – The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) is pleased to announce the selection of Erick Walker as the new Forest Supervisor and Vicki Lankford as the new Deputy Forest Supervisor for the Lake Tahoe Basin. Erick arrived on Nov. 22 and comes to us […]

Our true tale of Tahoe turkeys took place in the 1860’s, when a young man by the name of Henry Clay Hooker had decided to risk everything he had to bring a flock of turkeys over the Sierra, from Placerville to Carson City, where he knew people would pay almost anything to enjoy a holiday […]

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif., June 15, 2021 – Enhanced fire restrictions begin today, June 15, 2021, and will remain in effect through November or until rescinded. Wood and charcoal fires and other fire-related activities are prohibited on National Forest System lands in the Lake Tahoe Basin, including developed campgrounds. Illegal campfires cause over 90 percent […]

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev., May 27, 2021 – For many, Memorial Day weekend is the traditional start of summer and with warmer weather and fewer Covid-19 restrictions, many campgrounds are opening and visitor numbers are increasing in the Lake Tahoe Basin. With this activity comes more human food, more garbage, and more people sharing space with […]

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif., Feb. 11, 2021 – Although an avalanche can occur whenever there is snow on a mountain range, avalanches most often occur between the months of December and April. It is important for visitors to be equipped with the current avalanche forecast, the proper avalanche rescue equipment, and avalanche training. Each year […]

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif., Oct. 1, 2020 – Due to continued public health safety concerns related to COVID-19, trail improvement work, the risk of bear-human encounters and in order to discourage large groups from gathering, the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) has issued a Forest Order that temporarily closes Taylor Creek […]

Lake Tahoe, Calif./Nev. – Spring is in full swing in the Tahoe Basin and Tahoe black bears are searching for food. Intentional or unintentional feeding of bears results in unwanted bear behaviors, increased human-bear conflicts, and public safety issues as well as fines and possible jail time for violators. Each year, local law enforcement and […]

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif., April 15, 2020 – In alignment with current federal, state and local guidance for social distancing and to ensure health and safety of its employees, visitors and volunteers, the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) will temporarily close national forest recreation sites and areas in the South Shore […]

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif., January 6, 2020 – We are proud to share that USDA Forest Service Fire Captain, Dave Soldavini, from the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) is currently assigned to Australia as part of an interagency group helping with fire suppression efforts. Soldavini is part of the third group of fire resources […]