Tahoe Big Meadow restoration

Date: November 4, 2008

Contact: Public Affairs, Cheva Heck 530-543-2608 or Rex Norman 530-543-2627


BIG MEADOW RESTORATION PROPOSAL SEEKS PUBLIC COMMENT


South Lake Tahoe Calif.-- The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) is seeking comments on the proposed action for the Big Meadow Creek Watershed Fire Regime Restoration Project. The proposed project would restore the ecological connections and functions between riparian corridors, aspen stands, meadows and adjacent Forest. Goals of the project include stimulating the growth of desirable native vegetation to sustain desirable plant and animal communities; reduce conifer encroachment, and reduce fuel loading to reduce the potential for high severity wildfires within the project area.
This project, it is currently in environmental analysis, and the Forest Service will be lead agency for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, and is in the initial scoping stage of analysis seeking public comment. If you have information the Forest Service may not be aware of, or feel you have issues regarding potential effects of the proposed action, please send your comments to Raul Sanchez, Interdisciplinary Team Leader, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, 35 College Dr., South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150.

Written, facsimile, hand-delivered, oral, and electronic comments concerning this project will be most helpful if they are submitted by December 3, 2008. The office business hours for those providing hand-delivered comments are 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Oral comments may be provided during normal business hours via telephone (530) 543-2600 or in person. Email comments may be sent to: comments-pacificsouthwest-ltbmu@fs.fed.us with the subject line: “Big Meadow Creek Watershed Fire Regime Restoration Project.”

If you would like to review the proposed action and map, they are posted on the LTBMU website, http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/ltbmu/projects. For further information regarding this proposed action, contact Raul Sanchez, Interdisciplinary Team Leader, at (530) 543-2679, email rsanchez@fs.fed.us.