Sierra College and the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) have teamed up for a presentation on meadow restoration, stemming from a study performed by the league, according to a Sierra College news release. (photo of Loney Meadow)
SYRCL's work to restore Yuba headwater meadows has been driven by the desire to answer questions about how restoration efforts benefit meadow ecosystems. In partnership with the Tahoe National Forest, the league implemented a meadow restoration project at Loney Meadow in 2017.

Starting in 2014, SYRCL implemented a before, after, control, impact design to understand how vegetation, groundwater and surface hydrology, carbon, greenhouse gases and aquatic species would be impacted by the restoration project. This talk will provide an overview of the league's restoration goals, monitoring efforts and provide initial results from the hydrology, vegetation, and carbon monitoring. 
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Rachel Hutchinson will lead the talk from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 13, in the Multipurpose Center, building N-12, at the Sierra College Nevada County Campus. A meet-and-greet and refreshments will be available at 6 p.m.
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Hutchinson is the River Science Director at The South Yuba River Citizens League. Her work is focused on conservation, restoration, monitoring, dam relicensing and education programs, according to the release. Since joining the league in 2013, she has focused on implementing data driven restoration projects at both the headwaters and in the lower Yuba River that allow for the quantification of restoration benefits.
The Nevada County Campus is located at 250 Sierra College Drive, in Grass Valley. Parking is $3, and permits are available at the kiosk machine at the main entrance to the campus.
For more information, contact the series coordinator Jason Giuliani at [email protected]

​To see the original article and photos in The Union newspaper, CLICK HERE.

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Another sure sign of winter’s pending arrival came Friday, when the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit announced it is beginning to close recreational facilities for the season.
The closures apply to many beaches, campgrounds, picnic areas and forest roads in the Tahoe Basin.
Campgrounds, day-use areas and beaches on National Forest lands managed by Tahoe Recreation, a division of California Land Management, closed on Oct. 14.
These include: the campgrounds at Bayview, Fallen Leaf, Kaspian, Meeks Bay, Nevada Beach and William Kent, and the  day-use areas and beaches at Baldwin, Kaspian, Meeks Bay, Nevada Beach, Pope and William Kent.
Blackwood Canyon, Luther Pass and Watson Lake campgrounds close on Nov. 15. Zephyr Cove Resort Campground remains open year-round. For a complete list of site closure dates, click here.
The Taylor Creek Visitor Center and Kiva Picnic Area are open daily through Oct. 28.
The Tallac Historic Site closed for the season at the end of September.
The Forest Service warns that bears are very active in the Taylor Creek area this time of year.
“Keep your distance from bears, leave food and other scented items at home, stay on the trails and help protect bear habitat and salmon eggs by not entering Taylor Creek,” the Forest Service says.
Forest roads typically begin closing in mid-November. Click here for specific forest road closing dates.
Although facilities on National Forest lands at Lake Tahoe close for winter, the grounds and lake access remain open year-round. Services such as water, restrooms and trash collection are not available during the winter season.
“When accessing these areas in the winter, be sure to pack out your garbage, park legally and do not block closed gates,” the Forest Service says.  

CLICK HERE to see the original article and photos in the Tahoe Daily Tribune Newspaper.

ORANGEVALE -- Repairs along a popular stretch of trail on the Orangevale side of Lake Natoma may take longer than expected now that a couple of bald eagles have returned to the area.
Heavy rains last winter sent soil and boulders crashing down onto the popular hiking and biking trail within the Folsom Lake State Recreation Area. Many joggers and cyclists have been going around the posted warning signs and barriers, climbing over the rocks and landslide debris, frustrated that it all hasn't been removed from the trail.
Repairs have been taking some time because of the environmental sensitivity of the area. The repair process involves both state and federal environmental reviews and geotechnical surveys of the soil before the heavy lifting can begin.
The presence of bald eagles now adds to the delay.
Observers say the eagle pair started building a nest at Lake Natoma last week.
According to the state park, the eagles have been there before. They had eaglets, and when the youngsters left the nest over the summer, the parents flew off.
Now that the federally-protected birds are back building a new nest, it would be illegal to do anything to disturb them. That's why bringing in heavy machinery to move boulders is off the table for the time being.
State Park Superintendent Rich Preston looks on the bright side, seeing the birds' presence as a privilege.
"Yeah, absolutely, I think it's a great asset," Preston told FOX40. "And we'll continue to build that population of eagles here locally."
Preston said environmental reviews and geotechnical studies may still move forward.
"There may be some buffers that we'll have to stay away from in the area where the eagles are at," Preston explained. "But we should be able to do some of the work further away from the eagles."
With the bald eagles nesting in the area, the noisy clearing of the path likely will not happen until next summer. In the meantime, Preston is asking visitors to be quiet and respectful, "ensuring that the public steers clear of the nest when it's active so that we don't lose this opportunity in the future."

CLICK HERE to see original article on Fox 40 News

This sent to us by Gold Country Trails Council (GCTC): On Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018, we and Tahoe National Forest will be hosting the Annual United Trails Day, in coordination with BONC, YBONC and the Woods Riders. Heads up, there will be approximately 80 of us working on the Towle Mill Trail. Please use another trail that day.
What: United Trails Day on Saturday, Oct 13, 2018
Time: 8:30 am - we’ll break into groups at Skillman and leave by 9 AM.
Meeting Place: Skillman Horse Camp
Work Place: Towle Mill Trail
Lunch: GCTC provides lunch at Skillman
What to bring: Loppers and hand saws
DON'T FORGET CHAIRS!

UPDATE:
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has issued their final decision, dated October 10, 2018, the "ORDER DENYING TEMPORARY AMENDMENT TO RECREATION PLAN," against the California Department of Water Resources.  The full document can be accessed HERE. 
Summary, "Therefore, we (FERC) conclude that it is unwarranted to approve a temporary, controversial change in trail use designation that lacks consensus or sufficient information and was previously denied. " 
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Press Release previously posted 10/8/2018
Mother Lode Trails has received the following - CLICK HERE do download the Action Coalition for Equestrians (ACE) Press Release:
Oct. 8, 2018 Oroville, CA —The historic hiking and equestrian trails within the Lake Oroville State Recreation Area (LOSRA) were threatened once again by the CA Department of Water Resources (DRW) emergency action to convert trails to multiuse by adding bikes. Four equestrian groups in the Oroville vicinity took legal action to stop this wholesale conversion by demonstrating DWR’s gross misrepresentation of 2006 Recreation Management Plan that, if approved, would have mandated multiuse trails throughout the park.

Attorney Bill Davis represented the equestrians and filed a Motion to Intervene into the Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) application to immediately open all trails to bikes as an emergency measure to compensate the mountain biking community for a few miles of bike trails that were damaged by the Oroville Dam Spillway disaster last year.

Documents included in the equestrian’s Oroville SRA Motion to Intervene corrected DWR’s misrepresentation the status of the 2006 Recreation Management Plan (RMP) to the Oroville Recreation Advisory Group (ORAC), equestrians, city and county officials and the general public. For 12 years, DWR had erroneously asserted that the 2006 RMP had been approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the governing body for the Oroville Dam Project, and that the trail conversion had been pre-approved. In fact, FERC gave DWR instructions to make specific changes to the 2006 Plan to protect the “equestrian experience” and safety. These changes were never made and the 2006 RMP never received FERC’s approval.

Based on the revelations presented by the equestrian’s Motion to Intervene, the Oroville Recreation Advisory Council (ORAC) withdrew their signatures from the unapproved 2006 Recreation Management Plan (RMP) and agreed with FERC that a new plan be generated. The Oroville equestrians are ready to participate in the development of a new, legitimate RMP and to stand firm on legal grounds that protect the safety of equestrian and hikers at Lake Oroville SRA.

For the past two years, locals and visitors have challenged themselves across trails and fire roads in the Tahoe National Forest as part of a race from Tahoe City to Truckee.

The third annual Great Trail Race returns on Sunday, Oct. 7, and will feature more than 200 athletes competing in mountain bike and trail racing in race organizer Big Blue Adventure's final event of the 2018 season.

The annual race benefits Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue, which has conducted rescue missions throughout California and Nevada since 1976, and educates the public on winter safety. Last year the race brought in $2,250 for Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue.

The point-to-point race will take mountain bikers and runners on distances of either 17.9 or 21.5 miles on single-track trails and fire roads from Tahoe City to the finish line in Truckee.

Registration for the event is $80 if done online by Oct. 6, and increases by $10 for onsite registration. There are also options for team racing. For more information visit GreatTrailRace.com

Click here to see the original article and photo in the Sierra Sun Newspaper.

Every year the Bicyclists of Nevada County, Nevada County Woods Riders and Gold Country Trails Council work together with the Tahoe National Forest administration on a  trail project. This year the trails groups will be working on the Towle Mill Trail and meeting at the Skillman Horse Campground on Highway 20 above Nevada City.

If you would like to be part of this worthwhile effort to maintain our trails, please click to join any one these groups of interest:
Nevada County Wood Riders (motorcycle group)
BONC (mt. bike group)
Gold Country Trails Council (equestrian group)
More information will be on the websites.
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Everyone will meet up at 8:30 am, break into work groups and leave the campground by 9:00 am.
Lunch will be served by the Gold Country Trails Council at Skillman Horse Campground.

From Park Watch Report today: two horse trailers were broken into today at the Granite Bay Horse Assembly area in Folsom Lake SRA.  In both cases the tack room doors were opened without leaving any sign of damage.  Credit cards and debit cards were taken, nothing else. Attempts to use the cards were made immediately at the Roseville Target.

Report any suspicious activities to the Folsom Lake State Recreation Area field office at 916-988-0205 and to ParkWatchReport at:   https://www.parkwatchreport.com/