The Truckee Ranger District on the Tahoe National Forest is proposing a fuels reduction and forest restoration project along and surrounding both sides of the Sawtooth Road (06 Road).
The area of the proposed "Big Jack East Fuels Reduction and Forest Restoration Project" is located east of Highway 89 South, west of Martis Valley, and south of the town of Truckee. The area, according to the Truckee Ranger District's project page, is "surrounded by neighborhoods … including Sierra Meadows, Ponderosa Palisades and Martis Camp and Northstar Ski Resort."
The 2,059-acre project "proposes to reduce fuels, reduce the risk of catastrophic fire and restore natural ecological functions of the forest," Truckee Ranger District officials said in a news release, adding that work will include "mechanical tree thinning, prescribed burning and mastication."
"I can say that, save for a few exceptions when it comes to hazard trees to homes, roads and infrastructure, the trees that will be proposed for removal will be generally small, and no trees greater than 30 inches diameter at breast height will be marked," Scott Conway, a restoration ecologist and vegetation management officer with the USFS, said in an October 2016 Sierra Sun story about this project.
Per that report, officials said that while the goal is to minimize inconveniences to homeowners and those who use the area to recreate, there will likely be some.
"The idea is that those inconveniences would pale in comparison to the impacts of a larger disturbance like high-severity fire," Conway said in October.
Forest Service personnel will host an open house to answer questions on Thursday, March 23, from 4-7 p.m. at the Truckee Ranger District office at 10811 Stockrest Springs Road in Truckee.
A 30-day scoping period was initiated March 15 for the proposed project. This period provides a designated opportunity for public comment. Detailed project information and directions for submitting comments are located at http://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=49215.

CLICK HERE to see complete story in the Sierra Sun newspaper.

Georgetown RD Non-motorized Trail Maintenance Project
PROJECT UPDATE AND VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES!
We were able to fund a 5-person Student Conservation Association (SCA) crew for a total of 5 weeks to work on the Georgetown RD Non-Motorized Trail Maintenance Project. The crew will start work on April 3rd. We are also happy to have the help of the Greenwood California Conservation Corps, who have volunteered to spend two days helping us maintain the Little Silver equestrian trail.
 
Upcoming volunteer opportunities for this project:
 
Traverse Creek Botanical Area hiking trails- 3 day project
We plan to maintain 4 hiking trails within this special botanical area. Activities would include clearing vegetation from the trail corridor, constructing drain dips to prevent water from traveling down the trail tread, disguising user trails to prevent impacts to off-trail vegetation, installing both informational and navigational signs, installing two wooden barricades to prevent damage to sensitive plant species, maintaining/reinstalling wooden water bars, and installing a couple stone stair steps. This is a cool project because it is in such a special area, and the trails are short enough to accomplish all of these goals with just a few volunteer days. A botanist may be present to give a short talk about the area, and to ensure the trail work does not damage sensitive plant species.
 
For more information on Traverse Creek: https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/regions/Pacific_Southwest/TraverseCreek/index.shtml
 
We may have some other opportunities later in the year. If you are interested in volunteering for the Traverse Creek project or any projects that may come up later in the year, please reply and let me know. I will be sending out a Doodle poll link to those interested so we can choose dates that would work for the majority of people.
 
Feel free to share this email with any groups or supporters that may be interested. Thanks again for your support for the Non-Motorized Trail Maintenance Project!
 
Hannah Stone
District Recreation Officer
Forest Service
Eldorado National Forest, Georgetown Ranger District
[email protected]
p: 530-333-5567
www.fs.fed.us

U.S. Forest Service News Release March 20, 2017 
PLACERVILLE, CA -  The Pacific Southwest Region (Region 5) is inviting the public to help identify trails that will be part of a U.S. Forest Service effort with partners and volunteers to increase the pace of trail maintenance.  
 
Nationwide, the Forest Service will select nine to 15 priority areas among its nine regions where a backlog in trail maintenance contributed to reduced access, potential harm to natural resources or trail users and/or has the potential for increased future deferred maintenance costs.

Region 5 manages more than 16,000 miles of trails enjoyed by 16,100,000 users each year. In Region 5, volunteers and partner groups contributed more than 178,000 hours in maintenance and repair of nearly 2,984 miles of trails last year.

"We are counting on our fellow Californians to help us identify where maintenance is needed," said Randy Moore, regional forester for the Pacific Southwest Region. "The forest visitors who enjoy these trails year-round are the best source of information for what's needed on the ground, and we're counting on their expertise and willingness to help."

Region 5 has until April 15 to submit at least three regional proposals to National Headquarters. Those proposals will be weighed against proposal submitted by other Forest Service regions.

The trail maintenance effort is outlined in the National Forest System Trails Stewardship Act of 2016 and aims to increase trail maintenance by volunteers and partners by 100% by the end of 2021.

The selected sites will be part of the initial focus that will include a mosaic of areas with known trail maintenance needs that include areas near urban and remote areas, such as wilderness, are of varying sizes and trail lengths, are motorized and non-motorized, and those that incorporate a varied combination of partner and volunteer approaches and solutions.

The Forest Service manages more than 158,000 miles of trail - the largest trail system in the nation - providing motorized and non-motorized trail access across 154 national forests and grasslands. These Forest Service trails are well-loved and highly used with more than 84 million trail visits annually, helping to support mostly rural economies.

The Forest Service receives widespread support from tens of thousands of volunteers and partners each year who, in 2015, contributed nearly 1.4 million hours - a value of about $31.6 million - in maintenance and repair of nearly 30,000 miles of trails.

However, limited funding compounded by the rising cost of wildfire operations, has resulted in less than 25 percent of Forest Service trails meeting all of the agency's standards for safety, quality recreation and economic and environmental sustainability. The remaining trails meet standard to varying degrees.

To provide ideas and suggestions on potential priority areas and approaches for incorporating increased trail maintenance assistance from partners and volunteers, contact Michelle Zuro-Kreimer, Eldorado National Forest Assistant Recreation Officer, at 530-622-5061 or [email protected] . 

submitted by:
Eldorado National Forest
100 Forni Road
Placerville, CA  95667
Web: www.fs.usda.gov/eldorado
Twitter:@EldoradoNF
Facebook: www.facebook/EldoradoNF