Hurdles exist for improving forest health

Changing the public's perception of what a forest should look like is the greatest roadblock en route to creating a healthy, more fire-resistant forest in the Lake Tahoe Basin, according to fire experts.

"Willingness to accept change is No. 1," said South Lake Tahoe Fire Chief Michael Chandler. "The knowledge exists to deal with the problem, but there needs to be a shift on public opinion."

Even after fires destroyed homes in Southern California, homeowners in San Diego County resisted adopting a building code change that would outlaw wood-shingled roofs.

"They wanted it to be adopted later, so they would have a chance to rebuild," said Chandler, who was in Southern California when the issue came up.

Residents and people who have vacation homes at Tahoe only know the basin one way - packed with even swaths of beautiful green pines. Nature doesn't want it that way.

Before man intervened, naturally occurring fires sparked by lighting would burn until they went out. The frequent fires created openings in the forest and eliminated smaller trees, which created more space and allowed stronger trees to flourish.

"If you open up stands so you can see through the forest, that will get some people irritated who came up for solitude and didn't want to see their neighbor," said Dave Marlow, fuels and vegetation management officer for the U.S. Forest Service. "But in a truly natural forest, not only would you see your neighbors, but you'd see quite a way through the forest."

Smoke produced by Forest Service controlled burns often leads to complaints from the public, especially in the basin. Making sure the weather will allow the smoke to exit the basin is key.

"Managing smoke is generally the greatest challenge," said Rex Norman, public information officer for the Forest Service. "Smoke from a prescribed fire can be very, very inconvenient. But smoke from a major wildfire can be devastating."

Regulation is another roadblock in the way of creating a healthy forest. Building a house or installing a bike trail takes longer at Tahoe than most places because regulation is thick in an effort to protect Lake Tahoe's fragile environment.

Forest work is no exception. Cutting trees out of overgrown areas can be a complicated process, especially if those trees are near a stream. Thinning work could only be done in sensitive areas if there was adequate snow cover to protect the land.

But thing are changing, albeit slowly. The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, which regulates land use and creates environmental policy for the basin, recently agreed to change rules that prohibited mechanical equipment in stream environment zones.

The agency is working with the Forest Service on two thinning demonstration projects in stream areas this fall. The equipment will have a light touch on the environment.

"From a water-quality standpoint, regulators like TRPA and Lahotan (Regional Water Quality Control Board) are concerned the work will affect stream environment zones," Marlow said. "But if we don't treat them, Mother Nature will treat them through some wildfire or another disturbance and leave us in worse shape in terms of water quality."