Relevance

Vegetation is integral to many scenic and recreational amenities in the Lake Tahoe Region. Vegetation also provides many functional roles related to water cleansing, soil stabilization, wildlife habitat, nutrient catchment and release, air purification, and noise control. The focus of vegetation preservation in the Region is to restore, protect and maintain these functions and contribute to other socioeconomic attributes. Specifically, this management standard discourages the creation of large forest openings, such as clear cuts, while providing tools to allow for forest openings of up to eight acres in size to meet specific management goals such as regeneration of shade intolerant species (e.g., Jeffery and sugar pine). It also encourages the perpetuation of a diversity of tree age classes, which is important for ensuring the sustainability of the Region’s forests.

Human and Environmental Drivers

Prior to European settlement, low intensity fires burned every five to 18 years in lower elevation pine and mixed conifer forests in the Tahoe Region (Nagel and Taylor, A.H., 2005). As a result, these lower elevation forests in the Region typically had large, widely spaced conifers with a poorly developed shrub understory, in a mosaic pattern of different age classes from some higher-intensity, stand-replacing fires. Between 1875 and 1895, large-scale timber harvesting removed most of the large trees around Lake Tahoe (Lindstrom et al., 2000). Although the forest stands successfully regenerated, the past 100 years of fire suppression-focused forest management have resulted in a relatively homogenous landscape of similar-aged trees in denser stands than historic reference conditions. Urban development, grazing and more recent fuel reduction treatments continue to shape the distribution and health of vegetation communities in the Region.

No related projects or programs defined for this indicator.

Management Status Rationale

Implemented. The Region is in attainment with this management standard. Policies and ordinances are in place to sustain common vegetation and a vegetation management restoration program has been underway to actively reduce unnaturally dense forest and restore fire resiliency of Tahoe’s upland ecosystems (TRPA, 2012e, 1986). With few exceptions, the TRPA Code of Ordinances prohibits the manipulation of vegetation that would permanently impact forest integrity (TRPA, 2012e). Prior to approving any vegetation management project, TRPA must consider alternatives, complete environmental review, identify mitigation measures and make specific findings demonstrating that the project is consistent with the TRPA Regional Plan and will not exceed any environmental threshold standard, including requirements for protecting upland and riparian vegetation(TRPA, 2012e) . TRPA administers the interagency Environmental Improvement Program (EIP), which facilitates the implementation of forest health restoration and other vegetation management projects. The Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team (TFFT) coordinates fuel reduction and forest management programs for the Region.

April 2017. EcObject Vegetation Map v2.1 Product Guide. USDA Forest Service, R5 Remote Sensing Lab.