Hazardous Fuels Treatments Begin Near South Tahoe High School

Treatments Complement South Lake Tahoe High School Fuels Reduction and Forest Health Project

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif., June 25, 2025 – To reduce wildfire risk, the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is scheduled to begin mastication treatments on approximately 20 acres of National Forest System lands adjacent to South Tahoe High School. Work may begin this week and will continue for the next three weeks, conditions, staffing and weather permitting.

When work is taking place, access to some areas may be disrupted temporarily. South Tahoe High School students and members of the public are reminded to be aware of the mastication activity and keep a safe distance from the equipment.

These operations will target concentrations of downed dead vegetation (fuels) and dense shrubs such as manzanita, whitethorn and bitterbrush that can feed unwanted wildfires. Some small trees that can act as ladder fuels (vegetation that allows fire to climb up from the ground into to tree crowns) may also be masticated.

Mastication, also known as forest mulching, is a mechanical process that involves using heavy equipment to grind, shred, or chop non-commercial sized trees and shrubs into small chunks or pieces. The pieces are then spread out and left to decompose naturally.

These treatments are intended to complement and support the City of South Lake Tahoe and Lake Valley Fire Protection District’s South Lake Tahoe High School Fuels Reduction and Forest Health Project. Funded by the Forest Service, this collaborative partnership is a good example of an “all hands, all lands” approach to hazardous fuels reduction efforts that involves working together to efficiently treat public and private lands.

Tahoe Basin forests are overstocked and highly vulnerable to insects, disease, and wildfire. Hazardous fuels reduction treatments help reduce the risk of wildfire and complement defensible space and home hardening efforts on private property. Treatments also contribute to improved forest health, wildlife habitat, and watershed and forest resilience.

Mastication is an essential fuels reduction treatment and forest management tool used by the Forest Service and other land managers to protect communities. It works by converting ladder fuels to surface fuels to help slow the rate of fire spread during wildfires which assists firefighters with suppression efforts.

Short-term effects of mastication treatments may include changes to the appearance of the forest. Treated areas may look disturbed immediately after treatment, when freshly chipped or masticated vegetation, are more visually obvious. These areas recover quickly as new vegetation growth occurs within a few years.