El Dorado County Parks & Recreation Digest

The Caldor Fire pushed deeper into the Lake Tahoe basin Tuesday, as firefighters worked to protect structures and control the mega-fire. New evacuation order were issued for Alpine County and Nevada’s Douglas County.

With fires roaring across California, the USDA Forest Service is closing all 20 million acres of the state’s national forests to public access for two weeks. The Forest Service said the closure will extend through at least Sept. 17.

Local and Bureau of Land Management officials have announced an emergency closure of public lands in Alpine County during fire rehabilitation operations after the Tamarack Fire. This closure will expire Nov. 30 unless rescinded.

Those who walk on local trails enjoy the fruits of labor from many who walked before. Despite setbacks and delays, new and updated projects are moving forward that will link Tahoe/Truckee to hundreds of miles of trails in every direction.

Forest Supervisor Jeff Marsolais has issued an emergency forest closure of all National Forest System lands, roads, and trails within the Eldorado National Forest. The forest-wide closure will be in effect through Sept. 30.

The Sacramento Municipal Utilities District continues to make improvements to Eldorado National Forest campgrounds and other facilities in the Crystal Basin Recreation Area, including the construction of two segments of bike trail at Union Valley Reservoir.

Last year the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors directed the Parks Division to study the county-owned Chili Bar Park property, just north of Placerville. Now supervisors are weighing costs on various options, including the most expensive one: use of the site for camping.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is requesting that anglers voluntarily avoid fishing during the hotter hours of the day because of drought conditions that have increased fish mortality and disease.

In the male-dominated world of fly fishing, trekking out to the river can be intimidating for some women. This is why local fly fisher Amy McCormick and Alpine Fly Fishing have added classes specifically aimed at women.

The Wild & Scenic Film Festival is inviting artists to submit work for possible inclusion at the Wild & Scenic Film Festival, returning as an in-person event Jan. 13-17, 2022. Festival director Jess Swigonski said, “I look forward to seeing what creations our vibrant community of artists have in store for our 2022 Art Exhibition.”

In the face of record-breaking drought conditions, the Eldorado National Forest has increased its fire restrictions to a forestwide campfire ban. The restrictions apply to all campgrounds, developed sites and special use permits.

The city of South Lake Tahoe operates a seasonal campground April through October, and is now seeking vendors who offer low-impact winter activities to turn the area into a “Winter Wonderland” when the snow begins to fall.

After more than three years of diligent work, the Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association, in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, has completed the Stanford Rock Trail on the west shore of Lake Tahoe. The project increases trail access for mountain bikers, hikers and equestrians.

George and Dolores Armstrong founded All-Outdoors California Whitewater Rafting almost 60 years ago. Since then, a vast network of family and friends has sustained the company, operated from a 7-acre camp on the South Fork of the American River in Lotus.

A pandemic-driven surge in fly-fishing has created an opportunity in the Tahoe area, but more fishermen put more pressure on local waters.

To update its master plan, the El Dorado Hills Community Service District surveyed more than 2,200 respondents. Four projects topped their priority list: acquisition and preservation of open space, Bass Lake Regional Park, an aquatics center and a multi-generational community center.

The South Lake Tahoe City Council accepted a property donation to create a new community park on Ski Run Boulevard.

Ahead of the Memorial Day weekend, the Tahoe Fund and the eight agencies that manage Lake Tahoe’s public beaches have updated TahoePublicBeaches.org.

At this month’s El Dorado Hills Community Services District Board of Directors meeting, multiple residents reiterated desires to erect fencing around Kalithea Park, but ultimately the decision was left to the neighborhood HOA.

The Forest Service details new fees and improvements, site closures, changes in user fees, and updates to the reservation system.

Funded by the American River Conservancy at Wakamatsu Farm, the center will highlight the property’s natural, historical and agricultural assets.

Lake Tahoe visitor authorities are working on a new “Traveler Responsibility Pledge” that encourages visitors to protect vulnerable ecosystems and residential communities.

El Dorado Hills Community Services District announced its intent to develop a new community park, but not all residents are on board.

The American River Conservancy has been awarded $504,550 for a local trail project along the Cosumnes River in El Dorado County.

The $360,000 paving projects will be a joint effort between the county and USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.

“Every bit of California is going to be impacted by climate change. It’s going to affect every person in the state and every acre of land in the state,” said Jay Chamberlin, chief of the state parks’ natural resources division.

National forests in the region—including Stanislaus, Plumas, Eldorado, Lassen and Tahoe—have been hard at work on over-the-snow vehicle management policies. Final plans will be revealed in the coming months.

El Dorado Hills Community Service District presented the plan, sparking questions about traffic, access, security, and whether the district should provide its own CEQA report for the project.

Don Lane has spent the last five decades protecting Forest Service land in the Tahoe Basin. “Instead of waking up and dealing with the chaos of humanity ... all you could hear was the birds chirping or maybe a hoot from an owl or a coyote,” Lane says.