Current Project:
Lake Tahoe Basin Management Plan Revision
The Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit's current management plan is 20 years old and is out-of-date with respect to winter recreation; the revised Plan needs to consider the huge increase in demand for winter recreation and the affects of new technologies such as high power snowmobiles.
The Forest Service has completed the scoping phase of the revision planning. The Draft Plan is scheduled for Fall 2010 and the Final Plan is scheduled for Fall 2011. Snowlands Network is taking an active roll in the planning process because the outcome will have a huge impact on the future of muscle-powered winter recreation in the Lake Tahoe area.
Due in large part to its spectacular beauty, the recreation lands governed by the LTBMU has the highest concentration of use of any national forest. In its forest plan revision, the Forest Service must recognize such position. Such position mandates a higher level or amount of restrictions on all higher impact forms of use — including hgher impact recreation — than might otherwise be customary. This mandate will ensure that the Lake Tahoe lands continue to be enjoyed by the most users to the maximum extent. It is undeniable that some forms of recreation, such as snowmobile use, have a much bigger impact on the environment and the recreational experience of others, than other forms of use.
"Multiple-use" is still a byword of the Forest Service, but it does not mean multiple uses of every acre of ground, nor on every trail. It never did. Some uses are not compatible with other uses, and mangers have the responsibility to determine what, if any, uses should be permitted, and where those activities should be permitted. In particular, multiple-use is not applicable in many recreation situations. This is especially true with respect to the increased impacts of motorized recreation since the 1988 Plan because technology has improved the capabilities of snowmobiles and other motorized vehicles intended for forest lands. In fact, "multiple-use" often results in "one use" because high impact uses such as snowmobile use often drives away low impact uses such as backcountry skiing and snowshoeing.
Snowlands Network's goal is to make sure that the Forest Service adequately addresses the impacts of snowmobile use on forest lands and other forest visitors. We believe that a fair analysis of the situation will result in additional areas with the LTBMU set aside as non-motorized in winter.