Pine needle recycling will begin May 1 with the Incline Village General Improvement District's WASTE NOT program.

Residents may drop-off their loose, clean pine needles, free of charge, seven days a week, at the Diamond Peak Ski Resort, 1210 Ski Way, through Aug. 16. Hours of operation will be from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

The collected pine needles are used for local erosion control projects, making it important to recycle only clean pine needles. No pine cones, trash, branches, or stumps are accepted.  Please empty pine needles out of bags when dropping off at the site. Residents who recycle their pine needles will support erosion control projects, while reducing waste disposal to the landfill.

Beginning in June, boaters launching at Lake Tahoe will pay a nominal fee to help fund an inspection program aimed at preventing the introduction of such aquatic invasive species as the quagga and zebra mussel.

The fee, which was authorized March 26 by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board, is needed because grant funding that has been used to finance the inspections is running out.

Inspections will expand to more facilities for the summer season May 1 while fees will take effect June 1. This will give boaters the opportunity to have their vessels inspected at certain locations free of charge; boats that stay in Tahoe need only be inspected once if an inspection seal is kept intact.  Locations will be announced this month.

The program is operated jointly by the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit and the Eldorado National Forest, and funded entirely through donations collected at wilderness trailheads. The program goals include increasing community involvement in wilderness management and enhancing the experience of visitors to Desolation, 63,960 acres of sub-alpine and alpine forest, granite peaks, and glacially-formed valleys and lakes, located west of Lake Tahoe and north of Highway 50 in El Dorado County.

Roles for volunteers include backcountry patrol, trailhead naturalist, resource monitoring and information desk assistance. Volunteers provide a contact for visitors on the trail, at trailheads or at ranger stations offering practical information and conveying wilderness ethics and etiquette, including “Leave No Trace” practices. Trained volunteers must also answer general questions about trails, ecology and the history of Desolation, and provide a communication link to wilderness rangers in the event of emergency.

A web link given for more information about the proposed projects for the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNPLMA)  Round 10 funds was incorrect. The Lake Tahoe Federal Advisory Committee is accepting public comment on capital projects and science themes that have been recommended for funding to help restore the Lake Tahoe Basin ecosystem. However, in previous press releases, the web link was incorrect.
A list of projects can be viewed at http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/ltbmu/local/snplma/round-10/prelimrecommendations.shtml. The public is asked to comment on the preliminary recommendation package for 30 days, beginning March 30 and ending on April 29. Comments may be submitted by email to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or by regular mail to Linda Lind, 35 College Drive, South Lake Tahoe, CA  96150.