Tahoe National Forest

The Tahoe National Forest released its Record of Decision and Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) on May 3, 2024. This plan was over 9 years in the making, with a robust environmental review process, significant public participation, and a diverse array of alternatives. While the final plan allows for OSV use in most areas and all trails where people have typically taken snowmobiles in the past, it also secures non-motorized protections for key zones and promotes quiet recreation experiences along the Pacific Crest Trail.

You can view and download the Tahoe’s Over-Snow Vehicle Use map (front side here, back side here) or access it on Avenza here.

Background: Planning Process

Based on a public scoping process that ended in April 2015, the Tahoe National Forest developed a suite of winter travel management alternatives. During the scoping period, Winter Wildlands Alliance and Snowlands Network submitted a “Skiers Alternative” that the Tahoe analyzed alongside other Alternatives. Click here for our proposed map as submitted.

The agency published its Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) on April 13, 2018 initiating a 45-day public comment period. In general, we were pleased with the depth of analysis in the DEIS. The agency’s “preferred” alternative was a significant improvement over existing management and generally took into consideration legal requirements to minimize user conflict and impacts to wildlife and resources, while still allowing for quality motorized experiences in discrete zones across the forest.

HOWEVER, we did have three major areas of concern with the DEIS. Our concerns, and the final outcomes, were:

1. Castle Peak/Coon Canyon: The DEIS preferred alternative left the popular and iconic backcountry ski and snowboard zones on the northeast face of Castle Peak open to snowmobiles. We advocated for this high-value area to be protected for non-motorized use. Unfortunately, the final plan fails to do so. The final plan does, however, protect the neighboring Frog Lake bowl for backcountry skiing.
2. Sardine Lakes/Sierra Buttes: The DEIS preferred alternative designated backcountry ski and snowboard zones on the north side of Sierra Buttes for snowmobiles, and fails to protect the popular Nordic touring area in the Sardine Lakes basin off of the Gold Lake Highway. The final plan protects the eastern side of the Sierra Buttes, including the Violet Couloir and adjacent northeast-facing chutes into the Flume Creek drainage. It allows OSV use in the Sardine Lakes basin.
3. Loch Leven Lakes: The DEIS preferred alternative protected most of this popular ski touring zone, but we would like to see the non-motorized boundary moved approximately ¼ mile further south to include Fisher Lake. This change was made in the final plan.
4. Pacific Crest Trail: The DEIS preferred alternative allows for OSV use right up to the tread of the Pacific Crest Trail, which fails to protect the Congressionally-mandated non-motorized character of the Pacific Crest Trail, does not comply with the PCT’s comprehensive plan, and fails to minimize conflict between snowmobilers and the growing number of non-motorized winter trail users. We suggested that the Forest Service incorporate a buffered PCT management scenario with designated crossings. The final plan adopts this approach, not designating OSV use adjacent to the trail except for at (41) designated crossing points.

The Forest Service published a draft final plan and final EIS in February 2019. This was followed by an objection period. Then, for several years we waited for the Forest Service to finalize the plan. Now, with the OSV plan completed in May 2024 we are just waiting for the Forest Service to publish an Over-Snow Vehicle Use Map for the Tahoe National Forest.

Final Tahoe OSV Plan Quick Take

• Approximately 414,721 acres of Tahoe National Forest lands designated for cross-country OSV use, generally above 5,000 feet elevation.
• Cross-country OSV travel may only occur when there is sufficient snow depth to avoid damage to natural and cultural resources. The Forest Service explains that this is typically 4 inches of snow-water equivalency (SWE), which translates to about 12 inches of “Sierra cement”. Where OSV trails overlay roads, at least 6 inches of un-compacted snow is typically needed to avoid damage to the underlying road surface. 
• OSV use is not permitted in deer holding areas until after January 1 each year.
• Commercial ski areas are not designated for OSV use.
• Class 1 OSVs are allowed on all designated OSV trails and areas. Class 2 OSVs are only allowed on designated OSV trails available for grooming. Class 1 OSVs are vehicles that typically exert 1.5 psi or less and include snowmobiles, tracked motorcycles, snow-cats, tracked ATVs and UTVs. Class 2 OSVs typically exert more than 1.5 psi and include tracked four-wheel drive SUVs and trucks. 
• 373 miles of OSV trails are designated, with approximately 247 miles available for grooming.
• OSV open area boundaries relative to the PCT are established so as to prevent motorized use along the trail and to manage for a non-motorized winter experience on the PCT. OSVs are allowed to cross the PCT at 41 designated crossing points.
• The plan protects many quiet recreation areas by not designating them for OSV use, including 
  • The Eastern side of the Sierra Buttes, including the Violet Couloir and adjacent northeast-facing chutes into the Flume Creek drainage
  • The Donner Peak area
  • The north side of Yuba Pass
  • The area between Prosser Reservoir and Boca Reservoir 
  • Kyburz Flat
  • Most of the Sagehen Experimental Forest (a portion of the forest is open to OSVs, providing a good venue for future research into OSV impacts)
  • Loch Leven Lakes and Fischer Lake

Many of these areas were already closed to snowmobile use under various Forest Service “special orders” or not commonly visited by motorized recreationists, but the OSV plan provides more durable and enforceable protections.

New Approach to Minimum Snow Depth

Unlike the other two forests in California that have completed winter travel planning (the Stanislaus and Lassen), the Tahoe plan does not include a minimum snow depth. The Tahoe’s more flexible approach is intriguing, and potentially more protective in that it requires a deeper snowpack in certain conditions, and utilizes SWE as a means of understanding how much snow is necessary to protect natural resources. Although we support minimum snow depth as a management tool, we have also advocated for utilizing SWE as a more accurate tool. However, we are concerned that the Tahoe’s approach may be difficult to enforce, especially as the plan places the burden on individual users to determine if there is sufficient snow on the ground for responsible OSV use. If minimum – or sufficient – snow depth is not well communicated by the Forest Service or enforced it will not serve its intended purpose of protecting natural resources.

What’s next?

As with any management plan, education and enforcement are critical to implementing the Tahoe OSV plan. Monitoring is also important, to ensure that the plan provides for the recreation opportunities, and conservation measures, intended and to identify if anything needs to be updated or changed over time. 

 Visitor education is an area where WWA can offer assistance to the Tahoe National Forest. We are working with the Stanislaus and Lassen National Forests, and Tread Lightly, to develop signs, maps, and brochures to educate forest visitors about winter recreation opportunities and the new OSV plans and we hope to pursue a similar partnership with the Tahoe and interested local partners. Brochures and trailhead signs can help visitors understand where certain types of winter recreation are appropriate and plan their visits to the forest accordingly. These materials are also important for educating visitors about responsible, and safe, winter recreation. Because OSV use is just one of many types of winter recreation occurring on the Tahoe, we believe it’s important that visitor information materials address the full range of available winter recreation activities, including snowplay, skiing, and snowshoeing in addition to OSV use. 

WWA and other partners can also assist the Tahoe National Forest with monitoring. For the past two winters we have coordinated winter recreation monitoring and data collection efforts across several National Forests in California. We look forward to working with the Tahoe National Forest to identify specific monitoring needs relative to the OSV plan.

Finally, it’s important not to overlook enforcement. This responsibility falls solely on the Forest Service and can be difficult when the agency has limited capacity. WWA strongly encourages the Tahoe National Forest to apply for California OHV Program Grants to fund additional enforcement capacity. In addition, by assisting with other aspects of OSV plan implementation, WWA and other partners can help the Forest Service make the most of their enforcement capabilities. Visitor education helps to reduce enforcement needs, by reducing unintentional violations of the travel plan. And, monitoring data can help the Forest Service focus their enforcement efforts in priority areas.