United States Forest Lake Tahoe Basin Management 35 College Drive Department of Service Unit South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150 Agriculture (530) 543-2600 (530) 543-0956 TTY Proposed Action for Fallen Leaf Lake Trail Access and Travel Management Project US Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit El Dorado County, California Desired Condition The desired condition of the project area is a planned system of interconnected, environmentally sustainable trails to serve the entire spectrum of non-motorized recreational and commuting users. Measures to achieve this desired condition include reduced sediment loads, reduced and controlled stormwater runoff, and construction and/or adopting trail segments to provide trail connections to features and destinations. Implementing these retrofits will increase the quality, safety, and accessibility of the recreation experience for all visitors to the Fallen Leaf Lake trail system and help protect the natural, cultural, and historic resources of the area. Background/Existing Conditions The project area is currently one of the largest recreational usage areas in the Lake Tahoe Basin. It contains one Class I multiuse paved trail (Pope Baldwin Bike Path National Recreation Trail) and numerous authorized and unauthorized native surface trails of varying levels of challenge, maintenance, and environmental sustainability. The existing trail system is a collection of a few planned trails, previously existing roads, and user- created trails. Wildlife, hydrology, and botanical concerns exist for the Spring Creek trail, informal trails along Taylor Creek, and trails located between Fallen Leaf Lake Campground and Fallen Leaf Lake. Current use in the area is primarily day use in the form of pedestrian and bicycle traffic accessing a range of destinations including Lake Tahoe beaches, Fallen Leaf Lake beaches, day trips from the Fallen Leaf Lake Campground, out and back trips along the Pope Baldwin Bike Path, day use from the Tallac Historic Site and Taylor Creek Visitors Center, and both single and multiple day trips into the Desolation Wilderness from either of the two trailheads within the project boundary. Moderate equestrian use occurs in this area, primarily coming from the Camp Richardson Corral, a special use operation with an 80 year history of operation in this area. Caring for the Land and Serving People Printed on Recycled Paper Trails in the project area affect National Forest, Private ownership and California Tahoe Conservancy parcels (see project map for details). In some cases, the project description reflects a need to address existing routes crossing onto private lands where no easement exists. The project area encompasses a very high use section of the Lake Tahoe Basin, with many different types of uses and some special considerations affecting this project. Within the project area are special use permit operations, two organizational camp facilities, a very popular concessionaire-operated campground, numerous private and Forest Service permitted cabins, several homeowner associations, and two Wilderness access trailheads. The Lake Tahoe Basin Bike Trail Survey (2007) reported that the Pope Baldwin Bike Path has the highest usage in the basin, with a 15% increase over the decade (despite the latest data having been collected the week after the Angora fire). Bike rental shops serving the Camp Richardson area report an average annual rental increase of around 10% (Anderson’s increased 8.4% in 2007 despite the Angora fire and 10.7% in 2008). Additionally, Fallen Leaf Lake Road is the only surfaced route from the south end of Fallen Leaf Lake to the Lake Tahoe Area. This road is winding and, in some areas, one lane, effectively discouraging non-automotive use for the visitors/residents in the housing areas and Stanford Camp, and for users of the Glen Alpine Spring Trailhead. There are additional transportation factors that affect this project, including a Caltrans proposal to eliminate roadside parking along highway 89 along the Camp Richardson corridor. This area is currently full to capacity during heavy use portions of the summer season, and a closure will result in the displacement of these estimated 450 informal parking spots. Use conflict has not been analyzed for this area, but can be anecdotally summarized. The Pope Baldwin Bike Path, used exclusively by pedestrian and bicycle traffic, does not adequately serve the high use seen in recent years, and infrequent use conflict is likely to result from this situation. Additional conflict is likely to occur between equestrian and other user groups in the area near the northern shore of Fallen Leaf Lake. Managed and user-created trails in this area funnel into a narrow corridor where users are more likely to encounter other users on a shared route, with limited ability for separation due to topography and vegetation. Purpose and Need: There is a need to reduce erosion and improve water quality in the area and to avoid or mitigate effects to sensitive wildlife, botanical and heritage/cultural sites by: • Reroute or potentially decommission existing trails that affect sensitive wildlife, botanical or heritage/cultural sites. • Upgrade existing trail routes to meet current Forest Service trail design and BMP standards. 2 • Where feasible, relocate existing trail segments located within Stream Environment or other sensitive areas to higher capability land. There is a need to improve and expand public parking and access in the project area by: • Consider mitigating roadside parking by providing appropriate parking facilities. • Upgrade and provide BMP retrofits to existing formalized parking locations. • Improve road access to the Glen Alpine trailhead, and upgrade trailhead parking area. • Consider formalizing or decommissioning existing dispersed parking. • Consider expanding existing public parking opportunities at the Tallac trailhead and near the entrance to Fallen Leaf Lake Campground. There is a need to improve the recreational opportunity, improve trail and destination connectivity and address potential use conflict by: • Integrate shared use trail design techniques and tools on high use equestrian routes. • Provide logical and effective routes to destinations such as Fallen Leaf Lake Campground, Fallen Leaf Lake, Lake Tahoe, Camp Richardson, Pope/Baldwin, Tallac Historic Site, the Taylor Creek Visitors Center, Angora ridge trail system and other recreational facilities in the area. • Reduce congestion and conflict amongst the routes and users in the area, by providing additional routes and implementing shared use design tools and techniques. • Upgrade the Pope Baldwin Bike Path to meet current standards and use. • Consider new smooth surface multiuse trail opportunities that provide loop options connecting with the Pope Baldwin Bike Path. • Improve trail connectivity with adjacent trail systems such as the Angora Restoration Area. • Address existing trails which lead onto private land where no easement exists by rerouting, decommissioning or establishing access easements. Proposed Action Improvements to the existing trail system as well as adjacent unmanaged trails are proposed to include BMP upgrades, reconstruction, relocation and decommissioning. Newly constructed trails and trail segments are planned to provide sustainable connections and improved non-motorized recreation opportunities within the project area (see tables and attached project maps). This proposed trail system would better protect the environmental and cultural resources of the area while balancing the needs of recreational and residential users. The following trails are proposed for adopting/upgrading as National Forest System Trails in their existing location: • AN6 – Existing unclassified trail providing access to Angora Lakes. 3 • CR8-12, CR18, CR24, CR28 – These existing unclassified routes provide important connections and loop options between Taylor Creek Visitor Center, Lake Tahoe Beaches, and the Tallac Historic Site. The management level and capacity of individual routes may be upgraded or reduced to reflect projected use and capacity. CR24 would receive a minor reroute near the Kiva parking area to maintain the full width standard for this route. • CR17 – The “promenade” would be adopted as a trail, but would not be upgraded in order to maintain the character of this historic feature. • FL1-3, FL48 – These existing unclassified routes provide access to the west shore of Fallen Leaf Lake, as well as historic and cultural sites. • FL4, FL7-8, and FL10 – These existing unclassified trails provide access from parking areas at the snow park and Mt Tallac trailhead to Fallen Leaf dam and Taylor Creek. FL8 coexists on a utility access line, which is maintained by the South Tahoe Public Utility District through a utility easement. • FL11 – This trail would be upgraded with an improved stream ford, and used primarily as a loop option by the Camp Richardson Corral. Additional stream ford crossings FL12 and FL19 are proposed for decommissioning in order to reduce impacts to water quality. FL11 would be adopted and reconstructed to meet current standards for a typical stream ford in order to meet the need of the special use permittee and public in this area. • FL14-15, FL17, FL21-24, FL 27-28 –These trails provide access to popular destinations and loops along the north shore of Fallen Leaf Lake, and connect to managed parking and campground facilities. Additional duplicate routes in this area are proposed for decommission in order