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Camping, parking and wilderness trips around Lake Tahoe could get more expensive under a Forest Service proposal that would impose new recreation fees and raise existing charges at popular sites.
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The proposal by the U.S. Forest Service’s Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit would add fees at several campgrounds, beaches and trailheads, while also increasing the cost of permits for activities including overnight trips into the Desolation Wilderness and cutting Christmas trees.
Luther Pass Overflow and Watson Lake campgrounds, which are currently free, would charge $20 for a single site.
Day-use fees at Kiva Beach, Taylor Creek Visitor Center, Eagle Falls Picnic Area and Trailhead, and Big Meadow Trailhead would rise to $10 per vehicle in the first year and $15 in the fifth year.
Eagle Falls currently charges $5 per vehicle, while the other three sites are free.
Other recreation sites, including 64 Acres Riverside, Kiva Picnic Area at Tallac Historic Site and Echo Trailhead, would introduce a $10 per-vehicle day-use fee in the first year. The proposal does not list additional increases for those locations in the fifth year.
The Forest Service also proposes increasing the Christmas tree permit fee from $10 to $20 per group.
For overnight trips into the Desolation Wilderness, the Forest Service proposes increasing the per-person permit fee from $5 to $10 in the first year and $15 in the fifth year. The proposal would also eliminate the existing $20 annual pass.
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Reservations for Desolation Wilderness overnight permits through Recreation.gov carry an additional $6 fee per permit, while Christmas tree permits carry an additional $2.50 fee.
The Forest Service said the proposed fees would help pay for infrastructure, maintenance and public services at recreation sites. Under federal law, the Forest Service can retain at least 80% of fees collected at recreation sites and use the money locally to operate, maintain and improve them.
Despite the proposed increases, the Forest Service said more than 37% of recreation sites in the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit would remain free to use. The agency also said nationally recognized fee-free days would continue.
The public can comment on the proposal through Tuesday.
Following the public comment period, the proposed changes will be reviewed by a citizens advisory committee representing a range of recreation interests. The committee will make a recommendation to the Regional Forester, who will make the final decision.
Comments can be sent by email to at [email protected] or mailed to Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, Attention: Recreation Program Manager, 35 College Drive, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150. Comments also can be submitted online at https://arcg.is/iXXmz.
Oral comments can occur at Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit during normal business hours, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
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