Forest thinning operations on National Forest System lands on the west side of Fallen Leaf Lake will continue south of the dam and will move closer to the dam in a couple of weeks.

The Forest Service will issue a forest order to close a portion of the area from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily through Oct. 11 for public safety due to heavy equipment operations and the felling of trees. Hazards may be present even when operations have ceased for the day and the closure is not in effect, according to a U.S. Forest Service press release. Those who disregard the closure order may be cited, with subsequent fines or jail time.

The treatment method for the area will be cut-to-length thinning, in which trees are cut and processed on site by a harvester which removes the limbs and tops and cuts the tree into lengths for transport by a forwarder to a landing location. Also, there will be some roadway vegetation and tree clearing off of Cathedral Road to facilitate the access and safety needs for the road.

The forest thinning is part of the South Shore Fuel Reduction and Healthy Forest Restoration Project, which will treat about 10,000 acres between Cascade Lake and Stateline, Nev. The project will provide defensible space, reduce the risk of wildfire and help the forest to resist drought, insects and disease, as well as restore stream environment zones, meadows and aspen stands.

For more information, including the closure order and map showing units 207 and 208, visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/ltbmu/SouthShoreFuelReduction.