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Food and Refuse Storage
The Food and Refuse Storage Order requires the proper storage of food and refuse (garbage) on all National Forest System lands in the Lake Tahoe Basin. The Forest Order requires all food and garbage that is not personally attended to be stored in a container designed to prevent access by bears and other wildlife. The Forest Order also requires the use of bear canisters (hard-sided bear-proof containers) for overnight visitors to the Desolation Wilderness and wildlife-resistant dumpsters and food lockers (bear boxes) provided at National Forest campgrounds.
Alert Start Date: March 7th, 2024
Alert End Date: December 31st, 2029
Rec Sites Affected:
Order Number: 19-24-03
Forest Order
FOREST ORDER NO. 19-24-03
FOOD AND REFUSE STORAGE
USDA FOREST SERVICE
LAKE TAHOE BASIN MANAGEMENT UNIT
Pursuant to 16 U.S.C. § 551 and 36 C.F.R. § 261.50(a), and to provide for public safety and protect natural resources, the following acts are prohibited on National Forest System lands within the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. This Order is effective March 7, 2024, through December 31, 2029.
1. Possessing or storing any food or refuse unless the food or refuse is stored in a container designed to prevent access by bears. 36 C.F.R. § 261.58(cc).
Pursuant to 36 C.F.R. § 261.50(e), the following persons are exempt from this Order:
1. Any Federal, State, or local officer, or member of an organized rescue or fire-fighting force in the performance of an official duty, or
2. Persons with Forest Service Permit No. FS-7700-48 (Permit for Use of Roads, Trails, or Areas Restricted by Regulation or Order), specifically exempting them from this Order, or
3. During hours of daylight, any person who is physically present within 100 feet and maintains direct sight of any accessible food or refuse. This exemption does not apply to the Desolation Wilderness.
These prohibitions are in addition to the general prohibitions in 36 C.F.R. Part 261, Subpart A. A violation of these prohibitions is punishable by a fine of not more the $5,000 for an individual or $10,000 for an organization, or imprisonment for not more than six months, or both. 16 U.S.C. § 551 and 18 U.S.C. §§ 3559, 3571, and 3581.
Executed in South Lake Tahoe, California, this 5thth day of March 2024.
This Order supersedes Forest Order No. 19-23-04, dated November 20, 2023.
Erick Walker
Forest Supervisor
Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit
Pacific Southwest Region