The Lake Tahoe Basin is proposing to close Hellhole, the backyard for the southshore due to Sierra Nevada Yellow-Legged Frog habitat. But their own document states “Existing use patterns have not indicated permanent changes to suitable habitat.” So we have a case study here proving that snowmobiles have not altered habitat conditions, yet they want to close it anyway.
Let the Lake Tahoe Basin Management unit know how important this area is to you, and remind them that the amphibians hibernate during snowmobile season. The Stanislaus National Forest has suggested a 24″ minimum snow depth for Stanislaus Meadow for the same reasons. If they can keep frog habitat protected, so can the LTMU. Let them know! Comments are due Dec 9! Links on how submit comments can be found on our webpage:
www.sierrasnowmobilefoundation.com/basin
