In the News

New Approach for Managing Fallen Pine Needles
date posted: December 22 2005

Lake Tahoe Report #71
June 14, 2004
By John Cobourn and Heather Segale

For generations, residents of forested areas at Lake Tahoe have dealt with the annual deposition of pine needles on their property. In recent years, questions have been raised about what is the best way to manage this resource.

Are fallen needles a blessing or a hazard? Actually, they can be both. If pine and fir needles fall on bare soil and decompose there, they provide valuable mulch and a source of organic matter, which improves the soil and helps prevent erosion. However, if they build up in large quantities close to structures, they can constitute a fire hazard. Since pine needles can be beneficial or dangerous, resource managers at Lake Tahoe are asking residents to consider the setting and the site conditions before taking action.

For years, residents have heard that fire marshals want them to rake up and dispose of all pine needles on and adjacent to their homes. To some extent, this is a valuable practice. Pine and fir needles should be raked off hard surfaces such as pavement, decks, rooftops, gutters, and gravel-covered surfaces, and removed from lawns and flower beds. Fallen branches and pine cones should be picked up throughout the property. For extra protection, surround all structures with fire-safe mulch, such as gravel or river rock, for the first 3 feet to 5 feet from the footings.

On the other hand, if a property has bare soil, with no vegetation or mulch, a thin, 1-inch to 2-inch layer of decomposing pine and fir needles can provide valuable mulch to prevent soil erosion and enrich the topsoil. Decomposition of pine needles and leaves in nature creates a valuable mulch layer on top of soil called “duff.” This layer mixes with the bare mineral soil below it and protects it, creating more fertile growing conditions for all plants in the landscape. Healthy plants and protective mulch play an important role in the restoration efforts to protect the water quality of Lake Tahoe.

Property owners who have needles and leaves covering bare soil are now being advised to practice a new approach to raking each year. The best way to develop a healthy mulch and duff layer is to use a leaf rake to remove only the newly fallen needles each year, leaving the decomposing needles below to be compressed by the snowpack each winter. If property owners hire a landscape maintenance firm, they should instruct the supervisor that they never want the property raked down to bare soil.

The fire protection districts have approved this approach to pine needle management. The exception to this rule is their recommendation to remove all pine needles within 5 feet of the home.

Pine needles are an important resource for restoration and soil improvement projects in and around the Tahoe Basin. Over the last four years, over 2,500 tons of pine needles have been recycled through the WASTE NOT, IVGID Public Works Pine Needle recycling program. The program saves taxpayers money through reduced trash fees and by providing cheap accessible needles for local project managers. To participate, take your clean needles to the free drop-off service located at Diamond Peak, in Incline Village. The program is open 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday; and 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., the first and third Saturday of the month. The last day to recycle this year is Aug. 31. This recycling program is free, but property owners should discard all trash, pine cones, and other vegetation prior to recycling. Empty your pine needles from bags at the drop-off center. The program is sponsored by the Incline Village General Improvement District Public Works, Diamond Peak Ski Resort, and Waste Management. For more information, visit www.wastenotcommunity.org, or call (775) 831-8603.

You can also recycle your larger fuels, such as dead branches and shrubs, by taking advantage of the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District’s free chipping service. Call the Defensible Space/Chipping Request Phone Line, (775) 831-0351, ext. 118. Specify “chipping” and leave your name, phone number and address.