Key takeaways
- Tree roots hold soil, and the roots keep doing that for a while after the trunk is gone.
- Soil disturbance from machines and from digging out roots is where most slope trouble starts.
- Bare soil needs cover after the work. Mulch is one option the ISA describes for soil moisture and protection.
- At Tahoe, work in a Stream Environment Zone or the backshore needs TRPA review, and the 14-inch rule applies elsewhere.
Steep lots are common in Galena, Washoe Valley, Genoa, Kingsbury and the Nevada shore of Lake Tahoe. A tree on a hillside is not the same job as a tree on a flat lawn.
Why are slopes different?
On level ground a removal crew thinks about the tree and what is under it. On a slope the crew also thinks about how pieces move, where machines can stand and what the bare ground will do in the next storm. The Forest Service notes in its burned-area guidance that when plant roots decompose they stop binding the soil, which lets ground shift. That is a fire-scar example, but it shows why roots matter on a hillside.
A tree still in the ground is holding soil. That is a reason to ask whether the whole root system has to come out.
Should the stump be ground or left?
It depends on the lot. Digging a stump and its roots out disturbs a lot of soil, while grinding stays near the surface and leaves the deeper roots in place. A stump left standing is not a cleanup, though, and it may have to go for the project you are doing.
Ask the arborist which choice suits your slope and say what you plan to build or plant there. Our stump guides cover the choices: grinding versus full removal and removing a tree on a steep slope.
What happens to the ground afterward?
Bare soil should not be left bare. The ISA describes a 2 to 4 inch layer of organic mulch as a way to hold soil moisture and moderate soil temperature, and it warns against piling mulch against a trunk. On a steep area, ask what the agency or an engineer wants for ground cover.
Heavy equipment compacts soil, which the ISA says slows water getting in. On slopes that can mean more runoff. Ask the crew where machines will travel and whether they can stay off soft or steep ground.
What changes at Lake Tahoe?
TRPA says any manipulation of live vegetation within a Stream Environment Zone or the backshore of Lake Tahoe, including trees and shrubs, requires TRPA review. Outside those areas, a permit is needed for live trees over 14 inches in diameter at breast height (and over 6 inches between a lakeshore house and the lake). A dead tree that could fall on a house does not need a TRPA permit.
For defensible-space removals, the fire protection district can issue the tree permit. See the Tahoe permit guide and Lake Tahoe tree work questions. TRPA and your fire district decide.
Who does the work and how do I start?
We remove trees, grind stumps and clear lots with our own equipment, including a track loader and a crane for places where a truck cannot go. A certified arborist assesses every job before work begins. Call 775.232.8243 and tell the office the lot is sloped and where the access is.
Sources
- Tahoe Regional Planning Agency: Trees and Defensible Space (read October 17, 2026)
- International Society of Arboriculture, Trees Are Good: Proper Mulching Techniques (brochure) (read October 17, 2026)
- USDA Forest Service: Burned Area, Travel and Recreating (fact sheet, April 2025) (read October 17, 2026)
- International Society of Arboriculture, Trees Are Good: Avoiding Tree Damage During Construction (brochure) (read October 17, 2026)