Plan To Log Property Near Tahoe Angers Neighbors

A convicted drug kingpin´s plan to selectively log his property just northwest of Lake Tahoe is angering a group of neighbors. Squaw Valley developer Ciro Mancuso is seeking permission from the California Department of Forestry to remove older and diseased trees from a 24-acre parcel he owns at the site of the 1960 Winter Games. Mancuso says he´s seeking to reduce his liability by making the property, which borders 20 homes with another 60 homes nearby, more fire safe. Neighbors are mounting a letter-writing campaign against the plan, saying environmental concerns haven´t been adequately addressed. Mancuso was sentenced in 1995 to nine years in prison for his role in what was called the largest marijuana smuggling operation in the West. He was released in March 2000.