Category Archives: National Forests

National Forests

Mendocino National Forest Christmas Tree Permits on Sale Today

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Beginning today, Christmas tree permits will be available from the Mendocino National Forest for the 2013 holiday season.

Permits are available for purchase in person or by mail from Mendocino National Forest offices, as well as at area vendors. Vendors are listed below with contact information for the Forest Service.

Permits are $10 per tree at Forest Service offices. Customers are advised to call vendors to verify permit price and availability. The permits will be sold at Forest Service offices through Monday, December 23. Trees may be cut and removed any day of the week in authorized areas of the Mendocino National Forest. Please check current Forest fire closure areas in case your annual tree cutting spot is within the closure.

There is a limit of one permit per household, with each permit using a valid name and address. Up to four additional permits may be purchased for additional households, using separate names and addresses. Individuals must be 18 or older to purchase a permit. All Christmas tree permit sales are final, with no refunds. Permittees will receive a tree tag and Forest map.

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National Forests

Prescribed Burning Season Begins on Mendocino National Forest

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

The Mendocino National Forest is once again entering prescribed burning season.

The public may notice smoke in various parts of the forest during the next few months as part of the continued commitment to protect communities and natural resources from wildfires.

Forest visitors, including hunters, are asked to be aware of their surroundings and watch for prescribed burning operations to maintain personal safety.  Areas where prescribed burning operations are taking place will be well signed and there will be increased fire personnel in the area.  If visitors are uncertain, they are encouraged to contact the Forest at 530-934-3316 before their visit to see where prescribed burns are planned for the day.

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National Forests, National Parks

Isn’t it MORE expensive to add more armed goons to close down our National Parks?

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

FINALLY!  It seems that some have figured out that this is a question that needs to be addressed!  According to The Blaze:

The Obama administration is considering allowing some national parks to be maintained by states during the partial government shutdown, but is still withholding information from Congress and the public about the cost of closing so many open-air monuments and parks.

“It would appear logically that the cost of barriers and security could cost more than simply leaving open,” House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (R-Wash.) told TheBlaze. “We’ve asked the National Park Service and unfortunately we haven’t gotten answers.”

The Natural Resources Committee and House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will hold a joint investigative hearing Wednesday on why 401 national parks and monuments were closed across the country during the shutdown.

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Conservation, National Forests

Yamaha Volunteers Complete OHV Project in San Bernardino National Forest

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Three-Year Project Restores Popular Staging and Riding Areas near Big Bear, Calif. 

CYPRESS, Calif. – October 1, 2013 – Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A., volunteers completed a three-year project at one of the nation’s most popular multi-use off-highway vehicle (OHV) staging areas located in the San Bernardino National Forest (SBNF).

As part of the Yamaha OHV Access Initiative and with support of the Southern California Mountains Foundation’s (SCMF) OHV program, volunteers gathered recently for a final round of planting, cleaning and maintaining the popular Cactus Flats staging area and surrounding trails.

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National Forests, Wildfire

Help California National Forests Recover

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

What happens after a forest fire like the HUGE Rim Fire burning near Yosemite?

Vance Russell, the National Forest Foundation’s Director of Programs for California has sent out an email to everyone who, I guess, supports the National Forest Foundation, and I thought now might be a good time to share it with you:

As I write this morning there are 22 fires burning in California that have scorched nearly 343,000 acres of National Forest lands – a size that could encompass the city of Los Angeles. While I was in South Lake Tahoe last weekend, the visibility barely allowed views of the lake, let alone the famous mountains surrounding it. While I felt sorry for travelers who had come there with high hopes only to be disappointed, smoke-impeded views are among the least important concerns for those who treasure California’s public lands.

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