world news - 25.10.2007
Fire risk closes entire Los Padres forest
Extreme fire danger has prompted the closure of the entire Los Padres
National Forest to the public, a move that may be unprecedented in the
history of the forest. The
closure means the public is not allowed to hike on trails in the
forest, drive on its roads or conduct other activity within forest
boundaries. Forest Service campgrounds are closing, and campers already
there are being told to leave. The closure went into effect
Tuesday and will stay in effect indefinitely. Forest managers will
review conditions and reconsider the closure once the extreme fire
danger subsides. Anyone caught violating the closure faces fines and arrest. Forest
Supervisor Peggy Hernandez made the decision to close Los Padres
because of very low moisture levels in foliage — meaning vegetation can
burn easily—and firefighting resources being stretched to the limit
because of the fires burning throughout Southern California. State
and county roads in the forest remain open to through traffic. Private
property owners within the forest are exempt from the closure. The sprawling Los Padres National Forest extends from Big Sur in Monterey County through Ventura County. Forest
Service employees staffing the agency’s fire information center in
Goleta — some of whom have been with the agency since the 1960s—said
they cannot remember another time when the entire Los Padres was shut
down. Three other federal forests in Southern California — the Cleveland, San Bernardino and Angeles national forests—are also closed.
See also:
- — Russia might drop export tariff increase on timber
- — Trade in recreational values promotes multiple use of forests.
- — Belarus has increased volumes of wood export
- — World Bank unveils new forest carbon funding scheme
- — Engineered Wood Construction Guide Now Available