National Forests all closed, fire restrictions

[Creeping Incrementalism]

I could go on a long rant about this and the general attitude of government. I hope I can keep this short: Eff this. Anything goes wrong and the government reaction is "shut down everything". The rule has become CYA, afraid of a single person getting hurt out of the thousands upon thousands who use the public land. Lordly attitudes of rangers towards the public like people belong in the suburbs and cities and shouldn't be allowed in their hallowed forests that were reserved for the general public and smaller businesses in the first place.

Even before this, general fire restrictions have gotten markedly worse over the past decade. When I was growing up in the 80s and 90s, I hardly ever saw "no campfire" signs. But over the past several years I see them all the time, even when it isn't much of a drought year.

It is always a bummer to drive through a burned forest, but somehow they survived pretty well before all these restrictions. Official Calif. rainfall records only go back to 1943 and there have been many severe droughts in the earlier 1900s (and latter 1800s in the West), yet I never read about everything getting closed down in the past.

[MARKFP]

Wow I thought I heard an echo...... My brother and I were talking about this subject just the other day, we grew up in Los Padres forest behind Santa Barbara. The truth is the closures are decided upon by federal employees who are driven by local political agenda, not by federal USFS decision makers. My youngest brother is in Montana, I also have many friends in AZ, ID, NV and other western states which only close forests when fires or other disasters are life threatening in the area.
But think about other type "closure/ shut-down" situations. Wind blows=power shut off, locally if accident on 101, no matter how small, a 10 mile section is shut down both ways with no detour offered. OP, you KNOW you can probably think of atleast another dozen examples that are all liberally driven. Think of all the hunters in Komifornia that will not get refunds for their tags and licenses. you got me started.....

Mark

[Creeping Incrementalism]

. My youngest brother is in Montana, I also have many friends in AZ, ID, NV and other western states which only close forests when fires or other disasters are life threatening in the area.

Yeah I spent hours and hours last week planning a big trip around the Inyo National Forest, Owens Valley Area. Now I'm looking at Nevada. I love that state and all, but it can be a 100 mile round-trip for gas from where I want to camp, and I can only fit so many gas cans in my truck with my camping gear, and if I had more time I could plan it so I when I was due to be low on gas, I'd be coming back from a hike or ghost town on the way by the gas station. It is just so much logistics so it is hard to plan on the fly.

[AGGRO]

Closed as in no entry or no camping or no flames. Details are important. People that live in those cabins use the trails daily.

[scottz]

Closed as in no entry or no camping or no flames. Details are important. People that live in those cabins use the trails daily.

Closed as in no use

[furyous68]

Closed as in no entry or no camping or no flames. Details are important. People that live in those cabins use the trails daily.

Closed as in no entry. No use. No recreational activities of any kind.

[madland]

The closure of various NF ranges is due to high fire danger and the lack of resources to fight the massive amount of fires burning up and down the state. It has nothing to do with "shutting everything down". By shutting down an area..the potential for a new start is minimized. Yes there can still be lightning strikes or a power line breaking due to wind or something, but the human factor is greatly reduced by shutting down these areas.

But if you were to watch anything on the news showing people being evac'd..houses and even entire neighborhoods burned to the ground..or the fatalities from some of these fires (10+ currently in CA) your outlook on this might be a bit different. A wildland crew had to do an emergency fire shelter deployment on one of these fires. 3 members burned.
Granite Mountain Hotshots ring a bell..from the movie "Only The Brave." That's a true story, and it's tragic.
These closures are temporary. For many losing their home it'll take years to recover. For those suffering a loss of a family member..they'll never recover from that loss.

Sorry you can't go on your nature walk.

[wpage]

Another factor is the belief that BLM may be torching some of the blazes.

[Creeping Incrementalism]

The closure of various NF ranges is due to high fire danger and the lack of resources to fight the massive amount of fires burning up and down the state. It has nothing to do with "shutting everything down". By shutting down an area..the potential for a new start is minimized.

EVERY summer there is high fire danger, there have been well recorded massive fires since the 1800s in the west, firefighters NEVER have enough resources (yet somehow have the resources for massive pension plants). Yet NEVER have ALL national forests been shut down. I don't buy this crap about "record" years when fire records only go back to 1987 in a state where written history goes back to the 1700s

Sorry you can't go on your nature walk.

This is my one week during the year I can go on a vacation and I spend hours and hours over weeks planning it. Sorry you are too arrogant to understand that.

[Spyder]

This is my one week during the year I can go on a vacation and I spend hours and hours over weeks planning it. Sorry you are too arrogant to understand that.

The irony brings a smile to my face.

[Gundiver]

The closure of various NF ranges is due to high fire danger and the lack of resources to fight the massive amount of fires burning up and down the state. It has nothing to do with "shutting everything down". By shutting down an area..the potential for a new start is minimized. Yes there can still be lightning strikes or a power line breaking due to wind or something, but the human factor is greatly reduced by shutting down these areas.

But if you were to watch anything on the news showing people being evac'd..houses and even entire neighborhoods burned to the ground..or the fatalities from some of these fires (10+ currently in CA) your outlook on this might be a bit different. A wildland crew had to do an emergency fire shelter deployment on one of these fires. 3 members burned.
Granite Mountain Hotshots ring a bell..from the movie "Only The Brave." That's a true story, and it's tragic.
These closures are temporary. For many losing their home it'll take years to recover. For those suffering a loss of a family member..they'll never recover from that loss.

Sorry you can't go on your nature walk.

Did he say he was planning on flinging cigarette butts the whole time?

[madland]

EVERY summer there is high fire danger, there have been well recorded massive fires since the 1800s in the west, firefighters NEVER have enough resources (yet somehow have the resources for massive pension plants). Yet NEVER have ALL national forests been shut down. I don't buy this crap about "record" years when fire records only go back to 1987 in a state where written history goes back to the 1700s



This is my one week during the year I can go on a vacation and I spend hours and hours over weeks planning it. Sorry you are too arrogant to understand that.

[DolphinFan]

Does anyone think they will re open in time for deer season?

[madland]

Did he say he was planning on flinging cigarette butts the whole time?

[madland]

Does anyone think they will re open in time for deer season?

When is deer season?