Author Archives: cyndijohnson

For the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year, U.S. fifth graders can bring their families to national parks, wildlife refuges and other Department of the Interior managed public lands and waters for free! Learn more about the program at the link below.

https://www.nps.gov/kids/fifthgrade.htm

The Forest Service has re-opened the San Bernardino National Forest, with some restrictions. The San Gorgonio Wilderness is still closed. As of October 10, 2020, there are still areas burning inside the wilderness and this is expected to continue until the first significant rain or snowfall.

Read the entire announcement here – Forest Service News and Alerts

There ARE things to celebrate in 2020. Click on the image above to read about our dedicated volunteers past and present.

It’s a large PDF file, please be patient while it loads. If you want to download it separately, click here.

The Forest Service has issued a revised forest closure order for California National Forests. Seven National Forests (NF) in California remain closed: Angeles NF, Cleveland NF, Los Padres NF, Inyo NF, San Bernardino NF, Sequoia NF, and Sierra NF. This decision will continue to be reviewed daily, taking fire and weather conditions into account.

This includes the San Gorgonio Wilderness. No permits will be issued for any future dates until the closure is lifted.

“We understand how important access to national forests is to our visitors,” said Randy Moore, Regional Forester for the USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region. “As we evaluate fire and weather conditions on a daily basis, we will continue to make adjustments to ensure safe visitation. Our aim continues to prevent any new fires on the landscape.”

The USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region announces that current closure orders and fire prohibitions in California have been extended. This decision will be evaluated daily, taking fire and weather conditions into account.

There is no set date for re-opening in the press release. As the closure includes the San Gorgonio Wilderness, SGWA will not accept requests or issue any permits for Wilderness access until a solid re-opening date has been announced.

The Forest Service has announced they will increase access to some National Forests in CA – but not San Bernardino or Angeles NF – starting Saturday Sept 19. For more information and the detailed list, please see the press release link below.

Region 5 News and Events

USDA Forest Service officials on the San Bernardino National Forest have confirmed the death of a firefighter on the El Dorado Fire. The incident took place on Thursday, September 17, 2020. The name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. Our deepest sympathies are with the family, friends and fellow firefighters during this time.

The Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region 5 has extended the Emergency Forest Closure Order that was announced on September 7th. This Emergency closure will be extended through September 21, and effects all National Forests within the State of California. The decision is re-evaluated daily based on conditions requiring the closure.

Inciweb has the PDF with the official wording.