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California’s national forests temporarily close because of fire risk

August 31, 2021

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

The United States Forest Service is closing California’s national forests for the next two and a half weeks because of the state’s ongoing wildfire crisis.

Effective 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, members of the public will be prohibited from entering the Los Padres National Forest and 16 other national forests in California. The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, which is predominantly located in Nevada, but stretches into Eastern California, does not fall under the order. The closure order will last until 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 17.

The closures will decrease the potential for new fires to ignite at a time of extremely limited firefighting resources, according to the Forest Services. The federal agency is trying to minimize the likelihood that visitors could become stranded on National Forest System lands during an emergency.

California is currently facing record fuel level and fire conditions. Forecasts show the conditions will remain the same or worse as the season moves into late summer and fall, according to the Forest Service.

“We do not take this decision lightly, but this is the best choice for public safety,” Regional Forester Jennifer Eberlien said in a statement. “It is especially hard with the approaching Labor Day weekend, when so many people enjoy our national forests.”

The closure order exempts certain individuals, such as some forest service permit holders, as well as federal, state and local officers and firefighters who are on official duty.

Violating the closure order can result in fines of up to $5,000 for individuals and $10,000 for organizations. Additionally, violators could face up to six months in jail.


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Unprecedented times, yet California is on the verge of placing a climate change-denier in the governor’s office. Larry Elder would attempt to roll back California’s emissions standards in favor of big oil and profits for the wealthiest among us despite scientific evidence that lowering our carbon footprint in the next few years is a key point in saving us trillions of dollars in climate-related catastrophes such as the fires currently burning through Lake Tahoe. Go figure.


-28

Yea because Newsomes and the lefts ban on responsible Forrest logging has nothing to do with the out of control Forrest fires. Wake up fool and blame the right people.


14

“Yea because Newsomes and the lefts ban on responsible Forrest logging has nothing to do with the out of control Forrest fires.”


Where’d u go to school? They didn’t teach no readin’ or ritin’?


My guess is that you neither write well nor read well, which means you are probably a victim of the disinformation produced by the oil billionaires and their megaphones on the right, like Larry Elder, Sean Hannity, etc. who would like to maintain the status quo no matter how much it will eventually cost the taxpayer (you, my friend) when the bill comes due to fight these fires and rebuild the devastated areas.


-15

Cal Poly class of 1984. I see from your previous posts Trask that you really hate black people which explains your attacks on Larry Elder. Racism is a disease Adam Trask get some help.


7

There is “scientific evidence” of Bigfoot too. People who can think, don’t really believe that, or your “science”, either.


Oh, BTW, poor forestry management is to blame for the recent fires (ie; Newsom and his liberal ilk). Had Sac allowed actual “scientists” to control ground clutter, thin trees, and clear fire lanes, the devastation would be kept to a minimum, housing prices would fall, more wildlife would appear, and risk of accidental wildfire would be much much lower.


Hey, just us deniers being real!


8

“There is “scientific evidence” of Bigfoot too.” Not that I know of. I’d be fascinated to see it.


There is, however, reams of evidence that increased temperatures and prolonged drought are one of the main reasons for the large fires we have been experiencing. Granted, our forest management has not been the best, mainly our penchant for putting out fires immediately rather than letting them burn through dead areas. But, to blame Newsom is ridiculous. More than half of California forests are managed by the feds. During his term more dead trees have been cut down, especially in the western Sierra. In the long run, though, we simply cannot continue to spew fossil fuels into the atmosphere.This is settled science, no matter what a few contrarians say in the United States.


But, sure, I get it, Trump’s simpleton conclusion that we only need to “rake the forest” is appealing to deniers.


1

You do not believe of Bigfoot? After all the years of “settled” research by naturalists with photographic proof? Just because you know nothing about Bigfoot, is no reason to be a denier of the science.


See, there is no “settled science” about the Earth. The ever changing natural occurrences cannot be nailed down by anyone, not even scientists. To say it is settled, is saying there is not other possible reason. What caused the ice sheets, that used to cover most of North America up to a mile in thickness, to melt away? Was it man? Could we have stopped it? What about the Sahara that used to be very watered and filled with forests? Did developers fill it with sand? Greenland used to be ice free, and Iceland covered in…ice. Man-made? Or totally dependent on the sun, planetary orbit, Earth’s rotational angle, gravitational pull and push from the other planets? Remember we aren’t supposed to have any forests left in New England due to “acid rain”? Last I checked, the science was settled that they are still there.


However, when folks who know forest management, tell us that there are too many trees, too much ground clutter, and far too many people living inside the forests when any sort of wildfire breaks out, and too many closed fire access roads that would not only assist firefighters, but allow more people to have a secondary route to escape. Why? Because of liberal politics that have no basis in…..science.


1

The science surrounding Bigfoot is equal to the science on climate change? I’ll take Dumb Analogies for 500, Alex.


Ok, so say you are right and the catastrophic fires in California are wholly a part of governmental mismanagement, what about July being the hottest month on record—116 Fahrenheit in Portland, Oregon; thousand-year floods in places as disparate as China, Germany, Tennessee and New York within a few months of each other; larger and more powerful storms in Florida and on the southern coast in successive years; abnormally warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico; drought induced famine in places like Guatemala and Madagascar. And, this is not even to mention the horrific pace of arctic melting. How do you account for these events that, like our fires, are driven by climate change? Surely the Democrats aren’t responsible for all of these catastrophes.


And, even if I and nearly 100% of climate scientists (even Exxon scientists are now claiming that warming can be attributed to fossil fuels) are totally wrong, isn’t it in our best interests to switch our economy from fossil fuels to renewables? Simply because we can and because it is the right thing to do. Imagine a world where you don’t have to drive down the road and smell somebody’s poorly maintained tailpipe?


Oh well, nice debate, Messkit, and no hard feelings. We’ll just have to agree to disagree.


1

Isn’t this action telling the people who hate the United States of America where to start fires?


-5

No more than California making so many Gun-Free zones tells the criminals where to commit crimes.


3

No more than California making vehicle speed limited zones and posting the limits.


2