Inyo National Forest closure sends shockwaves - again

The closure shutters local campgrounds, trails, wilderness access and more

De ja vu.

That’s how it was this week when the Inyo National Forest got swept up in a state-wide closure of every National Forest within the Pacific Southwest Region of the USDA Forest Service (Region 5), which includes every forest within the state except one; the Bridgeport Ranger District (north of Conway Summit) of the Humboldt-toiyabe National Forest (see additional reporting on this exception on p. 3).

The closure started at one minute to midnight on Aug. 31 and by Sept. 1, every campground on the Inyo, every trailhead, every dispersed camping site was vacated. Mammoth Mountain’s Bike Park closed for the season because it is on

Inyo National Forest land; people’s backcountry reservations were automatically refunding by Recreation.gov; those still camping on dispersed camping sites were

asked to leave and that – was that.

It was almost like old times and not in a good way, with the same thing occurring last year in September and for the same reasons - extreme fire danger. In fact, in this case, the closure came due also to a deep shortage of firefighters available to fight the ongoing, massive fires threatening so much of the state.

In some ways, it hit the Eastern Sierra even harder because this closure came BEFORE the economically critical Labor Day Weekend. It didn’t help that the skies have been clearer in the Eastern Sierra than in much of the state, either, making it even harder to swallow.

Nevertheless, the closure is in place until at least Sept. 17, according to the Region in a recent news release.

“To better provide public and firefighter safety due to the ongoing California wildfire crisis, USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region is announcing a temporary closure of all National Forests in California,” they said. This closure will be in effect from Aug. 31 at 11:59 p.m. through Sept. 17 at 11:59 p.m.” they said.

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

Factors that led to this decision include these, they said:

• By temporarily reducing the numbers of people on national forests, we hope to minimize the

likelihood that visitors could become entrapped on National Forest System lands during emergency circumstances.

• The closure order will also decrease the potential for new fire starts at a time of extremely

limited firefighting resources, and enhance firefighter and community safety by limiting exposure that occurs in public evacuation situations, especially as Covid-19 continues to impact human health and strain hospital resources.

• Due to state-wide conditions, any new fire starts have the potential for large and rapid fire

growth with a high risk to life and property. The Forest Service and our partners are absolutely do