Fire danger forces closure of Stanislaus National Forest

The United States Forest Service closed California’s national forest to public access beginning on Tuesday at 11:59 p.m. in an unprecedented effort to preemptively combat fires before Labor Day weekend.

“Given that fires are behaving in unpredictable and erratic ways, red flag warnings, and extreme dry conditions, temporarily closing the forest is the right thing to do right now to provide for public, firefighter and community safety,” said Jason Kuiken, Stanislaus National Forest Supervisor, in a statement provided by Acting Public Affairs Officer Traci Allen.

The closure will be lifted at 11:59 p.m. Sept. 17, meaning the forest will be closed to recreational activities through the Labor Day holiday on Sept. 6.

The current order includes the Stanislaus National Forest in Tuolumne County, which includes campgrounds, day-use areas and trails. The closure would also include Pinecrest Reservoir in the

Stanislaus National Forest.

A violation of these prohibitions is punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 for an individual

and $10,000 for an organization and/or imprisonment up to 6 months.

“We do not take this decision lightly, but this is the best choice for public safety,” said

Regional Forester Jennifer Eberlien in a press release sent out by the Forest Service on Monday afternoon. “It is especially hard with the approaching Labor Day weekend, when so many people enjoy our national forests.”

The Forest Service issued a previous order closing nine National Forests at 11:59 p.m. Aug. 22.

That order includes the Tahoe National Forest, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, Plumas National Forest, Lassen National Forest, Mendocino National Forest, Klamath National Forest, Six Rivers National Forest, Shasta-trinity National Forest and Modoc National Forest.

The order restricts being upon national forest lands, roads and trails while the order is in effect.

According to the USFS website, the order was originally set to expire on Sept. 6.

Exempt from the orders are people with special permits, federal, state and local peace officers, members of rescue or firefighting forces, specialized workers with authorization, landowners and lessees and residents.

People engaged in business, trade and occupation are not considered exempt, but may use roads as necessary to carry out their business.

The Stanislaus National Forest and other California forests were temporarily closed in September 2020 due to dangerous fire conditions.

This order does not affect the Humboldt-toiyabe National Forest, which is not in the Pacific Southwest Region of the Forest Service.