Keep safety in mind when cutting Christmas trees on the forest
Since weather and road conditions may change at any time, it’s a good idea to check the weather forecast and road conditions before embarking on a trip to the forest. Information on highway conditions may be obtained by calling 1-800-427-ROAD. Preplanning should also include leaving a copy of your planned route and itinerary with a friend, neighbor, or family member.
Visitors to the forest are urged to pack a winter storm survival kit. A good kit consists of a first aid kit, extra clothing and blankets, extra food and water, a fire- starting mechanism and cooking pot, a cell phone or two-way radio, and a tool kit. Tool kits should contain jumper cables, a tow rope, a flashlight, and a shovel.
Christmas tree cutting locations, especially in the higher elevations, can become inaccessible when storms hit. Favorite tree-cutting areas are often at these higher elevations, where fir trees grow. However, depending on weather conditions, these areas can become impassable to most motor vehicles, including four-wheel drive types. Forest visitors are advised to carry chains whenever stormy weather is possible. Sandbags used as extra weight in your vehicle may help to maintain traction and can be useful in the event you get stuck. Vehicles should be fully fueled and in top mechanical condition.
Remember, in the event that you do get stranded, do not panic. The person with whom you left your information should notify the authorities. If you are stranded, you should remain with your vehicle. Keep in mind that it is much easier to find a vehicle in the forest than a person on foot. The vehicle will also provide some shelter. While waiting for help to arrive, signal your distress by using emergency flashers and tying a handkerchief or flagging on the antenna or mirror. Be sure to keep the tailpipe clear while periodically running the engine for warmth.
Christmas tree cutting permits will continue to be sold at the Forest Supervisor’s Office or offices on the Districts until December 17. More information regarding the purchase of Christmas tree permits can be found at the Lassen National Forest website: HYPERLINK "http://www.fs.usda.gov/lassen" www.fs.usda.gov/lassen. Visitors are encouraged to call the District Offices listed below to receive the latest updates on Forest conditions.
Almanor Ranger District (530) 258-2141
Eagle Lake Ranger District (530) 257-4188
Hat Creek Ranger District (530) 336-5521
Storm Advice/Warnings
Klamath National Forest Selling Vehicles and Miscellaneous Equipment by Internet Auction
The vehicles and equipment will be available for viewing via the GSA website www.gsaauctions.gov beginning Monday, November 28th. Interested bidders should type in the sale number 91QSCI12116 in the “Enter Search Text” box. Only Klamath National Forest items will be displayed. Each item will have an assigned number, description, photos(s), and a contact name and number if further inquiry is needed.
Bidding will continue until each item’s posted deadline on December 5th.
Bidders must register on the GSA website and view the Terms and Conditions (in the blue tool bar at the top of the page) for information regarding registering, bidding, payment, and removal of successful bid items.
The vehicles and equipment are available for public viewing Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily throughout the auction. Please call Kari Solus (530) 841-4651 first to coordinate a viewing time.
The location for the Klamath National Forest Internet Auction vehicle/equipment items is:
Klamath National Forest Service Center
1030 South Main Street
Yreka, CA 96097
MARIJUANA REFERENDUM ...
BLM to Return Gathered Horses Back to High Rock Complex Next Week
CEDARVILLE – About 100 wild horses captured in a Bureau of Land Management population management roundup over the past few weeks will be released back onto the range next week to maintain wild populations at sustainable levels.
The BLM will release mares that have been treated with a fertility control drug and groups of stallions into several pastures of the Fox Hog Herd Management area in northwest Nevada.
Members of the public are welcome to watch the releases on Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 22 and 23. Those interested should be at the BLM Litchfield Corals, 21 miles east of Susanville, Calif. on Highway 395, at 7:30 a.m. each day. Members of the public can also join the BLM staff departing from the Surprise Field Office, 602 Cressler St.in Cedarville, Calif., at 8:30 a.m.
Observers must provide their own transportation. High clearance vehicles are recommended. Much of the travel route will be on gravel roads. Participants should plan on six hours of round-trip travel time.
On Tuesday, two groups of horses will be released into separate areas along the Lost Creek Road off Nevada State Highway 34 southeast of Cedarville.
In the first release, BLM officials plan to return nine stallions and six mares to the range; the second should consist of 23 stallions and 21 mares. On Wednesday, crews plan to release 27 stallions and 18 mares into an area just off Highway 34 near Hog Mountain.
"These releases will bring the Fox Hog Herd Management area to the low end of the appropriate management level of 120 to 226 animals," said Allen Bollschweiller, manager of the BLM Surprise Field Office in Cedarville. "Over the coming years, the herd will grow toward the upper range of the population level, but the use of fertility control treatments on the mares will slow the growth rate for up to two years.”
Horses have already been returned to the Bitner and Nut Mountain herd management areas and those populations are estimated to be within appropriate management levels of 15 to 25 and 30 to 55 wild horses respectively. More horses will be released later into the High Rock Herd Management Area. Dates are pending.
On Nov. 12, the BLM completed gather operations for five herd management areas managed collectively as the High Rock Complex. The project was designed to reduce the wild population to a range of 258 to 451 animals in the complex. The BLM manages wild horses under provisions of the 1971 Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act, a federal law that protects the animals and requires that their populations be controlled.
Oro Quincy Highway Reopened
As a result of severe winter weather on March 28, 2011, two landslides closed Oro Quincy Highway from just west of the intersection with French Creek Road to the intersection of Bald Rock Road.
Federal Highways oversaw the work that repaired damage done from a slide above the road and another slide on the downhill side of the road. About $900,000 was spent on the repairs. While a minor amount of work remains to be completed the road is now open to traffic.