VQ/CC is on... Official word from The Warrior's Society

[OMR]

Here's the latest just released by Chris Vargas (Chief of the Warrior's Society):

The part of the Cleveland National Forest affected by the fires, include the
Main Divide from Black Star the Santiago Peak, the Silverado Motorway, the
Harding Truck Trail, the Upper Joplin and Santiago Truck Trails and Maples
Springs Road: these are the trails/roads that will be closed to the public
for 1 year (until November 9th 200).

This will NOT affect our events. Existing permit holders will be exempt from
the closure as stated in the announcement "(1) Persons with a permit
specifically authorizing the otherwise prohibited act or omission." The
Forest Service's main concern is that the public not access these areas
without supervision, (especially the Harding Trail because the fire severely
destabilized the slopes), for their own safety and to protect the burned
areas from illegal access. There were many fire breaks done as defensive
shields in case fire fighters were trapped - and there is a real concern
that unauthorized use of these temporary fire breaks will delay or stop the
rehabilitation efforts.

During both the Pow Wow and Traverse events there will be increased security
to insure that riders/individuals not associated with or in the event access
the forest. Those attempting to ride along unauthorized will be subject to
arrest and/or fines by Forest Service Law Enforcement Officers who will be
supervising the event in the areas affected by the closures. The Forest
Service may require us to have participants show photo ID to in the morning
check-in to prevent past participants with old number plates from attempting
to ride along with those entered in the event.

In the mean time, the Warrior's Society will propose to the Forest Service
that volunteers from the Santa Ana Natural History Association (SANHA), the
Sierra Club, CORVA or any other off-road organization and our own
organization be permitted by the Forest Service to patrol the areas affected
by the closure and lead group rides/hikes/road tours. These "guided" access
rides would focus on the rehabilitation efforts, the need for volunteers and
the impact illegal off-trail access has on the environment's ability to
recover from fire.

This would also allow us to educate the public on the need for controlled
burns and other fire safety efforts that can reduce the effects/severity of
wildland fires. For too long we have disrupted the cycle of fires and failed
to educate the public on the benefits of fire to the chaparral environment
as well as the detrimental effects of too many fires in the chaparral
environment; we are now paying the price for this failure.

Others, such as the Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity and other
environmental organizations, have advocated limiting the use of fire breaks
and restricting/eliminating the use of fire retardants because of their
effects on the environment:

http://www.warriorssociety.org/News/...rt5-16-04.html

My answer to them is how much worse would this fire have been without the
use of them? I agree that in the long run many portions of the Cleveland
National Forest need to burn to return them to the natural cycle of fires,
but to allow ALL of the Cleveland National Forest to burn with out the tools
of firebreaks and chemical retardants is foolish; after artificially being
prevented to burn for over 100 years, it would be devastating to allow fire
to burn unimpeded with the amount of fuel that has built up.

I have seen steelhead trout deep in canyons in the Santa Ana Mountains that
many would have never imagined to be able to exist there. It breaks my heart
to know that their continued existence, and the survival of other species,
will be jeopardized by the tremendous debris flows caused by the thousands
of acres burned by these fires; and it motivates me to not let the threat to
their existence go unchallenged.

We must responsibly allow the remaining unburned areas of the Cleveland
National Forest to burn to return them to the natural cycle of fire. We must
allow these areas to burn and control these burns with every tool available
to get us to the point where active fire prevention tools are used in a
limited fashion - or not at all.

Many will be quick t6 blame the Forest Service or the County for the
after-effects of the fire, but the failure can truly be placed on the lap of
the public. WE have neglected our forests, we have developed in areas near
our forests/wildlands, which I have no problems with, - but because of this
development - we have pushed polices that focus on preventing fire rather
than managing it; and organizations such as the Sierra Club and the Center
For Biological Diversity have advocated limiting "Active" management of our
forest by the use of fire breaks and fire retardants, seeking to take
important Active Management tools out of the hands of firefighters.

The management of our forests should not focus on stopping fires - or on
letting them burn.

It is not black and white - it is somewhere in-between.

And if we deny nature/fire her/its natural cycle - the PUBLIC - as current
conditions have proven - will pay the price. And if we limit our ability to
actively ATTEMPT to manage fire - we will only increase the devastation.

[jcampbell]

lets all do what georgia did and pray for some light rain to get these mountain open again

[DeeZee]

Originally Posted by OMR

Here's the latest just released by Chris Vargas (Chief of the Warrior's Society):

The part of the Cleveland National Forest affected by the fires, include the
Main Divide from Black Star the Santiago Peak, the Silverado Motorway, the
Harding Truck Trail, the Upper Joplin and Santiago Truck Trails and Maples
Springs Road: these are the trails/roads that will be closed to the public
for 1 year (until November 9th 200).

This will NOT affect our events. Existing permit holders will be exempt from
the closure as stated in the announcement "(1) Persons with a permit
specifically authorizing the otherwise prohibited act or omission." The
Forest Service's main concern is that the public not access these areas
without supervision, (especially the Harding Trail because the fire severely
destabilized the slopes), for their own safety and to protect the burned
areas from illegal access. There were many fire breaks done as defensive
shields in case fire fighters were trapped - and there is a real concern
that unauthorized use of these temporary fire breaks will delay or stop the
rehabilitation efforts.

During both the Pow Wow and Traverse events there will be increased security
to insure that riders/individuals not associated with or in the event access
the forest. Those attempting to ride along unauthorized will be subject to
arrest and/or fines by Forest Service Law Enforcement Officers who will be
supervising the event in the areas affected by the closures. The Forest
Service may require us to have participants show photo ID to in the morning
check-in to prevent past participants with old number plates from attempting
to ride along with those entered in the event.

In the mean time, the Warrior's Society will propose to the Forest Service
that volunteers from the Santa Ana Natural History Association (SANHA), the
Sierra Club, CORVA or any other off-road organization and our own
organization be permitted by the Forest Service to patrol the areas affected
by the closure and lead group rides/hikes/road tours. These "guided" access
rides would focus on the rehabilitation efforts, the need for volunteers and
the impact illegal off-trail access has on the environment's ability to
recover from fire.

This would also allow us to educate the public on the need for controlled
burns and other fire safety efforts that can reduce the effects/severity of
wildland fires. For too long we have disrupted the cycle of fires and failed
to educate the public on the benefits of fire to the chaparral environment
as well as the detrimental effects of too many fires in the chaparral
environment; we are now paying the price for this failure.

Others, such as the Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity and other
environmental organizations, have advocated limiting the use of fire breaks
and restricting/eliminating the use of fire retardants because of their
effects on the environment:

http://www.warriorssociety.org/News/...rt5-16-04.html

My answer to them is how much worse would this fire have been without the
use of them? I agree that in the long run many portions of the Cleveland
National Forest need to burn to return them to the natural cycle of fires,
but to allow ALL of the Cleveland National Forest to burn with out the tools
of firebreaks and chemical retardants is foolish; after artificially being
prevented to burn for over 100 years, it would be devastating to allow fire
to burn unimpeded with the amount of fuel that has built up.

I have seen steelhead trout deep in canyons in the Santa Ana Mountains that
many would have never imagined to be able to exist there. It breaks my heart
to know that their continued existence, and the survival of other species,
will be jeopardized by the tremendous debris flows caused by the thousands
of acres burned by these fires; and it motivates me to not let the threat to
their existence go unchallenged.

We must responsibly allow the remaining unburned areas of the Cleveland
National Forest to burn to return them to the natural cycle of fire. We must
allow these areas to burn and control these burns with every tool available
to get us to the point where active fire prevention tools are used in a
limited fashion - or not at all.

Many will be quick t6 blame the Forest Service or the County for the
after-effects of the fire, but the failure can truly be placed on the lap of
the public. WE have neglected our forests, we have developed in areas near
our forests/wildlands, which I have no problems with, - but because of this
development - we have pushed polices that focus on preventing fire rather
than managing it; and organizations such as the Sierra Club and the Center
For Biological Diversity have advocated limiting "Active" management of our
forest by the use of fire breaks and fire retardants, seeking to take
important Active Management tools out of the hands of firefighters.

The management of our forests should not focus on stopping fires - or on
letting them burn.

It is not black and white - it is somewhere in-between.

And if we deny nature/fire her/its natural cycle - the PUBLIC - as current
conditions have proven - will pay the price. And if we limit our ability to
actively ATTEMPT to manage fire - we will only increase the devastation.

thanks