Closure of public lands: California,

[Federal Register: October 7, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 194)]

[Notices]

[Page 54634]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr07oc99-67]

[[Page 54634]]

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CA-680-99-2821-00-D889]

Closure and Restriction Orders

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, (BLM) Interior.

ACTION: Emergency closure of certain public lands to human entry in the Juniper Flats area, in San Bernardino County, California.

SUMMARY: Public lands in the Juniper Flats area are barred to human entry during Labor Day weekend, 1999. Closed are approximately 16,000 acres burned in the Willow fire. This 3-day emergency closure applies to all types of human access, including but not limited to: motor vehicles, equestrian, bike and foot traffic. This action prevents conflicts with ongoing fire suppression activities. The closure also protects visitors, soil, cultural resources, vegetation, wildlife, and wildlife habitat from further impact following damage from the fire.

DATES: This closure order goes into effect at 1 p.m. on Friday, September 3, 1999 and shall remain in effect until 12 midnight on Monday September 6, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tim Read, Barstow Field Office Manager, Bureau of Land Management, 2601 Barstow Road, Barstow, CA 92311; or call (760) 252-6000.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On Saturday August 28th, the Willow Fire started on U.S. Forest Service lands adjacent to BLM lands in the Juniper Flats area. The fire quickly spread and burned approximately 16,000 acres of BLM land. The fire is still burning and will not be contained before the start of the holiday weekend. Travel in the fire area is unsafe due to fire suppression activities, burned direction signs, rock slides and fallen trees.

As a result of the fire cultural resources, soils, vegetation, wildlife, and wildlife habitat are highly susceptible to further impacts resulting from human activity in the area. The fire burned away the vegetative cover and left bare soils exposed. The loss of vegetation has also stressed wildlife populations by reducing cover and forage. This emergency closure is required to prevent disturbances to sensitive resources in order to avoid excessive soil erosion and loss, vegetative damage, riparian area degradation, destruction of range management fences, and water quality impacts.

In general, all public lands are closed up to the Forest Boundary east of Deep Creek Road, South of the Atchison Topeka and Sante Fe Rail lines and west of Highway 18. The authority for this closure is 43 CFR 8364.1. This closure only applies to those portions of the following listed sections which were burned during the Willow Fire: San Bernardino Base and Meridian, T.3N. R.1W. Sections 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; T.3N, R.2W. sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8; T.3N. R.3W. sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12; T.4N. R.1W. sections 31 and 32; T.4N. R.2W. sections 26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 32, 33, 34 and 35; T.4N. R.3W. sections 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34 and 35. Any person who fails to comply with this closure order is subject to a fine of up to $100,000 or imprisonment of up to 12 months, or both.

The following activities are exempt to this closure: law enforcement, emergency vehicles, agency personnel on official business, permitted uses, and the minimum access required to maintain utilities and infrastructure in the affected area. Private landowners and their guest accessing their land are also exempt. This closure affects only public lands. County roads and segments of roads through private lands are unaffected. The following route across public land is exempt from this closure: Browen Ranch Road, through public lands in section 31 of T.4N. R.2W., and sections 1, 11 and 12 of T.3N. R.3W.

This section will be reviewed in the context of the recommendations to be made by the fire rehabilitation team. If needed, the closure will be reissued for a longer time period, possibly a year. Brad Blomquist, BLM, Acting Barstow Field Office Manager.

[FR Doc. 99-24821Filed10-6-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-40-M