Citing “extreme wildfire conditions,” SPI closes all public access to its CA forest lands

As California continues experiencing its worst fire season in ten years, with more than 820,000 acres already burned across the state as of Aug. 10, Sierra Pacific Industries recently announced they had closed all public access to its forestland holdings in California.

SPI’s announcement was immediately met with both praise and frustration, with countless California residents voicing their opinions about the announced closures.

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But with wildland fires still raging across the state, during what has been California’s worst fire season since 2008, their announced closures follow similar announcements by other industrial timberland owners throughout the western United States.

Most see the closures as a necessary aspect of protecting both the land as well as those firefighters who charge headlong into the danger; spending countless hours on fire-lines risking their lives daily to protect homes and property, as well as the State’s natural resources.

Considering that three of California’s largest and most destructive fires since 2000 are currently burning, the extreme fire danger right now is plain to see.

The Mendocino Complex Fire, having burned more than 300,000 acres, has already become the largest fire ever recorded in California.

Add to that the Carr Fire burning near Redding, which has burned more than a thousand homes and caused eight deaths, and the Ferguson Fire burning near Yosemite National Park, which is the largest fire in Sierra National Forest history, few can argue the logic behind the announced land closures.

“The trends are pretty astounding in terms of the number of acres burned, the length of the wildfire season, and the numbers of structures lost,” Kelly Pohl, a research analyst with Headwaters Economics – a nonprofit research group that helps communities develop wildfire plans – recently stated. “If you look at the trends over several decades, they’ve all gone up.”

For its part, SPI – like other large, forestland holders – has cited California’s “extreme wildfire conditions and risk to lives and property” as the reason for their announced closures.

“SPI takes pride in allowing non-motorized public access for hunting and other recreational values but must take this action to protect resources and public safety,” SPI spokesperson Andrea Howell explained in the company’s recent press release.

The closures will remain in effect “until conditions change,” said Howell.

In later responses to California residents on social media SPI explained, “With the current fire conditions, and with the safety of all of you in mind, we have made the decision to close ALL access (non-motorized, walking, horseback, etc.) until such time as extreme fire danger conditions improve.”

“#SPIcares for our crew members and families, our community, and our forestland. We also care for our neighbors who have responsibly enjoyed non-motorized access to our private lands for past hunting seasons.”

As SPI explained, “Responsible and sustainable forest management means sometimes making difficult decisions to ensure the long-term success and preservation of our #renewableresources. It also means ensuring the safety of those who use our lands for recreation.”

“We understand the disappointment some may have with this decision,” SPI continued. “Please be assured our professional foresters and researchers will continue to closely monitor fire weather conditions. We look forward to lifting restrictions when conditions improve to reduce the risk of erratic wildfires.”

For more information regarding SPI’s closures, contact Andrea Howell at (530) 378-8000.

 

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 47, recently moved to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, The Valley Chronicle, and Anza Valley Outlook; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and The Mountain Echo in Shasta County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.