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Thursday, September 15, 2005 - 12:00 AM [url "http://www.harktheherald.com/print.php?sid=64313"][/url] | [url "http://www.harktheherald.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Recommend_Us&file=index&req=FriendSend&sid=64313"][/url]

Campfires banned in High Uintas

Caleb Warnock DAILY HERALD


Scouts, hunters, hikers and outdoor enthusiasts will no longer be allowed to build campfires in some of the most popular areas of the High Uintas.
The Forest Service announced a permanent campfire closure on Wednesday, saying the move was necessary because too many campers were leaving trash and building permanent fire pits in areas federally-protected as pristine, while [url "http://heraldextra.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=display_ads&file=index&func=display_ad&ad=00275427"][/url][url "http://adserver.harktheherald.com/adclick.php?n=a1d19a67"][/url] at the same time using more firewood than the forest could sustain.
"There is just not enough wood around there in those lakes," said Kathy Jo Pollock of the Wasatch-Cache National Forest. "There is no more down or dead wood where we have closed it off for campfires, and people were cutting down standing trees, and then they put rocks around and make their fire rings and never take them away, as in leave no trace, and there are tons and tons of fire rings and there is always trash, cans and wrappers left."
The campfire closure is effective immediately, said Lisa Ross of the Ashley National Forest, but rangers will spend the next year warning violators before handing out citations. Campers will still be allowed to pack in charcoal and propane stoves. Cutting any standing trees, dead or alive, is illegal in a national forest.
"The first year will be for education and after that they will start enforcement," she said.
Because the High Uintas are so elevated, trees grow slowly, she said. Some of the closed areas are above the treeline where firewood was especially sparse anyway.
"There are so many people that have used the firewood, and at that high elevation it takes so long to replenish the supplies," she said.
Notices about the proposed closure went out months ago and the Forest Service received 80 comments from the public, she said. The closed areas represent about five percent of the High Uintas, though the lakes are some of the most popular camping sites.
"We've carefully considered both sides of the order," she said. "It's been a long process. Our comments were about half for and half against, so they were pretty even."
Pollock said she believes most people will be receptive to the closure.
"I think most people are going to understand it," she said. "We need to make sure the wilderness is pristine -- that is part of the mystique of people using the High Uintas."
She encouraged campers to be responsible for leaving the High Uintas cleaner than they found them.
"It's the leave-no-trace theory," she said. "Go enjoy yourself and have a wonderful time but when you leave, make it look like no one has been there."
In other news, statewide fire restrictions in areas prone to wildfire danger were rescinded this morning. State officials said cooling temperatures and weather patterns have reduced the threat of wildfires for the remainder of the year, though they urged those using fire outdoors to continue to use caution.

[i] Caleb Warnock can be reached at 756-7669 ext. 19 or cwarnock@heraldextra.com.[/i]
The High Uintas campfire closure prohibits building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire or wood stove fire within a quarter-mile of the shoreline of lakes in two national forests:
In Wasatch-Cache National Forest:
Naturalist Basin
Pigeon Milk Area
McPheters/Ryder Lakes
Amethyst/Emerald Lakes
Deadhorse Lake
Lower Red Castle Lake
Dollar Lake
Henrys Fork Lake
In Ashley National Forest:
Swasey Hole
Grandaddy Basin
Garfield Basin
Four Lakes Basin
Atwood Basin
Squaw Basin
Chain Lakes Basin
Upper Rock Creek
Upper Uinta Canyon This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page A1.
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WELCOME TO YOUR PUBLIC LANDS

NO FIRES
NO HORSES WITH DIAPERS AND CERTIFIED WEED FREE HAY
NO HORSES
NO ATV'S
NO MOTORIZED TRAVEL
NO PARTIES WITH MORE THEN TEN PEOPLE
NO HIKING
NO WADING
NO FISHING
NO HUNTING
NO PHOTOGRAPHY
NO RAFTING
NO BOATING

WHERE WILL THEY STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


By the way I have seen all these signs on our public lands.
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Personally I think it's good what they are doing. I think they should do it on a trial basis, however, telling people if they clean up their act then they will reinstate the fires. I have been backpacking in the wilderness area in the High Uintahs (not in any of the mentioned areas) and at some lakeside camping areas what I've seen is a disgrace, with trash left behind and rocks piled up into huge firepits and other crap.

I was taught very well as a scout to "Leave no Trace" but it seems that more and more people were never taught that or have forgotten. It makes me sick and mad to come upon trash in the wilderness like that. It's bad enough along rivers in our urban areas like the Provo River, but when you backpack in 9 miles and still have to see people's litter it's aggravating.

What they say about not a lot of wood available also makes sense to me. The areas they are closing are VERY high use areas, and I'm sure the wood gets cleaned out pretty quick. It still allows you to have fires if you camp farther from the water (which will protect the water from pollution anyway).

Over all I think this restriction was necessary. Of course the real problem makers will probably just disobey the law and build fires anyway because they have no regard, but hopefully they get busted and slapped with a nice fine.
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I have personally backpacked into many of these areas, while I have seen trash, (which upsets me) the fire pit and fire issue isnt a problem. What is next??? I dont know about most people, but I enjoy a nice campfire, definitely when I am in a secluded area like those of the Uinta primative area.
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You can syill have your campfire in "Seculed Areas". It's the high use areas that are being closed.
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Yes you can still have a campfire as long as you camp 1/4 mile from the lake shore. Really it's not a good idea to camp right next to the water anyway....and the scouts teach to not camp within I believe it is at least 200 yards of any stream or lake anyway (400 yards is about 1/4 mile) to keep from contaminating the water with soap from washing dishes, urine or feces, etc. If you did that, you could still build a fire too.
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If that is the case, it is the same rule that applies in the Wind River range in Wyoming.
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whoops. [angelic] Back in 2002 I backpacked in the Windrivers and we camped (allegedly) about 200 yards from the water.

That was a killer hike but caught some huge beautiful arctic grayling while we were there though.[cool]
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[reply]WELCOME TO YOUR PUBLIC LANDS

NO ATV'S
NO MOTORIZED TRAVEL
NO PARTIES WITH MORE THEN TEN PEOPLE
NO BOATING

Thank God!!!!
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