Vandalism closes campgrounds

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cali kat

climber
CA
Topic Author's Original Post - Aug 22, 2016 - 12:55pm PT
I received an unfortunate email today about one of my favorite camping spots by Sequoia/Balch Park:



Subject: Closures at Mountain Home Demonstration State Forest


August 22, 2016

Mountain Home DSF Campers,

**I regret to inform you that the River Road gate will be closed today as a result of extensive vandalism at Hidden Falls Campground and the Wishon Fork of the Tule River. An investigation into the incident is on going and the clean up will be costly and extremely time consuming. All secondary roads accessed via the River Road; as well as the Hidden Falls and Moses Gulch Campgrounds will remain closed for an indefinite period of time. It is unlikely that River Road will open again for public use anytime this year.

The vandalism occurred sometime between Monday, August 15 and Wednesday, August 17. Please reply to this email if you have any information regarding the vandalism.**

Additionally, the area of the State Forest that is accessed via the Tub Flat Road has been closed temporarily due to salvage logging operations in the area. Logging operations are inherently dangerous so the area is being closed to ensure public safety. I anticipate that the Tub Flat Road closure will only last for a couple of weeks. The Loop Trail is effected by this closure as well.

Additional information regarding these closures is posted at the Mountain Home Demonstration State Forest Headquarters in compliance with California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Section 1439. Anyone found to be in violation of this order can be cited for a misdemeanor which is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000.00 and/or 6 months in jail.

Jim Kral
CAL FIRE
Manager - Mtn. Home Demonstration State Forest
RPF #2588
(559) 539-2855 - Office
(559) 358-7104 - Mobile
JEleazarian

Trad climber
Fresno CA
Aug 22, 2016 - 12:59pm PT
:>(

Do we know what sort of vandalism took place? I have a hard time imagining anything that would cause campground closures of this magnitude. While I have little hope, it sure would be nice to nab the perps.

John
cali kat

climber
CA
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 22, 2016 - 05:53pm PT
I don't know what the details are. I did a quick Google search and visited the department's website but couldn't find anything.
cali kat

climber
CA
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 22, 2016 - 05:56pm PT
rottingjohnny

Sport climber
Shetville , North of Los Angeles
Aug 22, 2016 - 07:08pm PT
Logging operations qualify as vandalism in my estimation...Ever see a logging outfit clean up after themselves...?
johntp

Trad climber
socal
Aug 22, 2016 - 09:11pm PT
This sucks. Rattlesnake canyon in JT was closed due to severe graffiti. God damn idiots.
cali kat

climber
CA
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 31, 2016 - 02:11pm PT
Updates: Campgrounds to reopen!

Closures were due to "extensive vandalism at Hidden Falls Campground and the Wishon Fork of the Tule River where bathrooms, bear lockers, boulders, rock outcroppings, and about 1,000 feet of the river bank was tagged over by a local gang." More details here: http://www.recorderonline.com/features/vandalism-closes-popular-campgrounds/article_af4d1e74-6a78-11e6-ab6a-2f9591f45ba9.html


Aug 24 Update:
First, I want to thank all of you that have responded to my message for your fond comments and offers to assist in the clean up. Because of the extent and locations of the graffiti, we are not exactly sure what is going to be the most effective means of removing it. My staff and I are going to attempt a number of different methods tomorrow to determine what works best without causing further damage to the environment. Should we find a good solution I will notify you all again with a date that the "volunteer" assisted clean up will take place.

I need to clarify that no damage was done to the Moses Gulch Campground. However, the only effective means of restricting access to Hidden Falls was to lock the gate at the top of River Road. We thoroughly regret the inconvenience that may cause some of you.

CalFire, the California Highway Patrol, and the Tulare County Sherriff's Office (TCSO) have concluded the investigation of the area in the field. All of the "behind the scenes" investigation is still taking place and we are hopeful that the perpetrator can be identified and brought to justice.

On another note, you may have heard that there is a fire that is located in the Wishon Fork of the Tule River canyon, approximately 1 mile south of Mountain Home and three miles south of Moses Gulch Campground. At this time, the fire is reported to be 100% contained at 600 acres.

With that being said, it is business as usual at your forest. Shake Camp, Frasier Mill, and Hedrick Pond Campgrounds remain open. Foot traffic is allowed behind the gate for access to hunting areas and the river. I must warn you though, if you venture down to the river it will be disturbing if you get there before we can clean it up. If all goes well, we should have the area open in another week or two.

Thanks again for your patience and your love for this place,

Jim Kral
CAL FIRE
Manager - Mtn. Home Demonstration State Forest
RPF #2588
(559) 539-2855 - Office
(559) 358-7104 - Mobile



Aug 29 Update:
First, I would like to thank everyone that called or emailed their support and offers to send donations and volunteer in the vandalism clean up at Hidden Falls. You folks renew my faith in the human spirit and your "ownership" in this forest is encouraging. My staff and I spent about 50 man-hours during the clean up project using a variety of different methods given the sensitive nature and proximity to the river. As we go forward for the remainder of the season, I ask all of you to heighten your awareness at MHDSF and report any suspicious behavior to me or any of my staff. If you can record a license plate number we can track them down.

With that being said, I plan to reopen River Road on Thursday morning, September 1, which means that Hidden Falls and Moses Gulch Campgrounds will be open as well. I must further state that should another incident such as this last one occur again, I will lock off access to the river indefinitely.

Thank you all again for your patience, understanding, and cooperation in this matter.

Jim Kral
CAL FIRE
Manager - Mtn. Home Demonstration State Forest
RPF #2588
(559) 539-2855 - Office
(559) 358-7104 - Mobile
Spider Savage

Mountain climber
The shaggy fringe of Los Angeles
Aug 31, 2016 - 02:35pm PT
Thank you for posting this information.

It is important that our community of outdoors people aid in the battle against this idiocy.

The subject area is very beautiful and really should be in National Park status with a high level of management.

More needs to be done to carefully manage our public lands so that more people can understand and respect this fragile resource that belongs to each of us.
Ken M

Mountain climber
Los Angeles, Ca
Aug 31, 2016 - 03:07pm PT
Logging operations qualify as vandalism in my estimation...Ever see a logging outfit clean up after themselves...?

Yes.

The Calif State demonstration state forests exist specifically to do research and comparative studies on forest management, including finding the best logging practices.

Demonstration State Forests

CAL FIRE operates eight Demonstration State Forests totaling 71,000 acres. The forests represent the most common forest types in the state. The State Forests grow approximately 75 million board feet yearly and harvest an average of 30 million board feet of timber each year, enough to build 3,000 single-family homes. Revenue from these harvests fund a variety of the Department's Resource Management Programs. In addition, the forests provide research and demonstration projects on forest management, while providing public recreation opportunities, fish and wildlife habitat, and watershed protection.

The Board of Forestry and Fire Protection (Board) policy provides that the State Forests shall be used for experimentation to determine the economic feasibility of artificial reforestation, and to demonstrate the productive and economic possibilities of good forest practices toward maintaining forest crop land in a productive condition. The management objectives and plans developed for each State Forest are subject to periodic review and approval by the Board.

Statutory: Section 4631of the Public Resources Code states that it is in the interest of the welfare of the people of this state and their industries and other activities involving the use of wood and other forest products that desirable cutover forest lands be made fully productive and that the holding and reforestation of such lands is a necessary measure. Section 4631.5 provides that the state shall retain the existing land base of state forests in timber production for research and demonstration purposes. The department, in accordance with plans approved by the board, may engage in the management, protection, and reforestation of state forests (PRC 4645) where "management: means the handling of forest crop and forest soil so as to achieve maximum sustained production of high quality forest products while giving consideration to values relating to recreation, watershed, wildlife, range and forage, fisheries, and aesthetic enjoyment (4639).
Ksolem

Trad climber
Monrovia, California
Aug 31, 2016 - 03:08pm PT
Motion detector infrared cameras where the plate #'s will be visible?
Jon Beck

Trad climber
Oceanside
Aug 31, 2016 - 03:12pm PT
I hate to be paranoid but I often take pictures of license plates at the back country trailheads in the unlikely event something occurs. I was motivated in part by the Matthew green disappearance. If something happens it would be nice to know who might be a witness. It only takes a few seconds with a phone.
SteveW

Trad climber
The state of confusion
Aug 31, 2016 - 03:16pm PT

I certainly hope they catch the perps behind these acts.
They should have to scrub each item they tagged until it
resembles what it did prior to their defacement. Then they
ought to be covered in bacon grease and left chained to
the bear boxes to await their punishment.
Ken M

Mountain climber
Los Angeles, Ca
Aug 31, 2016 - 03:21pm PT
Within Mountain Home, is Frazier Mills Campground, the most beautiful car camping experience I've ever had. It is located in a sequoia grove. I remember the first time I camped there, where I'd never been. It was on Labor day, just after a rainstorm. I arrived about 6pm. The road leading in is excellent paved, and it looks like a Hawaiian rain forest. That night, I had the ENTIRE campground to myself. I set up in the dark, but when I awoke, the center of my tent door was a mature sequoia.



The effects of the work there:

The result has been the preservation of more than 5,000 old-growth giant sequoias through active management of the mixed conifer forest that surrounds them. The giant sequoia flourishes among ponderosa pine and sugar pine, white fir and incense-cedar.


Can't be a National Park (although of that quality), because it is owned by the State.

Also has one of the best caving locations in Ca. (Haughtons cave)

Haughton was one of the first two white men to see Yosemite.
Ksolem

Trad climber
Monrovia, California
Aug 31, 2016 - 04:33pm PT
Very cool.
Messages 1 - 14 of total 14 in this topic
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