USFS closing developed campgrounds on eight National Forests in California
By U.S. Forest Service
Contributed
USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region has decided to close developed campgrounds on eight National Forests in California to provide consistent COVID-19 mitigation response in accordance with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Stay-at-Home Order of Dec. 3, 2020. The eight National Forests are in California’s Southern and San Joaquin zones: Angeles NF, Cleveland NF, Inyo NF, Los Padres NF, San Bernardino NF, Sequoia NF, Sierra NF, and Stanislaus NF. These Regional Orders will be in effect from Dec. 8, 2020, through Jan. 6, 2021. Additional Regional Orders affecting other zones are possible as well.
Day use of National Forests will remain open for the health and welfare of Californians. We urge all visitors to follow CDC guidelines to recreate responsibly and check with your local National Forests before visiting.
“This order will protect visitors and our employees by reducing exposure to COVID-19 and mitigating the further burden on limited healthcare facilities,” said Randy Moore, Regional Forester of the USDA Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Region. “Campgrounds, like other overnight accommodations, create opportunities for people from differing households and communities to gather, require maintenance and regular cleaning, and entice the public to travel distances far enough from home to necessitate overnight accommodation. Taking those things out of the equation is a prudent measure at this time.”
Regional Orders 20-26 and 20-27 can be found at https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd862387.pdf and https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd862388.pdf.
We continue to recommend that you not travel long distances to recreate and, again, check with your local National Forest before visiting. If you or anyone in your household is feeling sick, please remain at home and plan your trip for another time. All visitors should practice self-sufficiency during your visits to national forests.
