[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 194 (Thursday, October 7, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 54634]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-24821]



[[Page 54634]]

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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.

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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. 99-24821 Filed 10-6-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-M