Free Republic

Despite a long process involving collaboration between local officials the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Western Colorado, the federal land agency is proceeding with the closure of roads that have been traveled for 50 or more years. The road closures comprise a portion of the BLM’s Resource Management Plan (RMP) for Mesa County, of which, 73 percent is controlled by the federal government . ... public roads, used by off-roaders, hunters, farmers, ranchers and, during wildfire season, firefighting crews. ... Jody Green, a member of Public Lands Access Association and long-time activist working to preserve access into federally-managed lands,...

SACRAMENTO Wind-driven wildfires taxed firefighting crews up and down the northern Sierra Nevada Monday, weeks after the end of northern California's official fire season.Eldorado National Forest had already laid off 60 seasonal firefighters and was struggling to man its equipment to fight about 15 fires, the largest at 1,000 acres, said spokesman Frank Mosbacher.Tahoe National Forest also had laid off its seasonal firefighters but was able to find enough crew members to fight blazes totaling about 250 acres, said spokeswoman Ann Westling.Farther south in Calaveras County, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported six separate fires.Problems in all...