R8 closure expiration

[Mudduck]

The Region 8 closure order is set to expire tomorrow. I sent an email a few weeks back inquiring about the status and future of this order to my local NF which was forwarded to the Office in Washington which was forwarded back to the local NF wildlife biologist which told me to forward to the Atlanta office which has not sent a response for over two weeks now. Anyone heard anything????????????

[driggs]

I spoke on the phone with Dan Arling, an agent with the Monongahela National Forest, regarding the Region 9 (Eastern) closure order expiration. He told me that the Forest Service felt it inappropriate to manage the closure at such a high level, and that Region 9 was intentionally letting their closure expire, and letting individual Forests manage their own closures.

I applaud this as a good decision, but was quite saddened when our Mon National Forest announced their Forest-specific blanket closure (Closure Order 21-104) lasting until mid-2012.

If Region 8's closure appears to be expiring, I'd expect that they are following the same procedure. (I'm not "up" on Region 8 issues, so this is speculation)

[PYoungbaer]

Yes. USFS is managing by forest unit now, not by Region. Closures extended so far include Monongahela, Hoosier, and Mark Twain.