Helicopter Tree Removal
Beginning Tuesday November 4th
Castle Rock Trail
will be Temporarily Closed
Forest Service PIO John Miller announces __ The Mountaintop Ranger District will be accessing helicopters as part of
the South Big Bear Lake Hazardous Fuels Reduction project. Helicopters will be removing trees and slash
in areas inaccessible by conventional tree removal methods and fly the logs to
a staging point or landing.
The helicopter project work will begin Tuesday November 4th,
and is expected to be completed by November 25th, weather and conditions
permitting. In the project area,
helicopters will be operating south of State Route 18 and south of Boulder
Bay. During this portion of the South
Big Bear Lake project, the Castle Rock hiking trail (map below) will be closed
to all public use and will re-open once the area is safe for public entry. If you have questions on alternative hiking
and recreational opportunities, please contact the Big Bear Discovery Center at
909-382-2790.
While this type of logging is very interesting for the public to observe,
it could be dangerous to be in the area around the operation site, so the
public is cautioned and asked to view from a safe, distant vantage point.
“Favorable weather has allowed the work in Big Bear Lake to progress, and
we will continue the work as long as conditions will allow it” stated District
Ranger Marc Stamer. “The work is all part of the continuing effort by the San
Bernardino National Forest to reduce fuels around the mountain communities.”
Ranger Stamer added.
For more information on continuing and planned fuels reduction products,
visit us on-line at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/projects/sbnf/landmanagement/projects