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New campfire rules at Ward Lake Recreation Area KETCHIKAN, Alaska–The Ketchikan–Misty Fiords Ranger
District is restricting building, maintaining, or attending a fire using wood pallets, construction materials with nails or hardware attached, or treated wood of any kind at the Ward Lake Recreation Area starting immediately.
Nails, staples, and other hardware left behind after the burning of pallets/construction material is a safety risk, especially to children and pets, in
the high use recreation area. The necessity of disposing of these items adds a burden to the Forest Service’s already minimal recreation budgets. Implementing this order will allow district personnel more time to focus on recreation area enhancements, public
interaction, and reduction of deferred maintenance “When pallets are burned, cleaning of metal fire rings changes from a five-minute chore where ash can be disposed of naturally on site, to a cleanup effort
taking an hour that requires paying to dispose of nails at a local transfer facility,” said Ketchikan–Misty Fiords Ranger District Ranger Jeff DeFreest. “Flames from stacked pallets have scorched branches and nearby tree trunks. The intense heat caused by
pallet fires has warped many fire rings and attached grills. Fireplaces in the day use area shelters have also had considerable damage from the excess heat.” The district began offering firewood (by donation) in 2012 at the Signal Creek Campground. The firewood location is less than a half mile from the Ward
Lake day use area. Local grocery stores also sell firewood bundles in Ketchikan. Ward Lake Recreation Area is located about six miles north of Ketchikan near Ward Cove. The area receives high use year-round for fishing, camping, picnicking,
hiking, and wildlife viewing. The area includes all overnight (Signal Creek Campground, Last Chance Campground, and 3 C’s Group Use Site) and day use locations (Ward Lake and Grassy Point shelters, roadside and lakeside picnic sites, roads, and trails within
the recreation area. This
order for the Ward Lake Recreation Area in accordance with 36 CFR 261.52(a).
Violations of these prohibitions are punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000 for an individual or $10,000 for an organization, or imprisonment for not more than
six months, or both. [16 U.S.C. 551 and 18 U.S.C. 3559 and 3571] For more information, contact Ketchikan–Misty Fiords Ranger District Ranger Jeff DeFreest. DeFreest may be reached by phone at 907-225-2148 or e-mail
at jdefreest@xxxxxxxxx. -end- This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this message or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you believe you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete the email immediately. |
