ODF TIGHTENS RESTRICTIONS AS FIRE SEASON APPROACHES

The Oregon Department of Forestry has issued the following restrictions as it steps up its Regulated Use Closure in Wallowa County and throughout northeast Oregon, effective Tuesday, Aug. 14, to prevent wildland fires:

Except as to the owner's legal right of entry upon their land, entry to all forestland is unlawful unless entrants comply with the following restrictions:

1. Open fires are prohibited, including campfires, charcoal fires, cooking fires and warming fires, except at designated locations.  Portable cooking stoves using liquefied or bottled fuels are allowed.
2.  Debris burning is prohibited, including the use of burn barrels.
3.  Chain saw use is prohibited except on industrial operations that possess a valid Permit to Operate Power Driven Machinery.
4. Smoking is prohibited while traveling, except in vehicles on improved roads, in boats on the water, or at a cleared area.
5. Use of motor vehicles, including motorcycles and all terrain vehicles (ATVs), is prohibited except on improved roads, except for the commercial culture and harvest of agricultural crops.
6. Cutting, grinding and welding of metal is prohibited, between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.  Cutting, grinding and welding of metal is permitted at all other hours, if conducted in a cleared area and if a water supply is present, unless specifically waived by the State Forester.
7.  Mowing of dried and cured grass with power driven equipment is prohibited.
8.  Use of fireworks is prohibited.
9. The use of exploding targets is prohibited.
10. Any electric fence controller in use shall be: 1) Listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory or be certified by the Department of Consumer and Business Services and 2) Operated in compliance with manufacturer's instructions.

The State Forester or an authorized representative may, in writing, approve a modification or waiver of these requirements.

These restrictions shall remain in effect until replaced, suspended or terminated by an additional proclamation of the State Forester or an authorized representative.

Maps of the subject area may be viewed at the State Forester's Office in Salem and at principal offices of the forest protection district.