U.S. Forest Service

Los Padres National Forest officials announced that the Forest Order prohibiting recreational shooting except in permitted gun ranges has been extended until June 30, 2021, to provide for public safety due to continuing high fire danger conditions and the potential for a wildfire sparked by target shooting. With minimal winter rainfall to date, live fuel moisture levels across the Forest have not significantly rebounded from last year and remain near critical levels. Predicti...ve weather forecasts indicate persistent, strong offshore wind events through the spring that will likely further reduce fuel moisture levels. Long-range weather models have consistently shown well below normal precipitation and drier than average weather with a high likelihood of elevated temperatures through the spring months. If these forecasts are accurate, fire activity could occur weeks earlier this year. Preventing accidental starts from recreational shooting under dry conditions is key to protecting life and property. Shooting ranges under permit by Los Padres National Forest monitor and implement preventative measures to avoid accidental starts. Under this Forest Order, discharging a firearm is prohibited except in the designated target ranges at the Winchester Canyon Gun Club and the Ojai Valley Gun Club. Persons hunting during the open hunting season as specified in the laws of the State of California and having a valid California hunting license are exempt from this Forest Order. A violation of this prohibition is 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. For additional information, please visit the Forest website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/lpnf/home.

Firearms Prohibition in Los Padres National Forest has been extended through June 30, 2021.

The Los Padres National Forest wishes everyone a happy, healthy and safe New Year! If you are going up to the Mt. Pinos/Frazier Park area for snow play, please read the posted Snow Play Guide and Map. For more information, visit https://go.usa.gov/xAkaj. The County gate, located at the Y heading up to Mt. Pinos remains closed at this time. For road closures, please visit: https://kernpublicworks.com/transport/road-status-closures/

Los Padres Forest Supervisor’s Office relocates from Goleta to Solvang. https://go.usa.gov/xA4Dk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwVzE-b7Xrw Los Padres National Forest maintains a pack stock program out of the Merle Ranch on the Monterey Ranger District. This program supports project work in difficult to reach areas such as wilderness and roadless areas. It has also been critical in supplying remote spike camps during wildfires.

The USDA Pacific Southwest Region has issued a Regional Order that prohibits overnight camping in developed campgrounds in Los Padres National Forest and four other Southern California national forests. This Regional Order will be in effect December 8 through January 6, 2021. The purpose of the Regional Order is to protect visitors and U.S. Forest Service employees by reducing potential exposure to COVID-19 and mitigating any further burden on our emergency responders and hea...lthcare facilities. Current projections show that without additional steps to slow the spread of coronavirus, the number of available adult Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds in California will reach capacity by mid-December. As California along with the rest of the nation continues to experience an unprecedented surge in new COVID-19 cases, the rate of new increases threatens to overwhelm the state’s hospital system. In response, the state on December 3 issued a Regional Stay-at-Home Order for areas where the number of adult ICU beds has fallen below 15 percent of capacity. The U.S. Forest Service’s Regional Order aligns with California’s December 3 Order that prohibits overnight stays at campgrounds while permitting the continued operation of outdoor recreation facilities in these areas. Developed day use areas as well as hiking, dispersed camping and Off Highway Vehicle trails will remain open for use in Los Padres National Forest. Visitors who have existing reservations at Los Padres National Forest concessionaire-managed campgrounds are encouraged to contact Parks Management Company or Recreation.gov to reschedule their visit or request a refund. We encourage visitors to be familiar with and follow current federal and state guidelines for responsible recreation activities on public lands. Please keep health, safety and natural resources in mind when visiting Los Padres National Forest. Together, our personal responsibility will help to ensure public safety and prevent further restrictions. Additional public information is available at Los Padres National Forest’s public website.

For 50 years, the U.S. Capitol Christmas tree comes from one of the many forests in the United States. This year's tree came from Colorado. Woodsy Owl would like to share some coloring sheets, including one representing this year's tree. Please feel free to download them and have the little ones color them and maybe even share some of their coloring skills. Remember to always "Give a Hoot, Don't Pollute" and "Lend a Hand, Care for the Land".

The Forest Service is hiring positions in wildland firefighting! Apply on USAJOBS.gov or visit go.usa.gov/xfdRR for more information.

Los Padres National Forest officials announced that virtual public services will be suspended Thursday and Friday in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. Virtual services will resume regular business hours on Monday, November 30, at 8:00 am. https://go.usa.gov/x7fBW. Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Los Padres National Forest. Be safe!

To all who have served, Thank you! Get outdoors on Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11 and enjoy your public lands.

ACTUALIZACIÓN DE DOLAN Y COLEMAN FIRES Miércoles, 28 de Octubre de 2020 LA ORDEN DE CIERRE SIGUE VIGENTE PARA EL DISTRITO DE MONTEREY RANGER... El Distrito de Monterey Ranger de Los Padres NF permanece cerrado bajo la Orden de Cierre Número 05-07-51-20-22. Esta orden de cierre está en su lugar para garantizar la seguridad de los visitantes y bomberos. Además, las restricciones de incendios de emergencia están vigentes hasta el 30 de Octubre.

Regional Order No. 20-25. USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region Emergency Fire Restrictions extended through December 31, 2020 for Los Padres NF, Angeles NF, San Bernardino NF and Cleveland NF.

Emergency fire restrictions have been extended through November 6, 2020. https://go.usa.gov/x7ZYM

Update and map for the Dolan and Coleman Fires, Wednesday, October 28, 2020.

While working on the SQF Complex, Santa Ynez Flight Crew 528 from the Santa Barbara Ranger District gave a tour of the incident helibase along with briefings on three different types of helicopters to 100 women and men firefighters from Mexico who deployed to the U.S. on a 30-day assignment. These firefighters, known as "bomberos," work for CONAFOR, Mexico’s equivalent of the U.S. Forest Service, and come from 22 of Mexico’s 32 states. At the Porterville Helibase, Senior Hel...itack Firefighters Taylor Delgado and Ramiro Guerrero provided the firefighters with helicopter safety briefings and talked about the importance of communicating hazards to the pilots. Jorge Amaya, a Battalion Chief from the Coronado NF, worked closely with the Mexican firefighters throughout their assignment and helped with Spanish-English translation. Amaya has shared his experiences, knowledge, and education to these bomberos through a partnership program in Mexico and is a team member on a Type 3 Incident Management Team that helps fight Mexico’s wildland fires. See more

Update and map for the Dolan and Coleman Fires, Tuesday, October 27, 2020.

The #DolanFire remains at 124,924 acres and 98% contained, while the #ColemanFire is 574 acres and 74% contained. Watch an update from the Eastern Area Incident Commander Lucas Minton and a word from Los Padres National Forest Agency Representative Charles "CJ" Woodard.

ACTUALIZACIÓN DE DOLAN Y COLEMAN FIRES Lunes, 26 de Octubre de 2020 LA ORDEN DE CIERRE SIGUE VIGENTE PARA EL DISTRITO DE MONTEREY RANGER El Distrito de Monterey Ranger de Los Padres NF permanece cerrado bajo la Orden de Cierre Número 05-07-51-20-22. Esta orden de cierre está en su lugar para garantizar la seguridad de los visitantes y bomberos. Además, las restricciones de incendios de emergencia están vigentes hasta el 30 de Octubre.

Update for the Dolan and Colman Fires, Monday, October 26, 2020

ACTUALIZACIÓN DE DOLAN Y COLEMAN FIRES Domingo, 25 de Octubre de 2020 9:00 AM LA ORDEN DE CIERRE SIGUE VIGENTE PARA EL DISTRITO DE MONTEREY RANGER...Continue reading

Update and Map for the Dolan and Colman Fires, Sunday, October 25, 2020

ACTUALIZACIÓN DE DOLAN Y COLEMAN FIRES Sábado, 24 de Octubre de 2020 9:00 AM LA ORDEN DE CIERRE SIGUE VIGENTE PARA EL DISTRITO DE MONTEREY RANGER El Distrito de Monterey Ranger de Los Padres NF permanece cerrado bajo la Orden de Cierre Número 05-07-51-20-22. Esta orden de cierre está en su lugar para garantizar la seguridad de los visitantes y bomberos. Además, las restricciones de incendios de emergencia están vigentes hasta el 30 de octubre....Continue reading

Update on the Dolan and Coleman fires, plus today's map. Saturday, October 24, 2020

The Los Padres National Forest will be advertising several Temporary Seasonal Wildland Firefighting Positions, which will be available on locations throughout the Forest. Announcements open October 30- November 10 in USAJobs.gov Please, see the attachment below for more information. https://drive.google.com//16HcgfL3HlsWfXNrEpnXQGxWmR/view

#DolanFire and #ColmanFire video update for 10-23-20. #EASilverIMT

To provide public safety and protect natural resources, the roads, trails and campgrounds in the Dry Canyon area on the Mt. Pinos Ranger District is closed effective October 24, 2020 through October 23, 2021. Forest Order # 05-07-57-20-21. https://go.usa.gov/x7gWW