Very dry conditions in southwest Oregon’s forests and wildlands makes it necessary for the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Southwest Oregon District to shut down public use of power-driven and spark-emitting internal combustion engines starting Monday, Aug. 15, at 8:00 a.m.
The pubic regulated use fire danger level will be “extreme” (red) but the Industrial Fire Precaution Level will remain at 2 (two).
These regulations affect the 1.8 million acres of state, private, county and Bureau of Land Management forestlands in Jackson and Josephine counties.
Below are the public regulated use restrictions that take effect Monday:
- Chain saw use will be prohibited;
- Mowing of dried and cured grass with power driven equipment will be prohibited, except for the mowing of green lawns, or the commercial culture and harvest of agricultural crops;
- Cutting, grinding and welding of metal will be prohibited;
- The use of any other spark-emitting internal combustion engine will be prohibited.
The following public regulated use restrictions are currently in effect and will remain in effect:
- Debris burning is prohibited;
- Burn barrel use is prohibited;
- Smoking is prohibited while traveling, except in vehicles on improved roads;
- 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;
- Use of motor vehicles, including motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles is prohibited, except on improved roads;
- Use of fireworks is prohibited;
- Any electric fence controller in use shall be: 1) Listed be 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;
- Use of exploding targets is prohibited;
- Use of tracer ammunition or any bullet with a pyrotechnic charge in its base is prohibited;
- Use of sky lanterns is prohibited.
For more information about the Oregon Department of Forestry’s public regulated use regulations, please call or visit the Southwest Oregon District unit office nearest to you:
- Medford Unit, 5286 Table Rock Rd., Central Point. (541) 664-3328
- Grants Pass Unit, 5375 Monument Dr., Grants Pass. (541) 474-3152