ST. HELENA >> Boggs Mountain Demonstration State Forest in Lake County remains closed to all public use due to hazardous conditions as a result of the Valley Fire and the subsequent restoration, emergency timber operations, and large pile burning operations.
As a result of the Valley fire 99 percent of the forest burned, 80 percent of the mature trees are dead, and 95 percent of the conifer regeneration is dead. The State Forest’s recreational facilities were either destroyed or heavily impacted by the Sept. 12, 2015 fire and it will take time and scientific intervention to aid Boggs Mountain Demonstration State Forest back to a healthy forest that is safe for the community and public to enjoy.
While there is no specific date set to reopen the forest, the crews assigned to Boggs are actively working seven days a week in order to re-open the forest for public use. Logging is still an on-going project not just for the burned trees but for the trees the bark beetles are killing. There are large piles of debris, called slash, leftover from the logging that has been going on throughout this past year. Many of those piles are currently being burned to clear the area for future trees. Some of the smaller piles will remain in place for existing habitat and to encourage growth. The area is still considered a safety hazard due to heavy equipment, burned trees, massive debris piles, logs and tree tops that still need to be dealt with. The overall operation being conducted is one that takes time and personnel.
A large amount of smoke can be seen on permissive burn days over the Forest from the pile burning. Cal Fire would like to re-assure the public these burns are being done safely with minimal smoke impacts.
