{"id":1319788,"date":"2020-05-05T17:29:32","date_gmt":"2020-05-05T23:29:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/?p=996181"},"modified":"2020-05-05T17:29:32","modified_gmt":"2020-05-05T23:29:32","slug":"regional-foresters-closure-order-still-in-effect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/local-news\/regional-foresters-closure-order-still-in-effect\/","title":{"rendered":"Regional Forester\u2019s Closure Order still in effect"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image p402_hide\">\n<div class=\"caption-container\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/20190920-20190920DSC_7724-1024x683.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image\" alt srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/20190920-20190920DSC_7724-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/20190920-20190920DSC_7724-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/20190920-20190920DSC_7724-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/20190920-20190920DSC_7724-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/20190920-20190920DSC_7724-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><\/p><figcaption><strong>Clouds move through the area of Four Mile Park located south of Glenwood Springs on White River National Forest land.<\/strong><br \/><em>Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent<\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>While Gov. Jared Polis\u2019 \u201cSafer at Home\u201d order has loosened restrictions for business, nothing has changed for U.S. Forest Service managed lands.<\/p>\n<p>A Regional Closure Order published April 7 by Rocky Mountain Region Regional Forester Jennifer Eberlien states that \u201cEntering or using a Developed Recreation Site or portion thereof, including developed trailhead facilities\u201d is prohibited.<\/p>\n<p>The still-closed sites include campgrounds, day-use areas, picnic areas, and any other constructed facility amenities \u2013 such as potable water stations, fire rings and grills, picnic tables, restroom facilities with flush or vaulted toilets, and trashcans and trash collection services.<\/p>\n<p>The Regional Closure Order is in effect through May 31.<\/p>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col\" readability=\"6\">\n<div class=\"row gspi-donation gspi-donation-mobile p-0\" readability=\"7\">\n<div class=\"col-xl-4 p-2\">\n<div data-bg=\"url(https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/PI-logo-white.png)\" class=\"p-0 mt-2 mb-2 h-75 text-center rocket-lazyload\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/PI-logo-white.png\" class=\"logo m-0 p-0 invisible\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><h3 class=\"d-inline mr-3\">Support Local Journalism<\/h3>\n<p><button class=\"btn d-inline\" type=\"button\" onclick=\"handleDonationButtonClickMidArticle()\">Donate<\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re following all the state orders as well as all of the county orders, which as you probably know by now, some of them can be more restrictive than the governor\u2019s order,\u201d said Aspen-Sopris District Ranger Kevin Warner. \u201cPitkin County is still under a stay-at-home order (until May 8), and most of the Aspen-Sopris Ranger District is within Pitkin County.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So although the governor\u2019s order allows for outdoor activities such as walking, hiking, cross-country skiing, running, etc., the Forest Service is \u201cnot necessarily encouraging those activities\u201d Warner said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDispersed-type recreational activities are still allowed,\u201d he said. \u201cBut the governor is recommending that people don\u2019t travel more than 10 miles away from their home for outdoor recreation. So while we\u2019re open for dispersed-type recreation, it\u2019s discouraged at the state level.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With early May being the height of what is commonly known as \u201cmud season\u201d in the Rocky Mountains, many of the closures are more standard for this time of year than they are COVID-19 related, Warner said.<\/p>\n<p>Summer motorized travel season officially begins May 21 in the White River National Forest. Until that time, no motorized vehicle use or wheeled travel is allowed on National Forest System roads, unless those roads are shown as open in the Winter Motor Vehicle Use Maps. These same dates apply to mountain bikes as well.<\/p>\n<p>Motor Vehicle Use Maps, as well as bicycle maps, are available online at:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fs.usda.gov\/detail\/whiteriver\/landmanagement\/?cid=stelprdb5328670\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/www.fs.usda.gov\/detail\/whiteriver\/landmanagement\/?cid=stelprdb5328670<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cA lot of the dispersed areas people would go to recreate on \u2014 the roads are still closed, or they\u2019re muddy and not necessarily the experience people are looking for,\u201d Warner said. \u201cSo I would caution folks not to get too far out there, just because a lot of the closed areas don\u2019t open up until May 21.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Forest Service asks that people be responsible when recreating on forest lands by using the following tips:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Stay on designated roads, trails and areas identified on the Motor Vehicle Use Maps.<\/li>\n<li>Adhere to site-specific opening dates to protect our wildlife and other natural resources.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>Be respectful of other visitors.<\/li>\n<li>Be respectful of property boundaries and know what uses are allowed if you enter non-Forest Service property.<\/li>\n<li>Do not widen trails by going around obstacles and do not create shortcuts.<\/li>\n<li>Avoid wet, muddy trails.<\/li>\n<li>Cross streams only at designated fords.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For more information, contact the Aspen-Sopris Ranger District at 970-963-2266, or visit&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fs.usda.gov\/whiteriver\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/www.fs.usda.gov\/whiteriver<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"mailto:jbear@postindependent.com\">jbear@postindependent.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/news\/regional-foresters-closure-order-still-in-effect\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: Post Independent<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Clouds move through the area of Four Mile Park located south of Glenwood Springs on White River National Forest land.Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent While Gov. Jared Polis\u2019 \u201cSafer at Home\u201d order has loosened restrictions for business, nothing has changed for U.S. Forest Service managed lands. A Regional Closure Order published April 7 by Rocky [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[160],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1319788","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-local-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-07-01 03:51:16","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSKE Ski Country","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1319788","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1319788"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1319788\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1319788"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1319788"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1319788"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}