After receiving complaints that prohibited vehicles were damaging protected areas around Deerheart Lake and Homer Lake near Westwood, Lassen National Forest officials say they will now be enforcing closures in the area, effective immediately.
“The LNF has received complaints from the public who report that there is frequent prohibited use of motorized vehicles within the SIA resulting in natural and cultural resource damage and the irreversible sedimentation of Homer Lake,” said Forest Supervisor Deb Bumpus.
The 1992 Lassen National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan, as amended, designated the area as a Special Interest Area. The Recreation Opportunity Spectrum map indicates that this SIA is a Semi-Primitive Non-Motorized use area.
“Through our past efforts, the LNF has implemented non-ground disturbing closures (using boulders and trees) to prevent motorized vehicles within the SIA.”
But motorists have removed these closures, so now the Forest Service will be placing a metal gate at the location where they circumvented the boulder.
Surveillance cameras that can utilize cellular data will be placed within the gate area so that Forest Service personnel can monitor the closure in real-time.
“The LNF plans to conduct an Environmental Assessment to develop a plan which can effectively prevent the prohibited use of motorized vehicles within the Homer Lake and Deerheart Lake SIA. We will explore and consider several alternatives.”
These alternatives include re-contouring and rehabilitating the roads within the SIA and considering whether or not the closure expands to the Greenville Saddle. This scope of work requires a National Environmental Policy Act analysis, State Historic Preservation Officer, and Tribal consultations.
These factors will ultimately determine how the LNF decides to close off this SIA to motorized vehicles effectively.
