MEDFORD, Ore. – With warm weather comes increased fire danger, and that’s prompting the Bureau of Land Management to impose new restrictions on BLM-managed lands in Southern Oregon.
Starting June 1, the following activities will be prohibited on BLM lands in Jackson and Josephine Counties:
- Smoking is only allowed while inside a vehicle or while stopped in an area at least three (3) feet in diameter that is clear of flammable vegetation.
- Operating a motor vehicle and parking off road (including motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles) is only allowed on roadways clear of flammable vegetation.
- Using fireworks, exploding targets or tracer ammunition is prohibited.
- Using a chainsaw or other equipment with internal combustion engines for felling, bucking, skidding, wood cutting or any other operation within areas having a significant accumulation of dead or down slash or timber is prohibited.
- Welding, or operating a torch with an open flame, is prohibited.
- Campfires will only be allowed at the Hyatt Lake Campground when access is restored.
Visitors to BLM lands are also required to carry tools to put out fires, including a shove, axe, and at least one gallon of water or a fire extinguisher.
For updated information on public use restrictions, visit https://www.blm.gov/programs/public-safety-and-fire/fire-and-aviation/regional-info/oregon-washington and the Oregon Department of Forestry at https://www.oregon.gov/ODF/Fire/Pages/Restrictions.aspx
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