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October 31, 2007

Commentary
National Forests remain in
lock-down mode for no reason

By JIM MATTHEWS
Outdoor News Service

Apparently it’s our fault. The fires are the fault of campers and hikers and hunters and fishermen who use the forest in the fall when the landscape is at its driest.
Why else would vast tracts of National Forest lands in Southern California remain closed to the public? Forest officials say it’s because of “extreme fire danger” or “protection of public safety” and fear of “overextending fire fighting resources.”
So apparently by keeping people out of the forest, our forest, it will reduce Santa Ana winds which cause arcing power lines, stop cigarette butts from being flipped out windows, and end the burning of homes built too close to wildlands. Apparently it will somehow force arsonists to stay home and watch hockey or the Discovery channel. Or maybe all recreational users are arsonists just waiting for Santa Ana winds.
If you believe keeping the public out of the forest is a solution to stopping wildfires, you’d also believe it would make sense to ban all alcoholic beverages because some people drive drunk.
Closing the forest is a knee jerk reaction that addresses only the lowest denominator and does little to solve the major problems behind the massive fires that have ravaged Southern California this year.
There are two fundamental problems with the “close the forest” concept.
First, forests are supposed to burn. Ever since God invented lightning and cave men began building fires for warmth, forests have burned. They’ve evolved with fire. They flourish after fire. Fire doesn’t destroy forests, it rejuvenates them. This is a brain-dead simplification of Southern California’s chaparral and forest habitats, but it’s simple and safe to say fire is healthy. The way fires burn today might not be ideal or how they burned in the past, but fires will continue to burn because they are supposed to burn. Keeping the public out of the forest won’t change that.
Second, houses in and around forests are not supposed to burn. Every planning commission in Southern California that has members who voted to approve development plans and housing tracts where even one home burned should face jail time. They knew better. Every homeowner who chooses to live in fire prone areas and has not cleared brush and timber and created a defensible buffer zone should be denied fire insurance and pay the fire fighting costs to protect his or her home.
The public should be allowed on the forest today. If we burn them down, well, that’s not entirely a bad thing. If the fires escape into suburbia or mountain communities, burning houses means we did something seriously wrong way before the fire broke out.
We don’t ban cars because bank robbers use them as getaway devices. Yet, that’s what the forest service does in regard to fires.
Conditions this week aren’t appreciably worse than they were in the days before the fires broke out. However, the forest was open to campers, fishermen, hikers, and hunters -- with sound restrictions on open fires. Yet, today you can’t go up into the San Bernardino National Forest and take the Fish Creek trail over to see yellowing aspens, the only aspen patch in the forest. You can’t go into the Cleveland and hunt mountain quail, or into the Angeles to fish for wild trout. The reasons why you can’t are bogus.
Even after the fires are long out and we’ve had winter rains, eliminating the extremely flammable habitat conditions, the forest service will continue to keep vast areas of our public lands closed. An example:
Since 2003, the San Sevaine Road in the Lytle Creek district of the San Bernardino National Forest has been closed. It was closed during the 67,000-acre Grand Prix fire and hasn’t been opened since. The reason I’ve been given is because the Forest Service is worried that standing, burned trees will suddenly fall on visitors. I’m not kidding.
Apparently falling trees have killed and maimed lots of people because I’ve been given that lame excuse for closures repeatedly over the last few years when I call to complain about areas remaining locked up after a “temporary” fire closure. Other reasons or concerns I’ve heard for these continued closures include “soil erosion” and “illegal off-road vehicle use.”
Apparently keeping law abiding people out of our forest will reduce rain, which causes the erosion. Bunk. Erosion by vehicles on roads is no more after a fire than before. By keeping legal vehicle users out of the forest, it has to be assumed they will become illegal drivers when they see burned landscape. This is just offensive.
A few Forest Service staff members are honest enough to admit that it’s a money and management issue. They don’t have the staff to manage the forest -- keep roads graded, cut firebreaks, have patrol rangers who arrest illegal off-roaders or shooters capping off steel-jacketed ammo -- so they flutter their hands up in the air and lock gates. They don’t have the courage to implement programs that would lead to a healthy forest because they are often controversial.
When it comes to fire, we have a leadership drought. Planning commissions allow homes to be built on ground and in ways that practically invite flames to mow them down. And then federal forest officials somehow think the fire problem is tied to public use of public lands, when the real culprit is their continued mismanagement of those lands. Every fall, the wildfire-use restriction scenario repeats itself and worsens. The leadership drought means the cycle isn’t being broken.
Forest Supervisors need to open the forests for all of us. A walk in nature is exactly what a lot of people need right now. Open the forests. We’re not the problem.

DFG asleep at the switch?
Canvasback bag limit is
bumped up to two birds

Effective Thursday this week, the daily bag limit for canvasback ducks has been increased from one per day to two per day in California. The comes following action by the Fish and Game Commission on Oct. 16, and the Office of Administrative Law’s quick approval of the FGC’s adoption has allowed the increase to begin this week.
With canvasback ducks at record high levels, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service increased the maximum hunter bag from one to two birds in the harvest and season waterfowl framework it adopts each year. State wildlife agencies then set their seasons within the framework guidelines, but California apparently didn’t get the memo.
“It was a very unusual situation for the federal government to liberalize a hunting regulation that we did not anticipate or address in our California Environmental Quality Act documentation,” said Melanie Weaver, a biologist in the Department of Fish and Game’s (DFG) Waterfowl Investigations Project. “It has obviously caused some confusion and some lost hunting opportunities in the northeastern zone, but for the bulk of the state’s hunters, this action by the OAL is timely.”
This simply means the DFG wasn’t paying attention and didn’t get the potential changes to the FGC earlier in the regulatory process.
The federal government sets its regulation framework in early August after analyzing current waterfowl population data and considering input from the various flyway councils and the public, but its intent is well-known well in advance of the actual regulation because many states -- like California -- start the regulation process well before the federal framework is adopted.
The continental canvasback population in 2007 is at a record high level of 865,000 birds, after steady growth since 2004 when the federal government established a harvest strategy for canvasbacks which limited harvest regulations to either a closed season (zero bag limit) or a one-bird daily bag limit. There was talk of increasing the bag limit in the harvest strategy to two birds last year, and the DFG should have been anticipating this change and included it in the original environmental documentation that was circulated. Instead, the DFG’s original recommendation was based on the 2004 strategy, and the duck hunting regulations’ environmental document for 2007-08 did not provide for a two-bird daily bag limit for canvasbacks.
Thankfully, the DFG did scramble and get a regulation change proposal to the Commission which adopted it quickly. While two to three weeks of the waterfowl hunting season (depending on region) has already passed, the increased daily bag limit for canvasbacks is expected to provide additional hunting opportunity this year. It just would have been nice if it had been in place for the whole season.

A program to emulate
San Bernardino County Parks start
trout season with plants this week

One of the largest recreational trout stocking programs in Southern California kicks off this week -- and it’s probably not a place or program that comes immediately to mind.
It’s the San Bernardino County Regional Parks Department annual stocking program. The county will plant 61 tons of rainbow trout from now through mid-April at five of its popular park facilities in the Inland Empire and High Desert.
Glen Helen Regional Park in San Bernardino, Prado Regional Park in Chino, Cucamonga-Guasti Regional Park in Ontario, Yucaipa Regional Park in Yucaipa, and Mojave Narrows Regional Park in Victorville will all be planted with trout each week on Thursday through April 17.
In addition to pan-sized rainbows, Beverly Pickens with Parks said that trophy trout from Mt. Lassen Trout Farms in Red Bluff will be planted at least once a month in all of the lakes this year, making the lower-priced county program even more competitive with the popular private, heavily-stocked lakes in Orange County and the Inland Empire.
Incredibly to some public officials, the San Bernardino County Parks continue to be largely self-supporting thanks to the trout and catfish stocking programs that bring in huge gate revenues. Meanwhile, virtually all of Southern California’s other counties have park facilities that are huge drains on public budgets and feature dismal recreational programs. Some counties, most notably Riverside, have wonderful properties that could -- should -- be managed better.
San Bernardino County’s parks manager Tom Potter has proven for years that parks can be money makers -- in addition to providing affordable public recreation programs. In Southern California, all of park programs should emulate this model. County Supervisors should fire park managers who can’t make the parks they manage, especially those with lakes, more user-friendly and self-supporting.
Anglers visiting San Bernardino County Parks are reminded that a state fishing license is required to fish. There is also a vehicle admission fee ($5 weekdays, $7 weekends, $10 holidays) and fishing fee for each angler. The fishing fee is $5 Monday through Wednesday and $7 Thursday through the weekend, with a $3 discount for kids seven and under. Compare that to $15 to $20 per person fees at most private lakes.
Many of the San Bernardino County parks are closed to fishing on stocking day so anglers should call individual parks to check on closures, the main parks’ number at 909-387-2757, or go on-line at www.county-parks.com.
If you live outside San Bernardino County, you might want to call your county supervisor and ask why your county parks don’t have a fishing program to match this one. It makes economic sense. It makes sense for the community that uses these parks.

OUTDOOR CALENDAR

NOVEMBER 3 HUNTER SAFETY CLASS: A one-day, 10-hour certified hunter safety class will be held at Mike Raahauge's Shooting Enterprises, Norco. Classes are required for all first-time California hunters before a hunting license can be purchased. Cost is $35 per person. Next class date is Dec. 1. Sign-ups are taken at all Turner's Outdoorsman stores. Contact Raahauge's at 951-735-7981.
NOVEMBER 9 WEST VALLEY FRIENDS OF NRA:  The West Valley Friends of the NRA is the final 2007 FNRA fund-raiser in Southern California for 2007. It will be held beginning 6 p.m. Friday, November 9, at the Rancho Cucamonga Community Center, 11200 Baseline Road, Rancho Cucamonga.  Dinner tickets are $45. This dinner will be the last chance to win this year's limited edition firearms, including an NRA-engraved Marlin 336XLR .30-30, Savage .17HMR, SigArms .22 Mosquito, Benelli Nova Pump 12 Ga., and others. Contact Steve Gomez at 909-560-6000 or via e-mail at westvalleyfnra@aol.com.
NOVEMBER 9-11 TURNER’S OUTDOORSMAN AUTUMN CLASSIC: The Turner’s Outdoorsman Autumn Classic Sporting Clays event will be held Nov. 9-11 at Mike Raahauge’s Shooting Enterprises, Corona. Entry limited to 125 shooters for 200-target main event. Entry fee is $285. For complete information, visit Raahauge’s web site at www.raahuagues.com or call 951-735-7981.
NOVEMBER 10-11 CONCEALED CARRY WEAPON COURSE: A 16-hour California Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW) course is being offered by Firearms Training Associates at Mike Raahauge's Shooting Enterprises this Saturday and Sunday. Cost is $180 per person. This course meets the state requirement for 16 hours of training to qualify for a CCW. The next CCW class will be Dec. 1-2. Contact FTA at 714-701-9918 or 877-544-4867. The web site is www.ftatv.com.
NOVEMBER 16-18 FEDERAL DUCK STAMP ART EXHIBIT: The 25th annual Wildlife Art Festival, featuring the top entries in the federal duck stamp art competition, will be held at the San Bernardino County Museum Nov. 16-18. Joe Hautman, winner of this year’s competition for the 75th federal duck stamp, and festival artist Lee Kromschroeder will be joined by 23 of the West’s finest wildlife artists during this event. Show hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Members of the San Bernardino County Museum Association can also attend 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16. Admission is $6 for adults, with students and seniors $5. Children 5 to 12 are $4. Children under 5 and museum association members are free. or more information, call the museum at 909-307-2669 or visit the web site at www.sbcountymuseum.org.
DECEMBER 1 HUNTER SAFETY CLASS: A one-day, 10-hour certified hunter safety class will be held at Mike Raahauge's Shooting Enterprises, Norco. Classes are required for all first-time California hunters before a hunting license can be purchased. Cost is $35 per person. The class dates for 2008 will be set soon. Sign-ups are taken at all Turner's Outdoorsman stores. Contact Raahauge's at 951-735-7981.
DECEMBER 1-2 CONCEALED CARRY WEAPON COURSE: A 16-hour California Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW) course is being offered by Firearms Training Associates at Mike Raahauge's Shooting Enterprises this Saturday and Sunday. Cost is $180 per person. This course meets the state requirement for 16 hours of training to qualify for a CCW. Dates for 2008 classes will be set soon. Contact FTA at 714-701-9918 or 877-544-4867. The web site is www.ftatv.com.

CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS

The following is a list of hunting, shooting, and fishing clubs and organizations in Southern California with contact information and regular meeting dates:

976-TUNA ROD AND REEL CLUB: The 976-Tuna Rod and Reel Club meets 7 p.m. the first Thursday of each month at the National Sports Grill, 3210 W. Sepulveda Blvd., Torrance. Contact Phil Friedman at 310-328-8426.
CALIFORNIA STATE VARMINT CALLERS ASSOCIATION: The California State Varmint Callers Association meets 7 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month at the Denny's just north of the 210 freeway at Irwindale Ave., Irwindale. Contact Steven Childs at 626-407-8826 or steve@sdchilds.com. Web site: www.csvca.com.
CANYON OAKS SPORTSMAN’S CLUB: The Canyon Oaks Sportsman’s Club meets the first Tuesday of every month at it’s clubhouse in Lakeview Terrace-Sylmar. The club has regular trap, skeet, smallbore, big bore, handgun, and Cowboy Action shooting events. Contact Gary White at 818-998-7240, Mike Totta at 818-362-2181 or Mike Nickoloff via e-mail at idpamike@yahoo.com.
CERRITOS ROD & GUN CLUB: The Cerritos Rod & Gun Club meets the second Wednesday of each month at Heritage Park in Cerritos. Contact Charles Sharp at 714-317-8290 or fish_90605@yahoo.com.
CLUB FISH: Club Fish, a 20-year-old fishing club, meets 7:30 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month at the Izaak Walton League Clubhouse, Santa Ana. The clubhouse is located at the entrance to Riverview Gold Course. Contact Mike Cross at 949-854-5258 or m_r_cross@yahoo.com.
HIGH DESERT FLY-FISHERS: The High Desert Fly-Fishers holds its monthly meetings on the second Thursday of each month at The Apple Valley Fire Conference Center, 19235 Yucca Loma, Apple Valley. Contact John Rose at 760-247-5966.
HIGHLAND PARK SPORTSMEN'S CLUB: The Highland Park Sportsmen's Club meets at 8 p.m. the first and third Wednesday of each month at 2035 Colorado Blvd., Los Angeles. Contact Mauro Garcia at 323-254-0763 or incareal@juno.com.
NATIONAL VARMINT HUNTERS: The National Varmint Hunters meets 7:30 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month at the Veterans of Foreign Wars club located on Grand Avenue, just west of 17th Street, Santa Ana. Contact Mark Harris at 714-655-6954 or mhitis1@yahoo.com or Terry Mathers at 714-299-9938 or coyote@jps.net.
NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION (HIGH DESERT CHAPTER):The High Desert Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation meets 6:30 p.m. the first Thursday of each month at the Apple Valley Gun Club, 16699 Stoddard Wells Rd., Victorville. Contact Dave Recce at 760-956-7092 or Dave Halbrook at 760-553-2794.
NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION (ORANGE COUNTY CHAPTER):The Orange County Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation meets 6 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month at The Firing Line, 17921 Jamestown Lane, Huntington Beach. Contact Pat Ryan at 714-841-2100 or Casey Rasmussen at 714-377-5859.
ORANCO BOWMEN: The ORANCO Bowmen meet the second Tuesday of each month at the club range, 17504 Pomona Rincon Rd., Chino (Euclid Avenue one block north of the 71 freeway). The range is open to the public on Sundays 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call 909-597-7582. Web site: www.oranco.org.
ORANGE COUNTY BASS CLUB: The Orange County Bass Club meets 7 p.m. the third Monday of each month at the Garden Grove Elk's Lodge. Contact Steve Pendergast at 949-651-8172 or prendergasts@netzero.com.
PLUNGE CREEK COWBOYS: The Plunge Creek Cowboys, a new Cowboy Action Shooting club in the Inland Empire, has shoots the third Saturday of each month at the Inland Fish and Game range on Orange Street in East Highlands. Authentic or replica firearms and garb required. Information: www.plungecreekcowboys.com.
PREDATOR CALLERS OF ORANGE COUNTY: The Predator Callers of Orange County meet 7 p.m. on the first Tuesday of the month at the Denny's restaurant, 7490 Edinger Ave., Huntington Beach. Contact Bob Peters via e-mail at bpi1@ca.rr.com or Don Jamroz at donjamroz@aol.com.
QUAIL UNLIMITED (HIGH DESERT CHAPTER): The High Desert Chapter of Quail Unlimited meets 6 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month at the Apple Valley Gun Club. Contact Cruz Garcia at 760-949-6334 or fathercruz@verizon.net.
QUAIL UNLIMITED (ORANGE COUNTY CHAPTER): The Orange County Chapter of Quail Unlimited meets 7 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month at the Izaak Walton League Clubhouse (located at the entrance to Riverview Golf Course) in Santa Ana. Contact Craig Riedel at 714-282-1194 or criedel@mflex.com.
QUAIL UNLIMITED (RIVERSIDE CHAPTER): The Riverside Chapter of Quail Unlimited meets 7 p.m. the second Thursday of each month at Prado Olympic Shooting Park, 17501 Pomona Rincon Road, Chino (one block west of Euclid, just off the 71 freeway). Contact Ron Gibbons at 909-902-9814 or gibbent@gte.net. Web site: www.quriverside.com.
QUAIL UNLIMITED (SAN DIEGO CHAPTER): The San Diego Chapter of Quail Unlimited meets 6:30 p.m. the third Thursday of each month at DFG Headquarters at 4949 Viewridge Rd., San Diego. Contact David Preddy at davidpreddy@cox.net or visit www.sdqu.org.
QUAIL UNLIMITED (SAN GABRIEL VALLEY CHAPTER): The San Gabriel Valley Chapter of Quail Unlimited meets 6 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month at Triple B Clays in El Monte. Contact Tim Bovard at 866-206-9070, ext. 6715 or sgvqu@onebox.com.
REDONDO ROD & GUN CLUB: The Redondo Rod & Gun Club meets 8 p.m. every Thursday of every month at its own clubhouse. The club has promoted hunting, fishing, sport shooting and the outdoors since 1948. The clubhouse is located at 2023 Vanderbilt Lane, Redondo Beach. Contact 310-379-7772.
RIVERSIDE VARMINT CALLERS: The Riverside Varmint Callers meet 7 p.m. the last Saturday of each month at Flo's Country Kitchen, Riverside. Contact Lance Cochrane at 909-919-4309 or Ray Gauthier at 951-785-4986. Web site:www.californiavarmintcallers.com/chapters.html/.
SAN DIEGO SPORTING DOG CLUB: The San Diego Sporting Dog Club meets 7 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month at the Animal Medical Center, 600 Broadway, El Cajon. Contact Steve Sarmiento at 619-659-9393 or sssarmi@sbcglobal.net.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA VARMINT CALLERS ASSOCIATION: The Southern California Varmint Callers Association meets 8 p.m. the first Wednesday of each month at the Denny's Restaurant at Pioneer Blvd and Imperial Highway in Norwalk. Contact Granville Crow at 310-548-6221 or crowshot1@cox.net or Skip Gildner at 562-900-9020 or mtnhigh5@excite.com.
TEMPLE CITY SPORTSMEN: The Temple City Sportsmen meet the first Thursday of each month at the Temple City Civic Center in Temple City. Contact Jim White at 626-201-7782 or TCSPresident2006@yahoo.com.
TURNER'S OUTDOORSMAN ROD AND REEL CLUB: The Turner's Outdoorsman Rod and Reel Club meets 7 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month at Marie Callender's Restaurant, 2300 Foothill, Pasadena. Contact Richard Crowe at 626-960-9610.

[Want your event or club listed here? Send the information to Jim Matthews, Outdoor News Service, P.O. Box 9007, San Bernardino, CA 92427-0007 or e-mail it to odwriter@earthlink.net. Following the style used above for events and clubs makes our life easier and increases the likelihood of it being included here.]

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