Forest Service News

All cabin owners by now should have received or will receive your letter of Compliance or Non-Compliance. The letters of non-compliance will have dates indicating when items will need to be corrected. Please read letters carefully and correct items that are listed in the time frame given. Once you have completed the items please call me at 619-445-6235, extension 3441. I will re-inspect your cabin and if all items are corrected I will issue you a Letter of Compliance. As of this date, 85% of cabins are in compliance. Our goal is to have everyone in compliance by December 31, 2006. Please call if you have a problem or you cannot meet this deadline.

Appraisals for the cabins will begin in March of 2007. As time passes I will have more information on this subject. Kim Brower, Senior Rev. Appraiser, of the Supervisor’s Office is the person in charge of this process. If you have questions, please call her at 858-673-6180, extension 3065. If she is not in, please leave a message, she is very good about calling folks back.

In the next year you all will be receiving a new Operation and Maintenance Plan. Please fill this out completely and return to me as soon as possible. This information will help me put all of your improvements on your new permit.

If you want to sell your cabin, a transfer inspection must be done and all items must be corrected before the Forest Service can issue a new permit to the new owners. You’re responsible for your cabin and a new permit will not be issued until:

1. All items in transfer inspection are corrected.
2. Bill of Sale is received
3. Revocation Form is received.
4. $25.00 Application Fee is received.

This is the time of year when everyone will start to use their fireplace or woodstove. Please make sure to clean out your flue and have the proper screen on your chimney or stovepipe.

Have a safe and happy holiday!!!!!!!!

Susan DeSonia, USFC Recreation/Land Assistant 619-445-6235, ext. 3441

Descanso Ranger District Standards And Guidelines For Hazard Trees

The permit holders are responsible for identification and removal of trees that are hazardous to their improvements, whether or not the trees are located on their lot. The Forest Service may identify hazard trees during inspections and authorize permit holders to remove them.

The cutting of trees without prior authorization from the Forest Service is not allowed. The permit holder may obtain permission by calling the District’s Forestry Technician, Nancy Hoogerland. Nancy can be reached at the District Office in Alpine at 619-445-6235.

Hazard trees within the boundaries of the recreation residence lot may be used free of charge if the material remains on the lot. A fuel wood permit is required if you plan on removing or selling the material.

Wood collected for fuel wood must fall under these two categories:
1) dead trees designated by the Forest Service
as hazardous to the cabin and/or parking area, and
2) dead trees along the power lines which SDG&E has
contracted to be cut down and which are within the
boundaries of the lot.

No cutting of standing dead or down oak outside of the 30 ft. buffer around the cabin unless authorized by the Forest Service. Only standing dead trees that are an actual hazard to the cabin or parking area will be cut down.
No piling of pine logs next to live pine trees due to bark beetles and potential fire hazards. Pine logs (fuel wood) must be stacked in small piles in the sun and be covered with plastic until burned. This practice will kill bark beetles on the wood, and prevent the beetles from infesting living pines.

Cabin owners who are requested by the Forest Service to remove dead trees within falling distance to their cabin need to follow these directions:
1) Stumps need to be 6 inches or less (on the high side).
2) Stumps need to be smooth or flush on the top.
3) Apply Sporax to the freshly cut PINE stumps (within four hours of cutting). Sporax allows the stump to dry out faster so that if the stump contained root rot disease, the spores from this disease would not be passed on to the other pine trees around your cabin. Oaks are not susceptible to this disease. Sporax can only be purchased from the Wilbur-Ellis Co. 209-944-9951.
4) Limbs under 6" in diameter (SLASH) will be chipped or removed from the area to a disposal site designated by the Forest Service.
5) The Laguna Mountain Forest Service Fire Station (Camp Ole) has been designated as a disposal site. Forest Service crews at the station will be available to chip the slash brought to this site. This collection site will be open Saturdays and Sundays during the hours of 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. Please call in advance to make sure the crews are not responding to a fire emergency. The Camp Ole phone number is 619-473-8527.

USDA Forest Service

Cleveland National Forest