Public firewood area designated in Bath

Hot Springs, Va. – Public firewood area designated in Bath. This is District Ranger Patrick Sheridan with the monthly report from the James River and Warm Springs Ranger Districts.

Firewood cutting for personal use will be available until December 17 along Forest Service Road 241 between Hidden Valley and Poor Farm. Several areas along the 241 Road have significant downed trees from this year’s storm events. A valid firewood permit is needed. Call or visit the Warm Springs Ranger District for more information.

Forest Service firefighters from the Warm Springs and James River Ranger Districts headed north to support Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts. Forest Service assignments included saw work to clear roads for emergency access, managing distribution centers, and organizing, receiving and distribution of relief materials as well as help plan recovery efforts. All personnel have now returned home after a two week assignment assisting communities in New Jersey and New York.

The James River Ranger District has made Fore Mountain available to disabled hunters again this fall and several successful hunting trips have been reported. Disabled hunters as determined by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries are eligible for this annual opportunity. The Fore Mountain special hunting area is open during the regular deer season only.

We are still hopeful to conduct up to four prescribed burns in December of 2012. Cobbler Mountain is 450 acres and located in Hidden Valley in Bath County. The Gathright prescribed burn is located at the north end of Lake Moomaw in Bath and is 70 acres in size. Additional burning is planned on Warm Springs Mountain on both TNC and National Forest lands in the vicinity of Ingalls Field. The weather has been generally too dry in November to implement any prescribed fire projects. The dry fall has led to several fires in our area, the largest being approximately 1,000 acres in Craig county. Please be cautious of fire when in the woods.