Following a review of progress, remaining work and public safety issues in the area affected by the 2020 North Complex Fire, the Plumas National Forest put a new forest closure order into effect April 5.
The previous closure order, No. 05-11-03-22-01, closed 10 campgrounds, 11 trailheads and two bridges. The closure order recently expired as forest officials continued to evaluate the need for continued closures more than three years after the fire.
The recreation sites reopening are Cleghorn Bar, Hanson Bar, Hartman Bar, South Hartman Bar and South Branch campgrounds; Big Bald Rock, Bald Rock, Cleghorn Bar, Hanson Bar, Mountain House, North Hartman Bar and South Hartman Bar trailheads; and Frazier Creek Bridge.
The updated closure order, No. 05-11-03-24-01, has five campgrounds, three trailheads and one bridge remaining closed effective April 5 through July 1, 2025.
Closed sites are Butte Bar, Feather Falls, Little North Fork, Rogers Cow Camp and Stag Point campgrounds; Feather Falls, Sky High and Stag Point trailheads; and Toland Creek Bridge.
Unfortunately, PNF personnel noted that after signature, Little North Fork Trailhead was not included. However, the campground closure combined with the existing closure order for the Little North Fork trail means the trailhead is essentially closed. Recreation staff report continued challenges trying to access the area to work on repairs and restoration.
Feather River Ranger District employees, contractors and partners are continuing to work and make progress on post-fire recovery and restoration work to reopen the recreation sites, trails and roads affected by the North Complex.
At Feather Falls, great progress was made last year with hazard tree removal and replacement of bridges and walkways. However, there is still a substantial amount of work remaining. Crews are continuing to work on hazard tree removal and fuel reduction in the area and trail repairs are expected to continue this field season.
The Feather Falls Campground is being redesigned and reconstructed. The goal is for the popular recreation area to reopen to the public in spring 2025.
“The combined effort of our firefighters, recreation staff, engineers and partners, including Mooretown Rancheria, has accomplished a tremendous amount of work over the past year,” said Feather River District Ranger Loren Everest. “But there are still critical projects that need to be completed for the recreation area to reopen to the public and we appreciate patience and understanding as we continue that progress this field season.”
At Rogers Cow Camp, firefighters this spring completed pile burning in the campground and are helping support the recreation staff in hazard tree removal, fuel reduction and other prep work ahead of facility repairs.
Engineers have confirmed that Toland Creek Bridge is planned for replacement this summer.
“The Feather River Ranger District has a legacy of exceptional recreation opportunities for area residents and visitors,” Everest said. “The North Complex affected numerous popular recreation sites, trails and roads on the district and we understand the public frustration to access these sites. Our employees are committed to completing repair and recovery work to restore public access to these sites as quickly as possible.”
There will be public notifications when the closure order is lifted or modified further.
The closure order is for public and employee safety as assessments and work continues to repair and restore access to roads and recreation sites affected by the fire.
Violations of the closure order are punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000 for an individual or $10,000 for an organization, imprisonment of not more than six months or both.
For more information on the Plumas National Forest, visit www.fs.usda.gov/plumas or www.facebook.com/USFSPlumas.
Information provided by Plumas National Forest
