BLM closes Alpine fire woodcutting Sunday

With 120 cords already removed from the Airport fire woodcutting area and not much left, the Bureau of Land Management and Alpine County are closing the area on Sunday.The Airport fire burned 81 acres of BLM and Alpine County land near the Indian Creek Recreation Area and the Alpine County Airport during the 2011 fire season and was opened to public woodcutting on Sept. 29. Members of the public who have purchased permits for this area may also use the permits on dead and downed wood on other firewood permitted areas within the BLM Carson City District. Additional fire wood permits for other areas can be purchased from the BLM office in Carson City at 5665 Morgan Mill Road and the Alpine County Chamber of Commerce in Markleeville, Calif., at 3 Webster St. Permits sell for $10 a cord and are sold year round. For more information, contact Coreen Francis, BLM Carson City District Forester, at 775-885-6161.Woodcutting on U.S. Forest Service’s Carson Ranger District will continue through Nov. 17.Dead-tree cutting areas include Hope Valley and Leviathan/Poor Boy, while live-tree cutting areas include Scotts Lake, south of Woodfords. In the live-tree cutting areas, only designated trees may be cut and slash must be piled. “Designated tree” descriptions are printed on live-tree cutting area maps. Firewood from the live-tree cutting areas should cure for at least six months before burning to reduce air pollution and to maximize the firewood’s heat value.Firewood permits are valid through Nov. 17, and cost $15 per cord with a two-cord minimum. There is a six-cord maximum per household per year. A fire extinguisher and a shovel are required when using a chainsaw for cutting firewood.Permits are available at the Carson Ranger District Office, 1536 S. Carson St., and at the Alpine Chamber of Commerce.