John “Pancho” Smith, Acting Forest Supervisor, Inyo National Forest

Message from John “Pancho” Smith, Acting Forest Supervisor, Inyo National Forest”

Good morning:

Over the past few days, the Inyo National Forest has been looking at options to re-open the Forest in a modified manner and we have shared that tentative plan out to various permittees, recreation residences, and at the Creek Fire meeting yesterday. We were making a concerted effort to provide opportunities on the forest for visitors and to let our community be aware of what we were thinking as a forest.

This morning, we received direction from the Regional Office that the Forest closure would be extended another week for the 9 Forests that are currently closed. This includes the Inyo National Forest. I anticipate that the new extended closure orders will be signed tomorrow as the current order expires.

[Sierra Wave Added: The affected nine national forests include Angeles, Cleveland, Los Padres, Inyo, Klamath, San Bernardino, Sequoia, Sierra, and Six Rivers.

Please note that with improved air quality conditions, Yosemite will reopen on Friday, September 25, 2020 at 9:00 am. Some visitor services will be available and other visitor services will open incrementally over the weekend. Campsites in Yosemite Valley will be available for incoming campers beginning on Friday, September 25, 2020.]

The Regional Office decision is based on the continued hot and dry conditions that remain in the forecast for the upcoming week and continued firefighting resources limitations.

We know that the closure affects our permittees who conduct business on the Inyo as well as other local businesses who serve the tourism industry and we know that this has been a difficult year for many reasons.

We apologize for any confusion our early communication about the possible opening of the forest may have created.