For the life of me, I can not imagine why the USFS would cut locks on private property to destroy roads so they can not be used for fire suppression. However, I have no reason to doubt Jerry’s message below. Pass the word.
From: Gerald Fisher [mailto:jfisher760@aol.com]
Subject: Wild Grader
Last week we came home to a large Catepiller Road Grader parked on our property in the water company loading area off Hwy. 76.
A call to the contractor named on the equipment disclosed he was working for USFS.
Today, Keith Steinberg, Mgr. of Rey River Ranch (RRR) and I met with the grader supervisor, Mark, of Wm. Kanayan General Contractor: Tel: (909) 337-5428.
The story told was as follows:
- The contract covers the Cleveland Nat. Forest (CNF)
- The work is to tear up existing roads so they cannot be used to service the forest; for fire fighting; to discourage off-road travel.
- To the south of RRR is an area of CNF.
- After finishing work adjacent to RRR, their contractor admitted to Keith and I that he ‘cut’ the gate cables on an adjacent private party’s land, and ‘cut’ the gate cable on the RRR.
- The contractor tore up RRR roads.
- When asked upon what authority he felt he could, by force, enter private property, he answered, “I was told by my contact with USFS (CNF) that it was okay”.
- Mark further disclosed that he was personally shown, by the CNF person, the private property road that was to be destroyed.
- Keith and I made it quite clear that the use of private property, without permission of the owner, under these circumstances has not, is not, permissible. Probably dating back to 1776!!
- Further, to cause injury to private property, or use of private property, even though supposedly authorized by the CNF, paints the contractor with the same stripes as the government.
I aalert you to this because the next area they were going to work on, starting today, is on and off Hwy 7 , East Grade Road.
The above highlights the observation that not only is there no respect (fire and maintenance) for the Public Lands, trees, wildlife, etc., but none for the taxpayer and his property that pays for this abuse!!
Jerry
Gerald W. Fisher
Mitchell Consulting Company
23550 Hwy. 76
Santa Ysabel, CA 92070
(H): (760) 782-9208
(C): (619) 540-3611
Fax: (760) 782-0824
Email: jfisher760@aol.com