Keep Our Forest

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is asking the state for $25 million to build a new base for firefighting aircraft at Hemet-Ryan Airport.
Plans call for demolishing the 1950s-era base now at the Hemet airport and replacing it with state-of-the-art buildings and facilities that should help improve firefighting capabilities, said county and CDF officials.
Riverside County Executive Officer Robin Zimpfer made the announcement at the recent Third District Economic Development Forum in San Jacinto. She said the county's economic development agency, which owns the airport, assisted CDF in submitting a budget package to fund the proposed facility.
Riverside County contracts with CDF for fire-protection services.
The planned base affirms CDF's commitment to stay at Hemet-Ryan Airport, said CDF fire Capt. Patrick Tomlinson.

Virgin Forest

The Sumava is a heavily wooded mountain region stretching for about 125 km along the border with Austria and Germany. Its importance lies in its large tranquil, thinly populated forests, which are relatively unpolluted and undamaged by acid rain. Although only one small patch, the Boubin Virgin Forest (Boubinsky prales), is regarded as completely untouched, the Sumava's pristine state still makes it a unique asset.Euroregion Sumava - Bavorsky Les was found in the beginning of the 90's. It is a cooperation between districts of Sumava (Cesky Krumlov, Domazlice, Klatovy and Prachatice) and their partners from Upper Austria and Bavaria. The Sumava Protected Landscape Region (Chranena krajinna oblast or CHKO) was established in 1963. In 1990 UNESCO declared this a biosperic reservation. The adjacent Bavarian Forest gained this status in 1981. In April 1991, 685 km2. of the CHKO became the Sumava National Park (Narodni park Sumava). This and the CHKO now make up the biggest single state - protected area in the Czech and Slovak Republics. The mighty Vltava rises in the Sumava, as do five other major rivers. Two canals, the Vchynicky and Schwarzenbersky, built in the early 1800's to transport logs, scar the region. There are many lakes and ponds within the region - five major lakes are Plesne, Prasilsky, Certovo and Cerne (Black Lake). Winter sport lovers will find many opportunities in Sumava.If you need to calm your spirit your mind and draw new energy in the beautiful countryside, you should take the SUMAVA WALKING TRAILS - KLOSTERMANNOVA STEZKA (28 km) from Hartmanic across Kasperske Hory to Vacon or the INSTRUCTIVE TRAIL - HORNI PLANA, BOUBINSKY PRALES (3,8 km) MEDVEDI STEZKA, HAMIZNA, POVYDRI, CHURANOV.The virgin forest of Boubin is situated on the southeastern slope of Mt. Boubin (1362 m) that used to be a part of a property of the family of Schwarzenberg. Joseph John founded it in 1856 and it consisted of 47 ha. The area was changed several times, finally it is 666 ha, and 47 ha are surrounded with a fence that should protect the plants from animals. An instructive path in length of 5 km follows it. On your trip through a mixed forest you can learn many interesting things about the history of the forest from 9 informative panels. You can see really giant trees - "the King of spruces", is 460 years old, 57.5 m high and its volume is 30 m3. It is a pity that you cannot see it any more from the path. The starting point is the Boubin lake that was used to transport wood to the glass factories in Lenora.


On the way back to the parking you will pass the Ida's sawmill, now a tourist information centre during the summer season.Much of the original 138 hectares of forest was destroyed by a windstorm in 1870. Ironically, the region has been damaged by coring beetles, and the forest itself is out of bounds to visitors.Approximate length of the trip: According to the conditions 4 - 7h (7 - 20 km).

Burnt Forest

The fires of January 1939 were to be etched into the memories of those involved for the rest of their lives. Flames leapt from mountain to mountain, giant trees were blown out of the ground by fierce winds and large pieces of burning bark were carried for kilometres ahead of the main fire front, lighting up places that had not yet been devastated by flames.Sixty-nine mills were burnt, and seventy one lives lost. At one sawmill settlement near Matlock, east of Melbourne, fifteen people died whilst trying to escape from the fires. Over 1000 homes were burnt, and the townships of Narbethong, Noojee, Woods Point, Nayook West and Hill End were obliterated. The townships of Warrandyte, Yarra Glen, Omeo and Pomonal were badly damaged. Fires raged in the Yarra Ranges east of Melbourne, and affected towns including Toolangi, Warburton and Thomson Valley. The Alpine towns of Bright, Cudgewa and Corryong were also affected, as were vast areas in the west of the state, in particular Portland, the Otway Ranges and the Grampians. Large areas of state forest, containing giant stands of Mountain Ash and other valuable timbers, were killed. Approximately 575,000 hectares of reserved forest, and 780,000 hectares of forested Crown Land were burnt. The intensity of the fire produced huge amounts of smoke and ash, with reports of ash falling as far away as New Zealand. The devastation ended late on Sunday January 15, after rain fell across the state. What started the fires?Although the summer had been extremely hot and dry following a long period of drought, the fires that resulted in ‘Black Friday’ were a combination of human causes. Judge Stretton wrote in his report “…it will appear that no one cause may properly be said to have been the sole cause…”. Land owners, graziers, miners, forest workers and campers either deliberately or carelessly contributed to the 1939 fires by lighting fires prior to January 13. These included burning off for land clearing and grass growth, lighting campfires, inappropriate sawmill operations and domestic fires.