Fire repair work underway at Fort Sage Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area
Visitors to the Bureau of Land Management Fort Sage Off-Highway-Vehicle Recreation Area in southern Lassen County can expect to encounter heavy vehicles and construction equipment as crews replace signs and repair other damage caused by a wildfire last fall.
“Motorcycle riders and off-road vehicle drivers should be extra cautious in areas where work is underway,” said Emily Ryan, manager of the BLM’s Eagle Lake Field Office in Susanville. “It is also important that riders and drivers stay on the designated trails so they don’t damage young plants and fragile soils recovering from the fire.”
Work will continue through the spring and early summer and may resume in the fall.
The recreation area was damaged by the Laura 2 wildfire that broke out in the nearby community of Doyle on Nov. 17 last year. The blaze destroyed 21 homes and 19 outbuildings before winds pushed the fire onto BLM-managed public lands in and around the Fort Sage OHV Area. The fire burned a total of 2,800 acres. Damage from the Laura 2 fire came as BLM crews were continuing work on vegetation recovery from the 20,000-acre Long Valley Fire that scorched the OHV area in July 2017.
The OHV area midway between Susanville and Reno provides about 100 miles of roads and trails for riders and drivers of all abilities. Roads and trails are marked with signs indicating difficulty ratings and recommended vehicle types with varied terrain ranging from flat, sandy, sagebrush-dotted flats to steep and rocky canyons and gulches.
Camping is allowed at the primary trailheads.
More information is available at blm.gov/visit/fort-sage-highway-vehicle-area.
BLM celebrates 75 years
This year, we invite everyone to reimagine your public lands as we celebrate 75 years of the BLM’s stewardship and service to the American people. The BLM manages approximately 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The agency’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.
Follow the BLM on Twitter, Facebook, and Flickr @BLMCA and @BLMCalifornia.
