Gang activities restrict recreation above Springville
In response to the gang activity in the Tule River Canyon, the Sequoia National Forest announced today that law enforcement officials are closing popular day-use areas earlier than normal.
The recreational areas subject to restricted hours are located in the Wishon and Middle Fork of the Tule River Canyon in the Sequoia National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument.
Upper and Lower Coffee Camp day-use areas are generally open from daylight to sunset. They are now being closed at about 6 p.m. because gang-related problems have occurred in the evening hours, according to a news release from Denise Alonzo, spokesman for the Sequoia National Forest.
"We have experienced at least two weekends of gang activity impacting the publicĀ’s use of Lower and Upper Coffee Camp day-use areas, and places up the Wishon drainage," District Ranger Priscilla Summers said in the news release Friday. "It is too bad that we have to restrict access to the river because of a few people, but we are concerned with public safety." Earlier this summer volunteers participated in National Rivers Clean-up Week, June 9 to June 16. Volunteers cleaned up trash and graffiti along the Tule River and Rio Limpio.
A camper shell and more than 100 bags of trash were removed from four of the many popular river areas.
Graffiti panted on many of the natural rock formations within the river corridor was also removed.
Also, fire restrictions are still in effect and fireworks are prohibited on the Giant Sequoia National Monument and within the Sequoia National Forest.
Visitors may only use a lantern, portable gas stove using gas, jellied petroleum, pressurized liquid fuel outside of a developed recreation site or in designated fire exempt areas. Campfires and barbecue charcoal fires are only allowed in developed recreation sites and designated fire exempt areas.
A "fire exempt" area is a cleared, posted area where campfires and smoking are allowed during fire restrictions.
Visitors must have a valid California Campfire Permit for any type of fire. Permits are available free of charge at any Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management office.
The Tule River Ranger District office in Springville will be open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. July 7 and the Hot Springs Office will be open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. the same day.
