A Message From:

San Bernardino National Forest Supervisor’s Office

We are issuing a Forest Order for public safety to keep closed the Gold Fire Closure Area that is
burning within the San Bernardino National Forest. The fire closure area is targeted at key
access routes and area control for fire suppression and patrol, suppression repair, and
monitoring. The closure area is necessary to help ensure that no one is injured within the fire
perimeter or surrounding area and that firefighting personnel can safely access the fire.

This Forest Order includes an exemption for persons with a Forest Permit for Use of Roads,
Trails, or Areas Restricted by Regulation or Order (Form FS-7700-48). Authorization under this
exemption will only be provided if I or my delegate determine that the risk to personal health and
safety is reasonable considering the circumstances of the request. Owners/lessees of private land
who are not subject to a county evacuation order will be exempt from the order. Their limited
presence on the roads is necessary for travel to and from their land and will not pose a safety risk
or impede fire suppression efforts, sequentially supporting expedient evacuation procedures. We
may also require appropriate personal protective equipment and other necessary safety measures.
We hereby delegate the authority to sign Form FS-7700-48 granting an exemption to this Forest
Order to the District Rangers of the San Bernardino, specifically for recreation residences and
organizational camps.

Scoping efforts included coordination with Forest Service Law Enforcement, the San Bernardino
National Forest. Coordination efforts also included San Bernardino Sheriff Department, the Gold
Fire Incident Management Team, City of Big Bear, and Visit Big Bear.

We have concluded that this decision may be categorically excluded from documentation in an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) or Environmental Assessment (EA) under the National
Environmental Policy Act. This action falls within the category identified in 36 C.F.R.
§ 220.6(d)(1) – prohibitions to provide short-term resource protection or to protect public health
and safety – and does not require documentation in a decision memo, decision notice, or record
of decision. We have determined that there are no extraordinary circumstances associated with
this temporary closure. Implementation of the decision may begin immediately.

August 8, 2025