We had a few beautiful crisp fall days, followed by a few days of what I like to call “mountain weather.” That’s blowing fog and mist, with an off and on rain that alternately obscures and reveals the higher ridges. We’ve had an additional 5/8″ of rain at our place since my last report.
The fire management team hasn’t posted an update on the Rough Ridge fire in the Cohutta Wilderness for six days, which I take to mean that the command center has been closed and the incident is effectively ended. I read in an online newspaper report that the burned area will be closed until spring. I haven’t been able to get an update on forest service road closures, so I assume that the situation is the same as in the last report on the incident center, but I don’t know that for sure. The buck only and bear hunt did take place over the weekend, with the restrictions mentioned on the link below.
http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5078/
Fannin County has temporarily lifted the burn ban, and it’s been lifted in the Wildlife Management Areas and national forest as well, according to an announcement from the DNR. I’ve pasted it below.
“Georgia DNR’s Wildlife Resources Division has lifted the campfire restriction it placed on multiple Georgia wildlife management areas in late October.
The announcement follows significant rainfall that helped douse wildfires and lower the risk of new fires. The restrictions put in place by DNR had affected the following WMAs:
Allatoona, Arrowhead, B.F. Grant, Berry College, Blanton Creek, Broad River, Buck Shoals, Clybel, Conasauga River, Coosawattee, Coosawattee – Carter’s Lake, Crockford-Pigeon Mountain, Dawson Forest, Elbert County, Fishing Creek, Hart County, J.L. Lester, Joe Kurz, Lower Broad River, Lula Bridge, McGraw Ford, Oconee, Otting, Paulding Forest, Pine Log, Rich Mountain (state-owned tracts), Sheffield, Soap Creek, West Point, Wilson Shoals and Zahnd.
The U.S. Forest Service also has lifted its forest-wide fire restriction provision in effect on the Chattahoochee and Oconee national forests since Nov. 8. WMAs on national forests and subject to the Forest Service’s fire policy include Cohutta, Johns Mountain, Rich Mountain, Blue Ridge, Chattahoochee, Chestatee, Coopers Creek, Lake Russell, Swallow Creek, Warwoman, Redlands and Cedar Creek.
Agencies advise continued caution when building, maintaining and putting out campfires.”