Who follows the law?

[stihlrookie]

Just curious who follows the law when cutting on government lands? I am talking about USFS, BLM or also in my case, IDOL. We are required to carry a bucket, shovel and fire extinguisher when cutting on these lands and your chainsaw must have a spark arresting screen installed as well to be in compliance. I also carry a gallon of water during my trips onto these lands and one of my favorite tools, the Pulaski.

 

[Stihlasaurus]

Just curious who follows the law when cutting on government lands? I am talking about USFS, BLM or also in my case, IDOL. We are required to carry a bucket, shovel and fire extinguisher when cutting on these lands and your chainsaw must have a spark arresting screen installed as well to be in compliance. I also carry a gallon of water during my trips onto these lands and one of my favorite tools, the Pulaski.

Rule #1: Always follow the law.

Rule #2: If you don't follow Rule #1, don't post it in a public forum where the po po gonna find you!

 

[CTYank]

Not only the Feds require spark arrester screen. State of Maine has also since at least 1980. I was asked.

 

[3fordasho]

I'm not cutting on govt. lands, but the past few weeks with the dry conditions and areas of deep grass I'm cutting in I've thought it wise to bring along my old water/air pressure re-fillable fire extinguisher. Wouldn't take much to set off one heck of a grass fire. Even a hot cat converter under the wood hauler is a concern.

 

[Arbonaut]

I'm not cutting on govt. lands, but the past few weeks with the dry conditions and areas of deep grass I'm cutting in I've thought it wise to bring along my old water/air pressure re-fillable fire extinguisher. Wouldn't take much to set off one heck of a grass fire. Even a hot cat converter under the wood hauler is a concern.

Once we were in a 1970 Plymouth Scamp not following the law but they were following us my buddy made a run for it. We were running 318 CID and Carter four barrel. Unfortunately they were running 360 Interceptor Dodge Diplomat I think we had them anyhow 'til we ran out of gas. We pulled over by some right of way and the cop car lit the field on fire. So I believe that about the cataytic converter. My buddy didn't drive again legally for four years. And he never drove his Mom's car again.

 

[RandyMac]

The Feds here require that you have all that stuff present when you get the permit and they check very often in the woods. They have the ability to seize everything you have if not in compliance, including your vehicle.

 

[stihlrookie]

I usually get stopped a couple times each year by the woods cops. I have yet to have them inspect my required safety equipment, which I carry even when not cutting firewood during trips in the forest. They just want to make sure I have a permit for cutting, although during hunting season they like to snoop around for poachers "cutting firewood". I did get pulled over last August and I had my safety gear and permit but had not filled it out before leaving my cutting area, fortunately the leo was in a good mood and left me with just a warning.

 

[Cerran]

I always throw my shovel in the truck and my bucket holds all my woodcutting tools like files and extra chains. As for the Fire extinguisher it always stays in the truck. Just good sense to have all three should the need arise even if it's not required. I take all three even when cutting on private land.

 

[slowp]

Having been a "woods cop", I didn't check for much here. That stuff is required during fire season--June or July into October. When the fire danger goes up, wood cutting is shut down.

No bucket of water required here. A shovel, axe and fire extinguisher, oh and spark arrestor are. Most folks are not cutting firewood when it gets warm. The good stuff has been scarffed up by then.

 

[stihlrookie]

I may be wrong about the bucket requirement for firewood gathering, I will need to check into it. I carry one anyway as it makes a great tool bucket. I was out cutting last year during some of our hottest days here, 90+, I try to get an early start and drink plenty of water and gatorade and consume salty snacks.

 

[genesis5521]

I follow the laws. I get a $20 permit to harvest 4 cords of firewood in the Nicolet National Forest in Northeast Wisconsin. I'm not required to carry any special gear. I can only take standing dead or downed trees of 18" diameter or less and the tree must be within 50 yards of a fire road. No vehicles are allowed in the forest. I have to keep my truck on a fire road. That's it. I can buy 3 permits a year. This firewood is only for personal use. It can not be sold. Many times a national park ranger has found me in the woods and asked to see my permit, which I gladly show him. I know some of the rangers and they tell me stories of guys breaking some of these laws and the heavy fines they incur.

Don <><

 

[stihlrookie]

Don,
Like you, I purchase the 4 cord permit for $20. We are also restricted to vehicles only on established roads, unfortunately a few with atvs quickly establish their own roads, that really burns me. I can take standing dead, down as far from the road as I want to go, sometimes over 100 yards is where I end up. We can use cable to pull logs to the road but are limited to 100ft of cable. I don't burn wood myself, just resale. I have asked numerous times about a "commercial" permit and have been told each time that there is no way I will harvest enough firewood for them to worry about it, this coming from the authorities that issue said permits. I cut and sold 15 cords last year and bought 3 of the 4 cord permits and 1 of the 2 cord permits, average sale price per cord was $200.

 

[bigw]

Here in Northern CA you get a 4 cord permit for $20 and can buy up to 12 more cords at $5 a pop. You must have a shovel,fire ext. and spark arresters on all your saws. I got stopped by the wood cops this week, and the cop only checked my permit and chainsaw but got weard when he asked if me if i had a gun in my truck......" Yeah I have a gun were in the middle of nowhere and there are animals and tweakers...So yeah I have a gun" So he checked the gun and said "hey thats a nice gun" a 1911 A1 in SS. so he re loads my gun and puts is back on my front seat and goes on his marry way..

 

[ft. churchill]

All of my saw that I use on USFS or BLM lands have spark arrestor screens. I went thru alot of trouble to make sure that I did when doing my muffler mods that I kept one in there. It's very dry where we cut and I do worry about it. We also have a bucket, axe, water, fire extinguisher, and shovels. Aren't these items what wise folks carry into the remote backcountry mountains of Nevada anyway? We've never been stopped by the rangers in Nevada, but once a USFS ranger in California accused us of cutting fence posts instead of firewood. (we were cuttin' small 4" to 6" lodgepole pine blowdown wood in a burned area and it was easier to load the 6' pole than to buck it up on site. He never checked our equipment though.) However my poulan for around the yard work like buildin' fence or sheds does not. Play it safe out there.

 

[arborealbuffoon]

Back in the mid 80's when I logged in the Black Hills the ranger would show up pretty regularly for inspections. He would even disassemble our mufflers :msp_angry: !!

Rules or not, if you are found responsible for starting a wildfire on federal land, you're gonna need a lawyer son...gonna need a real good one. Oh, and there's no parole in the federal system either.

 

[slowp]

Back in the mid 80's when I logged in the Black Hills the ranger would show up pretty regularly for inspections. He would even disassemble our mufflers :msp_angry: !!

Rules or not, if you are found responsible for starting a wildfire on federal land, you're gonna need a lawyer son...gonna need a real good one. Oh, and there's no parole in the federal system either.

Goodness. Back in the dark ages, we were taught NOT to take any part of a saw apart during an inspection. We were to ask the saw owner to take off the muffler. Couldn't you do that? Most modern saws have the screens where they can be seen with some minimum maneuvering about to get the light to shine just right. Perhaps if you had a flashlight handy?

 

[Patrick62]

follow the rules (mostly)

You gotta do it right. I have been checked once or twice to satisfy the nosy ones. Better to play by the rules (or appear to be) than to look for ways to break them. Those guys don't have a lot of humor :msp_mad:

 

[Big_Al]

I've had a few friendly chats with the woods cops, pretty decent guys. Course we weren't doing anything illegal either. Never had one even ask to see the saws, axes, shovels etc, usually they just stop for a minute, just scoping things out I guess. Maybe they figure a couple of old farts couldn't be up to anything anyway.

 

[mikereynolds]

Like my grandfather said..."If you don't obey the "rues", you gotta pay your dues"