Dunsmuir man Jason A. Tobey, age 46, was sentenced to two years of probation and a $500 fine after threatening to shoot a firefighting helicopter

Jason A. Tobey, age 46, was sentenced to two years of probation and a $500 fine, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of the United States Attorney.

A Dunsmuir man who lives near the Mott Airport was found guilty last week of one count of threatening, intimidating, and interfering with a forest officer after threatening to shoot a firefighting helicopter out of the sky last year.

Jason A. Tobey, age 46, was sentenced to two years of probation and a $500 fine, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of the United States Attorney.

The verdict and sentence is the result of a one-day bench trial held on May 9 at the District Courthouse in Redding.

According to evidence presented at trial, in Sept. 2018, Tobey confronted a U.S. Forest Service employee multiple times threatening to shoot down helicopters that were assisting with efforts to fight the Delta Fire while it burned in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, according to the press release.

The Forest Service was using Mott Airport in Dunsmuir as a helibase in accordance with an agreement with the city and Siskiyou County. The helicopters were performing tasks such as infrared mapping to assist firefighters on the ground. Tobey lived adjacent to the airport and was angry about the helicopters’ flight path.

The Justice Department said Tobey told a Forest Service employee and a flight crew member that he was going to “shoot those [expletive referring to helicopters] out of the sky if I have to.” The following day Tobey returned to the airport gate after a helicopter landed and told the same Forest Service employee, “Did I not [expletive] make myself clear yesterday, or am I out of my [expletive] mind?”

Evidence at trial showed that pilots altered their preferred flight paths as a direct result of Tobey’s multiple threats. The judge rejected Tobey’s contention that his threats were protected by the First Amendment because threats to commit an unlawful act of violence like those made by Tobey are designed to intimidate and are not protected by the First Amendment, the release said.

Federal law prohibits threatening to damage, destroy, or disable any aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States with the apparent will and determination to carry out the threat, the release states.

CA-YNP: Yosemite National Park Stage 1 Fire Restrictions

National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Yosemite National Park Fire Information Office

Yosemite National Park Stage 1 Fire Restrictions Tuesday, August 20th, 2019 Yosemite National Park is experiencing high fire danger, along with continued hot and dry weather patterns. Due to the current and predicted fire conditions and fire behavior, the Superintendent of Yosemite National Park will be implementing Stage I fire restrictions until further notice is given. By order of the Superintendent of Yosemite National Park and under authority of Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 2.13(c): •No building, maintaining, attending or using a fire (including campfire, cooking fire, and charcoal fires) within Yosemite National Park below 6,000 feet in elevation. Portable stoves using pressurized gas, liquid fuel or propane are permitted, as are alcohol stoves, including tablet/cube stoves. Twig stoves are not permitted.  •No smoking below 6,000 feet except within an enclosed vehicle, a campground or picnic area where wood and charcoal fires are allowed or in a designated smoking area. All public buildings, public areas of Concession buildings (including restrooms), other areas as posted and within 25 feet of any non-single family residential building remain closed to smoking at all times. •Campfires and cooking fires may still be used in designated campgrounds and picnic areas in developed portions of the park in accordance with park regulations. Designated Campgrounds: Upper Pines, Lower Pines, North Pines, Yellow Pines, Camp 4, Wawona, Bridalveil Creek, Hodgdon Meadow, Crane Flat, Tamarack Flat, White Wolf, Yosemite Creek, Porcupine Flat, Tuolumne Meadows Designated Picnic Areas: Lembert Dome, Tenaya Lake, Yosemite Creek, Wawona, Mariposa Grove, Glacier Point, Cascade, El Capitan, Cathedral Beach, Sentinel Beach, Swinging Bridge, Housekeeping Camp, Church Bowl, and Lower Yosemite Falls. •Campfires and cooking fires may still be used in residential areas in developed portions of the park in accordance with park regulation. Residential Areas include: Wawona, El Portal, Yosemite Valley, Hodgdon Meadow, Foresta, Aspen Valley, and Tuolumne Meadows There are no administrative exemptions to this order. Notice of closure will be posted and areas will be monitored to ensure compliance. This designation will remain in place until rescinded. Fire restrictions reduce the probability of an accidental fire that could threaten visitors and employees during times of high fire danger. For information on current fire restrictions go to: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/firerestrictions.htm For information planning your visit in Yosemite National Park visit : www.nps.gov/yose View PDF Version

U.S. Forest Service - Shasta-Trinity National Forest Fire restrictions

U.S. Forest Service - Shasta-Trinity National Forest Fire restrictions

In response to the continuing drying conditions and increasing potential risk of wildfire across the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, the Forest Supervisor has decided to implement fire restrictions on August 1, 2019. Restrictions include:

Restrictions include:

1. No fires outside designated sites. Designated sites include developed recreation sites and designated fire safe sites. Please refer to the list of designated sites available for free at forest offices.

2. No Smoking, except in an enclosed vehicle, building, or at a developed recreation site or designated fire safe site.

3. No Operation of internal combustion engines, except below the high waterline on Shasta Lake, Trinity Lake, and Iron Canyon Reservoir or on designated National Forest System roads or trails. Please refer to the 2014 Shasta-Trinity National Forest Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) available for free at offices or online at https://go.usa.gov/xU5Ya.

4. No welding or operating an acetylene or other torch with an open flame.

Portable stoves and lanterns using gas, jellied petroleum or pressurized liquid fuel are allowed with a valid California campfire permit. Campfire permits are free and available at all Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and CAL FIRE offices, Campground Hosts, Forest Service field personnel and online at www.preventwildfireca.org. Please note that a printer must be connected and available to print out the online permit.

Generator operation is allowed if the generator has a working Forest Service-approved spark arrestor, all flammable material is cleared away from the generator for a minimum of five feet in all directions and a responsible person is in attendance at all times. Chainsaw operation to cut fuelwood is allowed when operated in accordance with Shasta-Trinity National Forest fuelwood cutting permit regulations.


Areas exempted from these fire restrictions include the shorelines of Shasta Lake, Trinity Lake and Iron Canyon Reservoir that are at least 50 feet from any flammable vegetation and within 10 feet of the water’s edge.

Shasta-Trinity National Forest Fire Restrictions Map

Other areas exempt from fire restrictions include the Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel, Chanchelulla, and Castle Crags Wilderness Areas. Most of the Trinity Alps Wilderness is also exempt, except for three high elevation watershed areas within the Wilderness

(please refer to Order 14-19-03https://go.usa.gov/xyFFC). Campfires are never allowed in the Mt. Shasta Wilderness Area (Order 14-59/61-31 https://go.usa.gov/xU5zR).








To view an online version of the Forest Order implementing fire restrictions visit https://go.usa.gov/xyMhH.

CAL FIRE CZU Prescribed Burn Planned for Thursday

CAL FIRE Prescribed Burn Planned for Thursday

12-acre prescribed burn near the intersection of Empire Grade Road and Jamison Creek Road in northern Santa Cruz County

FELTON – The Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) San Mateo – Santa Cruz Unit will conduct a 12-acre prescribed burn near the intersection of Empire Grade Road and Jamison Creek Road in northern Santa Cruz County on August 1, 2019. 

The prescribed burn will be conducted between the hours of 08:00 am and 4:00 pm, but smoke may be noticed in the area for about one to two days following the burn. The project is being conducted in accordance with a Smoke Management Permit issued by the Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District in order to minimize the smoke impacts on surrounding communities.

This burn is being conducted as part of the CAL FIRE Vegetation Management Program and is intended to reduce fuel accumulations and restore and enhance grassland. 

Prescribed vegetation management burns are carefully planned controlled burns that must meet a predefined set of conditions (prescription) in order to achieve ideal fire behavior. No burning takes place if weather and fuel conditions are not within prescription. When optimal conditions are met, trained wildland firefighters manage the burn while monitoring the weather, smoke dispersal, fire behavior and designated fire control lines.

CAL FIRE CZU is responsible for wildland fire protection on State Responsibility Area (SRA) lands throughout San Mateo and Santa Cruz Counties. In addition, CAL FIRE CZU provides fire, rescue and paramedic services under contract to Coastside Fire Protection District, San Mateo County Fire Department, Santa Cruz County Fire Department, and Pajaro Valley Fire Protection District.