Plenty of firewood available in Wrights Lake area

Eldorado National Forest is asking the local community to help continue to clean up the Wrights Lake Recreation Area.

It was severely damaged in the winter of 2013 when numerous large green trees were pushed over in extremely high winds. More than 200 trees fell during the wind storms causing a heavy accumulation of fuelwood in the areas adjacent to the campground, picnic areas, trails and recreation residences. During several special clean-up events in 2014 and two free fuelwood cutting events in 2015 and 2016, many loads of wood were removed.

However, the area still contains a large amount of dead and downed wood, and much of it is already cut and accessible off of adjacent roads.

To continue reducing dead and downed material in the area, free residential woodcutting will be permitted through Oct. 22 from 8am-5pm. The public with a valid permit for the Wrights Lake area will be allowed to cut and remove wood from a designated portion of the recreation area. Free permits for fuelwood cutting and gathering are available at the Pacific Ranger District office, Crystal Visitor Information Station.. The fuelwood is predominantly lodge pole pine.