Preparations
are underway in Kisatchie National Forest (KNF) for Hurricane Isaac. "We have a
Hurricane plan and we are putting that into place," explained Mike Balboni,
Kisatchie National Forest Supervisor. The Kisatchie
National Forest, located in central
and north Louisiana,
is divided into 5 separate ranger districts. "Each forest ranger evaluates the
conditions on his or her district and determines if it is a safe environment
for visitors and employees."
A
list of areas that are closed is posted on the KNF website www.fs.usda.gov/kisatchie. The site will be updated as additional
closings become necessary. "Safety is of the utmost importance to the Forest
Service, and with that in mind, when conditions become unsafe we close
campgrounds, including RV hook-up sites to prevent potential harm and damage to
visitors by high winds and falling limbs," said Balboni. KNF campgrounds are
not evacuation points and visitors should check with each district ranger office
on availability. KNF Supervisor's Office (318) 473-7254, Calcasieu Ranger
District (318) 793-9427, Catahoula Ranger District (318) 765-3554, Winn Ranger
District (318) 628-4664, Kisatchie Ranger District (318) 472-1840 and Caney
Ranger District (318) 927-2061.
The
following is a list of the closings on KNF:
Calcasieu District - Kincaid Lake
and Valentine Lake recreation areas will close
Wednesday afternoon through Thursday afternoon.
Catahoula District – all recreation sites are closed are
currently closed and will remain closed through Thursday.
Kisatchie District – Kisatchie Bayou and all campgrounds
are closed. The Sandstone Trail and the Kisatchie Wilderness Area are also
closed.
Winn District – all recreation sites are closed until
further notice.
