The largest private landowner in California is closing its forests to the public indefinitely beginning on July 1.
Lumber giant Sierra Pacific Industries owns over 2 million acres of forestland across California, Washington and Oregon. The company, which is headquartered in Anderson, Calif., is one of America’s biggest private landowners. In areas where SPI is not actively logging, the public can usually access the land for hiking, permitted fishing and hunting and cross-country skiing. But starting Friday, SPI’s extensive holdings will be off-limits due to “extreme drought and wildfire conditions.”
“This closure will remain in effect until further notice,” SPI said in a statement. “Public roads that are on SPI forestlands will remain open, but no walk-in access will be allowed.”