Stay Safe

Abandoned mine sites can be great safety hazards. Each year, a number of people are killed or injured nationally in abandoned mines. Many of these structures contain dilapidated frames, open shafts, and water-filled pits. The dangers that are found in the mines include old explosives, hazardous chemicals, snakes, spiders, mice, and bats. Entrance puts a person at risk for hazards such as falls and cave-ins.

Visitors also find these areas as accessible dumping grounds for trash. This can cause a vessel for infestations and contact with wild animals. In the process of dumping into these mines, many slips and falls are incurred, which can lead to entrapment in the mines, serious injuries and possible death.

The unmined mineral deposits can cause contamination to the surrounding water systems. Some of these systems serve as municipal water supplies for nearby citizens. The Forest Service, along with other land management agencies, is involved in ensuring the safety of the water supply and preventing contact with contaminated waters.

No one knows the exact location of all the abandoned mines over the great American lands. Therefore, we cannot warn the public of the existence of all abandon mines. However, we work diligently to assess our lands and assist the public by warning of the known sites.

In recent years, the Forest Service has experienced catastrophic events while working to suppress wildland fires. These events have created a renewed awareness and concern about safety, the impacts of wildland fire, and the integration of fire and resource management. As a result, many actions have been implemented to improve the safety and protect lives while fighting forest fires. Safe, effective and efficient wildland fire operations require a thorough understanding of many policies, principles and procedures.

Hantavirus is a deadly disease transmitted by infected rodents through urine, droppings, or saliva. It is a respiratory disease that has been found mostly in rural areas of the western United States. The deer mouse is the primary carrier, but all rodents, including chipmunks and squirrels can be carriers.

The infection is transmitted by touching the moth or nose after handling contaminated materials, inhaling infected feces, or from the bit of an infected rodent. Signs and symptoms of the disease include the following: fever, muscle aches, shortness of breath, coughing. The disease will progress rapidly and will require hospitalization and ventilation within 24 hours.

Use the following tips to prevent contraction of the Hantavirus while on public lands:

• Do not have an accumulation of garbage or other piles that may facilitate nesting.
• Set rodent traps near camp areas.
• Keep all food and water covered.
• Clean up any spilled food.
• Place any wood, bricks, or stones at least 100 feet from living quarters.
• Keep pet food covered and discard any food not eaten by pets after each meal.
• Do not touch live or dead rodents or disturb their burrows, dens, or nests.
• Avoid sleeping on the bare grounds.
• Do not enter closed or confined structures for a long period of time without respiratory protection.
• If exposure to rodents by bit, saliva, urine, or droppings should occur, and the above signs and symptoms appear, seek medical assistance immediately.

 Remember, the number one way to prevent contraction of the Hantavirus, is to avoid exposure.

All that looks green is not green through and through. A standing tree could have the possibility of causing serious injuries to persons and property. Trees can become hazardous due to significant flaws or structural damages. Every tree will fail over a life span. The Forest Service expends time and energy to gain knowledge of each tree species, site characteristics, and local weather conditions to minimize the risk to our employees, structures, and property. The Forest Service is also involved in timber cutting to provide resources for our nation. Although this service has been executed for many years, there remains a danger to those involved in the procedure.

Lyme Disease was first discovered in 1977. This disease is caused by a bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted to humans or animals by the bite of infected deer ticks. The Centers for Disease Control have found that this bacterium causes more than 23,000 infections in the United States yearly.

Ixodes scapularais, northeastern and north central United States, and Ixodes pacifus, Pacific Coast, are the formal names for the ticks that transmit the bacteria. Because of the high inhabitance of white-foot mice and deer in the northeast and upper mid-west, Lyme’s Disease is most prevalent in these areas. Ticks feed off of these hosts. Once the tick is infected with the Lyme’s Disease, it can transmit the disease to the next host after biting and being attached to the host for 36-48 hours.

What are the signs and symptoms of Lyme Disease? The disease often starts as a red rash at the site of the tick bite, appearing a week to a month after the bite. Other common symptoms include the following: fatigue, headache, neck stiffness, jaw discomfort, achy joints or muscles, slight fever, swollen glands, or reddening of the eyes. If any of these symptoms appear, medical attention should be obtained. If a pregnant or nursing woman is bitten by a tick and develops a rash or flu-like symptoms, the doctor should be contacted immediately.

Lyme Disease is treatable. Early detection equals easier treatment. Antibiotics are the treatment of choice.