Inyo National Forest | Food and Refuse Storage Restrictions

Food and Refuse Storage Restrictions

This Forest Order prohibits food and refuse in locations in Exhibits A and C-J, unless stored in a bear-resistant container. Food and refuse in locations shown in Exhibit B must be stored in a bear-resistant container OR counter-balanced at least 15 feet above the ground and 10 feet horizontally from a tree trunk.
Please click on the PDF version for all Exhibit maps C - J. The website will not allow for more JPG formats to be uploaded than what is below.

Alert Start Date: June 18th, 2023

Alert End Date: June 18th, 2027

Order Number: 05-04-50-23-03

Associated Documents

Food and Refuse Storage Order with Exhibit A Food and Refuse Storage Order with Exhibits B - J

Forest Order

FOREST ORDER NO. 05-04-50-23-03
INYO NATIONAL FOREST
FOOD AND REFUSE STORAGE RESTRICTIONS

Pursuant to 16 U.S.C. § 551 and 36 C.F.R. § 261.50(a), and to provide for public safety and protect wildlife, the following act is prohibited within the Inyo National Forest. This Order is effective from June 18, 2025, through June 18, 2027.

Possessing or storing any food or refuse in:

The locations described in Exhibit A and shown on Exhibits C through J, unless the food or refuse is stored in a container designed to prevent access by bears; or
In all other portions of the Ansel Adams, Boundary Peak, Golden Trout, Hoover, Inyo Mountains, John Muir, Owens River Headwaters, South Sierra, and White Mountains Wilderness Areas that are located within the Inyo National Forest, as shown on Exhibit B, unless the food or refuse is stored in a container designed to prevent access by bears or counter-balanced at least 15 feet above the ground and 10 feet horizontally from a tree trunk.

36 C.F.R. § 261.58(cc).

Pursuant to 36 C.F.R. § 261.50(e), the following persons are exempt from this Order:

Any Federal, State, or local officer, or member of an organized rescue or fire-fighting force in the performance of an official duty.

This prohibition is in addition to the general prohibitions contained in 36 C.F.R. Part 261, Subpart A.

A violation of this prohibition is punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000 for an individual or $10,000 for an organization, or imprisonment for not more than six months, or both. 16 U.S.C. § 551 and 18 U.S.C. §§ 3559, 3571, and 3581.

Executed in Bishop, California, this 17th day of June, 2025.

LESLEY YEN

Forest Supervisor

Inyo National Forest