Wilderness Food and Refuse Storage

Forest Order No. 05-15-00-26-03 USDA Forest Service Sierra National Forest
Wilderness Food and Refuse Storage

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 those portions of the Ansel Adams, John Muir, Dinkey Lakes, Kaiser, and Monarch Wilderness Areas that are located within the Sierra National Forest, as shown on Exhibit A. This order is effective from May 22, 2026, through May 22, 2028.

1. Possessing or storing any food or refuse, unless 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:

1. Persons with Forest Service Permit No. FS-7700-48 (Permit for Use of Roads, Trails, or Areas Restricted by Regulation or Order), specifically exempting them from this Order.
    
2. 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 Clovis, California, on May 21, 2026.
 

DEAN A. GOULD
Forest Supervisor Sierra National Forest