Gila NF to Accept Credit/Debit Cards May 22, 2013

Gila NF Provides Internal Training for Accepting Payment with Credit/Debit Cards for Over-the-Counter Sales

Silver City, NM; May 9, 2013--The Gila National Forest will be providing training on May 15 & 16, 2013, to Front Desk personnel at District Ranger offices on accepting payment using credit/debit cards for all over-the-counter sales for timber products such as firewood and vigas, forest and wilderness maps, range permittee billing, etc.

After the training and beginning May 22, 2013, all Forest offices will be accepting credit/debit cards for all over-the-counter purchases.

Due to the scheduled training and the unavailability of Front Desk personnel who sell these products to the public, several District Ranger offices will be unable to provide sales on May 15 & 16th. All Forest offices will be open for all other business.

The Black Range, Glenwood, Wilderness, and Quemado Ranger Districts including the Luna Work Center in Luna, NM, will be unable to sell these timber products and maps on May 15 & 16th. The Quemado Ranger District and the Luna Work Center will also be unable to provide sales on May 14th starting at 1:00 p.m. After these dates, normal sale of timber products and maps will resume.

The Silver City Ranger District will be unable to sell timber products on May 15th (Wednesday) but will be able to sell them on May 16th with map sales available during the two days of training. Reserve Ranger District will be available to sell all products and maps throughout the training period.

Please contact the local District Ranger office or the Supervisor’s Office, 575.388.8201, in Silver City for further information.

Wildfire & Emergency Support Vendors for USFS

FOREST SERVICE ANNOUNCES MEETING FOR VENDORS INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING WILDFIRES & OTHER EMERGENCY INCIDENTS

Silver City, NM; January 6, 2012--The USDA Forest Service, Southwestern Region, announces a meeting for vendors interested in providing resources to support wildfires and other emergency incidents on January 26, 2012, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. The meeting is scheduled via video teleconferencing (VTC) at multiple locations throughout New Mexico and Arizona.

In southwest New Mexico, the VTC is scheduled at the Gila National Forest Supervisor’s Office, 3005 E. Camino del Bosque, Silver City. To find the location of other VTC locations, call the Supervisor’s Office at 575.388.8201. Office hours: Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Learn about the registration required to become a government vendor, how to find and respond to a solicitation through the Virtual Incident Procurement (VIPR) system, and how to read and understand contract requirements for specific equipment.  The following resource types will be obtained by competitive solicitation for Fiscal Year 2012:

•           Mobile laundry units

•           Potable and gray water trucks/Trailer-mounted handwashing units

•           Portable toilets/Wheelchair accessible portable toilets/Portable handwash units

•           Fuel tenders

•           Aircraft Rescue Firefighting Apparatus (formerly Crash Rescue Trucks)

•           Miscellaneous Heavy Equipment (feller bunchers/masticators/road graders/skidders)

Although not an inclusive list, some other common types of equipment used to support  emergency incidents include: 

•           All terrain vehicles (ATVs) and Utility Vehicles (UTVs)

•           Chainsaw repair kits

•           Chippers

•           Coach bus

•           Computers and Printers

•           Copiers

•           Heavy Equipment (dozers/excavators/transports)

•           Mechanic with Service Truck

•           Mobile Sleeper Units

•           Vehicle rentals (passenger vehicles and trucks without operators)

•           Vehicle with Driver (usually owned by individuals or small business and used to haul supplies)

•           Water Handling Equipment (support & tactical water tenders and engines)

Interested vendors can also obtain information about VIPR on the Internet at http://www.fs.fed.us/business/incident/vipr.php.  Current solicitation notices are published on the Internet at https://www.fbo.gov.  Enter VIPR into the search box.                      - End -

#WallowFire Personal-use fuelwood permits August 23

August 16: Personal-use fuelwood permits for Wallow Burn Area available on Springerville and Alpine Districts beginning August 23

Release Date: Aug 16, 2011
Contact(s): Pamela Baltimore or Brienne Magee 928-333-6263

The Springerville and Alpine Districts of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests will be issuing permits beginning August 23 for personal-use fuelwood collection in select portions within the Wallow burn perimeter. Though crews continue to work diligently to provide safer conditions along Forest Service roads, many hazards still exist throughout the burn area including falling trees, flooding, mudslides and rockslides. Permittees are responsible for their own safety and should always Look Up, Look Down, and Look All Aroundwhen entering the forest.

Permits can be obtained from the Springerville and Alpine district offices beginning Tuesday, August 23. All permits are $5.00 per cord, require a minimum purchase of 4 cords, and are valid until December 30, 2011. Each household is limited to 10 cords per year.

The permit allows the collection of fuelwood within 150 feet from any Forest Service numbered road unless vehicles will cause resource damage, and except in closure areas or where fuelwood collection is normally restricted such as campgrounds and Wilderness areas. In addition, portions of some roads and areas are currently unavailable for personal-use fuelwood collection because they are part of an active timber sale. These areas will be marked with signs.

The cost and regulations apply to the Wallow fire perimeter only, as designated on the permit map.

Permits for other districts of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests are also available for purchase. For information about these permits, contact the local ranger station.

The permittee must be present upon purchase of any fuelwood permit, as well as during fuelwood collection. Load tags will be issued as part of each permit. Tags must be physically attached to each ¼ cord of firewood and visible from the rear of the vehicle.

For additional information, contact the Springerville Ranger District at 928-333-4372 or Alpine Ranger District at 928-339-5000. Hazards fuelwood collectors should be cautious of within the burn perimeter can be viewed on the forest Flickr page, http://www.flickr.com/photos/apachesitgreavesnf.