8 barred from national forests
Eight Santa Barbara County residents have been banned from all national forests for one year after pleading guilty last month in federal court to violating fire restrictions in Los Padres National Forest.
They entered their pleas Nov. 21 in Santa Barbara and received fines ranging from $200 to $300 for crimes that included illegal target shooting, and “building, maintaining or attending” a campfire, said Kathy Good, a spokeswoman for Los Padres National Forest.
She said the banned people banned are Joshua Braswell and Spencer Cook, both of Carpinteria; Giovanni Aceves, Tony Ascension-Merchorno, Noe Chora, Enrique Cortez, and Addy Peig, all of Santa Barbara; and Kyle Kauppinen, of Lompoc.
None of the violations, all committed Sept. 13-21, resulted in a wildfire, she said.
Campfires, charcoal barbecues and target shooting were prohibited in all areas of Los Padres National Forest since the U.S. Forest Service increased fire restrictions July 18.
On Tuesday, the Forest Service said it would lower the restrictions starting Friday because of cooler weather and recent rains that decreased the fire risk.
-- Tami Abdollah
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