Planned closures for three areas on the Okanogan National Forest are coming to the Tripod Complex Fire area, according to an announcement from the Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests.
     The Tripod Fire Burned Area Emergency Response Team began preparation for heli-mulching, which is the aerial application of straw, June 8.
     About 150 truckloads of straw will be brought into the area on Highway 20 over Loup Loup summit, according to the announcement.
     The straw will be brought through Winthrop and up the Chewuch River where it will be loaded onto smaller trucks and hauled to helispots in the Boulder Creek area.
     Trucks could not go up the Methow Valley because of state work on several Highway 153 bridges.
     Flying and application of the 1,000-pound bales of straw was scheduled to begin June 10-11.
     Because of safety concerns with the large amount of truck traffic and the aerial spreading of straw, forest area closures were implemented June 8. They are expected to 10-15 days, according to the forest Service announcement.
     Almost 4,200 acres of heli-mulching is planned on steeper, severely burned slopes.
     The straw helps protect fragile, erosion-prone soils from the effects of rain and runoff, protecting downstream resources and property, according to forest officials. About 8,500 acres were treated during the fall of 2006.
     The hauling of straw and helicopter work is being done by Columbia Basin Helicopters from Baker City, Ore., under contract with the Forest Service. Initially, two helicopters will be used, according to the announcement.
     Areas that will be closed entry include:
     - Beaver and Lightning Creek drainages, including the Starvation Mountain Road No. 4235.
     - Boulder Creek drainage, including the Road No. 37 from Bromas Creek to Roger Lake, and the Road No. 39 from Tiffany Springs to the Road No. 37 junction.
     - The west side of Tiffany Mountain, including the Road No. 39 and Road No. 37 from Baldy Pass to Road No. 39 near Roger Lake.
     Forest visitors, including personal and commercial mushroom collectors, are asked to comply with signs, gates and barricades in the areas, according to forest officials.
     Maps of the closure areas are available at Forest offices in Winthrop, Okanogan and Tonasket.
     Those offices also have additional information on BAER activities and closures.
     In addition, a Web site soon will be updated to include closure maps. The address is www.fs.fed.us/r6/oka/.
     Other fire rehab activities, including danger tree falling along major forest roads, hydro-mulching/seeding and road maintenance are continuing in the burned area, according to the Forest Service announcement.
     Travelers can expect some occasional short-term delays and closures of roads associated with the activities, the announcement continued.