Shawnee National Forest

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Newsroom

• SHAWNEE NATIONAL EARLY DETECTION AND RAPID RESPONSE REMOVES AQUATIC INVASIVE 
  Harrisburg, IL - December 30, 2008 - A kayaking trip on Dutchman Lake in early September, 2008, turned into an adventure in early detection and rapid response for Melissa Mead, Student Career Employment Program ecologist for the Shawnee National Forest, when she collected water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), an invasive aquatic plant species, for the first time on the Forest. >>>Read More
  
  

• HIDDEN SPRINGS VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
  Harrisburg, IL, December 12, 2008 - The Hidden Springs Ranger District of the Shawnee National Forest will expand their list of volunteer opportunities to include an Adopt-a-Trail program. >>>Read More



• Message from Shawnee National Forest to Hunters and Other Visitors
  Harrisburg, IL, November 14, 2008 - In light of hunting season, the Forest Service reminds all visitors, both hunters and non-hunters, about appropriate use of firewood and deer stands. >>>Read More



• FEE FREE DAY FOR VETERANS AND U. S. ARMED FORCES, NOVEMBER 11, 2008
  Harrisburg, IL, November 3, 2008 - Shawnee National Forest Supervisor Allen Nicholas is announcing fees at five campgrounds on the Forest will be waived on Veteran’s Day, Tuesday, November 11, 2008 for veterans, service men and women, and their families. >>>Read More



• FOREST SERVICE CHIEF’S AWARD PRESENTED TO WILDERNESS TRAIL CREW
  Harrisburg, IL, October 30, 2008 - The Shawnee National Forest, Hidden Springs Ranger District Wilderness Trail Crew was chosen as recipients of the Traditional Skills and Minimum Tool Leadership Forest Service Chief’s Award for work done in the Lusk Creek Wilderness. >>>Read More



• OAKWOOD BOTTOMS GREENTREE RESERVOIR UPDATE
  Harrisburg, IL, October 28, 2008 - Mississippi Bluffs District Ranger Dan Lentz announces that part of the traditionally flooded units in the Oakwood Bottoms Greentree Reservoir will not be flooded for the upcoming waterfowl hunting season. >>>Read More



• JOHNSON CREEK ROAD REOPENED
  Harrisburg, IL, October 28, 2008 - Mississippi Bluffs District Ranger Dan Lentz announces the re-opening of Forest Road #724 into Johnson Creek Recreation Area on Kinkaid Lake in Jackson County, Illinois. >>>Read More



• SHAWNEE NATIONAL FOREST HONORS VOLUNTEERS Harrisburg, IL, October 7, 2008 – Forest Supervisor, Allen Nicholas, is announcing that five individuals have been awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Award (Award), a prestigious national honor offered in recognition of volunteer service. >>> Read More



• AREA TRAILS IMPACTED BY REMNANTS OF HURRICANE IKE Harrisburg, IL, October 3, 2008 – The Shawnee National Forest Mississippi Bluffs District Ranger is notifying visitors that some of the Forest’s most popular trails sustained major damage as the remnants of Hurricane Ike roared through southern Illinois in September. >>>Read More
  
  
• ONE LOOP OF POUNDS HOLLOW CAMPGROUD AND BEACH ARE RE-OPENED
  Harrisburg, IL, September 19, 2008 – The Hidden Springs District Ranger would like to announce the re-opening of the Pounds Hollow beach and one loop of the Pine Ridge Campground. >>>Read More



• PRESCRIBED BURNS PLANNED ON SHAWNEE NATIONAL FORESTS
  Harrisburg, IL, September 17, 2008 – The Shawnee National Forest Supervisor is announcing 34 planned prescribed burns in the next fiscal year. Operations are tentatively scheduled to begin in September and continue through April 2009. >>>Read More



• Pounds Hollow Campground and Beach Temporarily Closed
  Harrisburg, IL, September 15, 2008 – The Hidden Springs District Ranger has temporarily closed the Pounds Hollow Campground and Beach in Gallatin County. >>>Read More



• Shawnee National Forest Hosts Americorp Team During Fall 2008
  Harrisburg, IL, September 9, 2008 – The Shawnee National Forest is once again hosting an AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) Team from the Denver, Colorado campus this year. >>>Read More



• Eastern Region Recreation Resource Advisory Committee Fall Meeting Announced
  HARRISBURG, IL, September 8, 2008 – The Forest Service Eastern Region Recreation Resource Advisory Committee (Recreation RAC) will meet in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Wednesday, October 8, 2008. >>>Read More



• TOWER ROCK AND IRON FURNACE RECREATION AREA UPDATES
  Harrisburg, IL, August 27, 2008 - The Hidden Springs District Ranger is announcing that Tower Rock Campground gate has been opened and is available for primitive camping. >>>Read More



• RECREATION FEE PROPOSAL
  Harrisburg, IL, August 26, 2008 - Shawnee National Forest Supervisor, Allen Nicholas, announced, based on several months of public comment, a final recreation fee proposal will be submitted for consideration. >>>Read More



• WATER PUMPS REMOVED FROM PINE RIDGE CAMPGROUND
  Harrisburg, IL, July 22, 2008 – Acting District Ranger Tim Pohlman of the Hidden Springs Ranger District of the Shawnee National Forest announced today he has ordered the water pumps removed from the Pine Ridge Campground at Pounds Hollow. >>>Read More



• Harrisburg, IL, August 1, 2008 - Mississippi Bluffs District Ranger announces the re-opening of the Pine Hills Campground. Forest Road #236 between the Trail of Tears State Forest Road and McGee Hill in Union County, Illinois is now open to vehicular traffic. >>>Read More



• Harrisburg, IL, May 20, 2008 - The Shawnee National Forest’s Mississippi Bluffs Ranger District and the Shawnee Mountain Bike Association co-hosted a trails workday on Saturday, May 3, 2008. >>>Read More



• Johnson Creek Campground Access Road Temporarily Closed - Harrisburg, IL, May 16, 2008 – The Mississippi Bluffs District Ranger has closed the Johnson Creek Campground access road to all vehicular traffic.  >>>Read More
• Tower Rock & Iron Furnace Recreation Area Updates - Harrisburg, IL, May 16, 2008 – The Hidden Springs Acting District Ranger has closed the Tower Rock Campground and Picnic Area, as a result of flooding damage and debris. The site will remain closed until further notice. >>>Read More




• SHAWNEE NATIONAL FOREST PROPOSES NEW FEES

  Harrisburg, Il, March 27, 2008 - The Shawnee National Forest has extended the comment period from April 15, 2008, to June 30, 2008, for the proposal to charge user fees at eight national forest day-use recreation sites and for bridle tag fees on designated trails. The proposal is based on the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act that was enacted in 2004. >>>Read More



• TWO FIRE TRUCKS DONATED TO LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENTS
  The Shawnee National Forest, with assistance from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), acquired two surplus federal wildland fire trucks. Photo gallery Photo Gallery



• DESIGNATED TRAIL USE ONLY IN FOUR WATERSHEDS
  Harrisburg, IL, January 22, 2007 –Today Forest Supervisor Allen Nicholas announced equestrian use will be limited to designated trails in the Eagle Creek, Big Grande Pierre, Lusk Creek and Upper Bay Creek watersheds in Gallatin, Hardin, Johnson, Pope and Saline counties of the Hidden Springs Ranger District.



• The Shawnee National Forest invites the public to an open house to evaluate the proposed burning of tornado-damaged areas. Legal Notice



• Shawnee National Forest Fills Middle Mississippi River Partnership Coordinator Position.



• Also see our Volunteer Project Calendar

News releases are provided to inform the public on ongoing programs, activites and current issues concerning the forest. To find out what is going on nationally, you can visit the Forest Service Washington Office Newsroom. Please select a year from the dropdown menu.

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