EXERCISE CARE WHEN VISITING THE FOREST.

Byline: Jody Cook

With the peak outdoor recreation season under way, many folks are heading to the hills to enjoy all the season has to offer - from camping and picnicking to mountain-biking and hunting. Are you planning a trip soon to your local national forest? If so, please consider this:

The four national forests of Southern California - Angeles, Cleveland, San Bernardino and Los Padres - encompass some 3.8 million acres between the border with Mexico and the Big Sur coast. Blessed with an amazing variety of landscapes and natural resources, the forests provide benefits every day to millions of people.

These include much-needed open space in an increasingly urban environment, recreation opportunities of all kinds, an essential water supply for downstream communities, a giant learning laboratory for the study of nature and conservation methods, and the only remaining habitat for many kinds of plants and animals - including some 450 species identified as threatened, endangered, sensitive or cause for concern.

Many of us regularly enjoy the pleasures that forests offer, yet how many give much thought to the consequences of our personal behavior toward plants and animals that live in the wild? By following these 10 simple practices when visiting the forest, you can help ensure the well-being of animals that live there:

--Avoid or walk with care in delicate streamside areas and creek shallows.

--Practice low-impact camping.

--Be ``firewise'' at all times.

--Use ''wildfire-friendly'' antifreeze in your recreational vehicle.

--If you use pack animals, bring only weed-free feed to prevent the spread of noxious weeds.

--Abide by seasonal closures of wildlife's crucial breeding and rearing areas.

--If you are a hunter, bury game remains and use safer, nonlead ammunition to avoid accidental poisoning of condors and other scavengers.

--Keep your pet on a leash and under your control at all times.

--Never release unwanted pets or ``urban wildlife'' in the forest.

--Volunteer a few hours each month in your local forest.

The Southern California national forest services are now revising their strategic management plans. This is a great opportunity to help craft the future of these public lands. If you would like to learn more about the planning effort and how you can participate, contact your local Forest Service office or visit the Web site at www.fs.fed.us/r5/scfpr.

Maintaining healthy ecosystems for the benefit of people and wildlife is an enormous challenge, one that requires the wisdom, commitment and involvement of all who care about national forests.

While we have many complex problems to address in the years ahead, we can each take simple steps now to ensure a better future for our public lands. Remember, every forest visitor can make a difference.