Forest Service takes to the air

Wilderness scofflaws beware, the feds have eyes in the sky watching you.

The U.S. Forest Service cited two men on Feb. 12 when an aircraft spotted them riding snowmobiles in the Mokelumne Wilderness south of Lake Tahoe. Wilderness is off limits to motorized vehicles, but authorities say hundreds of riders trespass in the Eldorado National Forest annually.

“Trespassers don’t know when to expect us,” says Dennis Cullen, patrol captain for the Forest Service. “But when we’re up, we’ll find you.”

Bad weather scrubbed most patrols this winter. Authorities issued six citations so far, down from a dozen last winter. Violators face fines between $500 and $5,000 and up to six months in jail.

-- Charles Duhigg