To all APO users, particularly those who plan a site visit during the next two months: First, apologies to those of you receiving multiple copies of this (ah, the joys of overlapping list servers). Due to the extraordinary high risk of forest fire, the US Forest Service today imposed an indefinite closure of most of the Lincoln National Forest, including the Sunspot/APO region. What this means is that access to the forest by the general public is prohibited except on public roads, most recreational activities are curtailed, and no open fires are allowed. Smoking is allowed only in closed vehicles and buildings (and not in any of the buildings at APO). The observatory remains open under these strictures, and visitors and users who plan to come to the site should be prepared to observe the travel, open fires, and smoking restrictions. If you are stopped by the authorities while coming to or commuting to and from APO, just tell them that you are working at APO and that you're aware of the restrictions. I advise you to call the site if you are unsure about conditions or need clarification about forest closure policy. Also, if a forest fire happens near the observatory and creates a threat to life and property, we have plans for the evacuation of visitors and staff to a safe location. These high-risk conditions are likely to persist until the summer monsoon rains, probably through mid-July. Bruce Gillespie APO Site Manager APO APO APO APO APO Apache Point Observatory 3.5m APO APO APO APO APO This is message 65 in the apo35-general archive. You can find APO the archive on http://astro.princeton.edu:82/apo35-general/INDEX.html APO To join/leave the list, send mail to apo35-request@astro.princeton.edu APO To post a message, mail it to apo35-general@astro.princeton.edu APO APO APO APO APO APO APO APO APO APO APO APO APO APO APO APO APO