Local canyon residents, community leaders and other forest-using residents of Orange County and even members of the OCFA have collectively said that the recent Jim Fire being caused by the USFS is the last straw! Simply put, Trabuco District Ranger Darrel Vance must be removed from his position and replaced with a more suitable candidate, one the public can trust.

The Jim fire erupted when the USMC contracted by the USFS used explosives to blow up historic trout dams in Holy Jim Canyon. Even though it was a hot day and low humidity levels hovered around 16-18% neither Darrel Vance nor anyone else at the USFS Trabuco District had the sense to postpone the use of explosives. Nor did they have the sense to position fire crews on Main Divide should a fire start. Video evidence from Santiago Peak cameras shows the fire erupted immediately following the use of these explosives in an area just below Holy Jim Falls.

While the fire was raging USFS spokesperson Nathan Judy gave little or no information on the cause nor situation. The USFS since announced they would be investigating the USMC for their part in starting the fire. This enraged local residents who smelled a cover up.

Darrel Vance has a known history of placing low priority on the public's access to the forest. This was demonstrated by a lengthy 3+ year closure of the most popular areas of the Trabuco District following the Holy fire in 2018 that include Holy Jim and Trabuco Canyon. During that period, no efforts were made to re-open these trails yet two bridges were built in Holy Jim Canyon to facilitate steelhead trout habitat.

Last Fall small portions of the forest were re-opened following the Holy Fire but no plans were announced to re-establish the Trabuco Trail and the Holy Jim Trail was kept closed above the Holy Jim Falls, despite having received no damage from the Holy Fire.

As an example of the community's feeling in general here is an excerpt from social media:

-- "Darrell Vance, the District Ranger, is known for considering the public's access to our forest a low priority, both by advocacy groups that have worked to keep the trails open and former employees of the Forest Service that have since retired; no public in the Forest - less work."

The primary purpose of this campaign is to let Darrel Vance's superiors know is no longer an effective liaison between the Forest Service and the people who use the Forest. Community and recreational group leaders no longer engage him, listen to him, follow his directives, or heed his warnings. Essentially this is a universal request to replace him with a Ranger who will use common sense, communicate with the people, and not engage in incompetent behavior just to complete a Forest Service project.

If you don't trust Darrel Vance to protect the Trabuco District nor to allow us taxpayers proper access to our forest, then please sign this petition and share with others.