In an attempt to clear trees in the Wayne National Forest more quickly, U.S. Forest Service personnel will trade in their chainsaws for a more creative landscaping tool : dynamite.

Teams of fireline blasting technicians were flown in from Montana and Minnesota to begin blasting Wednesday to help clear fallen trees and reopen all facilities as soon as possible, said Robert Beanblossom, an employee of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Beanblossom is acting as public information officer for the Ironton Ranger district during clean-up efforts.

"Many of the trees are so severely damaged and hazardous there is no way to cut them down," Beanblossom said. "The blasting will facilitate the opening of the recreation areas and insure the safety of the crews working."

The dynamite will be used to blast the bases of trees that have partially fallen. Blasting will be done during daylight hours for at least a week, maybe longer, depending on what the crews find, Beanblossom said.

"It is quite possible residents could hear the explosions," he said. "However, we do not anticipate any noise-related problems."

The primary area that will be focused on is the Lake Vesuvius Recreation Area and the lakeside trails, he said.

About 20 workers from other national forests across the northeast part of the country have been in the Wayne since last week helping with the clean-up efforts.

The U.S. Forest Service temporarily closed all recreation areas and roads within the Ironton Ranger District March 7 until April 15 or further notice.

The closure includes all campgrounds and trails at the Lake Vesuvius Recreation Area and the Hanging Rock and Pine Creek ATV trails. Roads maintained by the forest service, including Forest Road 105 that enters the Hanging Rock ATV trails, Pine Creek South Road and Telegraph Ridge Road, are also closed until further notice.

All roads and recreation areas will be reopened as soon as the cleanup is completed. Announcements will be made once the closure is lifted for each area. Visitors may check the Wayne National Forest's Web site at www.fs.fed.us/r9/ wayne or call the district office at 532-6500 for more information.