Angeles National Forest Update

Angeles National Forest Closed to Public Through Winter

Angeles National Forest Winter of '08 | Photo by Ilana Gustafson Turner

One of my favorite locations in all of Los Angeles, the Angeles National Forest, as you know has been through one of the worst fires in recent history. There have been a lot of questions sent my way regarding the status of the trails and roads. According to their report, access to the Angeles Forest will be limited to residents and forest workers through winter. I will be sure to keep you posted as to any changes to this plan. Below you will find answers to some other Frequently Asked Questions posted by the National Forest. For now, please see our list of parks on the right column as many of these parks offer incredibly beautiful hiking opportunities as well.

For the full report visit http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/angeles/station/BAER/ANF%20Station%20Fire%20FAQs%2011%2004%2009%20Final.pdf

STATION FIRE INFORMATION – FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q:How and when did the Station Fire start? On Thursday afternoon, August 26, 2009, the Station Fire started on the Angeles National Forest, approximately 4 miles north of the town of La Cañada Flintridge, along the Angeles Crest Highway (State Route 2) in Southern California. The wildfire was determined to be human caused – to be the act of arson, and has the distinction of being the largest fire in Los Angeles County to-date.
Q:How many wildfires occur on each year on the Angeles National Forest?
This year there have been 162 wildfires on the Angeles National Forest, only 2 of which escaped initial attack (the Morris and Station fires). While these two fires were burning, the Forest had 21 new fire starts — all of which were caught (fully contained) at initial attack. As with all fires on the Angeles National Forest, the objective for firefighters was to put the fire out as safely and as quickly as possible.
Q:What is the size of the burned acres for the Station Fire?
The fire burned approximately 161,000 acres. Approximately 154,000 acres of Forest Service System and 6,700 acres of private lands were burned by the fire.
Q:What was the total cost of the Station Fire?
As of October 17, 2009, the cost to fully contain the fire is approximately $95,300,000.

FIRE DAMAGE

Q:How many Forest Service structures were destroyed or damaged by the Station Fire? Forest Service property that were entirely destroyed or damaged by the Station Fire are: 11 garages; 13 restroom facilities; 5 waste facilities; 1 lookout; 7 barracks; 2 communication sites; 2 pump houses; 10 water tanks; 6 bridges; 7 residences; 2 retaining walls; and 12 misc. buildings.
Q:Where is the destroyed and damaged Forest Service property located within the
burned area of the Station Fire?
All of the Forest Service structures in the Mill Creek area were entirely destroyed. Partially destroyed Forest Service structures were the Big Tujunga Fire Station and structures located in the Clear Creek, Red Box, Shortcut, Monte Cristo, North Fork, Chilao areas.
Q:How many (non-forest service) structures were destroyed or damaged by the Station
Fire?
The Station Fire destroyed approximately 89 residences and damaged 13 residences. Approximately 26 commercial buildings were destroyed and 22 commercial buildings were damaged by the fire. Outbuildings that were destroyed by the Station Fire total 94 structures and 22 structures were damaged by the fire.
Q:Were Forest Service campgrounds damaged by the Station Fire?
The Station Fire did damage many Forest Service campgrounds within the burned area of the fire.
Q:Which Forest Service campgrounds were damaged by the Station Fire?
Forest Service campgrounds damaged by the Station Fire are: Monte Cristo, Mt. Pacifico, Messenger Flats, Chilao, Valley Forge, West Fork, Devore, Millard and Gould Mesa. Forest Service picnic areas damaged by the fire are: Wildwood, Vogel Flat, Stoneyvale, Pines and Switzer.

FIRE IMPACTS

Q:How did the Station Fire impact the road system within the burned area? After the wildfire swept through the burned area, roads were left without guard rails, and regulatory and safety road signage making them unsafe for regular traffic. The damage to the surrounding land and hillsides also made the roads vulnerable to debris flow hazards during rain storm conditions. Because of this public safety danger, roads within the burned area are only open to residents, agency personnel, and construction crews. When storm forecasts for the burned area are issued, access to the Angeles Crest Highway (State Route 2), Big Tujunga Canyon Road, and Upper Big Tujunga Canyon Road may be closed to all traffic except emergency vehicles and Los Angeles County personnel.
Q:How did the Station Fire impact public recreation opportunities?
The fire burned acres within both the San Gabriel and Pleasant View Ridge Wildernesses.
Q:What are the effects on wildlife from the Station Fire? How do wildfires affect wildlife? Some animals on the edge of wildfires escape the flames by fleeing into unburned areas. Those farther from the fire perimeter probably did not have time to get out of the area successfully. When an intense fire is burning, it is a very confusing and scary place, resulting in panic-stricken animals. If you imagine yourself in a thick fog trying to find your way out, you can see how confusing it would be for animals trying to escape flames and dense smoke. After the Station Fire, Forest Service personnel have found many animals that perished or were severely injured, including bear, deer, bobcats, woodrats, coyotes, and birds. Some were not touched by flames but died from super-heated gases and lack of oxygen. Others lost their lives due to flames themselves.
Q:When will the fire damaged campgrounds be open to the public? Most campgrounds can be opened to the public when the Forest Closure is ended, even though some features are fire-damaged. Damaged tables, restrooms, etc. will be repaired or replaced within approximately six to nine months following availability of funds.
Q:How severe did the fire burn the soils and watershed?
Of the approximately 161,000 acres that were burned by the Station Fire, 18,100 acres were unburned/very low severity; 25,400 acres were low severity; 100,600 acres were moderate severity; and 16,900 acres were high severity burned.

FOREST CLOSURE WITHIN BURNED AREA

Q:Is the public allowed in the burned area of the Station Fire?
The burned area of the Angeles National Forest is closed to through traffic and the general public, except for residents that live within the burned area, utility companies, and state and local agencies.
Q:How long will the Angeles National Forest be closed to the public?
The burned area will remain closed through the winter storm season to keep the public out of harm’s way from flood/mud/debris flows, falling rocks and raveling hillslopes. We need the public’s support to keep out of the burned area for safety, and for watershed protection and recovery.
Last Updated: 11.04.2009

LONG-TERM RECOVERY EFFORTS

Q: What does the Forest Service plan to do for the recovery of the burned area of the Station Fire? The Forest Service utilizes non-emergency actions that are done within 3-years or more after fire containment to improve fire-damaged lands that are unlikely to recover naturally and to repair federal structures damaged by the fire that are not critical to life and safety. These actions may include restoring burned wildlife habitat, replacing burned fences, interpreting cultural sites, treating pre-existing noxious weed infestations, and installing interpretive signs.

L.A. Times: Give the Kids a Sketch Pad and Send them Outside

Children, you have until November 30th to submit your writing or visual artwork inspired by nature to the Get to Know contest!

Check out this L.A. Times article about this wonderful program:

Give the kids a sketch pad and send them outside

November 12, 2009 |  5:53 pm

Young Californians have two more weeks to grab a paint brush, camera or pen, spend time with some of their wild neighbors and create a potential winner in the Robert Bateman Get to Know Contest.

The Canadian program was imported to California this year under the sponsorship of the U.S. Forest Service, National Wildlife Federation, California State Parks and more than two dozen other organizations that want children to have some face time with nature.

Students can submit works of art, writing or photography to the contest, which is open to   California youngsters no older than 18.

The program was launched in 2000 by Canadian artist and naturalist Robert Bateman, known for his wildlife paintings.

Winners will be awarded prizes and their entries will be published in the 2011 contest calendar and on the Get to Know website.

For entry details, go to http://gettoknow.ca/us/contest/enter.php

– Bettina Boxall

Nature P.L.A.Y. Update

Just as the Angeles Forest must renew

… so too must the Nature P.L.A.Y. website.

Hold tight as we transform the way we bring you news, events, lessons, and ideas about

Nature Places for Los Angeles Youth.

We will be in full swing again in October! We look forward to seeing you then!

Thank you for your continued support.

- Ilana Gustafson Turner

6/13-6/21 CNI & Blueberry Atelier Partner with Natural History Museum!

See our June Calendar of Events for other local nature activities.

I urge all parents and educators to go see this exhibit on view at the Natural History Museum. Children’s Nature Institute is a leader in providing urban youth with nature experiences. I also had the opportunity to hear the director of Blueberry Atelier speak at last year’s CNI Urban Nature Week forum. Her perspective on education is moving and inspirational. Please go see what beauty this collaboration has acheived.

-Ilana Gustafson Turner

Information from the CNI website is below:

Join The Children’s Nature Institute and Blueberry Atelier as they present

“A Sense of Wonder, A Sense of Place: Viewing Nature Through the Images and Words of Our Children”

June 13-21, 2009

In partnership with The Natural History Museum’s Sustainable Sundays, this week-long interactive exhibit will feature the poetry and photography of budding environmentalists in Blueberry’s preschool class. Entrance to the event is included with the cost of museum admission.

Over the past year, Blueberry Atelier Family Child Care and The Children’s Nature Institute (CNI) have been working in collaboration to offer unique, hands-on nature experiences for the parents and children of Blueberry. Once a month, CNI educators, Blueberry teachers, parents and children embarked on an exploration of Temescal Canyon. This canyon became a classroom without walls; filled with places that fed our spirits, imaginations and souls. Through these dynamic experiences, nature came alive in the hands, hearts and minds of the children.

We invite you share this journey as seen through the eyes and ears of our children.

http://www.childrensnatureinstitute.org/index.html

California State Parks Threatened – More Than 80% Could Close

Humboldt Redwoods State Park is threatened

SAVE OUR STATE PARKS

“this is the worst threat to park system in its 150 year history” - California State Parks Foundation

For those of us who grew up in California, our childhoods are most likely marked by at least one experience in a state park. For those who relocated here, it is most likely pictures of the landscape that lured you and an experience in one of our state parks that made you feel that you made the right choice. The smell of campfire smoke mingled with ocean air at El Capitan State Beach. Avoiding banana slugs while traipsing through fern-lined trails under majestic giant redwoods in Humboldt State Park. Arriving in Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve State Park just in time to catch the brief but awesome hillside floral springtime spectacle. Having your breath taken away by the dramatic cliffs while driving the windy road to Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park.

Reading through the lengthy list of proposed state park closures my eyes well up with tears. As a familiar park name scrolls by I mourn for it like I would a friend. Great memories are tied to so many of these places. They have shaped me.  I wonder about those other unfamiliar names – the “friends” I’ve yet to meet – what will I be missing? What will the generations of children after me be missing?

I believe that we should be able to convince Schwarzenegger not to close these state treasures with our personal stories. However, just in case the qualitative doesn’t convince anyone, California State Parks Foundation has some convincing quantitative figures to throw into the argument. Please read what they have to say and write your own personal letters to your legislators today. Let’s give our children the opportunity to build their own memories.

- Ilana Gustafson Turner

Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve is threatened.

This is the information straight from the California State Parks Foundation:

“Imminent State Park Closings!

We have just learned the details of Governor Schwarzenegger’s budget plan that if approved will close at least 80% of California’s entire state park system.

Here is the list of the proposed park closures. [download .pdf here]

Beginning July 1st, the Governor will cut the parks core funding in half and then eliminate all core funding in twelve months.  Without this money, there will be no choice but to close the majority of our park system.

Even if you are not planning to visit a park soon, the governor’s short-sighted proposal will impact you and every California resident. It is the very definition of “penny-wise, pound foolish”. Consider the facts:

FACT: The General Fund budget that state parks receive account for less than 1/10 of one percent of the entire state budget.

FACT: Last year alone, there were over 80 million visitors to state parks – and all indications are that this year was going to be even higher.

FACT: For every dollar that funds the parks, $2.35 is returned to the state’s General Fund through economic activities in the communities surrounding the parks.

That means eliminating all funding for state parks could actually result in the state losing over $350 million dollars in revenue.

For the financial well-being of our state, we must oppose this reckless plan.  We have had the displeasure of notifying you of threats to our parks in the past.  But this is the worst threat to park system in its 150 year history.”

Name Change

Say goodbye to Where do the Children Play L.A. and Say hello to:

Nature P.L.A.Y.

Nature Places for Los Angeles Youth

Ballona Wetlands

Our name may be different, but our mission remains the same:

The purpose of Nature p.L.A.y. is to address a condition coined by Richard Louv, “Nature Deficit Disorder”, in Los Angeles children. Children are increasingly spending less time outdoors and many believe that this is linked to several health issues in our youth. We aim to open up a dialog about this condition and to serve as a resource for our community of Los Angelenos toward finding and building solutions. We can transform the image of Los Angeles from that of urban sprawl to a city that offers an abundance of natural resources for it’s children.

-Ilana Gustafson Turner