A new U.S. Forest Service project aims to convert miles of damaged dirt road into non-motorized trail in the Los Padres National Forest.
Forest Service officials released an environmental assessment for the La Brea Restoration Project on July 23. The work would involve repairing road destroyed by major flooding about a decade ago along the edge of the San Rafael Wilderness.
Environmentalists say the project would also improve federally protected “critical habitat” for endangered California red-legged frogs and southern steelhead in La Brea Creek, a tributary to the Sisquoc River.
The targeted area took heavy damage during the 2009 La Brea Fire, which scorched much of the canyon bearing the same name southeast of Highway 166. In the years following the fire, floods wreaked havoc on La Brea Canyon Road—a rugged, remote, dirt byway—and a nearby motorcycle trail. This past year, the Forest Service proposed a restoration project to convert the road and trail to non-motorized trails open to hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking.
The agency’s proposal to convert the roads to non-motorized use will improve habitat for threatened and sensitive animals, as well as water quality, according to environmental groups.
“We support the Forest Service’s efforts to convert heavily damaged roads near the San Rafael Wilderness to non-motorized trails,” ForestWatch conservation director Bryant Baker stated. “This project also comes at a time when the agency has a road maintenance backlog of $117 million and continued budget cuts, so it would help move the agency toward a more sustainable road system over the long term.”
Los Padres Forest Public Information Officer Andrew Madsen told the Sun the Forest Service simply didn’t have the financial resources to go back and restore the area to its former state and would need help from nonprofits, environmentalists, and recreation groups to fund the projects.
The draft environmental assessment has four proposed alternative trail projects, including one 6-mile dirtbike and ATV route along a ridgeline through the middle of the Horseshoe Springs Roadless Area. The area is currently protected with a “semi-primitive non-motorized” land use zoning classification and would require an “immense amount of environmental documentation and a complex amendment” to the Los Padres National Forest Land Management Plan, according to Baker.
“Developing a new off-road vehicle trail through the area would contradict the Forest Service’s plans to restore the area that supports several threatened and sensitive animals as well as an important tributary to the wild and scenic Sisquoc River,” he added.
Madsen said the projects had interest from multiple groups, including motorcyclists, and that the Forest Service was attempting to reach an agreement beneficial to all parties.
“We are trying to find that balance, that medium between the interest of both of those groups to come up with a solution that obviously isn’t going to make everyone happy, but we want to get some kind of balance in there,” he said.
The public has until Aug. 20 to submit comment on the project. More information and one way to submit public comments online can be found at lpfw.org/brea. Written comments may be mailed to the Santa Lucia Ranger District, Attn: Melody Fountain, 1616 Carlotti Drive, Santa Maria, CA, 93454; or hand delivered to the Santa Lucia Ranger District office located at the address above during business hours (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). Electronic comments may be submitted using the “Comment on Project” link on the right-hand side of the project’s webpage.
The Forest Service will consider the public’s comments before making a final decision sometime later this year.
This article appears in Jul 26 – Aug 2, 2018.