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SUMMARY OF THE LOS PADRES CONSERVATION & RECREATION ACT OF 2012 prepared by Los Padres ForestWatch On February 29, 2012, Congressman Elton Gallegly introduceed the Los Padres Conservation and Recreation Act of 2012 (“LPRCA”). Before the bill becomes law, it must bee approved by the House Committee on Natural Resources, a companion bill must be approved in the Senate, and then the final version of the bill must be signed by the President. The bill proposes five actions that would change how the Loss Padres National Forest is managed in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties: (1) it extends existing wilderneess boundaries by a total of 63,576 acres; (2) it establishes an 18,520‐acre Condor Ridge Scenic Area; (3) it adds 89 miles of backcountry rivers and streams to the national Wild and Scenic Rivers system; (4) it establishes two “OHV Areas” totaling 65,833 acres and three new OHV trails totaling 20 miles; and (5) it mandates a land exchange between the U.S. Forest Service and a local water district. The details of each of these issues are summarized below: 1. WILDERNESS ADDITIONS Section 101 of the LPRCA would extend the boundaries of three existing wilderness areas in the Los Padres National Forest, including: Dick Smith Wilderness (34,554 acres added, Santa Barbara & Venntura counties) – The bill would extend the southern boundary of the Dick Smith Wilderness to include the headwaters of Indian and Mono creeks, tributaries to the Santa Ynez River in Santa Barbara County. The U.S. Forest Service has classified these lands as “Areas of High Ecological Signnificance,” and has formally recommended them for wilderness designation. The bill also includes a small boundary extension eastward to include Bear Canyon, near Scenic Highway 33 in Ventura County. Matilija Wilderness (15,382 acres added, Ventura County) – The bill would extend the northern boundary of the Matilija Wilderness to include the headwaters off Sespe Creek near Potrero Seco. The U.S. Forest Service has formally recommended this area for wilderness designation. The bill would also extend the wilderness eastward to include Dry Lakes Ridge, where seasonal ponds provide habitat for several unique relict plant species and remant stands of ponderosa pines. Sespe Wilderness (13,640 acres added, Ventura Counnty) – The bill would extend the existing wilderness boundary westward to encompass lands between the Potrero John Trail and the Middle Sespe Trail, including the south face of Pine Mountain. It would also fill in three smaller gaps in the existing wilderness boundary – Boulder Canyon, Upper Piru Creek just downstream from the Fishbowls, and the area surrounding Thorn Meadows. 2. CONDOR RIDGE SCENIC AREA Section 301 of the LPRCA would establish an 18,520‐acre Condor Ridge Scenic Area along the crest of the Gaviota Coast in Santa Barbara County – an area that represents what is perhaps the last remaining opportunity to establish a new, stand‐alone protected area in the Los Padres National Forest. The area includes the southern, ocean‐facing side of the Santa Ynez Mountains between Refugio Canyon to the west, and Ellwood Canyon to the east. It also encompasses the northern side of the range, with views overlooking Lake Cachuma, the Santa Ynez Valley wine country, and the Santa Barbara backcountry. The area also contains habitat for rare plants that are found nowhere else on Earth, and provides an important backdrop to many local farms and ranches. The Scenic Area would only include national forest lands, not adjacent private lands or private inholdings. The bill would prohibit any uses that are inconsistent with the purpose of the Condor Ridge Scenic Area to “conserve, protect, and enhance the outstanding ecological, geological, scenic, recreational, archaeological, cultural, historic, and other resources of the scenic area.” The bill specifically states that the designation would have no impact on trail maintenance or construction, wildfire operations, or any other existing uses of the area (including water wells for local farms and ranches). The bill requires the U.S. Forest Service to prepare a management plan for the Scenic Area within three years, including measures to address extensive OHV trespass that currently occurs along West Camino Cielo Road. 3. WILD & SCENIC RIVERS Section 201 of the bill would add 89 miles of rivers and streams in the Los Padres National Forest to the national Wild and Scenic River system, including: Indian Creek (14.7 miles, Santa Barbara County) – The Indian Creek watershed drains much of the existing Dick Smith Wilderness, includes a primitive trail and several backcountry camps. The area includes a rich concentration of Native American rock art, and provides habitat for several threatened and endangered species, including arroyo toads and red‐legged frogs. Mono Creek (24.2 miles, Santa Barbara County) – The Mono Creek watershed encompasses the major addition to the Dick Smith Wilderness described above. It too includes a primitive trail and several backcountry camps, as well as striking rock formations and important habitat. Mono Creek empties into the Santa Ynez River near Gibraltar Reservoir, and is the source of clean drinking water for tens of thousands of local residents. Page 2 of 6 Upper Sespe Creek (11.5 miles, Ventura County) – The bill would formally protect an upper segment of Sespe Creek, from the confluence with Chorro Grande Creek to the confluence with Rock Creek. The U.S. Forest Service has formally recommended this stretch of creek for protection under the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act. The lower 31.5 miles of Sespe Creek was added to the national Wild and Scenic Rivers system in 1992. Upper Piru Creek (38.5 miles, Ventura County) – The bill would formally protect the upper half of Piru Creek, from its headwaters to the confluence with Buck Creek upstream of Pyramid Lake. The U.S. Forest Service has formally recommended this stretch of creek for protection under the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act. These streams and rivers would be added to the nation’s Wild & Scenic River system, which was established by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968. The Act protects our nation’s rivers that possess “outstandingly remarkable scenic, recreational, geologic, fish and wildlife, historic, cultural or other similar values” and preserves them in their free‐flowing condition. The protections afforded by the Act include the river itself, as well as a ¼ mile buffer on either side. 4. OHV AREAS AND TRAILS While protecting certain lands and rivers in the Los Padres National Forest, the bill also contains several other provisions that are unnecessary, controversial, costly, and potentially environmentally harmful, and ForestWatch opposes their inclusion in this bill. For example, Section 401 would require the Forest Service to allow motorized OHVs on 69 miles of roads that have been closed for several decades because of law enforcement and public safety issues, wildfire risk, and to protect sensitive historic and biological resources. Specifically, the following roads would be opened to motorized OHVs: McKinley Fire Trail (Santa Barbara County, 21 miles) – This fire road extends from Cachuma Saddle and eventually becomes a narrow trail before intersecting with Buckhorn Road, which is currently opened to ATVs and dirtbikes. This provision would allow motorized access to the old Santa Cruz Guard Station, a historic ranger cabin that is popular with mountain bikers, hikers, and equestrians and is used as a staging area for backcountry trail maintenance projects. Pendola Jeepway (Santa Barbara County, 10 miles) – This road bisects two pristine Inventoried Roadless Areas, and would increase fire risk to the adjacent watershed that feeds Jameson Lake, the water supply for tens of thousands of south coast residents. The bill would open this road to high‐clearance vehicles. Hildreth Jeepway (Santa Barbara County, 17 miles) – This road bisects two pristine Inventoried Roadless Areas and runs along the boundary of one of the proposed additions to the Dick Smith Wilderness. The bill would open this road to high‐clearance vehicles. Page 3 of 6 Arroyo Burro Road (Santa Barbara County, 5 miles) – This road extends from East Camino Cielo to Paradise Road, and would be opened to street‐legal vehicles. The road is popular with equestrians and hikers who stay at the adjacent Rancho Oso Guest Ranch. The northern terminus of this road crosses the Santa Ynez River, and the Forest Service does not even use this portion of the road for administrative use because it crosses through critical habitat for federally‐protected wildlife. Potrero Seco Road (Ventura County, 13 miles) – This road is currently opened from Highway 33 to the gate at Monte Arido, via a permit system designed to reduce the amount of illegal OHV trespass that the area historically received. This road has been closed since 2011 due to extensive storm damage. The bill would open this road to high‐clearance vehicles from the Hildreth Jeepway to Murietta Junction, requiring the Forest Service to install several costly gates on adjacent roads to prevent OHV trespass. Cherry Creek Road (Ventura County, 3 miles) – This road is currently closed to public motorized use from November through August each year to protect endangered steelhead, as the roadbed passes through Sespe Creek. This closure also significantly reduces the amount of illegal target shooting in this area, which was banned by court order last year due to the amount of trash left behind. These road openings are required without any environmental studies, and would conflict with how the Forest Service currently manages these roads as public non‐motorized trails. Opening these roads will require routine road maintenance, regular law enforcement presence, and increased search and rescue operations, all of which are costly for an agency that is already facing severe budget cuts. Moreover, opening these roads would likely increase wildfire risk and would potentially harm sensitive historic and biological resources that occur near the roads.
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