Los Padres National Forest - Projects & Plans http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/lospadres/projects/lmp/

Los Padres National Forest

Los Padres National Forest - Forest Plan

Forest Plan Available

This plan will provide strategic guidance for management of the forest for the next 10-15 years. Southern California Forest Plans »

Los Padres National Forest Forest Plan Highlights

The revised Forest Plan for Los Padres National Forest:

Provides strategic management direction for the 1.78 million acres of Los Padres National Forest for the next 10-15 years. Is based on the concept of adaptive management. The plan will be adjusted as new science and knowledge become available and we identify where change is needed based on the results of field monitoring. The public is encouraged to help with plan implementation and monitoring by working with their local District Ranger. Emphasizes the protection of communities from catastrophic fire by setting the stage to work cooperatively with adjacent communities to develop and implement projects reducing hazardous fuels. Places the highest priority on protecting lives and property. Provides for the anticipated increase in recreation demand and changes in recreation trends with emphasis on improving and adapting existing recreation facilities and systems before adding new ones. Establishes seven Land Use Zones and identifies management emphasis and suitable uses and activities within those zones. The zones include: Developed Area Interface Existing Wilderness Recommended Wilderness Backcountry Backcountry Motorized Use Restricted (administrative access only, no public motorized access) Backcountry Non-motorized Critical Biological Protects forest ecosystems and promotes forest health including emphasis on improving conditions for wildlife and botanical resources, including all threatened and endangered species, in all land use zones. The plan also provides additional management standards to guide all future activities and projects. The plan establishes Critical Biological Zones to provide an added measure of protection in small focused areas where there are active or potential conflicts with public use. Makes a preliminary recommendation to Congress that 35,821 acres be added to the existing Wildernesses in LPNF. There are currently 860,678 acres of wilderness. If Congress designates all 35,821 acres, LPNF will have a total of 896,499 acres of Wilderness encompassing over 50 percent of the forest. Access in Congressionally designated Wilderness is by foot or horseback only and motorized or mechanized travel, including mountain bikes, is prohibited. Wilderness is recommended in these areas: Dick Smith (32,273 acres) Matilija (2,822 acres) Chumash Wilderness (726 acres) Makes a preliminary recommendation to Congress that 68.4 miles be added to the Wild and Scenic Rivers System in LPNF. (If designated by Congress, this would bring the total miles of W&S Rivers within LPNF to 152.4 miles.) The recommended rivers included the following: Arroyo Seco River: 18.4 miles Piru Creek: 38.5 miles Upper Sespe Creek: 11.5 miles Establishes five new Research Natural Areas (RNA's). These will serve as areas for the study of ecosystems and ecological processes. (This brings the total number of RNA's in LPNF to nine.) The new RNA's include: Big Pine Mountain (Santa Barbara Ranger District) Sawmill Mountain (Mt. Pinos Ranger District) White Mountain (Mount Pinos Ranger District) Valley Oak (Monterey Ranger District) Ventana Cones (Monterey Ranger District) Establishes four new Special Interest Areas. These areas are managed to protect their unusual characteristics and provide opportunities for research, public education and interpretation. (This brings the total number of SIA's in the LPNF to twelve.) The new SIA's include: Foster Bear Ponds (Mount Pinos Ranger District) Camatta (Santa Lucia Ranger District) Milpitas (Monterey Ranger District) Mono Basin (Santa Barbara Ranger District)

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Sets direction for future management of recreational target shooting. Forest managers will work with the public in a future process to identify specific areas where target shooting will be permitted. Once the specific areas have been designated, all other areas of the forest will be closed to target shooting. Until the areas are designated, target shooting will continue as currently managed. This new direction does not affect legal hunting. Sets direction for future management of mountain bike travel in the forest. The goal is to have mountain bikes travel only on forest system roads and trails with no cross-country travel permitted. Forest managers will work with public in a future process to identify a strategy. Continues to require that motorized vehicles travel only on the established system of designated roads and trails. Land use zoning identifies areas where future additional motorized recreation opportunities would be suitable, but only after site-specific study with public input. The plan does not affect the current off-highway vehicle system. Maintains the forest's current transportation (roads and trails) system. The LPNF's overall transportation system is largely in place, and very little if any planned expansion is expected over the next 10-15 years. Forest managers will continue to examine, with the public's help, all "non-system" roads and trails (these are generally "user-created") for possible decommissioning or adding to the forest system.

2006 Record of Decision (pdf 820kb) Part 1: Southern California National Forests Vision (pdf 6.4mb) Part 2: Los Padres Strategy (pdf 10.6mb) Errata for Part II (pdf 29kb) Part 3: Design Criteria for the Southern California National Forests (pdf 2.1mb) Final Environmental Impact Statement: Executive Summary (pdf 557kb) Chapters 1 through 5 (pdf 6.9mb) Appendices (pdf 11.5mb) Errata for Published Documents (pdf 141kb)

Please visit the Southern California Forest Plans web site to view all the details and documents.

En español: El Servicio Forestal de los Estados Unidos anuncia la finalización de los planes de manejo de tierras para los cuatro bosques nacionales del sur de California. más

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