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September 14, 2009
Stimulus
Projects Approved for Los Padres National Forest, Carrizo Plain
List Includes
Trail Maintenance, Road Repairs, Reconstruction of Ranger
Stations; Forest Service List is Short on Habitat Restoration
Projects
Last week, the U.S. Forest
Service finally provided ForestWatch with a list of projects
funded with the economic stimulus dollars passed by Congress
back in February. The list was obtained after repeated requests
to the agency over the past seven months, prompting ForestWatch
to file an appeal to top forest officials in Washington, D.C.
In stark contrast, the U.S.
Bureau of Land Management - the agency charged with managing the
Carrizo Plain National Monument - provided us with their
approved list back in June, without hesitation.
Congress passed the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act (commonly called the "Stimulus
Bill") in February 2009 in hopes of
reviving the
economy and creating millions of jobs. The bill dedicated $650
million to the U.S. Forest Service nation-wide for "road
maintenance and decommissioning, deferred maintenance work,
abandoned mine cleanup, and other related critical habitat,
forest improvement, and watershed enhancement projects."
 Just
days after the stimulus bill was passed, ForestWatch submitted a
letter to the Los Padres National Forest Supervisor, suggesting
that forest officials seek stimulus funding for several specific
habitat restoration and watershed projects. By mid-February
2009, each national forest had submitted a list of potential
projects to Forest Service headquarters in Washington, D.C. We
immediately requested a copy of that list from the Los Padres
National Forest, hoping to see if any of our recommendations
made the cut. Our requests were repeatedly denied, prompting us
to file a formal appeal to the Chief of the Forest Service in
Washington, D.C. under the Freedom of Information Act. Top
forest officials there denied our appeal as well, making us
wonder what was on that list that the Forest Service didn't want
us to see. It also made us wonder what happened to the promise
that stimulus funding would be a "transparent" process.
Los Padres National Forest
Stimulus Projects
Earlier this month, the Los
Padres National Forest released their final list of stimulus
projects. We still don't know which projects didn't make the
cut, and we still don't know a lot of details about each of
these projects, very few of which have actually been approved.
We also don't know why there isn't a single "critical habitat"
or "watershed enhancement" project on this list. But here's what
we do know about the projects that the Forest Service will
implement on the Los Padres using stimulus dollars:
- Pine Mountain Club
Hazardous Fuels Reduction - This project, approved last
year, authorized vegetation clearing across 1,865 acres on
and around Cerro Noroeste (also called Mt. Abel) in Ventura
County. The project included the removal of old-growth
conifers on Cerro Noroeste where endangered California
condors are known to roost and rest during long-distance
flights between nesting and feeding areas. After sending the
Forest Service our 60-day notice of intent to sue for
violations of the Endangered Species Act, the Forest Service
agreed to not work in any of the condor habitat areas until
after it consulted with condor biologists at the U.S. Fish &
Wildlife Service. That consultation is still ongoing.
Vegetation clearing started last year in some of the
uncontested areas close to the Pine Mountain Club community.
- Camino Cielo Fuelbreak
- This project was approved in 2007. ForestWatch has
requested a copy of this decision to learn more about the
scope and size of this project.
- Roadside Clearing for
Hazardous Fuels Mitigation - Though the details remain
unclear, this project involves clearing vegetation on each
side of some or all roads in the forest. This project has
not yet been approved, but forest officials have stated that
they will approve it without preparing an Environmental
Assessment.
- Forestwide Road
Repaving - Pending. Includes repaving existing paved
roads, not paving dirt roads. Those potholes we all drive
through may be a thing of the past.
- Campground Deferred
Maintenance Backlog - Pending. Includes maintenance of
campgrounds that the Forest Service hasn't had the funding
to complete over the last few years.
- Forestwide Trail Crew &
Wilderness Trails - Pending. Our backcountry trails have
suffered over the last few years due to neglect and
underfunding, as well as a series of wildfires. It's unknown
which trails will receive work and how many miles will be
maintained, but it's refreshing to see that our wilderness
trails may finally get the attention they deserve.
- Forestwide Potable
Water Tank Cleaning - Pending.
- Forestwide Water Well
Drilling - Pending.
- Forestwide Facilities
Decommissioning - Pending.
- Recreation Cabin
Removal, Santa Barbara Ranger District - Pending.
- Renovation of Ranger
District Offices & Relocation/Construction of New Los Padres
Headquarters - The Los Padres is getting some new digs.
The forest headquarters, currently located in Goleta, will
move to Santa Maria (to the site of the current Santa Lucia
Ranger District office). The Monterey and Mt. Pinos Ranger
District offices (in King City and Frazier Park,
respectively) will also get replaced with new buildings.
- Abandoned Mine Safety
Closures - Pending. Entrances to two abandoned mines
will be closed to protect public safety - one at the Deer
Trail Mine, the other at the Rinconada Mine, both in San
Luis Obispo County.
Forest Service officials
refused to release the official dollar figures for each project.
All 18 national forests in California received a combined total
of more than $203 million in federal stimulus dollars.
Carrizo Plain National
Monument Stimulus Projects
The BLM - the agency that
manages the Carrizo Plain National Monument, adjacent to the Los
Padres National Forest - provided us with their list of stimulus
projects back in June. It includes one habitat restoration
project. Here's what they have planned:
- Selby Ranch House
Demolition and Removal - Site restoration of the Selby
Ranch House and miscellaneous grain and water tank removal
for public safety.
- Carrizo Plain Road
Improvement Project - Grade and gravel various existing
roads on the monument, including Selby Road and Soda Lake
Overlook.
- Carrizo Plain
Restoration - This project will restore 500 acres of
native grassland and shrub land inhabited by several San
Joaquin Valley threatened and endangered animal species on a
previously cultivated field and construct fencing to
facilitate restoration of unique Alvord oak habitat in the
Carrizo Plain National Monument. During the fall and winter
of 2009/2010, native grass seed collected from the monument
will be grown at a commercial native plant facility. Native
shrub seed will also be collected. In the fall of 2010, the
field will undergo a prescribed burn to prepare the site,
seed will be planted with a rangeland drill, 1,000-5,000
grass and shrubs seedlings will be planted and protective
fencing will be constructed. Supplemental water will be
provided to maximize shrub survival.
What's Next
ForestWatch will continue to
track each project as it is approved and implemented, submitting
comments when necessary to ensure that our stimulus dollars are
used wisely, quickly, and in a way that does not damage forest
resources and wildlife habitat. We will also continue to promote
habitat restoration projects on the Los Padres National Forest,
ensuring that currently degraded areas are restored to their
natural splendor.
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