January 28, 2012

FORESTWATCH VOLUNTEERS REMOVE MORE FENCING ON THE CARRIZO PLAIN

A Wild Landscape is Restored and Pronghorn Antelope Regain the Freedom to Roam

Over a decade of work by dedicated volunteers is coming to a close as the final stretches of relic barbed wire fencing on the Carrizo Plain National Monument come tumbling down. As part of an effort to restore pronghorn antelope to the 200,000-acre national monument that lies adjacent to the Los Padres National Forest in southeastern San Luis Obispo County, volunteers have been working tirelessly to remove fences that restrict pronghorn movement and make them more vulnerable to injuries and predators. Pronghorn are the second-fastest land mammals on the planet, and can sustain speeds of up to fifty miles per hour or more, but they are very poor jumpers. The elaborate network of fencing that once stretched for hundreds of miles across the Carrizo Plain significantly restricted the movement of pronghorn across this vast landscape. 

For the last two years, ForestWatch has been organizing teams of volunteers to spend a working vacation on the Carrizo Plain, spending one day removing fencing and then another day exploring the Carrizo. Last season, ForestWatch volunteers removed a total of five miles of fencing from the Carrizo Plain, restoring the wild landscape and giving pronghorn and wildlife the freedom to roam.

Our latest outing on January 28, 2012 was the biggest to date for our pronghorn project - 30 volunteers convened and were split into three groups to tackle some of the last remaining pieces of fence identified for removal or modification. At the end of the day, our volunteers had removed another five miles of fencing!

Groups reconvened at the Selby Campground that evening for a fabulous potluck and campfire. On Sunday volunteers that stuck around were treated to a guided hike out to Painted Rock to view some of the finest Native American rock art in the world.

As our days removing fences draw to a close, ForestWatch will continue to work with monument managers on other projects that help to restore this treasure. Stay tuned for future volunteer opportunities; email Suzanne@LPFW.org to get involved!