Land Management Plan - Part 2 Los Padres National Forest Strategy

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Land Management Plan Part 2 Los Padres National Forest Strategy September 2005 nor thwest ¼ mile of Township 5 N., Range 22 W., Section 5 has been found suitable for designation as either a recreation or scenic river. A 31.5-mile segment of Sespe Creek, from its confluence with Rock Creek and Howard Creek downstream to where it leaves section 26, T5N, R20W, received designation as a Wild/Scenic River in 1992. Sespe Creek has exemplary visual features, including contrasts created by large rock outcroppings and seasonal colors, and water that attracts regional and national attention. Below Chorro Grande Canyon, Sespe Creek offers excellent dispersed recreation opportunities, such as swimming and wading, picnicking, backpacking, hiking, horseback riding, bicycling, rock climbing, hunting, fishing, photography, driving for pleasure and viewing scenery on the adjacent scenic byway. Also, the resident population of arroyo toads in upper Sespe Creek is one of the largest within one hundred miles. Intact habitat for southern steelhead trout and southwestern willow flycatcher habitat is also outstandingly remarkable, because samples of this intact habitat are very rare on the Los Padres National Forest and in the national forests of southern California. Arroyo Seco River Places: Ventana, 2.9 miles; and Arroyo Seco, 15.1 miles Steep canyon walls, gorges, rock outcrops, and jumbles of boulders that create pools and dramatic sounds characterize the dynamic setting of the Arroyo Seco River corridor, which has been found suitable for designation as a Wild and Scenic River. Many sections of the river (especially in the gorge and the m any deep pools upstream) offer opportunities for solitude and challenge. These unique recreation opportunit ies are considered outstandingly remarkable. Geologically, the river also possesses significant and remarkable features, as it exposes the relationship of rocks and geologic structural features in the Salinian Block that are important as research areas to aid in understanding important tectonic and seismic processes along the California continental margin. Finally, the Arroyo Seco is the middle link of an anadromous fishery and provides habitat for the federally threatened steelhead fish. Page 94
September 2005 Land Management Plan Part 2 Los Padres National Forest Strategy Research Natural Areas Established American Canyon 1,529 acres Places: Avenales The 1,529-acre American Canyon Research Natural Area is located within the Machesna Mountain Wilderness on the Santa Lucia Ranger District. Coulter pine occurs in abundance here as dispersed, generally even-aged stands of varying size and density. Fires swept through the southeast and northwest portions of the basin in 1921 and 1939 respectively. Most of the stands date back to those fires; however, ridgetop and canyon bottom stands spared from the fires contain older trees. The associated chaparral is dominated by chamise and Eastwood manzanita. An approved off-road vehicle trail runs along the east-west ridge of the basin. Other recreation use in the area consists mostly of hunting. Black Butte 940 acres Places: Cuesta This 940-acre RNA is situated on the steep, generally northwest-facing slopes of Cuesta Ridge in the Santa Lucia Wilderness. Knobcone pine-chaparral is the target vegetation type and is found on north and northeast slopes as scattered groves and occasional continuous areas. Chaparral species, principally chamise, manzanita, and the sensitive Santa Lucia manzanita occupy the areas between pine stands. The intermittant streams that drain into the Black Butte RNA support riparian vegetation composed of coast live oak, California bay, tanoak, and bigleaf maple. There are no trails located within the RNA. San Emigdio Mesa 1,239 acres Places: Mt. Pinos The San Emigdio RNA encompasses 1,239 acres of a large alluvial fan, dissected by several intermittent stream channels and gullies on the Mt. Pinos Ranger District. The target vegetation type is pinyon-juniper woodland. Pinyon pine (the dominant tree species) averages 15 to 20 feet in height and is evenly distributed over the entire area in low to moderate densities. Of the three common brush species (California juniper, big sagebrush, and dwarf oak), dwarf oak is by the far the most abundant. Some hunting may occur in the area, but there are no hiking or off-road vehicle trails through the RNA. Cone Peak Gradient 2,734 acres Places: Big Sur The Cone Peak Gradient RNA (a 2,734-acre area) is remarkable for its ecological diversity. Within a three-mile horizontal distance inland from the Monterey coast, the mountains rise from sea level to 5,000 feet. The resulting elevational and climatic gradient has 12 plant communities including canyon live oak woodland, mixed evergreen forest, coast live oak woodland, coast redwood and chaparral. The RNA lies within the Ventana Wilderness, and several trails traverse the area. Page 95
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Land Management Plan Part 2 Los Pad
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APPENDIX A - SPECIAL DESIGNATION OV
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LM 1 - Landscape Aesthetics........
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