Land Management Plan - Part 2 Los Padres National Forest Strategy

Land Management Plan Part 2
Los Padres National Forest Strategy
September 2005
connected mainly to Native Americans, who used the area as a trade route between the coast and
interior valleys.
Development of private land adjacent to the national forest boundaries is occurring; private lands
intermingle with public lands throughout the Place. These are mostly family ranches that are
managed for livestock production. There are four allotments and two livestock-area special-use
permits within the Place. All but one of the allotments extends into adjacent Places.
There is a communication site on Tepusquet Peak that houses a transmitter for a television station
in Santa Maria, as well as other communication facilities.
There are no special designations in this Place.
Total national forest acres--Colson Place: 43,345
Desired Condition: The Colson Place is a natural appearing and pastoral landscape that
functions as a traditional back-road area for recreation and livestock grazing. Riparian
vegetation, the oak-grasslands along the canyon bottoms (with a mix of chaparral vegetation on
the slopes) are sustainable. The facilities maintain the dispersed rural character that recalls the
family histories that make this Place.
Program Emphasis: Implement forest health projects to reduce fuel accumulations and threats
to adjacent homes and ranches. Continue multiple-use management while minimizing conflicts
between threatened, endangered, proposed, candidate and sensitive species, recreation, and
livestock grazing activities. Provide additional Forest Service presence in the area. Explore
opportunities for a managed recreational target shooting area. Improve developed campground
facilities and access to historic trails.
Page 48