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 Cuyama-Highway 166 Front Theme: A natural appearing scenic backdrop with an agricultural setting as viewed from California State Highway 166 with emerging private land development. This Place (including the Cuyama River and California State Highway 166) is a human and wildlife corridor connecting coastal to inland valley communities. Setting: The Cuyama-Highway166 Front Place is located along the southwest edge of Cuyama Valley with expansive vistas along the California State Highway 166 corridor between Santa Maria and the Cuyama Valley. California State Highway 166 is a main transportation corridor between coastal communities, Interstate 5, and the Bakersfield area. The Cuyama Front portion of the Place consists of a comparatively steep, mountain escarpment that stands in striking contrast to the flat, rural Cuyama Valley floor. Valleyfacing slopes are steep and periodically interrupted by narrow, highly eroded canyons and draws. Family ranches are located within and adjacent to the Place, much of which was a historic Spanish Land Grant. Except for a few roads and trails, public access is limited. In addition, there are scattered potreros on the eastern section of Sierra Madre Ridge that have significant cultural resource values. Watersheds of the Place are the source of water for people living in the Santa Maria Valley. The Cuyama Watershed drains into the Twitchell Reservoir that supplies water to the Santa Maria River Basin and to agriculture in the Santa Maria Valley. Twin Rocks, Miranda Pine Mountain, Timber Peak, McPherson Peak, and Santa Barbara Canyon are the prominent topographic features of the Place. Plant communities in this Place are diverse and range from ridge top forests to areas of dense mixed chaparral, oak woodlands, and open annual grasslands. Five rare plant species are present Page 52 Looking toward Sierra Madre, Cuyama Highway 166 Front Place.
September 2005 Land Management Plan Part 2 Los Padres National Forest Strategy and this Place includes the northern most extension of the redshank (Adenostoma sparsifolium) community. The potreros offer an unusual array of herbaceous species that are closely aligned to the Caliente Mountain flora. In the past, there have been frequent lightning and human-caused wildland fires, as well as vegetative treatment activities involving prescribed fire. This Place serves as a wildlife corridor to the Caliente Mountains. California condors have been released from here. There are threatened California red-legged frogs in the Cuyama River and there is southwestern willow flycatcher (Empidonax trailli extimus) habitat. This Place serves as a wildlife corridor to the Caliente Mountains. California condors have been released from here. Recreation use in this area is relatively low because access is limited and is 'off-the-beaten-path.' The land ownership pattern is a mix of private and publicly owned parcels. Private parcels adjacent to the national forest preclude access to much of this Place. Public access points are critical. Recreational target shooting opportunities are in high demand. Twin Rocks, Cuyama Highway 166 Front Place One of the most important features of this Place is its sense of remoteness and the opportunities it provides for the exploration of open space in nearby forests. Some hunting and oil exploration occurs here, but the landscape is most prized for its dispersed recreation opportunities and scenic qualities. Some of the more popular activities in this Place include hiking, hunting, mountain biking, horseback riding, California condor viewing, hang-gliding, and paragliding. All or parts of 10 grazing allotments are present in this Place. In several allotments, there are conflicts with riparian habitat, threatened species and heritage resources. The Place hosts a number of important special-uses. A 30-inch oil pipeline, a power line, producing oil leases, and communication sites are located at Olive Canyon, McPherson Peak and Plowshare Peak. Several administrative sites are outside the national forest boundary. Existing Special Interest Area: • Sierra Madre 3,852 acres All acreages shown are within the Place. Page 53
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United States Department of Agricul
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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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Document Format Protocols The follo
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Land Management Plan - Part 2 Los Padres National Forest Strategy

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