Land Management Plan - Part 2 Los Padres National Forest Strategy
Land Management Plan - Part 2 Los Padres National Forest Strategy
Land Management Plan - Part 2 Los Padres National Forest Strategy
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
<strong>Land</strong> <strong>Management</strong> <strong>Plan</strong> <strong>Part</strong> 2<br />
<strong>Los</strong> <strong>Padres</strong> <strong>National</strong> <strong>Forest</strong> <strong>Strategy</strong><br />
September 2005<br />
The predominately south-facing slopes of the Ojai-Piru Front Country Place are dominated by<br />
chaparral with areas of grassland and oak woodland at lower elevations. Conifers grow in<br />
patches along the ridges and on peaks. Narrow riparian corridors contrast sharply with chaparralcovered<br />
uplands. Wildland fires historically have threatened national forest resources, private<br />
land, and communities along the extensive Wildland/Urban Interface. Wildlife species in the<br />
Ojai-Piru Front Country Place are typical of those in southern California chaparral communities.<br />
Sensitive species found within the Ojai-Piru Front Country Place most often live in riparian<br />
habitat. The national forest manages potential impacts to wildlife species from oil and gas<br />
development, grazing, concentrated<br />
recreation use, and other national forest activities. Unique<br />
wildlife species include the arroyo toad, southwestern willow flycatcher, California condor and<br />
southern California steelhead. Invasive and exotic species<br />
can cause problems for native wildlife<br />
and have spread through many of the riparian areas in<br />
this Place.<br />
As urbanization spreads towards the national forest, human-caused<br />
fire ignitions have increased.<br />
Thus, there are more requests for fuelbreaks and community<br />
defense zones. Fire suppression is<br />
hampered by poor access to private land on<br />
both sides of the national forest boundary. Mountain biker on Pratt Trail, Ojai Piru Front<br />
Country Place<br />
Various dispersed recreation opportunities<br />
are available to the public including<br />
mountain biking, equestrian use, hiking,<br />
hang-gliding/ paragliding, rock climbing,<br />
camping, waterplay, fishing, and limited<br />
OHV use. Opportunities for developed and<br />
dispersed recreation are limited by public<br />
access to national forest land. Existing<br />
trails and trailheads are not meeting<br />
demands of<br />
nearby urban populations, and<br />
they are not being maintained to standard.<br />
Certain areas receive heavy day-use and<br />
there are conflicts between hunters, OHV<br />
enthusiasts, private landowners, and oil<br />
field developments. Graffiti and sanitation<br />
problems affect water quality and aesthetics in Santa Paula.<br />
A small number of livestock grazing allotments are found within the Place. The Sespe Oil Field<br />
has produced oil and gas since the late 1800s, and other areas along the Ojai-Piru Front Country<br />
Place have moderate to high potential for exploration and development.<br />
Competing uses include multiple demands for limited water resources, the need for access to<br />
recreation opportunities, and oil and gas developments. These lands produce surface and<br />
groundwater for adjacent agricultural areas and communities<br />
and provide many domestic and<br />
agricultural water needs along the entire front. There is limited access to the national forest from<br />
this Place. <strong>Land</strong> encroachment is a problem from adjacent private lands.<br />
There are no special designations.<br />
Total national forest acres--Ojai-Piru Front Country Place: 59,454<br />
Page 68
Change language