Land Management Plan - Part 2 Los Padres National Forest Strategy

Land Management Plan Part 2
Los Padres National Forest Strategy
September 2005
Rockfront Theme: The Rockfront Place supports mixed chaparral and
oak savannas in a rural landscape.
4-wheel drive and dispersed recreation activities and livestock grazing are identified with this
Place. Several private inholdings are scattered throughout.
Setting: The Rockfront
Place is located approximately
30 miles east of Santa Maria and is accessible from
California State Highway 166 by a single entry point at
the Rockfront Ranch. Day users from Santa Maria and
other coastal communities can easily reach this area.
The area has intermingled private lands that limit public
access, and includes a number of popular loop roads
and trail systems.
The
area is in the Alamo Watershed that drains into the
Santa Maria River Basin through the Cuyama River.
This watershed is an important water source for the
Santa Maria Valley residents and for agricultural uses.
A noteworthy vegetative feature is the mosaic of blue
oak woodlands and forests that break up an otherwise continuous cover of chamise and mixed
chaparral. This Place contains the northern-most community of redshank in California. Fire is
frequent in this Place and has reburned areas that were treated in the last several decades.
Riparian corridors along Branch and Alamo Creeks are largely intact and support diverse wildlife
and plant populations. Threatened and sensitive species found in these creeks include California
red-legged frogs, western pond turtles, and two-striped garter snakes. Big Rocks is a historical
nesting site for the peregrine falcon.
This Place is a popular destination for OHV enthusiasts, rock climbers, and hunters. There is an
extensive network of roads and trails for off-road recreation. Branch Creek Road was an
important connecting route in the OHV network, but it is washed out. This road interferes with
wildlife in the riparian area and creates conflicts between OHVs and private landowners. There
are three semi-primitive camps located in the Place with road access. The intermingled private
lands within and bordering this
Place result in trespass by
recreationists attempting to reach
the national forest through private
lands.
There are four livestock grazing
allotments in whole, or in part, in
this Place that incorporate federal
and private land. Unauthorized
grazing has been a problem in the
past, especially when large
wildland fires have destroyed
fences and natural barriers.
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