Draft EIS/EIR for the San Luis Reservoir SRA Resource ...

4. Plan Overview
South of O’Neill Forebay and immediately north of SR 152 is the 568-acre
Medeiros Use Area BC Zone, which is accessible via the adjacent FC Zone. This
area is currently undeveloped and relatively flat. It contains a large buffer planting
that visually separates it from the highway, as well as a series of unpaved roads
that lead to areas along the shoreline in the FC Zone.
Los Banos Creek Use Area BC Zone contains a large portion of land (1,777 acres)
surrounding Los Banos Creek Reservoir. It consists of rolling and steep grassland
terrain as well as flatter shoreline areas with riparian vegetation. The portion of
the zone south of the reservoir is accessible from a road off of the main entry road
and before the entry station. The elevation of the area provides sweeping views of
much of the reservoir and landscape to the northwest and south. The character of
the BC Zone is among the most primitive within the Plan Area, due to its remote
location and the unaltered shoreline and wetland areas, particularly from about the
middle of the reservoir to the southwestern edge of the that portion of the Plan
Area. The BC Zone on the northern side of the reservoir is accessible from the FC
Zone primarily by trails and from the water.
The BC Zones are shown in Map 8.
4.3.6.2 Purpose and Intent
The purpose of the BC Zones is to keep a large portion of the Plan Area in a wild
and primitive state while allowing limited visitor access and enjoyment. The
intent is to maintain the vegetative species and natural, un-engineered character of
the landscape. Accordingly, recreation facilities are limited but visitor access is
extensive, consisting of hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, backpack
camping, nature study, and bird watching. In the DFG-managed wildlife areas,
hunting is permitted by season and species and other restrictions as per the DFG
code. The BC Zones will provide visitors with quiet and passive recreation
experiences, and opportunities to be in a more wild landscape setting than the FC
Zones. Utilities and visitor services will be limited because access is remote and
new infrastructure is costly. In accordance with Goal OPS-S1, housing for staff or
seasonal workers may be sited in the BC Zone.
4.3.6.3 Resource Goals
The resources associated with this zone are the unfragmented expanses of native
vegetation and wildlife habitat, wetlands, cultural elements, and scenic vistas.
Future development in this zone should manage and protect these resources
through continued inventory and research. In addition, land management activities
should be aimed at reducing invasion by exotic species, degradation of shoreline
and riparian areas, and habitat fragmentation. Siting of any future primitive
campgrounds and associated structures should be consistent with these goals to
the extent possible. Because the BC Zones are the largest blocks of undeveloped
land in the Plan Area, managers should ensure that fragmentation and degradation
do not occur through haphazard maintenance activities, inappropriate placement
of new facilities, and visitor overuse.
San Luis Reservoir SRA 4-41
Draft RMP/GP and Draft EIS/EIR