Los Padres Forest Issues Closure Order Following Storm Damage
By the Los Padres National Forest
Los Padres National Forest officials today issued a 60-day closure order for four ranger districts in response to the extreme winter storm that delivered punishing rain and wind across the Forest this week. This closure order takes effect immediately.
The closure order will be superseded or terminated when conditions and recreational access improves. Forest employees will be assessing the extent of the damage over the coming weeks and months and will scale back the closure based on improving conditions.
Over the last month, Los Padres received more than 100 percent of its annual rainfall along with extremely damaging wind events. The “atmospheric river” delivered record rainfall amounts January 8-10 ranging from 17 inches at San Marcos Pass on the Santa Barbara RD to 18 inches in the Ojai RD backcountry. These weather events have caused flooding, debris flows, slope failures, bridge, road and trail failures, and serious impacts to administrative and recreation facilities.
Public access to Los Padres recreation sites is limited or not currently possible due to compromised roadways. Weather forecasts predict additional precipitation at variable intensities and amounts over the next week on top of already saturated conditions. Future storm events are expected to compound existing damage.
The full extent of damage to the Forest will be known once a full assessment is completed, which will likely take many weeks. Forest personnel are continuing to work with city, county and state partners on post-storm damage assessments and repairs when conditions are safe for work and travel.
“We’re taking this precautionary step to ensure visitor safety as we determine the extent of the damage and develop a strategy to prioritize and address the extensive impacts to infrastructure and natural resources,” said Los Padres Forest Supervisor Chris Stubbs. “I’m asking the public to heed the closure order while these recovery efforts are underway. My intention is to re-open closed areas as soon as it’s safe to do so.”
Forest Service law enforcement officers will strictly enforce the closure order, which carries a penalty of $5,000 and/or six months in jail.
For more information, please visit Los Padres National Forest’s website at http://www.fs.usda.gov/lpnf.
38 Comments
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Jan 15, 2023 08:15 AMIf they leave the forest open and someone gets killed doing something stupid like trying to cross a creek that’s flowing over its banks, there will be lawsuits and a lot of bad PR. Protecting the agency. Can’t blame them, people are so litigious.
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Jan 14, 2023 01:00 PMThey don’t want people venturing back there at this point because a small percentage are fools who don’t know nature ie their limits and will need to be rescued.
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Jan 14, 2023 11:17 AMInstead of complaining about no access for 60 days, needed for repairs, COMPLAIN to the Oil Industry who has taken AWAY OUR Public Lands with NO ACCESS PERMANENTLY!!! Destroying the Ecosystem, polluting water aquifers, and any fishing or other you are considering!!!
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Jan 14, 2023 11:48 AMLos Padres NF
@LosPadresNF
images
https://twitter.com/lospadresnf
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Jan 14, 2023 10:15 AMFrom my first hand experience, many of these "officials" are lazy so this to me smacks of a self imposed 60 day vacation. Ridiculous and should be challenged in court.
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Jan 18, 2023 05:05 PM2 months to drive around and check roads and sites? how about 1 week 1 ranger and get back to us?
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Jan 15, 2023 08:59 AMDo you really think that kind of budget/work deficit wouldn’t be noticed if government agencies did things like this?
No one is going to do a double take when “all the rangers” as you are basically purporting disappear for two months while still drawing pay?
Someone probably had a messy marriage to a forest official
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Jan 14, 2023 07:56 PMPlease explain your 'first hand experience".
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Jan 14, 2023 11:24 AMThey still work, there's no vacation. But I agree. This is like when the cops investigate themselves and find no wrongdoing. Where is the proof? Where are the photos of this purported extreme damage?
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Jan 14, 2023 10:49 AMAndréa- You are correct.
Government employees don't care if you get to enjoy your forest.
They still get paid, and honestly I don't think they care one bit.
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Jan 14, 2023 09:01 AMThey have the past president for a role model.
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Jan 13, 2023 07:42 PMWhy do people react like spoiled children to efforts to promote public welfare and protect public resources?
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Jan 14, 2023 04:13 PM11:22, that's exactly what they're trying to do. Read the 2nd paragraph
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Jan 14, 2023 01:49 PM7:42 - because it's the ENTIRE forest, not just certain roads, camps, areas. It's absurd to close the whole park. Sure, they'll reassess it, but that they have the power to so easily shut down access to tens of thousands of acres of our public land is frustrating. Weird how I'm the only one not gleefully swallowing this.
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Jan 14, 2023 11:22 AMBecause closing 2 MILLION acres of public land for 60 days is ridiculous. You're telling me they can't prioritize heavily used areas and get those open within a few weeks? Show us the damage then. Public lands should be a priority to keep open.
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Jan 14, 2023 07:08 AMExcellent and humorous observation
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Jan 13, 2023 11:18 PMThe joys of anonymous, faceless reactivity on the internet...
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Jan 13, 2023 07:14 PMI'd like to redirect everyone to the second paragraph. Pretend it's all in bold:
"The closure order will be superseded or terminated **when conditions and recreational access improves. Forest employees will be assessing the extent of the damage over the coming weeks and months and will scale back the closure based on improving conditions."
Maybe read more carefully?
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Jan 13, 2023 06:48 PMI keep paying for the annual pass ($50) and getting to use it for, uh, half the year. I understand that some clean-up is required, but, really, it takes 2 months to clean up some small mudslides on Paradise Road? Hmmm.
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Jan 13, 2023 05:21 PMWhat a joke. Catch me if you can.
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Jan 13, 2023 05:41 PMStarring:
Leonardo DiCaprio
Tom Hanks
Christopher Walken
Martin Sheen
Nathalie Baye
Enjoyable...
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Jan 13, 2023 04:38 PMGood! That means YOU!
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Jan 18, 2023 04:20 PMAnd you know, honestly.... it's really not that much of a burden. I just got riled up after asking a simple question to clarify what I thought was an extreme measure, only to be met with snark and ridicule. So, out of principal, I dug in my heels. Won't do that again, seeing how quickly people here turn on anyone who disagrees with any type of closure regardless of the circumstances.
What ever happened to DUKE MUNSON? Be interested to hear his take on storm closures!
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Jan 18, 2023 01:51 PMBecause I enjoy hiking, fishing and exploring our vast public forest. With beautiful weather this weekend, I was looking forward to getting outdoors and taking a stroll where it's safe to do so. Damn... I must be a monster to even question this, huh?
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Jan 18, 2023 01:46 PMwhy is this such a burden to you?
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Jan 13, 2023 04:51 PM4:38 - What's good about closing access to the entire forest for 2 months? What is about blanket bans that people seem to like so much? Are you one of those folks who gets upset whenever a hiker is injured and requires extraction? Shutting down an entire forest is ridiculous.
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Jan 13, 2023 04:10 PMI’ve noticed a lot of articles have mentioned the record rainfall recorded on the San Marcos pass. I think it’s helpful to put these records in context. The data for the San Marcos pass goes back to the the 1965-1966 water year. Data for Santa Barbara goes back to 1868 on the county hydrology website. The wettest year in Santa Barbara was 1997, with the 1940-1941 water year coming in a close second. It will be interesting to see how much more rain we get this water year and whether we challenge those records. In addition, I would be very curious to know how much rain fell in Santa Barbara during the great flood of 1861-1862 when the Goleta slough was filled in with sediment and the Central Valley became an inland sea. Does know of any rainfall measurements taken in Santa Barbara county recording this event?
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Jan 14, 2023 03:03 PMThe ARkStorm! I would imagine this series of atmospheric rivers might rival the 1862 event. I also could see how if it weren't for the current drought and agricultural water needs, the impacts might have to central valley could be similar.
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Jan 13, 2023 03:58 PMWait.... so for the next 60 days you could be fined or jailed for entering the Los Padres Forest at any point? No Cachuma fishing, no checking out the SY River, no entry of any kind? The order itself says "Going into or being upon any area...." So we're basically being banned from the forest for the next 2 months?
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Jan 18, 2023 02:28 PMTHOMAS JOHN - what a weird and backward comment and assumption. Are you saying because I'm upset about this shutdown, I can't be a "true liberal?" What are you saying? Liberals are happy to accept shutdowns and only conservatives oppose them? You're wrong on all counts though.
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Jan 14, 2023 07:59 PMSac - you seem like a self-serving liberal. Easy if it's bashing Trump - but not if it messes with your fishing.
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Jan 13, 2023 08:12 PMCachuma is a County Park.
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Jan 13, 2023 06:54 PMSac, if you want to go just do it. I do too, but I’m waiting for May,
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Jan 13, 2023 04:21 PMJIMBO - if that's really the case, they better clear out the jails. This is ridiculous. Close certain roads or areas, fine. But don't shut down the entire forest. 60 days puts us at mid-March. I'll be up there before then fishing. Public property!
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Jan 13, 2023 04:13 PMYou answered your own question. Yes, it is prohibited. That sucks
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Jan 13, 2023 03:52 PM60 days right off the bat seems excessive for public lands.......
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Jan 18, 2023 01:56 PMWhy do you care some much that some of us aren't happy about this 60 day closure? How does it affect you?
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Jan 18, 2023 01:40 PMWhy? Do you know anything specific about the extent of the damage done (more than the authorities responsible for maintaining the public lands) that leads you to the conclusion that 60 days is "excessive"? Please enlightne us. Perhaps if you offered to volunteer for trail maintenance with the Bucket Brigade or Montecito Trails Association, you might be able to get on the public land you're so insensed about being denied access to.