Southern Sierran
UP FROM THE ASHES: ANGELES ACTIVISTS UNITE TO RESTORE ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST
By Bob Cates
AFRP Coordinator, Chair, Angeles Chapter History Committee

Photo By: Bob Cates Bob Cates assessing fire damage at Switzer's Camp. He helped plant the pine forest in the left background with the Sierra Club in 1972. Now he's ready to do it again with your help.

Even as the largest fire in the history of the Angeles National Forest continued to rage, a small group of Sierra Club members began filling the electronic airways with messages of hope - "What can WE do to bring back our beloved San Gabriel Mountains?"

The result is the formation of a new Chapter effort, the Angeles Forest Recovery Project (AFRP), under the existing Forest Committee. Our goal: to create a corps of Sierra Club volunteers dedicated to restoring the Angeles National Forest in the wake of the Station Fire.

Even before the fire was contained and while AFRP was in its planning phase, we were tremendously encouraged by offers from dozens of Chapter members to ‘Count me in!" At this early stage, we can still only outline our plans as follows:

What kinds of restoration work will AFRP perform?

The big ticket items are yet to be identified and prioritized by the U.S. Forest Service's Burn Area Emergency Response (BAER) team, however these are bound to place heavy emphasis on flood and erosion control. While much of this work will require the use of heavy equipment beyond the means of AFRP, our volunteers may be called upon for such things as distributing straw on barren hillsides or the filling and placement of sandbags in potential flood zone areas.

Tasks closer to the hearts of our hiking members will be scouting and reporting on the status of trails throughout the burn area. Many of these trails will require extensive repairs due to rock and timber falls, as well as from erosion damage in the coming winter rains. Most of the trail signage has burned and will need replacing.

A large number of picnic and campground facilities will require extensive rehabilitation. While some of these sites may be so damaged that they will have to be abandoned for a period of years, others will require replacement of picnic tables, signage and sanitation facilities.

And then there is the forest itself. We anticipate a years-long reforestation effort that will involve hundreds of work parties planting trees and following up with nurturing them through their first seasonal drought periods. One idea being kicked around is the possible creation of memorial groves sponsored by chapter entities or by individuals.

How will the restoration work be accomplished?

AFRP will function as a primary point of contact between the Forest Service, which will identify and oversee all work performed by our volunteers, and the Angeles Chapter. AFRP will solicit, coordinate, sponsor and/or co-sponsor work parties from all chapter entities that wish to participate in the renewal of the Angeles National Forest. We anticipate that all outings will be "O" rated, as are service outings that have been sponsored by the Trails Committee.

When will the work parties start?

As soon as the Angeles Forest is opened to the public, AFRP will be soliciting the Chapter's outings community to fan out through the burn area so that we can make our own, independent assessment. That means visiting many miles of trails and forest roads, making notations on maps, and generating status reports back to the AFRP management team. Formalized work parties will start to be scheduled after the Forest Service has developed a list of projects and allocated supervisory personnel.

How do I volunteer?

Email growangelesgrow@gmail.com. Tell us one or more ways to contact you, some background information about yourself, and what kinds of forest restoration work interest you the most. No email? Send a letter with the information to Angeles Forest Restoration, c/o Sierra Club Angeles Chapter, 3435 Wilshire Blvd. #320, Los Angeles, 90010-1904.

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