Station Fire Burn Areas To Reopen In Angeles National Forest
LA CANADA FLINRIDGE (CBS) — The U.S. Forest Service Monday will re-open Angeles National Forest picnic areas, hiking trails and campgrounds closed since the Station Fire charred some 98,000 acres of the San Gabriel Mountains nearly two years ago.
Podcast
KNX 1070's John Brooks reports.
Deputy Forest Supervisor Marty Dumpis told the Los Angeles Times that the closure was needed to hasten the recovery of the chaparral covering much of the range, which
"We also used the time to make badly needed repairs and upgrades in heavily used areas such as the Switzer picnic area," he said.
Sections being reopened include the Charlton Flat, Mill Creek Summit and Paul Little picnic areas; the Indian Canyon, Bear Canyon, Silver Moccasin, Nature's Canteen and Sunset Ridge trails; and the entire San Gabriel Wilderness area, The Times reported.
The portion of the Pacific Crest Trail that runs through the Angeles National Forest will also reopen, according to the newspaper.
But burned areas within Big Tujunga Canyon will remain closed for at least one more year to allow for the recovery of threatened and endangered species, including the Santa Ana suckerfish, and to restore trails, remove invasive weeds and plant trees.
(©2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)
