Pacific Southwest Region

Southern California Hazardous Fuels Rehabilitation and Restoration

Burn Area Restoration Projects

• Los Padres National Forest

Local community service agencies and volunteers have dedicated countless hours and many helping hands to the Healthy Forest Initiative fire recovery effort in Los Padres National Forest. The Forest's Ojai Ranger District has teamed up with City Corps-Fillmore, the California Conservation Corps, the Concerned Resource Environmental Workers (C.R.E.W.) and the Sierra Trail Shots to restore trails and habitats affected by the 2001 Wolf Fire and the 2003 Piru Fire. These committed individuals have removed noxious weeds, cleaned up condor habitat, and done erosion control and debris removal from the Agua Blanca, Middle Sespe, Piedra Blanca, Pot Holes, Potrero John and Condor Observation trails.

Trail Restoration: Squaw Flat Road and the Dough Flat Trailhead were closed to the public for several months following the Piru Fire while repairs were made to reduce potential erosion and damage from winter flooding. Forest Service engineers, with the assistance of City Corps workers, cleared debris, repaired structures and removed safety hazards in an effort to restore the road and make it safe and suitable for public access. At Dough Flat Trailhead, they improved parking facilities and replaced the fire-damaged restrooms and trail signs.

Most recently, the Forest Trail and Restoration Crew, along with the C.R.E.W., a local youth employment agency, have been restoring and improving the Piedra Blanca Trail in the area burned by the Wolf Fire. Crew members have also been involved with development of the Piedra Blanca Trailhead, the decommissioning of Lion and Beaver Campgrounds, and the installation of a protective fence in the Piru Fire area near Dough Flat trailhead.

Community Outreach: In June 2004, forest personnel, assisted by Alex Garcia of the Business and Employment Services for Ventura County, hosted a job fair and training session addressing the employment application process. The session was held at the Santa Clara Valley Job & Career Center in Santa Paula, which provided computer terminals with Internet access. Forest Service staff presented a brief introduction about the Los Padres National Forest and provided training on navigation techniques for the on-line job application system. This was a great opportunity to reach out to members of the community that do not have access to the on-line job database. Following the job fair, and with the funding support from the Congress, the Ojai District was able to hire a summer trail crew, including members from City Corps-Fillmore, to continue with burn area restoration and watershed improvement projects.

Contact: John Bridgwater, Ojai Ranger District, (805) 646-4348.

Success Stories

• Barton Flats
• Breaking Barriers
• Burn Area Restoration Projects
• Carveacre Community Protection
• Charlton Flats
• Crystal Lake
• Evacuation Route Clearing
• Forest Area Safety Taskforce
• Grant Successes
• June Aerial Flight Results
• Kuffel Canyon Road
• Laguna Mountain Community Protection
• Lake Arrowhead Log Storage Facility
• March Aerial Flight Results
• Mistletoe Eradication
• North Lake Arrowhead Fuels Reduction
• Seeds for Forest Renewal
• Skyline Fuels Reduction Project
• Student Conservation Association Partnership
• Take Pride in America

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