Second Annual Station Fire BBQ

Posted on July 25, 2011 by Bronwen

It’s hard to believe that nearly two years have passed since the inferno referred to as the Station Fire roared through Big Tujunga Canyon, incinerating homes and landmarks, not to mention thousands upon thousands of acres of wildlands in the Angeles National Forest.

In honor of that tragic event, I will be hosting the Second Annual Station Fire Memorial BBQ at my cabin located at Vogel Flats. Station Fire Survivors, their friends and loved ones, are all invited to join me as we remember what was, share what we have experienced in the aftermath, and come together to plan for our futures.

If you plan to attend, please RSVP to: bbq@angelesrising.org

Additionally, if you wish to donate funds to help defray the costs for hamburgers, hot dogs and drinks, please use the PayPal Donation button below, or donate through PayPal by sending your contribution to donate@angelesrising.org. Any contributions received will be used to buy food and drink for the BBQ. And if there is anything left the funds will be used to cover the operating costs (web hosting, domain registrations, etc.) for the Angeles Rising website.

See you at the BBQ!

~B~

Second Annual Station Fire Memorial BBQ

Date: Sunday, August 28, 2011
Time: 11 AM ~ 4 PM
Location: Bronwen’s Cabin in the Canyon
What to Bring: BYOW – Bring Your Own Whatever!
What Will Be Here: Grilled meats, grilled veggies, beer, wine, soda, salads, desert… And my famous lemon-cucumber water!

Kids, dogs, spouses,  friends and loved ones welcome!

If you need a map and directions, RSVP!

 

Yes! I want to donate to help
cover the costs for the BBQ!


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Angeles Forest in the News

Posted on July 5, 2011 by Bronwen

As I’m sure you can imagine, the Fourth of July Weekend brought a lot of news about people doing things in and around the Angeles. Hikers fell, trucks crashed, and CalTrans is wondering if it was such a good idea to re-open the Angeles Crest Highway after all.

On a more positive note, the Arcadia REI is partnered with the Forest Service and Friends of the Angeles to remove invasive, non-native plants from the forest.

All the links are below.  Enjoy!  And be safe out there… please…

~B~

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U.S. Forest Service truck crashes, six injured
July 4, 2011 | 10:43 pm
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/07/forest-fire-crew-truck-crashes-six-injured.html

Hiker rescued from Angeles National Forest
July 4, 2011 | 11:17 pm
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/07/hiker-rescued-from-angeles-national-forest.html

Fourth of July 2011, Los Angeles: The Damage
By Simone Wilson Tue., Jul. 5 2011 at 9:30 AM
http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/2011/07/fourth_of_july_2011_los_angele.php

Nine firefighters hurt in Palmdale crash
July 5, 2011 |  9:07 am
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/07/nine-firefighters-hurt-in-palmdale-crash-.html

Caltrans Looking Into Highway 2 Crashes
By Scott Weber | Tuesday, Jul 5, 2011  |  Updated 2:49 PM PDT
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Caltrans-Looking-Into-Highway-2-Crashes-125041269.html

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Angeles National Forest Volunteer Opportunities
http://www.rei.com/event/27288/session/33413

* Begins: 7/10/2011 8:30 a.m.
* Event Location: Ralphs Supermarket Parking Lot
* Event Fee: See event details

* Ends: 10/30/2011 3:00 p.m. (PDT)
* Partner Organization: USDA Forest Service

Description: Help the Angeles National Forest with the removal of highly invasive, non-native plants that are preventing native plant recovery in the Station fire burn area. There will be ongoing projects from June-October 2011: 6/12, 6/19, 6/26, 7/10, 7/17, 7/24, 7/31, 8/7, 8/14, 8/21, 8/28, 9/11, 9/18, 9/25, 10/2, 10/9, 10/16, 10/23, and 10/30 – exludes [sic] Sundays on holiday weekends) Projects will be happening along the Angeles Forest Highway (Highway 59) from 8:30AM-3PM and groups will be meeting at Ralph’s Supermarket [10455 Sunland Blvd, Sunland] parking lot in Sunland, CA. Please register for as many projects as you like through: Suzanne Avila, Volunteer Parnership [sic] Coordinator at (626) 574-5224 or by email at friendsoftheangeles@gmail.com Work is moderate to strenuous. Please bring your own lunches and water to stay hydrated. Tools will be provided. Wear long pants, sturdy shoes, hats and plenty of sunscreen.

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Much of Angeles Forest to Open

Posted on May 13, 2011 by Bronwen

As many of you know, there have been many, many rumors about when the Forest Service would reopen the Angeles, and about precisely how much of the forest would be reopened. At long last we have solid facts to relay.

Most of the Angeles is being reopened to the public next Monday, May 16, 2011. However, the Big Tujunga watershed is not part of the reopening because the damage to that part of the forest was more extreme.

The links below will take you to the official USFS press release, the PDF version of that release, as well as the official closure order and associated legals.

Enjoy,

~B~

Angeles Reopening Press Release, May 12, 2011
This links to the online version of the official press release issued yesterday, May 12, 2011.

PDF Version, Angeles Reopening Press Release, May 12, 2011  PDF Version, Angeles Reopening Press Release, May 12, 2011
This is a PDF version of the press release. Special thanks to Paul Ayers for forwarding the press release in Word form.

Station Fire Closure Map
Note: While this is an official map from the USFS about the part of the Angeles Forest impacted by the Station Fire, it does not clearly show which parts of the forest are being reopened.

Station Fire Recovery Area Closure Order 01 11 03
This is the revised closure order for the Angeles Forest. It details which parts of the forest remain closed, who can use the forest, and what fines apply for those in violation of the closure.

Station Fire Recovery Area Legals Order 01 11 03
Legalese about the closure. (If you can understand it, more power to you.)

 

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Schiff to Host, Moderate Station Fire Update

Posted on April 26, 2011 by Bronwen

This advisory announcement was sent out today regarding the follow-up meeting about the Congressional investigation into events surrounding the Station Fire. The full text is below for your convenience. If you want to download a copy of the original PDF,  click here.

Special thanks to Duncan Baird for forwarding this info.

~B~

***ADVISORY***

Pasadena, CA -Since the Station Fire hit Southern California in August 2009, devastating 250 square miles, killing two firefighters and leaving many people homeless, Rep. Adam Schiff (DCA) has worked with local fire agencies, the US Forest Service and many others to learn from what went wrong in the effort to extinguish the fire and implement changes to make sure those mistakes are not repeated. There has been some progress, although much more needs to be done, and Rep. Schiff is hosting a meeting with representatives of the Forest Service and the Government Accountability Office at the Altadena Library to inform residents about these efforts.

Moderator: Congressman Schiff

Speakers: Tom Harbour, Director of Fire and Aviation, U.S. Forest Service
Stephen Gaty, Assistant Director, Government Accountability Office, Natural Resources and Environment Team

When: Thursday, April 28
10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Where: Altadena Library
600 East Mariposa St.
Altadena, CA 91001

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Replanting Debate, Part Deux

Posted on April 21, 2011 by Bronwen

In the wake of my last post about the ranting, raving and general gnashing of teeth that has been going on over replanting portions of the Angeles Forest, I received a couple of e-mails from people claiming that the Forest Service was withholding information about precisely where the replanting was being done. It seems that no one had seen any actual maps of the areas to be replanted.

So I put the claim of non-cooperation to the test. I asked for copies of maps showing where and how much of the Angeles Forest was being replanted. And wouldn’t you know it, I got them! It really was just that simple.

Better yet, I’m sharing them with you! With the knowledge and approval of the Forest Service.

The gallery of images below breaks the Angeles into four sections: A, B, C and D. You can probably figure out the rest. To see a larger version of each section, just click on the thumbnails below. Each close-up page will have a link where you can download the full sized image.

Enjoy!

~B~

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Update: Station Fire & Congress

Posted on April 21, 2011 by Bronwen

This latest update about the Station Fire and the Congressional investigation comes from Duncan Baird. If you plan to attend, please make sure you RSVP as instructed below. Let’s be sure to have a strong presence lest they forget about us.

~B~

From: “Saltman, Alex”
Date: April 18, 2011 2:22:43 PM PDT
Subject: Station Fire update

On April 28, Congressman Schiff will be hosting a meeting to update area residents on how Congress and the Forest Service are pursuing policy changes in the wake of the Station Fire. Representatives from the Forest Service and GAO will speak and take questions. You were all valuable participants in the Station Fire panel, and are in touch with some of the people most affected by the fire, so I hope you can pass along this message to people who might be interested to let them know of this opportunity to learn more about what Congressman Schiff, the Forest Service and the GAO are doing.

When: 10:30am, April 28
Where: Altadena Library, 600 E. Mariposa Ave., Altadena

If you can, please ask people to RSVP to Ann Peifer, our District Director, … so we can estimate the expected attendance.

Thanks,
Alex

Alex Saltman
Legislative Director
Office of Congressman Adam Schiff
2411 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-4176

 

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Replanting Debate Rages

Posted on April 17, 2011 by Bronwen

Southern California Public Radio recently aired a discussion about the replanting controversy that is beginning to take on all the characteristics of the Station Fire itself. One of the guests was Marty Dumpis, Deputy Forest Supervisor for the Angeles National Forest, who is now the Active Forest Supervisor.

What struck me most is that Marty clearly stated that the proposed replanting was specifically targeting non-chaparral areas, and that it was a multi-year program that allowed for adjustments to made along the way. Both of these statements were ignored by detractors, all of whom were ignorant of which parts of the forest were to be replanted, in addition to other key details.

Sadly, this is a case where no matter what is or is not done, people are going to be unhappy. There were pine trees lost in the Station Fire, and it is unlikely that they will come back within my lifetime, if ever. The chaparral areas ARE recovering, but the parts of the forest that were pine-dominant are not. Whether or not there is some kind of replanting effort, the Angeles will never be the same as it was. If it is left alone, it won’t be the same. If portions are replanted, it won’t be the same. The Fire changed EVERYTHING.

If we accept the fact that there is no going back, the question becomes, “How can we best help the forest return to a healthy state?” Given enough years, something will grow in the forest, but it’s more likely that non-natives will be carried in by wildlife and by human traffic from the surrounding urban areas than that supposedly native trees will magically reassert themselves.

So, given that the forest is changed forever, is replanting pine trees in the areas that were pine-dominant before really as horrible an option as all that?

Just my two cents… Your mileage may vary.

~B~

http://www.scpr.org/programs/airtalk/2011/04/15/forest-service/

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Funny and Not So Funny Happenings in Big T

Posted on April 17, 2011 by Bronwen

First, the funny stuff…

One of the things that my grandmother did here in the canyon, and that I have continued doing since she passed, is feeding the local hummingbirds. Years ago I got a little hummingbird feeder that had perches for the little tykes so they could rest while having a snack. And, while it’s arguably not good for them, I do use a drop of food coloring in their water so I can more easily keep track of when the feeder needs to be refilled.

About a week ago I noticed that I hadn’t seen any hummingbird air battles in a while. Also, the rate of consumption of their food had dropped dramatically. The amount of food in the feeder was still going down, but not as fast as is typical.

Orange OrioleToday I discovered what is causing these changes in activity at the hummingbird watering hole. Orange Orioles.

I am still trying to snag a picture of the orioles that have commandeered my hummingbird feeder, but this picture I found on the web is spot on. Who knew? I don’t recall seeing this particular variety of bird in Big T before, but they are definitely here now.

Guess I’m going to have to get another feeder for the hummers, and this time without a perch so the orioles won’t use that one.

Now for the not-so-funny stuff…

This afternoon I took a drive up the road to check out the dam. As you might expect, the canyon had lots of cyclists, motorized and not, plus other visitors pulled off the the side of the road, parking and picnicking as though they never saw the “Forest Closed” signs.

The dam, as it happens, is full, and not with water.

The Big Tujunga Dam

This picture shows pretty clearly that the dam is completely filled with sediment. I have no idea what plans exist for excavating all that sand, silt, rock and debris, but I find it almost impossible to believe that the job could be done before next winter’s storms. And until the dam is dug out, all the water coming down the canyon is going to flow right over the spillway.

If anyone has connections with the dam, I would love to hear what plans are in the works to address this minor little problem. Otherwise, does anyone have blueprints for an ark I can borrow?

What was even more disturbing was what I found on the side of the canyon just below the vista point for the dam.

Someone's trash dump in Big T

From the look of it, someone dumped 5 or more boxes of books down the side of the canyon. The boxes appear dry, so this was fairly recent. But the books are scattered over an area at least 50 feet long, and on a very steep rock face. In order to clean this up someone would have to rappel down from the vista point and bring everything up piecemeal.

Illegal dumping is nothing new to Big T, but this just made no sense. Books can be donated or recycled. And the placement of the dump is practically malicious given how difficult it will be to retrieve this debris so it can be disposed of properly.

If anyone has resources available to tackle this issue, please let me know. It’s just heartbreaking to see this kind of thing in the forest.

~B~

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LA Times: 3 million trees to be planted in Station fire burn area

Posted on April 15, 2011 by Bronwen

Almost two years after the Station fire scorched 161,000 acres of the Angeles National Forest, the U.S. Forest Service has embarked on a large-scale reforestation project that may re-engineer the region’s historical pine and fir woodlands.

The project to be unveiled Friday aims to plant 3 million pine and fir trees over 10,000 acres scarred by the fire in an attempt to restore the area and offset greenhouse-gas emissions from a refinery in El Segundo.

For the full content of the story, go to:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-station-fire-20110415,0,7225022.story

~B~

P.S. On a personal note, I’m not sure if this is a good thing or otherwise. If you have more, reliable information about this proposal, please let me know.

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Angeles Crest Highway Update

Posted on April 6, 2011 by Bronwen

Trent Sanders forwarded some information about the Angeles Crest Highway (ACH). As you may recall, the Crest was closed following the Station Fire and was briefly reopened until the Winter 2009-2010 rains washed out part of the road. It has remained mostly closed since.

According to Trent, Ed Toledo at CalTrans says that ACH will open June 1st if they don’t run into any more problems. He hopes it will open sooner but doesn’t want get anyone’s hopes up.

The main problems and delay aren’t so much the repair work, but the bureaucracy. Not only the bureaucracy within CalTrans, but also the Forest Service, the County, the Department of Fish & Game, the environmentalists, and the Army Corp of Engineers, if you can believe it.

Trent cited some examples, but in the interest of keeping tempers cool I will forego repeating them here. I know that I’ve heard through other sources that folks in La Canada are not displeased that it has taken so long to reopen the Crest, mainly because its closure has meant an extreme reduction in the number of traffic accidents.

More as it becomes available…

~B~

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