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March 28
1934 - Bouquet Canyon Reservoir, replacement for ill-fated St. Francis Dam & reservoir, begins to fill with water [story]
Bouquet Reservoir


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[Fact Sheet: San Gabriel Mountains National Monument]

 

[The White House, Oct. 10, 2014] – Today, President Obama will use his authority under the Antiquities Act to establish 346,177 acres of national forest land in the San Gabriel Mountains in southern California as a national monument, permanently protecting the popular outdoor recreation destination to increase access and outdoor opportunities for the area’s residents. This monument designation builds on more than a decade of public support from business, tourism, environmental justice, conservation, academic and cultural preservation communities and on the leadership from members of Congress. For many residents of Los Angeles County — one of the most disadvantaged counties in the country when it comes to access to parks and open space for minorities and children–the San Gabriel Mountains provide the only available large-scale open space. In addition to permanently protecting this land, the monument designation will create new opportunities for the Forest Service and local communities to work together to increase access and enhance outdoor opportunities.

Building on the monument designation, leading philanthropies are also announcing commitments to help jump-start public involvement and restoration of high-priority projects in Los Angeles County and the new San Gabriel National Monument. The National Forest Foundation announced that they will commit $3 million for the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument Fund to respond to community priorities and support restoration and stewardship of the new national monument. In addition, the Hewlett, Wyss, Packard, and California Community foundations, the California Endowment, and the Resources Legacy Fund are working to establish a $500,000 San Gabriel Partnership Fund to support recreation and habitat improvement projects in the monument and surrounding communities. Secretary Vilsack and the Forest Service are also stepping up by investing more than a million dollars in additional education staff and maintenance work on the monument’s trails and picnic areas.

More than 15 million people live within 90 minutes of the San Gabriel Mountains, which provides 70 percent of the open space for Angeleños and 30 percent of their drinking water.  The 346,177 acre site contains high-quality wilderness areas, habitat for rare and endangered animals like the California condor, and a rich array of cultural and historical features.

Today’s action builds on steps the Administration has taken over the past five and a half years to expand access to millions of acres for recreation, make historic investments in restoring critical landscapes through the President’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative, and permanently protect areas significant to our Nation’s rich history and natural heritage.  All of these efforts support an annual outdoor economy that includes approximately 9 million jobs and $1 trillion in economic activity, according to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The new monument area overlays about half of the Angeles National Forest, which hosts more than 4 million visits each year. Based on 2012 data, the U.S. Forest Service estimates that the Angeles National Forest alone contributes more than $39 million to the local economy each year.

Since President Theodore Roosevelt designated Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming in 1906, the Antiquities Act has been used by 16 presidents to protect unique natural and historic features in America, including the Grand Canyon, the Statue of Liberty, and Alaska’s Admiralty Island National Monument. President Obama has previously used his authority under the Antiquities Act to create or expand 12 other National Monuments across the country, including the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument in the south-central Pacific Ocean last month  – the largest marine reserve in the world that is completely off limits to commercial resource extraction. With this designation, President Obama has now protected more than 260 million acres of land and water, nearly three times more than any other President since the Antiquities Act became law in 1906.

 

About the San Gabriel Monument & Southern California Community:  

The peaks of the San Gabriel Mountains frame the Los Angeles skyline and offer hundreds of miles of hiking, mountain biking, motorized, and equestrian trails as well as campgrounds to the area’s diverse residents. In addition to providing drinking water, the San Gabriels’ rivers support rare populations of native fish, while the vegetation found in the monument supports native wildlife and insect species, including pollinators important to farmers. The area is also rich in cultural and scientific history. More than 600 archeologically and culturally significant sites are found within the new monument, such as the Aliso-Arrastre Special Interest Area, which features rock art and cupules that exemplify more than 8,000 years of Native American history. The new monument is also home to the Mt. Wilson Observatory, where Edwin Hubble discovered galaxies beyond the Milky Way and Albert Michelson provided the first modern measurement of the speed of light.

Improving public access and recreational opportunities within the monument will help address the region’s public health challenges.  Studies have shown that increasing recreational access to public lands translates to higher levels of youth activity and lower youth obesity rates. National monuments also play an important role in supporting local economies.  A recent study by the independent and nonpartisan research group, Headwaters Economics analyzing the impacts of over a dozen monuments found that, without exception, local economies grew following the monument’s designation.

The San Gabriel Mountains National Monument will be managed by the U.S. Forest Service and will be the eighth national monument under Forest Service management. There are more than 100 national monuments across the country managed by the Forest Service, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

 

 

 

San Gabriel Mountains National Monument

Two hikers overlooking a rocky cliff area at Williamson Rock at San Gabriel Mountains National Monument.Mountain climbers enjoy the scenic beauty of the Williamson Rock area of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. President Barack Obama designated 346,177 of federal land as the monument area. (U.S. Forest Service)On Oct. 10, 2014, President Barack Obama will designate 346,177 acres of existing federal lands as the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, the eighth national monument under Forest Service management.

The nation’s newest monument covers 342,177 acres of the Angeles National Forest and 4,002 acres of neighboring San Bernardino National Forest. The area is within 90 minutes of 15 million people in the Los Angeles Basin.

The designation will help ensure these lands remain a benefit for all Americans through rock art that provides a glimpse into ancient civilizations, an observatory that brought the world the cosmos, and thousands of miles of streams, hiking trails and other outdoor recreation opportunities.

Soaring high above the Los Angeles Basin, the San Gabriel Mountains also are working lands that provide Angeleños 70 percent of their available open space and 30 percent of their drinking water. The monument serves as the backyard to the nation’s second-largest urban center.

Monument highlights include:

Biodiversity

The San Gabriel Mountains contains some of the greatest biodiversity in the country, including four wilderness areas – Magic Mountain, Pleasant View Ridge, San Gabriel, and Sheep Mountain – and unique geological features such as the San Andreas Fault. Other highlights are:

  • The rivers of the San Gabriel Mountains not only provide drinking water but are vital in the support of native fish, animals and plants and provide critical habitat for threatened or endangered species such as the California condor, mountain yellow-legged frog, arroyo chub fish and Nelson’s bighorn sheep.
  • The chaparral and oak woodland are just some of the vegetation that represent a portion of the rare Mediterranean ecosystem found in only 3 percent of the. The area also provides suitable habitat for 53 Forest Service Sensitive Plants and as many as 300 California-endemic species that only grow in the San Gabriel Range.

Scientific Discovery

A picture of the Mt. Wilson Observatory surrounded by a thick fog in the air.The historic Mount Wilson Observatory juts above the trees on the newly named San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. In 1889, the first telescope made its arduous journey up to the summit of Mt. Wilson. The observatory would later dominate astronomy worldwide with the works of George Ellery Hale and Edwin Hubble, among others. (Thinkstock)Science and research have been and continue to be an integral part of the monument area, most notably the Mount Wilson Observatory and the San Dimas Experimental Forest.

  • Edwin Powell Hubble, working from the Mount Wilson Observatory, is credited with making some of the most striking discoveries in modern astronomy, such as concluding that distant stars were really galaxies. That finding forever changed the way astronomers looked at the skies.
  • The San Dimas Experimental Forest, established in 1933, contains some of the earliest and longest records from continuously monitored, experimental watersheds in the U.S. It is the only research forest in Southern California, and many of the facilities were constructed by the depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps and Work Projects Administration labor programs. In 1976, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s Man and the Biosphere Program recognized the San Dimas Experimental Forest as a “Biosphere Reserve.”

Human dimension

Two hikers walking up a rocky, steep trail among several very large pine trees in Ice House Canyon on the Angeles National Forest.Hikers head north on the 4.4-mile Icehouse Canyon Trail past ruins of a stone cabin from the early days of the Angeles National Forest. The area is now part of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. (U.S. Forest Service)The monument holds evidence of more than 8,000 years of human history, including more than 600 archeological sites, three of which are on the National Register of Historic Places, as well as ruins of old cabins and the Mount Lowe Railway. Other highlights are:

  • The area, which boasts more than 4 million visits, is host to a variety of year-round recreational activities, including hiking, cross-country skiing, hunting, nature viewing, picnicking, water activities and horseback riding and camping.
  • Mount Baldy Center adjacent to the monument helps to educate 8,000 students and teachers each year in environmental education and includes a 1920s schoolhouse, reproductions of a gold-mining camp and a Native-American (Tongva-Gabrielino) village.

Information about becoming a San Gabriel Mountains National Monument volunteer or partner is available from the Angeles National Forest.

Other Forest Service-managed national monuments:

Sources: U.S. Forest Service; U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Carnegie Institution for Science

 

Comment On This Story
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39 Comments

  1. This was “Spineless / Backdoor” issue by POTUS and local politicians. Knowing that they would never get support from the residence of the area, the chose to backdoor to pass this issue. The major disappointment comes from the fact that the only arguments of the “National Monument” came from San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, which only had about 10% at stake. Very little was said from Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.
    Very Disappointed ! Wildlife & Wildlife Conservation will now suffer, because of short sighted politicians. There’s NO management plan yet and who will be on that board to establish those policies ? There will be more “red tape” & political posturing before this is settled, Victims: Wildlife !

    • They polled first. Their polling showed 80% support in the L.A. area.

    • This action is one of the most POSITIVE things done for SoCal in decades. Bravo, Mr. President!

    • I went to the meeting and knew people at this meeting. The entire front row were people that couldn’t speak English and were “coached” to only say, “Save the Mountain”! They were “ringers’ brought from the outside and friends from the US Forest Service were told not to say anything to reporters. I’ve been on the this for the past 11.5 years, since Hilda Solis (then Congresswoman for El Monte) proposed the San Gabriel National Recreation Area. Where were you when we had public discussions about this ?

    • I don’t know how you reach the conclusions you do. Wildlife as well as recreation , better interpretive services and maintenance will all benefit immensely from this designation. All plusses and no minuses in national monument status. Why do you think wildlife will suffer from more protection, not less?

    • Not sure which “we” you mean, Derek C. Fong, but at least one of our people worked with Solis and then Chu and finally the White House to get it done. In fact she coordinated today’s signing event.

    • I’ve work in this field and my volunteers have done more for Wildlife on both sides of the mountain for the last 20 years. With Federal, State grants and local fundraising dollars Wildlife volunteers have restored, rehabilitated, established wildlife water drinkers and reforestation these areas after every Wildfire and Natural disaster. With a huge State grants pending to restore much needed wildlife areas in the Station & Powerhouse fires, these grants will be on hold or diverted to other areas while a New management plan is created. And for everyone that keeps saying that nothing is going to be changed or affected, who’s saying this? The San Gabriel Mountain Forever, they don’t get to create policy, or maybe by being in bed with Congresswoman Judy Chu and POTUS, maybe they do ! Bottomline, there hasn’t been any committees create yet draw up policies. And BTW, Judy Chu’s office put out the information of 80% approval of the SGMNM. Were you part of that survey, not one of the Stakeholders that have a stake in the Angeles National Forest – San Gabriel Mountains were ever invited to meeting, discussions or their opinions.

    • Santa Clarita City Council unanimously endorsed the Judy Chu bill.

    • Todd Damann Todd Damann says:

      When the area gets a large working brush fire, are you all aware that fire depts are not allowed to use “any” mechanized equipment and or drop fire retardant within the area to stop the fire. Therefore just as the Zaca fire and fires in Yosemite they will burn thousands of acres. The protected Wilderness/ Monument will be nothing but moon scape. Look at the area that the Station Fire burned. It will look just like that. So how does declaring it a monument/wilderness protect it from such destruction?? It doesn’t. Good job people.

  2. Greg Hoslet Greg Hoslet says:

    Prepare to see locked gates and “do not enter” signs on previously access able areas. If you can get in, bring your wallet.

  3. Scott Evans Scott Evans says:

    It seems they purposefully left out Mt. Baldy…skiing implications perhaps?

    • Scott, this was purposely done because of the efforts of SBC Board of Supervisor Janice Rutherford. Janice Rutherford went to Washington DC to lobby the removal of over 100,000 acres of the San Bernardino National Forest. This would have included Rancho Cucamonga, Mt. Baldy, Wrightwood and areas all the way to Interstate 15 .
      QUOTING Janice Rutherford’s Facebook page: The only part of San Bernardino County that was included was a few thousand acres of the Sheep Wilderness and surrounding area that is adjacent to LA County. Because the area was already designated as “wilderness,” its use was already maximally restricted so the NM designation should not have a significant impact at all. This is great news for all of us who had so many unanswered questions and concerns about the President’s action today.
      I thought that SCVTV Santa Clarita would have known those details.

  4. Hollis Dyer Hollis Dyer says:

    He just landed to screw up traffic and restrict you from using the San Gabriel Mnts.

  5. Mike Kent Mike Kent says:

    Aliso Canyon a national monument?

  6. He needed an official reason to make this a business trip to spring the cost on the taxpayers. He just wanted to grab money at Gwenyth paltrow’s house

  7. Obama saved this country from collapse long live Obama:)

  8. Obama saved this country from collapse long live Obama:)

  9. These negative comments are pure speculation based upon NO facts. FACTS: increased money for visitor services & maintenance. Better protection of resources. More recreation facilities. THOSE are facts; the rest is idle talk.

  10. These negative comments are pure speculation based upon NO facts. FACTS: increased money for visitor services & maintenance. Better protection of resources. More recreation facilities. THOSE are facts; the rest is idle talk.

  11. Herb Schmidl Herb Schmidl says:

    Was that the reason to waste taxpayers money by flying out here ? Biden could have done that a few days ago Or just to screw up traffic and get $$

  12. Herb Schmidl Herb Schmidl says:

    Was that the reason to waste taxpayers money by flying out here ? Biden could have done that a few days ago Or just to screw up traffic and get $$

  13. San Gabriel Mountains Now a National Monument …. Includes portions of eastern SCV (14,700 acres in 25th Congressional District just east of Highway 14 in Canyon Country/Soledad Canyon and south of Acton) => http://wp.me/p1Le03-jpL

  14. The funny part is that Obama said it would allow easier access for urban families & people of color . What is that bs? Race doesn’t have anything to do with the ability of someone exploring our forest. Is he gonna make the taxpayer’s pay for a shuttle bus for the “urban people” too? If you don’t have the ability to read a map or the ambition to explore nature then you shouldn’t be up there anyway.

  15. Donn Miller Donn Miller says:

    God Obama uses his powers again. What a jerk.

  16. LA Area! Not those directly affected by this BS. Such as those in the SGV! It is having a negative impact on them. David, you have no idea what your talking about. We know many in and around the Adams Pack station and Chantry flats that this hurts tremendously. Including financially.

  17. LA Area! Not those directly affected by this BS. Such as those in the SGV! It is having a negative impact on them. David, you have no idea what your talking about. We know many in and around the Adams Pack station and Chantry flats that this hurts tremendously. Including financially.

  18. Derek. The stake holders I know were never invited and infact ignored. Those that own cabins up there are forever screwed. There is a lot of misinformation out there about this. But not from the side negatively affected.

  19. Todd Damann Todd Damann says:

    When the area gets a large working brush fire, are you all aware that fire depts are not allowed to use “any” mechanized equipment and or drop fire retardant within the area to stop the fire. Therefore just as the Zaca fire and fires in Yosemite they will burn thousands of acres. The protected Wilderness/ Monument will be nothing but moon scape. Look at the area that the Station Fire burned. It will look just like that. So how does declaring it a monument/wilderness protect it from such destruction?? It doesn’t. Good job people.

  20. If Obama had something to do with it… it will be F@$ked up. Todd Damann people just don’t know or get it buddy…..

  21. Lot of gold mines up there that are now “monuments”

  22. Sixsixone Chito And just how did he do that? Educate yourself

  23. Don Clark Don Clark says:

    The ONLY reason for this is Money and Power. None other. More Government land to control.

  24. Don Clark Don Clark says:

    The ONLY reason for this is Money and Power. None other. More Government land to control.

  25. MM no longer stuck in L.A. says:

    Just another land grab by the leftist regime in power. This has agenda 21 written all over it. Of course, the liberals all welcome it since they overran Commiefornya and elected a 2/3 majority rubber stamp state assembly of liberals.
    So glad I moved out of that socialist enclave and went to the real USA on the west coast of AZ!

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