About the Project
The project involves logging and chaparral removal across 755 acres along six miles of Pine Mountain Ridge, stretching from Highway 33 to Reyes Peak. The area includes Pine Mountain Campground, Reyes Peak Campground, Boulder Canyon Trailhead, Chorro Grande Trailhead, and Reyes Peak Trailhead.
The Forest Service has used two loopholes to avoid preparing an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement, robust analyses that require the agency to develop alternatives to the proposed actions and which allow more opportunities for the public to officially engage in the decision-making process. One of these types of environmental reviews would normally be required for a project of this size and scope.
Live trees up to the size shown here (24” in diameter) can be removed without stipulations.
Even larger trees up to 64” in diameter (over five feet) can be removed under loose stipulations. Trees would be removed using ground-disturbing heavy equipment or chainsaws.
The Forest Service has confirmed that they are considering a commercial timber sale to carry out the project.
Old-growth chaparral will be masticated (shredded into mulch) in areas across over 300 acres.
Congress is considering designating over one-third of the area as Wilderness.
Watch the webinar to learn even more.
Los Padres ForestWatch hosted a webinar in June to discuss concerns about the proposal in more detail.
