Natural Environmental Values

 

• Wild and Scenic Rivers - designate the current recommendations.
• Chance to be a National Monument? = protected wilderness.

• Now is the time to preserve what is left.
• Connections to land for health purposes/physical and mental.

• There's something for everyone - peace solitude, active trails/biking, hang gliding.
• The San Gabriel Mountains provide over 70 percent of the public open space in Los Angeles County, and the Angeles National Forest is one of the top three most heavily used recreational forests in the United States. These natural landscapes are a refuge from the urban surroundings in this region, providing a place where residents and visitors can retreat to hike, ride mountain bikes, and otherwise enjoy the tranquility of nature. These areas also provide clean air and water, creating a healthier environment for residents of the San Gabriel Valley.
• The analysis should clearly recognize the importance of wilderness and Wild & Scenic Rivers in a San Gabriel Mountains NRA. It should address opportunities to expand these resources and support their recreational use with rangers. These mountains benefit our quality of life and the health of our economy by providing us with clean air and water and incredible natural beauty.
• This beautiful region is unique in many ways, from its large size and very close proximity to a huge population, giving the people the opportunity for nature R&R near their homes, protecting wildlife, acting as natural air and water filters, and much more. We owe it to ourselves and our children to protect this gem next to our homes!

• This is especially important in a metropolitan region such as ours where many urban areas are lacking in recreational resources and are "park poor." With new and improving public transit options, the nearby mountain areas will be able to provide much needed recreational opportunities for large and growing segments of the population. One need only look to the history of our region to find photographs of the many Southern Californians who years ago rode street cars up to Mt. Lowe and other mountain area destinations. Adult obesity is also growing (no pun intended!) We must have attractive nearby alternatives for couch potatoes and those wedded to their computers.
• They are an invaluable resource for me and other residents of the urban areas of Los Angeles County, as these mountains provide much of our public open space, while benefiting our quality of life and the health of our families by providing us with clean air and water and incredible natural beauty. I spend time in the mountains at least once a week, and on those visits I encounter many other Californians who value this resource as much as I do.
• The Los Angeles area is one largest populated areas in the United States and yet we have fewer parks and recreation areas than almost any other large city. These mountains are one of the very few places that we can go to get away from the traffic, the crowds and the noise we are faced to live with, day in and day out. I go there to be alone, to rest my spirit, to enjoy the beauty of nature and to watch and listen to the wildlife. Our parks and beaches are terribly crowded, take a long time to get too and mean that we have to fight yet more cars and crowds to enjoy a change of pace from our daily life.
• Many children growing up the Los Angels and San Bernardino metropolitan areas over the past half century seldom experience the bounty's and benefits wilderness provides for their physical, mental and spiritual well- being. What has been and continues to be created over billions of years that we now call home, also holds the possibilities and inspiration for the current and future generations and provides solutions for this region's youth obesity and diabetes crisis has brought new urgency to connecting our people and communities back to our mountains and rivers. The San Gabriel Mountains define the weather patterns, natural plant and animal communities and human habitats and development and corridors from Santa Clarita to San Bernardino, providing much of our public open space. These mountains benefit our quality of life and the health of our families by providing us with clean air and water and incredible natural beauty.
• With your help and some funding the San Gabriel Mountains can become a National Recreation Area, supporting wildlife, habitat, and creating a great outdoor experience for visitors. Please help this great natural area survive and thrive for now and the future.
• Having left L.A. due to quality of life issues, I would sure love to see things bettered for children and all Angelinos. And anything to improve the air & water there, having lived through the smoggy years and knowing So Cal has its eyes on Nor Cal's water, is a good thing!
• I strongly support creating a San Gabriel Mountain National Recreation Area! These mountains are truly world class in their beauty and biodiversity.
• I began going regularly to the San Gabriels to get away from the noise, congestion and smog below. It was wonderful for a city kid to be in native plants and to see various birds and the streams! These mountains benefit our quality of life and the health of our families by providing us with clean air and water and incredible natural beauty.
• The mountains and flora are very impressive here and the potential is high for a wonderful outdoor escape.
• I know how much designation of the area as a NRA would mean in helping to save this unique area for generations to come.
• We would hate it if these lands were lost to us. Please protect our San Gabriel Mountain nature lands forever!
• We need forests, not barrens, not fire prone spaces rich in undergrowth due to the absence of a beautiful canopy of branches and leaves/pines.
• The area affords an incredible opportunity for "city dwellers" to appreciate the outdoors and learn to appreciate all that natural resources, our own and generally, have to offer and can teach us about the world we live in. It would be a shame to not protect (and nurture) such an area especially when it offers a unique opportunity to provide LA's urban youth (and adults) an ability to experience the great outdoors for themselves.
• The Los Angeles area is densely populated and it's very difficult to find any open, wild areas where one can go to find peace, space to enjoy the outdoors and all they have to offer in this hectic world. I have witnessed the fact and in many areas that should have been protected, over-development which has led to loss of wildlife and their habitat, huge wild fires and a loss of valuable recreational space for southern California's people and visitors. It is not land that can be regained.
• As a Los Angeles resident, I can't begin to tell you how much the remaining local natural environments mean to us. So many times I have turned to the San Gabriel Mountain area for relief from the noise and crunch of this megalopolis. A trip there is always refreshing and renewing.
• Southern California is in need of more stable recreational areas, and with a National Recreation Area designation, that would give the residents and visitors to Southern California more opportunity to visit the mountains.
• Beyond the history and ecological value of this precious resource, I bet you to remember that the public deserves some of these public places. These are healthy environments for many people to spend their leisure time and should remain for generations to come.
• The San Gabriel Mountains and their wondrously diverse flora and fauna stand in stark contrast to the over-development and over-population of Los Angeles and Orange Counties. They are precious natural jewels that deserve conservation and preservation. I will do what I can. Please step up and protect and defend these amazing and gorgeous places.
• I'd like to make sure this precious land is protected for future generations of nature lovers in the Los Angeles area and beyond.
• These mountains were the inspiration for this poem I wrote:

Today is indelibly stamped upon my senses.

If you were me, you'd be looking at the San Gabriel Mountain Range to the North. The hills close to me are sparsely overgrown with grass.

After last summer's fires the ground can be seen,

rocky brown bones of the earth peeking through the scruffy new growth,

the promise of rejuvenation, kept once more.

As my eye ranges farther away, to the east, the mountains look darker green,

until they turn to gray in the distance.

The sky beats hot and clear,

the residual smudge gone from the air as though clarified by the heat.

The noise of the day continues, business as usual,

yet seems muffled by the calmness of the afternoon,

like a breath held in anticipation.

The perfection of the day is complete,

the earth in harmony with its own breath,

happily oblivious to the frantic comings and goings of people.

Like a majestic animal ignoring its fleas,

that could be easily dispatched with the flick of a tail.

Please protect these beautiful, wild places!

• We have a vision of connecting natural lands from the cities to the mountains, increasing the opportunities for the residents of the heavily populated Los Angeles basin to enjoy the natural beauties of the nearby San Gabriels and the lands in between.
• The proposal should address how an NRA could improve management of and educational programs about wilderness and wild & scenic rivers. Increasing the resources and staff devoted to wilderness will better educate the public about the environmental and social value of these critically important areas as well as the remarkable recreational opportunities they represent, such as hiking, fishing, and watching wildlife. Improved education and access would also enlist public support for protection of wilderness and develop a constituency for adding to them. Because wilderness areas, and wild & scenic rivers, are specifically for recreation, designated by Congress to be preserved in their natural state for future generations, an NRA should offer opportunities to expand these valuable resources as part of its recreation mission. The draft report should clearly recognize the importance of the wilderness and wild & scenic river designations in the San Gabriel Mountains and how they enhance a potential San Gabriel Mountains NRA. As the highest form of protection on public lands these designations are essential for protecting the ecological habitat of rare and endangered species, and for offering recreation in unspoiled natural settings.

• The draft report should clearly recognize the importance of the wilderness and wild & scenic river designations in the San Gabriel Mountains and how they enhance a potential San Gabriel Mountains NRA. As the highest form of protection on public lands these designations are essential for protecting the ecological habitat of rare and endangered species, and for offering recreation in unspoiled natural settings.

• Designating the San Gabriel Mountains region as a special place, with a name that calls attention to area's unique value, will not only foster its protection but also increase the public's awareness of the natural wonders that exist so close to a bustling metropolitan community.
• My suggestion is a home field for the baseball group, ages 3-18 years old. The need for more sport-type parks is important to the community and to the kids and families in our little area. I would support a nature-type area where seniors and young alike can enjoy a center and enjoy the surrounding wilderness atmosphere similar to that of Eaton Canyon in Pasadena. It is very sad to say that the County of LA does not take care of this area and we find ourselves begging for help and for funds to support the kids.
• Please include the critical wildlife corridor from the Big Tujunga Dam in the Angeles National Forest along the Big Tujunga River Wash to the Hansen Dam habitat areas here in Sunland for preservation in the proposed new wilderness area. This open space is critical habitat for the Arroyo Toad, the Arroyo Chub, rare alluvial fan sage scrub habitat association, Dodecahema leptocerus, and much more. Though within the boundaries of the city of Los Angeles, this native habitat connects the Verdugo Mountains sections of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy park lands to the larger Angeles National Forest, and faces imminent development pressure.
• I greatly value the parkland and wild areas in and around Greater Los Angeles as an escape. I know too that they are vital for protecting biological diversity and for many other things.
• West Coyote Hills urban wilderness contains examples of rare coastal sage scrub and related habitats, and has one of the largest remaining populations of endangered coastal cactus wrens and California gnatcatchers. It is an area much needed for wilderness experience by people in the surrounding cities. It should be included in the study area.
• The concept C with its view of the importance of the San Gabriel River Watershed and drainage is one of the most valuable reasons for protection of this area. As the recent fires have shown how the protection of this area is vital to the well being of the residents below the watershed not just in the water it produces but for flood protection, recreation, air purity, beauty and enjoyment for all.
• The more the land around us is developed for residential and commercial purposes, the more urgent the protection of the mountains and forests and rivers.

• The San Gabriel Mountains serve as sanctuaries for spirituality, prayer, family, renewal, and personal growth. They also serve as symbols of opportunity for all. To people of faith, the San Gabriel Mountains are not only important because of their spiritual value. The San Gabriel Mountains are important because they represent a social injustice in Los Angeles, with an increase in underserved communities visiting the rivers and mountains, and a decrease in resources provided.

• As the LA basin becomes more densely populated, these mountains will become ever more valuable to the physical, mental and spiritual health of the people.

• I consider the San Gabriels a place of spiritual and mental renewal not only for myself, but for my clients, and countless others.

• Important for communities of faith. - LA Diocese Progressive Christians.

• We could call attention to the way in which these great mountains can feed the human spirit. Two or three times a week bicycle up s trail along the base of these mountains. And each time I stop to admire their grandeur. I think it is important for me to remember often that there are some things that are bigger than I am. Like the whole earth itself, are given to us only once. We can ruin them in a few years, by exploiting them for narrow economic gain or carelessness in a tiny fraction of the billions of years it took Nature to bring them to be. Please do everything possible to preserve the wonderful mountains. Since our children and grandchildren will be burdened by the great national debt we will have placed upon their shoulders, maybe we can at least one thing to help ease their burden!

• I didn't notice very much explicitly addressed to the concerns of the urban wildland interface, which is such a huge problem in the LA area. Can the NPS help provide research and motivation to local communities to manage suburban sprawl and prevent its ill effects on the wildlands?
• It is important to include Puente-Chino Hills area. We need this wilderness space. I don't like to see other thousands and thousands of houses build up there. It ruins the wild animal habitat.
• The SRS fails to address the "realities" of the significant and irrevocable impacts of such an effort on the rural communities that are located between the ANF and the urban communities that the NPS seeks to serve. Obviously, expanding recreational opportunities in the ANF for the benefit of urban residents will significantly increase traffic, noise and congestion in these rural communities (along with other substantial problems which always attend such impacts).
• What is left (510 + 72.5 acres) of Coyote Hills in Fullerton is just enough to maintain a healthy self-sustaining ecosystem of coastal sage scrub (CSS), which is a land-type going into extinction. There are about 100 plants and 75 animals, I'm estimating, that make up CSS which exists only at this given latitude, longitude, and elevation level. Only about 5 - 10% is left in the world, all of it existing in California. In truth, the CSS land is a great place to build houses, and the housing industry is destroying this ecosystem throughout California for their developments without thought for preservation of a small section of it for future generations to experience first hand -- hence the NPS needs to step in here to preserve some of it. Once gone; always gone -- the plants, the animals, and the whole unique ecosystem. This 510 + 72.5 acres, in fact, is maintaining itself extremely well right now. NPS would probably only need to manage visitors hiking the trails. In itself, it is really a very self-sufficient piece of land. INCLUDE Fullerton's 510 + 72.5 acres in the Coyote Hills on the San Gabriel Watershed and Mountains map outlining the area of this resource study. There is an urgent need to preserve this ecosystem in the Coyote Hills, and I believe the NPS is the one to do it.
• A NRA should include recognition of the importance of wilderness and Wild & Scenic Rivers. It should address opportunities to expand these resources and support their recreational use with additional rangers.
• The Angeles National Forest is an integral part of the life of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As the population grows, the value of this natural space becomes more and more important in the lives of the people who live here. Population growth has pushed the city concrete to the limits - extending up against the foothills of the mountains. Having the opportunity to walk and dwell among the trees is vital to the health of all these people - both in the air they breathe, the tranquility that can soothe their nerves frayed from the busy, crowded city life, and in the potential for exercise as they explore the trails and roads. We all will thank you through the ages for preserving this resource for us and our children.
• The importance of the San Gabriel Mountains grows each day. As more of the land around the San Gabriels is developed, the more important protecting our forest heritage becomes. As recreational needs grow, services to forest visitors are declining.

• My area, Santa Clarita, has been subject to such intense development and population growth over the last ten years, we really need a NRA close by to better protect our beautiful mountains to give us the opportunity to get away and enjoy them.

• This treasure must be protected so others may have the experiences and memories I hold so dear.
• Clean water, clean air and the future of the animals inhabiting wild areas depends on stopping mindless elephantwalkism and its supply-side Puritanic frenzy of overproduction, unnecessary population growth fueled by pseudo-religious motives and the passing of a burden of pollution, destruction and invasion of wild ecological areas onto the backs of humans and animals alike.
• I know that those mountain areas can be important to coming generations –if they are preserved –and developed with the public in mind.
• A National Recreation Area would be beneficial to the residents of the San Gabriel watershed.
• If we don't preserve areas like the San Gabriel Watershed, we work against our best interests as humans.
• As a Los Angeles resident, I can't begin to tell you how much the remaining local natural environments mean to us. So many times I have turned to the San Gabriel Mountain area for relief from the noise and crunch of this megalopolis. A trip there is always refreshing and renewing.
• The San Gabriel Watershed Area needs to be protected in perpetuity so future citizens can enjoy it as much as I have.
• These mountains were very important to our family when our children were growing up. We would prospect for gold, and tell them the history of the mountains, we fished, we picnicked, and we just had a lot of fun. These mountains need more resources and care.
• I want to see this area protected as well as possible for my grandchildren.
• I'd like to make sure this precious land is protected for future generations of nature lovers in the Los Angeles area and beyond.

• The San Gabriel Mountains provide us with open space, clean air, and clean water. By recommending a National Recreation Area designation for the San Gabriels, my family and I can take comfort that our local mountains will be vital today, tomorrow, and for future generations with improved healthy recreational opportunities.

• Need to slow or stop development. This area is already so developed, habitat is fragmented, there is so little left. Would support any alternative that would help stop development.

• Adding a National Park Service special designation to lands owned and managed by the Forest Service, thereby potentially increasing and improving recreation, education, access and resource protection and restoration of a nationally and locally significant resource, seems to reflect tradition and follow precedent.