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Angeles National Forest Fire Restoration Goals and Priorities

This program aims to increase the pace and scale of conservation on the Angeles National Forest
through strategic partnership opportunities that address the impacts to the watersheds and ecosystems
affected by these fires, provide sustainable and lasting ecological benefits, promote ecological resilience
to future wildfire events, and inform efficient post-fire restoration through innovation.

The proposed conservation outcomes of this program are informed by the USDA Forest Service Strategic
Plan, which identifies two main goals: (1) restore, sustain, and enhance the nation’s forests and
grasslands by fostering resilient, adaptive ecosystems to mitigate climate change; through strategic land
management, mitigating wildfire risk, and conserving open space, and (2) deliver and sustain the
benefits of the national forests to the American public by providing abundant clean water, strengthening
communities, and connecting people to the outdoors (USDA 2015). Those goals are further described
and expanded upon for the ANF within the Forest Service’s Land Management Plan – Part 1 Southern
California National Forests Vision, Part 2 – Angeles National Forest Strategy, and Part 3 – Design Criteria
for the Southern California National Forests (USDA 2005).

Angeles National Forest Restoration Priorities

The ANF and NFWF seek to implement a holistic, watershed-scale approach to fire restoration. The
restoration activities to be completed through this program are primarily supported through fire cost
recovery settlement funds that are designated to address the impacts and concerns related to their
respective fires. In order to achieve program goals while operating within the constraints of existing
funding sources, a variety of separate but complementary strategies and associated activities may be
implemented. Some of the highest priority activities for recovery within the Copper, Ranch, and Sayre
fires include:

 San Francisquito Creek Aquatic Organism Passage Improvements – feasibility and design
planning for improving hydrologic function and connectivity, and stream and riparian habitat
conditions for unarmored three-spine stickleback, California red-legged frog, and other aquatic
species indigenous to San Francisquito Creek watershed. Includes completing all necessary NEPA
requirements.
 Chaparral and Coastal Sage Scrub Restoration – priority planning for chaparral and coastal sage
scrub restoration, with subsequent seed collection and plant propagation, and project
implementation within degraded vegetation communities.
 Forest Woodland Restoration – landscape-scale evaluation and development of vegetation
management and restoration priority plan for forest environments; including native woodlands,
grasslands, and riparian habitat and wetland communities. Post-management plan
development, conduct subsequent seed collection and plant propagation, and implementation
of projects within identified priority areas. Implementation will include completing all necessary
NEPA requirements. Presently, Angeles National Forest woodland restoration requests a focus
toward oak communities and riparian areas.
 Non-native Invasive Vegetation Removal and Control – species of particular interest within the
given fire scars:
o Copper: arundo, tamarisk, Spanish broom, tree-of-heaven, black locust, blessed thistle,
Russian thistle, pampas grass
o Ranch: perennial pepperweed, tamarisk, yellow star-thistle, Spanish broom

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