Politics & Government

San Gabriel Mountains Could Become National Recreation Area

Sections of the Angeles National Forest are eligible to be part of the National Park Service as a National Recreation Area, which could mean increased trail and recreation improvements.

The National Parks Service released the results of a study Tuesday that concluded the parts of the San Gabriel Mountains and Puente Hills are eligible to become part of the national parks systems.

The study looked at 700,000 acres of land in Los Angeles County, including 415,000 acres in the San Gabriel Mountains.

That land could become a National Recreation Area, increasing rangers, facilities, recreation opportunities, and trails.

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It would not become a National Park, however. The park service's study concluded that a "large traditional national park unit, owned and operated solely by the NPS, would be infeasible" and suggested instead a "collaborative partnership-based park unit which respects the complex mix of land use, ownership, and regulatory authority in the study area."

The study area includes areas of the mountains in higher elevations above Sierra Madre, but does not include low-lying part of the San Gabriels that are immediately adjacent to Altadena.  The map on right shows which areas were part of the study.

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The study suggested three alternatives, and also studied what they would mean compared to the status quo. All three alternatives involve setting a National Recreation Area, but differ on what levels of on the scale of the area that would be protected and the extent to which the park service would be involved in creating recreational opportunities in local communities in the study area.  

The executive summary of the study can be read at right. There will be a series of upcoming public meetings on the plan starting October 29 in El Monte.  The other hearings will be in Palmdale, Pomona, Tujunga, and Santa Clarita.  Full details on when and where these will be are available here.


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