Precautions need to be taken when visiting the forest including visitors being mindful of their trash.
By Mary O’KEEFE
Every weekday morning, CVW, along with countless others, receives an email with the heading “Good Morning, Forest Friends.” It is a message sent out by John Clearwater, the public affairs officer with the U.S. Forest Service, Angeles National Forest – San Gabriel Mountains National Monument.
The emails are filled with fun facts and photos shared from people who have visited the forest. Those of us who have covered the ANF for so long – from fire to flood to missing hikers – wanted to highlight what it really means to be a “forest friend” and how visitors can help the U.S. Forest Service in preserving this magnificent and protected area for generations to come.
The Angeles National Forest was established in December 1892 by Executive Order. It covers about 700,000 acres. The Angeles manages the watersheds within its boundaries to provide valuable water to Southern California and to protect surrounding communities from catastrophic floods. Elevations range from 1,200 to 10,064 feet. Most of the forest is covered with dense chaparral. The ANF offers natural environments, spectacular scenery, developed campgrounds and picnic areas, swimming, fishing, skiing and the solitude of quiet wilderness areas, according to the U.S. Forest website.
“The forest in size is fairly small but the Angeles has complexity that many others don’t. We are basically an urban forest,” said Aaron Ash, acting district ranger for Los Angeles Gateway District. “Angeles is one of the busiest [forests] in the country.”
ANF is one of the largest urban forests in the U.S., too, as it offers open space to the estimated 18 million residents in the greater Los Angeles area.
The forest offers a lot for visitors to do and during COVID-19 the trails were a popular way for people to get out of the house and enjoy nature. The number of visitors increased during the pandemic and, although it is a good thing for the forest to be enjoyed, there were also people who do not understand, or ignore, the delicate balance of this natural resource.
During the pandemic there were a lot of first time visitors to ANF who did not realize that although the forest offers a lot of fun and exploration it is also a place where temperatures change dramatically throughout the day into night, cellphone service is spotty at best and time and space can be confusing – meaning when hikers step off the trail for a few minutes they can discover night falls quickly then find themselves lost and unprepared.
“The forest can be a dangerous place if you don’t know what you are doing,” Ash said.
For those who live along the base of ANF the primary concern is fire. As of Tuesday, the fire level was “high” though wildfires are always a concern. The vegetation is dry and the humidity is low so all precautions need to be taken while visiting the ANF. The majority of fires in the Angeles are human-caused; this can result from unsafe campfires but often are caused by cars that catch fire on the side of the freeways that surround the area.
But litter is really one of the most destructive issues in the Angeles.
“The best word to describe [the trash left behind] is disrespect of the forest,” Ash said. “So when most people think of trash they think of a pile of litter but, unfortunately, when it breaks down it becomes micro-trash,” he said. “Bear and deer may avoid the micro-trash but other smaller animals, [like] mice or birds, [do not].”
Micro-trash is small pieces of trash like cigarette butts, gum and candy wrappers and small pieces of Styrofoam and plastics. These do not biodegrade and are often found by small animals. The California condor, for example, is a natural scavenger and is attracted to these small pieces of trash. Once eaten the trash gets stuck in the gastrointestinal track and can stop the bird from digesting food resulting in the condor dying of starvation.
“Please just don’t drop Styrofoam or anything that doesn’t degrade,” Ash said.
He added that often even the food that is dropped, even small pieces, have been treated with chemicals that are not healthy for native wildlife.
“Pack everything out,” Ash advised. “Whether it’s an apple core or [other food] keep everything out of the forest.”
Scouts are taught this from the first time they go on camping trips; you pack everything out that you packed in.
But beyond the micro-trash there is also just out-and-out dumping in the forest and especially along the Angeles Crest and other forest roadways. People will drive into the forest with a lot of trash in their vehicles.
“They push the trash out of their truck,” he said.
The trash is pushed onto the roadways where it not only becomes a danger for the health of the forest but also becomes a dangerous obstacle for those driving on roadways.
The trash consists of everything from hazardous waste, like paint and cleaners, to construction debris like dry wall. In addition forest workers find bags of garbage that have been dumped into the forest, in parking lots, along roadways and on trails.
“It creates a world of problems for us who manage the forest,” Ash said.
Because of those who disrespect the Angeles a group of volunteers was formed who go out into the forest and pick up micro-plastics and perform other chores to help clean the forest. There are also experienced hikers who help those they find along the trails who are not prepared and find themselves in trouble. Scout organizations also continue to teach their members how to respect the forest.
Ash is a former U.S. Navy pilot. He has some suggestions for those coming to the Angeles whether for the first time or the hundredth time.
“I am a big safety guy coming from the Navy,” he said. “Take time to make sure your car is [well maintained]. There are dead zones where cellphones don’t [work]. Pack out your trash; wear sunscreen. Bring tons of water, and notify someone when and where you are going. Do some research and be careful.”