Los Padres Issues Closure Order for Key Trails, Camps on Monterey Ranger District
GOLETA, CA, November 7, 2017…Los Padres National Forest officials today issued a forest order to maintain a temporary closure of the Pine Ridge (Forest Trail No. E306), Terrace Creek (Forest Trail No. 3E22) and Ventana Camp (Forest Trail No. 2E14) trails, as well as Barlow Flat, Sykes, Redwood, Terrace Creek and Ventana Camps.
The remainder of the Soberanes Fire closure instituted last December on the Monterey Ranger District has been lifted.
Forest Service law enforcement officers will strictly enforce the new closure order, which carries a penalty of $5,000 and/or six months in jail. The order will expire November 6, 2018.
The closure order prohibits the public from being on these three trails or entering these five developed recreation sites due to continued public safety and natural resource concerns within the Soberanes Fire burn area. The closure will remain in effect until the hazardous trails conditions can be mitigated. Adequate surveys of these trails are being undertaken to determine the amount of damage, the subsequent repair needs, environmental planning, and funding sources to accomplish the necessary trail repair work before allowing public access to these popular trails and camps.
The scoping regarding this temporary closure included discussions with local landowners, members of the public, government agencies, as well as cooperators and volunteers.
For additional information, please contact the Monterey Ranger District at (831) 385-5434, or by visiting the Los Padres National Forest website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/lpnf.
TO BE CLEAR – THE SOBERANES EAST LOOP IS STATE PARK AND NOT AFFECTED BY THIS ORDER. IT IS STILL CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE! AS ARE THE LIMEKILN TRAILS, I BELIEVE.
I wonder how many of those who went under the fence at Soberanes got ticketed? Without policing, restrictions are meaningless.
So true. But just to be clear, the new closure reduction does not affect Garrapata State Park, which remains closed east of Highway 1.