Strategic Firebreaks – Public Comments

Los Padres National Forest
For Immediate Release
Contact: Andrew Madsen (805) 961-5759
Twitter: @LosPadresNF

Los Padres Seeks Public Comments
on Proposed Strategic Community Fuelbreak

GOLETA, Calif., February 1, 2017 – Forest Service officials today announced the release of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Proposed Strategic Community Fuelbreak Project on the Monterey Ranger District. The purpose of the project is to design and establish fuelbreaks in a non-emergency environment to enhance protection for at-risk communities, reduce suppression costs, and preserve wilderness character.

The Environmental Protection Agency published a Notice of Availability (NOA) for the Draft EIS in the Federal Register on January 27, 2017. The Forest Service will accept comments on this proposal for 45 calendar days following publication of the NOA, which is the exclusive means for calculating the comment period for a proposed action documented in a Draft EIS. Commenters should not rely upon dates or timeframe information provided by any other source. It is the commenter’s responsibility to ensure timely receipt of comments (36 CFR 218.25).

(Ed. Note: The Draft EIS is available on line http://fs.usda.gov/project/?project=40713

Two public open houses are scheduled to provide interested parties with an opportunity to learn more about the project and the Draft EIS:
Ø February 15, 2017, 5:30pm – 7:30pm at the U. S. Forest Service Big Sur Station: 47555 Highway 1, Big Sur, CA 93920.
Ø February 16, 2017, 5:30pm – 7:30pm at the U. S. Forest Service Monterey District office: 406 South Mildred Ave., King City, CA 93930.

Written comments may be mailed to the Monterey Ranger District, Attn: Jeff Kwasny; 406 South Mildred Ave., King City, CA 93930; or hand delivered to the Monterey Ranger District at the address shown above during business hours (M-F 8:00am to 4:30pm); or submitted by FAX to (831) 385-0628. Electronic comments, in common formats (.doc, .pdf, .rtf, .txt), may be submitted to: comments-pacificsouthwest-los-padres-monterey@fs.fed.us. Please include “Strategic Community Fuelbreak Project” in the subject line

New Slide? Gamboa Point

10:59 AM 9 [20] 27-D5 SB LANE JSO LUCIA LODGE IS SINKING CALTRANS PUTTING OUT CONES / WILL DIRECT TRAFF TO NB LANES

Per CHP this am –

7:32 AM [18] 27-D5 CALTRANS ADVISED TO OPEN RD TEMP FOR LOCALS IN 30 MINS BUT WILL NEED TO SHUT IT DOWN IN AN HOUR TO CLEAN UP SLIDE JNO MM 26
6:59 AM 7 [16] 27-D5 CALTRANS 1097
6:15 AM 6 [12] ALSO NB LANE NEEDS TO BE CLRD JNO MM 23 (ED NOTE: MM23 IS LUCIA)
6:12 AM 5 [11] 27-D5 / REQ CALTRANS FOR SLIDE 1125 ENTIRE RD JNO MM 26 (ED NOTE: MM26 IS GAMBOA POINT)

Also, on Highway 152 At Poleline, is closed until approximately 2/10/17 due to mudslide pushing K rail into road on the Santa Cruz County side.

CPOA Annual Meeting and Election of Officers

Hello Everyone,

The CPOA Annual Meeting will be held on Thursday February 23, 2017, at the Big Sur Grange starting at 5:30PM.

Invitations have been extended to newly elected Congressman Jimmy Panetta; State Senator Bill Monning; newly elected Assembly Member Anna Caballero and District 5 Supervisor Mary Adams; and Los Padres National Forest District Ranger Tim Short .

Updates on current issues including recovery efforts being made after the Soberanes Fire and subsequent rains, California Coastal Trail and the Big Sur Land Use Plan among others will be presented.

Nominations and elections of CPOA Board Directors will also take place at this meeting. All paid Active and Associate members of CPOA present at the meeting will be able to vote in this election.

We look forward to seeing you at the Grange (weather and roads permitting).

Here is the agenda:

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Road Closures History

I found all of these in the Cal-Trans historical review document previously noted in the Big Sur Highway Management Plan, which can be seen in its entirety Here

Here are a few of the longer closures to provide some perspective.

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Rain & Roads, 2/4/17

The rain is giving us a break today, so maybe Cal Trans can get some work done. Remember, for today and tomorrow, Highway One is closed at night from Ragged Point to Dolan Point, and during the day from Limekiln Bridge to Dolan Point due to new movement at Paul’s Slide late yesterday afternoon. This means, Highway One is NOT a through road this weekend, AND coming over Nacimiento will NOT get you through to the north.  If anyting changes I will let you know. Otherwise, have a quiet peaceful day before the next round, tomorrow afternoon,

Weekend Highway One Closures

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***NEW INFORMATION***

DURING DAYTIME HOURS SATURDAY AND SUNDAY ONLY:

*DUE TO MORE SLIDE MATERIAL AT PAUL’S SLIDE (PM 21.6), All Motorists may travel north on Hwy. 1 from Cambria to Limekiln Creek Bridge (PM 21.3) or south on Hwy. 1 from Carmel to Dolan Pt. (PM 29.70).

*We have multiple areas with challenges, the biggest being at:

1) Mud Creek (PM 8.8)—drilling taking place with daytime one-way traffic control (flagging).
2) We have a failed culvert at PM 14.4 but it is now temporarily passable, covered with steel plates, just north of Sand Dollar Beach (PM 13.85).
3) At Paul’s Slide (PM 21.6), although we have a temporary stop sign—MORE MATERIAL IS COMING DOWN AND THERE IS A FULL CLOSURE AT PAUL’S.
4) At Big Creek/Cow Cliffs (28.09/28.35) we have a hard closure due to damaged rock netting and exposed rock fall.

*Locals may travel north today on Hwy. 1 from Cambria to just south of PAUL’S SLIDE (PM 21.6)*

The roadway is not passable between PAUL’S SLIDE (PM 21.6) and Dolan Pt. (PM 29.70).

OVERNIGHT CLOSURES: Hwy. 1 will remain closed overnight from Ragged Point (SLO 72.87) to Dolan Pt. (MON. 29.

Eels in the Big Sur River?

Photos by John Galt taken at the Riverside Campground river crossing

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Highway Access, 2/3/17

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TWO PHOTOS OF PAUL’S SLIDE (PM 21.6), AND TWO OF MUD CREEK (PM 8.8) RESPECTIVELY, FROM YESTERDAY.

***NEW INFORMATION***

DURING DAYTIME HOURS ONLY:

*All Motorists may travel north on Hwy. 1 from Cambria to Limekiln Creek Bridge (PM 21.3) or south on Hwy. 1 from Carmel to Dolan Pt. (PM 29.70).

11:30 AM – CORRECTION TO ABOVE:

* Due to the temporary stop sign at Paul’s Slide (PM 21.6)…
All Motorists may travel north on Hwy. 1 from Cambria to LUCIA (PM 23) or south on Hwy. 1 from Carmel to Dolan Pt. (PM 29.70).

*We have multiple areas with challenges, the biggest being at:

1) Mud Creek (PM 8.8)—drilling taking place with daytime one-way traffic control (flagging).
2) We have a failed culvert at PM 14.4 but it is now temporarily passable, covered with steel plates, just north of Sand Dollar Beach (PM 13.85).
3) At Paul’s Slide (PM 21.6), we now have a temporary stop sign and one lane accessible to locals only.
4) At Big Creek/Cow Cliffs (28.09/28.35) we have a hard closure due to damaged rock netting and exposed rock fall.

*Locals may travel north today on Hwy. 1 from Cambria to just south of Big Creek Bridge (PM 28)*

The roadway is not passable between Big Creek (PM 28.09) and Dolan Pt. (PM 29.70).

OVERNIGHT CLOSURES: Hwy. 1 will remain closed overnight from Ragged Point (SLO 72.87) to Dolan Pt. (MON. 29.70) .

Thank you for your patience and understanding. Our Maintenance, Geotech and Construction crews continue to work collaboratively and diligently, as much as safely possible in response to these rock/mudslides.

Another update will be provided on Monday morning, Feb. 6, or sooner if conditions change.

Rain & Road, 2/3/17

7:30 am – it was quiet last night, then Just before 3 am, the cats & dogs started pounding on the roof. The South Coast 24 hour rain amounts are 2.84″ at Chalk Peak, 3.15″ at Three Peaks, and 2.74″ at Mining Ridge. That’s a lot of rain for 24 hours on saturated ground. We will be seeing movement from this. The CHP website log hasn’t been updated since yesterday at 9:46 am, so will have to wait to see what CHP, CT, or locals have to say, but it can’t be good out there with this much rain.

From Meterologist John Lindsey: “Another but stronger low-pressure system will bring
increasing clouds and rain showers Sunday evening and night. As the associated a cold front approaches the Central Coast, the southerly winds will increase to moderate gale-force to fresh gale-force (32 to 46 mph) levels on Monday. This system is forecast to tap into a large plume of subtropical moisture. Consequently, 2 and 3 inches of rain may fall on Monday with higher amounts in the coastal mountains.” BTW, Rocky Butte got over 4″ in the last 24 hours. (Up in the mountains behind and north of Hearst Castle)

Mud Creek Photos, 1/30/17-2/1/17 by Rock Knocker

These first one at of the back side and top of Mud Creek. He helped me mark them up this morning so my readers can tell what they are seeing. Doesn’t look like much to the uninitiated, and I admit, some of it I couldn’t see until he pointed it out. Look closely.

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Roadside pics below were taken at the line behind the ridge and are posted below in a slide show. The arrow below that shows the direction of movement. The ? Is where Ralph thinks what Cal Trans is identifying as a “new spring” is coming from, but he can’t be certain without hiking it, which his knees no longer allow. In any event, it is probably not a “new” Spring but an “old” spring that has reactivated.

The slide show below is of photos Rock Knocker took yesterday. These markings are my own, after he and I looked at the photos together. I am not an expert. I may not have identified them all, and some of them may not be identified correctly, but I just based my markings on what I could see and what Rock Knocker has pointed out to me over the last 25 years of road watching. I hope this gives you some idea of what is going on.

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This next slide show does not need markings for you to recognize what you are seeing:

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