Balancing Act for Managing Wilderness

It’s a fine line between loving nature and loving it to death.

With that in mind, the Irvine Co. and an international conservation group are putting the final touches on an ambitious strategy to manage some of Orange County’s richest wilderness areas.

Sixteen thousand acres of Irvine Co. property will be primarily protected as nature preserves, but portions--including some remote, private areas few people have ever seen--are expected to be opened to the public for guided tours early next year. Under the plan, teams of local volunteers will guide hiking tours, protecting the natural terrain from abuse while at the same time educating the visitors.

Even more important to environmentalists, the Irvine Co. and the Nature Conservancy intend to restore much of the land’s coastal sage scrub and woodlands. The goal is to renew the habitat as sanctuaries for wildlife and rare species, including the California gnatcatcher.

On Tuesday, the plan was approved by the Irvine Co.’s board of directors, and the Nature Conservancy’s board is expected to endorse it this week. After some refinements, the agreement will probably be ready for public announcement next month.

“This will definitely be a challenge,” said Cameron Barrows, Southern California representative of the Nature Conservancy, which plans to manage the lands. “The priority for us is to protect the area, but we would like to be able to open it to the public, as long as that priority is not compromised.”

The 16,000 acres is broken into two major portions. About half are the lush, wooded canyons between Laguna Beach and Irvine that stretch from the San Diego Freeway almost to the ocean.

The northern half includes long-hidden canyons near Tustin and Orange, highlighted by Limestone Canyon, a huge, steep-walled ravine that environmentalists call the Grand Canyon of Orange County.

Environmentalists have heartily applauded the Irvine Co. for initiating the plan and seeking help from the Nature Conservancy, which specializes in managing land for endangered species and owns the world’s largest private network of wildlife preserves.

The Irvine Co. bequeathed most of the acreage to the public as a requirement for developing nearby areas, including the East Orange and Newport Coast housing developments. The land is being turned over to the county and cities gradually, with some remaining in the company’s control for 15 to 20 years.

But rather than keep the land off limits during the long transition to public ownership, Irvine Co. Chairman Donald L. Bren instructed his staff to allow public access as soon as possible. Last November, the Nature Conservancy agreed to help the company create a plan to balance the needs of wildlife with the desires of the public.

Barrows said some areas may be open early next year, but restoration of the wildlife habitat is in the early stages of planning and is at least two years away. He said the land contains large amounts of coastal sage scrub, which can provide good homes for the gnatcatcher and other species with some careful revegetation.

The idea is to turn the land into regional “mitigation banks,” where the Irvine Co. and other landowners throughout the region can restore land to compensate for developing property elsewhere in the region.

The restored lands might play a role to offset any future requirements developers face to protect the gnatcatcher, a tiny songbird that the federal government has proposed for the national endangered species list. But the Irvine Co. began its work with the Nature Conservancy before environmentalists filed petitions seeking protection for the bird.

County and city parks officials as well as environmentalists have been briefed on parts of the plan in recent weeks. They have reacted with overwhelming support, especially for the docent-led tours.

“I have received, amazingly, no negative feedback. Everyone is very anxious for us to get going,” Barrows said.

Elisabeth Brown, president of Laguna Greenbelt, an environmental group focusing on Laguna Canyon, said the plan seems to balance the needs of nature while still allowing people to enjoy the scenery.

“I think the approach is correct: limited entry under controlled conditions,” she said. “It’s impossible to keep everyone out with the kind of population pressures we have here and the access points that exist.”

The preliminary plan calls for allowing the public in five locations: Boat Canyon, Limestone Canyon, Upper Peters Canyon and two points at Laguna Canyon. Only two of those places would be available for unsupervised public use--the Boat Canyon area, for hiking, and Upper Peters Canyon, for horseback riding.

Future Parkland

Limestone Canyon

Environmentalists have called this 5,500-acre wooded, steep-walled valley the Grand Canyon of Orange County. Access is by guided tour only.

Upper Peters Canyon

This 350-acre area supports some riparian woodland, which is a valuable habitat to birds. Expect to open for equestrians.

Lomas Ridge

This is a narrow strip of land on a ridge top. It contains some native grassland that has been used for cattle grazing. No public access is planned.

Newport Coast

This large ridgeline area next to Crystal Cove State Park includes valuable wildlife habitat. Home to coastal sage scrub and sycamore and oak stands, it is targeted for major restoration. Access to Laguna Canyon will be by guided tour only.

Muddy Canyon

An isolated area west of Crystal Cove State Park. No public access.

Quail Hill

Grasslands are home to county’s Canada geese. No public access.

Bommer/Shady Canyons

Canyons contain valuable wildlife habitat. No public access.

Source: The Nature Conservancy and the Irvine Co.