Angeles Forest: 100 Years and Feeling It

When pioneer conservationist John Muir visited the San Gabriel Mountains in the 1870s, he found chaparral so thick the bears had trouble getting through it. Muir himself was compelled to do part of his exploring “on hands and knees,” he later wrote.

The area is easily traveled today, thanks to a network of paved roads that brings millions of visitors--and a host of urban ills--to what is now the Angeles National Forest, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.

At a press briefing and tour, which featured smashing views of snow-capped Mt. Baldy and other points of interest, Forest Supervisor Michael J. Rogers described the Angeles as a “back-yard playground” for Los Angeles and “an island surrounded by a growing population, with urban developers continuing to build right up to” its boundary.

Established in December, 1892, as the San Gabriel Timberland Reserve--as national forests were first called--the Angeles was the first national forest in California and the eighth in the United States. It covers one-fourth the land area of Los Angeles County, extending eastward from the Ventura County line across the northern edge of the San Fernando Valley and into San Bernardino County.

A seemingly impregnable swath of mountain country, the forest is uniquely vulnerable to environmental damage and urban problems because of its proximity to Los Angeles, officials said.

It is beset by litter, graffiti, vandalism, illegal dumping--and even heavy commuter traffic from motorists seeking shortcuts through the mountains.

Rogers said air pollution has damaged vegetation and has so impaired visibility that wildfires are often spotted by airplane pilots or visitors before mountain lookouts see them.

At the same time, the Angeles’ budget for law enforcement, maintenance and other services is less now than it was 15 years ago, Rogers said.

“What we’re trying to do is get people to use the national forest responsibly,” Rogers said. “We know we’ve really got a challenge ahead of us.”

Thursday’s briefing was the first of several events that will mark the forest’s centennial year. Forest officials said they also expect to hold an open house and a conference on challenges facing the forest.

“This is an important piece of country for future generations,” Rogers said. “We need to manage it for the future.”