Postcards from the Forest - pack it in, pack it out

Our local, beloved Angeles National Forest and San Gabriel Mountains National Monument comes without some of the features you might expect from a wilderness surrounded by affluent communities. The Monument designation came without a budget. And the US Forest Service does not have an employee designated solely to the maintenance of the portion of the forest that is intersected by Angeles Crest Highway.

Much of that maintenance work is done by volunteers, and a small (as in one, sometimes two) staff of USFS employees whose primary job is something else; and who, in some cases, have extensive schooling in that other job.

Volunteers are not allowed to serve as volunteers during government shut-downs of any kind. Although they are unpaid, volunteers agree to be regulated by the same rules that govern fully compensated employees.

I took a quick snap of the trash beginning to build on May 1. When I drove by this evening, the mound had grown exponentially. It's hard to blame forest visitors; when you see a trash can you assume that's where your trash goes. And unless you come back day after day, you don't know that the bag of trash hanging on the bathroom door has been there for a week. You don't know that no one is coming to clean up the mess.

I drove home, got some large trash bags and started heading back to Charlton Flat. On the way I saw my neighbors from Christian Camp, with all of their children in the car. They stopped to say hello. They had just been to Charlton Flat, and took with them as much trash as they had bags for. They couldn't empty the can, but they were able to take away all the garbage that lay in front of and around it. It filled the entire back of their Suburban.

Trails in Los Angeles County will re-open on Friday. We expect the Federal trail system to open on or around May 15. With that re-opening, we hope we will see the return of volunteers and staff as well.

In the meantime, bless the rogue citizens who take the time to care for the forest.