The U.S. Forest Service has reopened some areas of Los Padres National Forest near West Camino Cielo that were closed during the Gap Fire hydromulching operation. All mulched lands, however, will remain closed to the public for up to one year, according to Santa Barbara District Ranger Cindy Chojnacky.

“The Lizard’s Mouth area is open again, but unfortunately, the areas known as “The Playground” and “The Brickyard, favorites with local rockclimbers, will remain closed because access to those areas is across mulched land,” said Chojnacky.  “The purpose of the hydromulch is to help reduce soil erosion until native vegetation can begin to reestablish.  Disturbing the mulch will significantly reduce its effectiveness and could result in damage to populated areasdownstream.”

About 1,540 acres of national forest land in the Gap Fire area were mulched at a cost of roughly $4.8 million, and the County of Santa Barbara applied mulch to another 1,000 acres of private and non-federal public lands. 

“The Forest Service, the county, and the taxpayers, have made a very significant investment in the treatment of the burned area because of the values at risk downstream, and we need to protect that investment,” Chojnacky said.

According to the Forest Service Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) report, some of structures at risk from potential winter flooding include residential, commercial and agricultural properties, reservoirs, the Santa Barbara Airport, sections of Highway 101, and the Goleta Slough. 

Chojnacky warns that people who violate the hydromulch closure may be ordered to pay a fine and damages.  A violation of the closure is punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000 for an individual or $10,000 for an organization, or imprisonment for not more than six months, or both.

For a map of the closure, and information regarding the Forest Service hydromulching operation, please visit the Gap BAER section of the Los Padres National Forest website at http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/lospadres/conditions.

Kathy Good is public affairs officer for the Los Padres National Forest.