1Introduction

1

Introduction

Photos (clockwise): 1. Jackson Lake, Angeles National Forest. NPS Photo. 2. Devil’s Punchbowl. NPS Photo. 3. Fishing in the 

San Gabriel River, NPS Photo. 4. Quail, Angeles National Forest. Photo by Eric Lowenbach.
2 Draft San Gabriel Watershed and Mountains Special Resource Study & Environmental Assessment 
 Chapter 1: Introduction Purpose And Need 3

Chap ter 1: Introduction

Purpose and Need

The San Gabriel River Watershed Study Act (PL 

108-042, July 2003) directed the National Park 

Service (NPS) to conduct a Special Resource Study 

of (1) the San Gabriel River and its tributaries north 

of and including the city of Santa Fe Springs, and 

(2) the San Gabriel Mountains within the territory of 

the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and 

Mountains Conservancy (RMC). 

The Act also directed the NPS to consult with the 

RMC and other appropriate federal, state and 

local government entities, and to consider regional 

fl ood control and drainage needs and publiclyowned infrastructure such as wastewater treatment 

facilities.

This legislation was sponsored by former 

Congresswoman Hilda L. Solis and co-sponsored 

by twenty other congressional representatives in 

order to explore environmental and recreational 

opportunities in the region. NPS representatives 

met with Congresswoman Solis prior to initiating 

the study. The Congresswoman expressed her 

hopes that the study would lead to more open 

space and recreational opportunities to urban 

communities in the San Gabriel Valley that currently 

have inadequate recreational access and fewer 

opportunities to enjoy open space. Another desired 

outcome was to explore ways to provide a better 

quality of life for urban communities by addressing 

clean air and water, as well as health-related issues 

such as obesity and diabetes. The Congresswoman 

also expressed a desire to see a National Park 

Service experience, including rangers along the 

San Gabriel River, who would be made available to 

these urban communities.

The purpose of this special resource study is 

to determine whether any portion of the San 

Gabriel Watershed and Mountains study area is 

eligible to be designated as a unit of the national 

park system. Through the study process, the 

NPS identifi ed alternative strategies to manage, 

protect, or restore the study area’s resources, and 

to provide or enhance recreational opportunities. 

These alternatives explore partnerships and efforts 

to protect important resources in ways that do not 

necessarily require the commitment of funds and 

staff by the NPS. This study will provide information 

to aid the Congress, the United States Department 

of the Interior, and the NPS in determining whether 

designation of a unit of the national park system is 

desirable and appropriate. 

The National Park System New Area Studies Act (PL 

105-391, 16 U.S.C. Sec. 1a-5) requires that these 

studies be prepared in compliance with the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). At the beginning 

of the study process, the NPS initiated a notice of 

scoping in the Federal Register (Vol. 70, No. 12, pp. 

3064-3065). Through this public scoping process, 

the NPS study team identifi ed a range of issues to 

address through the study and impacts of concern 

to the public. 

Following public comment on the preliminary study 

alternatives, the study team determined that an 

environmental assessment (EA) is a suffi cient level of 

environmental analysis for this study. No signifi cant 

impacts are anticipated from the fi ndings and 

recommendations of this study. The majority of the 

public concerns centered around potential impacts 

to local land use control, property rights, water 

rights, and the authority of existing regulatory 

agencies. To address this concern, the NPS 

committed to providing study recommendations 

that respect property rights and the authorities that 

currently belong to existing local, state and federal 

agencies and jurisdictions. 

In initiating the study, the NPS study team launched 

an extensive public scoping process to determine 

needs and issues that should be considered in 

carrying out the study. The comment period 

extended from January 2005 to May 2005. During 

this time, the NPS received comments from cities, 

agencies, organizations, elected offi cials, and 

community members regarding the scope of the 

study. 

Following this extensive public process, the NPS 

study team further refi ned the study’s emphasis 

and scope to address public interests and concerns. 

Acknowledging the characteristics of this study 

area which includes densely populated urban areas 

managed by many different landowners, agencies, 

and jurisdictions, the NPS study team emphasized 

opportunities for collaborative management 

and partnerships with local, state and federal 

governments and other entities, in order to:

1. Address current and future recreation and 

open space needs;

2. Protect or restore signifi cant natural resources 

and important habitats; 

3. Preserve historic and cultural resources; and

4. Maintain or improve water quality, water 

conservation and fl ood protection.
4 Draft San Gabriel Watershed and Mountains Special Resource Study & Environmental Assessment 

Furthermore, the National Park Service considered 

only those management alternatives which respect 

property rights and the authorities that currently 

belong to existing local, state and federal agencies.

Issues Addressed in Study

Through the scoping process, numerous 

stakeholders including public agencies, citizens, 

organizations, and elected offi cials, identifi ed 

specifi c issues and concerns that should be 

considered in the study process. The following 

issues were developed by the study team based 

on public and stakeholder input. These issues are 

described more fully in Chapter 6, Alternatives. 

 Additional funding is needed to meet their 

resource protection and recreation objectives.

 There are suffi cient barriers to outdoor 

recreation for some communities including lack 

of close to home recreational opportunities, 

poor access to recreational areas, and personal 

safety concerns.

 The Los Angeles area continues to experience 

tremendous population growth causing 

increasing demands on existing recreation 

areas.

 Greater protection is needed for the region’s 

threatened ecological communities.

 The study area’s cultural resources would 

benefi t from further documentation, 

protection, and/or interpretation.

 The study area lacks a clear sense of identity

that could help connect communities to the 

natural and cultural resources of the San 

Gabriel Mountains and the Puente-Chino Hills.

 The region’s natural, cultural, and recreation 

resources lack a comprehensive management 

plan and could benefi t from a regional planning 

structure.

 There is an ongoing need to protect and 

restore riparian ecosystems and provide 

appropriate recreational use of waterways while 

improving water quality, enhancing effi ciency 

of water storage and use, and providing fl ood 

protection.

Study Area

The study legislation directed the NPS to conduct 

a Special Resource Study of the following areas: 

(1) the San Gabriel River and its tributaries north 

of, and including, the city of Santa Fe Springs; and 

(2) the San Gabriel Mountains within the territory 

of the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers 

and Mountains Conservancy. The NPS defi ned the 

area for study, through examining the study act’s 

legislative history and intent, and through the public 

scoping process.

The study area covers more than 1,000 square miles 

(over 700,000 acres) in the greater Los Angeles 

metropolitan region. It is one of the most densely 

populated and diverse areas of the United States. 

Most of the study area is located in Los Angeles 

County (approximately 85%), the remainder lies in 

Orange and San Bernardino counties. In addition 

to the portions of San Gabriel River Watershed, the 

study area also includes portions of the Los Angeles 

River, the Santa Clara River, and the Antelope Valley 

watersheds, as well as very small portions of the 

Santa Ana River and Mojave watersheds. A map of 

the study area watersheds is provided in Chapter 2, 

Resource Description.

The U.S. Forest Service manages approximately 

two thirds of the study area (450,000 acres in the 

San Gabriel Mountains) as part of the Angeles 

National Forest (ANF). With the exception of private 

inholdings and access facilities for fl ood protection 

structures and other utilities, the forest remains 

primarily undeveloped. In close proximity to highly 

urban areas, the forest provides a refuge for wildlife 

and recreational opportunities for the greater Los 

Angeles metropolitan region. 

Over fi fty communities are located in the study 

area with approximately 1.5 million residents as of 

2000 census (see Map: Local Communities). The 

Los Angeles metropolitan region is home to over 

16 million residents. The largest communities in 

the study area south of the San Gabriel Mountains 

include Pomona and Santa Clarita with populations 

near 150,000. The City of Palmdale is the largest 

community at the northern end of the study area 

with approximately 115,000 residents. 

The study area is part of a complex landscape 

where the geomorphic provinces of the Transverse 

Ranges and Peninsular Ranges come together. The 

mountains, hills, and valleys of these provinces 

characterize the regional landscape. Major 

topographic features include the San Gabriel 

Mountains, the San Jose Hills, and the PuenteChino Hills. The mountains and hills defi ne valleys, 
 Chapter 1: Introduction Study Area 5

including the Santa Clarita, Antelope and San 

Gabriel valleys, and other portions of the Los 

Angeles basin and coastal plain. The northern limit 

of the study area includes the southwestern extent 

of the Mojave Desert in the Antelope Valley (See 

Figure 1: Location and Context).

The San Gabriel Valley and the Los Angeles 

basin are highly urbanized areas. Much of the 

San Gabriel River and its tributaries downstream 

of the mountains and the foothills have been 

altered for fl ood control purposes and water 

conservation. Despite their altered state, these 

urbanized channels still serve as habitat for birds 

and mammals. The urbanized channels also provide 

opportunities for public enjoyment. Small tracts of 

open space, recreational areas, and a 39-mile bike 

trail along the San Gabriel River corridor provide 

existing outdoor recreational opportunities. 

The San Jose and Puente-Chino Hills contain lower 

density urban development and still retain areas 

with signifi cant open space. Areas in the southern 

San Gabriel foothills are also developed at a lower 

density than the highly urbanized areas in the 

valleys and coastal plains. These foothills function 

as the urban/wildland interface, and provide wildlife 

connections to river and stream corridors. The 

northern slopes of the San Gabriel Mountains are 

comprised of low density, rural communities with 

farms and ranches, although urban development 

has begun to spread to the Soledad basin and the 

Antelope Valley in recent years.

The San Gabriel River and mountains played 

an important role in the history and heritage 

of California. The fi rst recorded inhabitants 

of the study area were the Gabrieleno/Tongva, 

Fernandeño, and Chumash Native Americans. 

There are a number of culturally signifi cant 

properties within the study area, including 

hundreds of archeological sites within the Angeles 

National Forest. Many sites are eligible for, or listed 

on, the National Register of Historic Places. Mission 

Vieja, the original site of the San Gabriel Mission, is 

located on the Rio Hondo River. Engineered sections 

of the San Gabriel River were constructed as early 

as the 1930’s, and may be historically signifi cant. 

Three national trails cross the study area: the Juan 

Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail, the Old 

Spanish National Historic Trail, and the Pacifi c Crest 

Trail. Photos (top to bottom): 1. View to Brown Mountain, 

Angeles Crest. 2007. NPS photo. 2. Rio Hondo, Puente 

Hills with the San Gabriel Mountains in the distance. 

Photo by Bruce Perry, Department of Geological 

Sciences, CSU Long Beach. 3. Lianthus. Photo courtesy 

of Michael Charters. 
6 Draft San Gabriel Watershed and Mountains Special Resource Study & Environmental Assessment 

Access

Interstate 5 is the main access route from the north 

as it winds through the Tejon Pass in the Tehachapi 

Mountains to enter the Los Angeles basin from 

the north. Interstate 5 runs southeasterly through 

the Los Angeles basin and continues south along 

the coast to San Diego. Highway 101 is the main 

coastal access route from the northwest. Access to 

the Los Angeles basin via Highway 101 is through 

the Santa Monica Mountains. 

Other access routes to the study area include 

Highway 14, which follows the Soledad basin along 

the northwestern base of San Gabriel Mountains 

from Santa Clarita to the Antelope Valley. The 

Angeles Crest Highway (Highway 2) is the only 

major route that winds north through the heart 

of the rugged San Gabriel Mountains connecting 

Pasadena to the town of Wrightwood and 

ultimately to Highway 138. However, portions of 

Highway 2 in the Angeles National Forest are often 

closed for repair. 

Interstate 10 is the major east-west access route 

through the study area. Additional east-west 

highways through the Los Angeles basin include 

Interstate 205, State Route 60, and Interstate 405. 

Highway 138 is the major east-west corridor north 

of the San Gabriel Mountains. Regional northsouth freeways include Interstate 710, Interstate 

605, which follows the San Gabriel River, and State 

Route 57, which runs along the eastern end of Los 

Angeles County.

Study Process 

LEGISLATIVE AND POLICY DIRECTION

Several laws and policies outline criteria for units 

of the national park system. The National Park 

System New Area Studies Act (PL 105-391, 16 

U.S.C. Sec. 1a-5) establishes the basic process for 

NPS studies of potential new national park areas. 

NPS management policies provide further guidance. 

According to NPS management policies, a proposed 

addition to the national park system will receive 

a favorable recommendation from the NPS only if 

meets all of the following four criteria for inclusion:

1. it possesses nationally signifi cant natural or 

cultural resources;

2. it is a suitable addition to the system;

3. it is a feasible addition to the system; and

4. it requires direct NPS management, instead 

of alternative protection by other public 

agencies or the private sector.

These four criteria are designed to ensure that 

the national park system includes only the most 

outstanding examples of the nation’s natural and 

cultural resources. They also recognize that there 

are other management alternatives for preserving 

the nation’s outstanding resources.

Alternatives for National Park Service management 

are developed for study areas that meet all four of 

the criteria for inclusion, as shown above. Further 

defi nition of each of these criteria is provided in the 

related sections of this report. Figure 1: Location and Context
 Chapter 1: Introduction Study Process 7
8 Draft San Gabriel Watershed and Mountains Special Resource Study & Environmental Assessment 

PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT

The NPS San Gabriel Watershed and Mountains 

Special Resource Study process was initiated in 

January 2005 with a series of meetings with public 

agencies. Public scoping meetings were held in 

March 2005 in Claremont, Diamond Bar, Downey, 

Rosemead, and Acton. A newsletter was published 

to announce the start of scoping, describe the study 

process, and to provide information on how the 

public and stakeholders could participate in the 

study process.

The scoping comment period extended until May 

20, 2005. The NPS continued discussions with 

affected agencies and jurisdictions through the fall 

of 2005 to address specifi c concerns. To share the 

results of scoping with the public, the study team 

distributed a second newsletter with a summary 

of the comments received by the NPS during the 

public scoping period. 

In early 2006, the National Park Service revised the 

study scope to address comments and concerns 

received during the scoping process. The revised 

scope refi ned the study area to include portions of 

the Rio Hondo River and removed from the study 

area the cities within the Gateway Cities Council 

of Governments jurisdiction as was intended in the 

legislation. The revised study scope also addressed 

concerns about potential impacts on local land use 

control and agency authorities. The NPS committed 

to producing a study that would respect property 

rights and the authorities that currently belong to 

existing local, state and federal agencies. The NPS 

study team produced a third newsletter to notify 

the public and stakeholders of the revised study 

scope.

Between 2006 and 2008, the NPS conducted 

resource analysis and developed preliminary 

alternatives. The NPS worked with local agencies 

and resource experts in analyzing the signifi cance 

of the study area resources. In 2007-2008, the 

NPS worked on development of the preliminary 

alternatives, consulting with other recreation and 

land conservation agencies within the study area. 

More information about outreach efforts during this 

time period is included in Chapter 8 of the study 

report, Consultation and Coordination.

In fall of 2009, the NPS study team released draft 

alternatives for public review and comment. The 

study team produced and distributed over 3,000 

newsletters to organizations and individuals on 

its mailing list, partner agencies, and at public 

and stakeholder meetings. A limited number of 

newsletters translated into Spanish were also 

distributed. The newsletter was also available for 

comment on the study website. Between August 

and October 2009, the study team held six public 

meetings at locations throughout the study area 

including Diamond Bar, El Monte, Santa Clarita, 

Glendora, Palmdale, and Tujunga. 

All of the meetings were well attended by diverse 

groups of community members (approximately 

450 total) despite the fact that the Station Fire, 

which signifi cantly affected the Angeles National 

Forest and surrounding communities, was 

burning during this time. In addition to the public 

meetings, the NPS study team held meetings with 

local, state and federal government agencies, 

organizations, communities, and Congressional 

offi ces. The NPS study team received approximately 

4,800 comments. Most of these comments were 

submitted via written letters and through e-mail. 

The NPS revised the alternatives based on the public 

comments. Additional stakeholder meetings were 

held with various agencies in early 2010 to address 

specifi c concerns. 

Throughout the study process, all information sent 

by mail was made available on the study website, 

www.nps.gov/pwro/sangabriel. Numerous articles 

and opinion pieces about the study appeared in 

area newspapers.

RESOURCE ANALYSIS

The study team used information gathered from the 

scoping process, public databases, environmental 

impact reports, land and resource management 

agencies, and other resource specialists to assess 

the signifi cance and suitability of the area’s 

resources and to develop alternatives for the study 

area. The NPS found resources within the San 

Gabriel Mountains and Puente-Chino Hills to be 

of national signifi cance and suitable for inclusion 

in the national park system. A summary of the 

preliminary fi ndings and alternatives were presented 

in Newsletter #4. Chapters 3 and 4 provided the full 

analysis of signifi cance and suitability.

FEASIBILITY

The National Park Service determined that a 

collaborative partnership-based park unit which 

respects the complex mix of land use, ownership, 

and regulatory authority in the study area is 

feasible. While a large traditional national park 

unit, owned and operated solely by the NPS would 

likely be infeasible, opportunities for collaborative 

management with local, state and federal managers 

to protect natural and cultural resources, provide 

recreation, public access, interpretation and 

educational opportunities, and other compatible 

uses in an NPS partnership-based park unit have 
 Chapter 1: Introduction Related Plans And Studies 9

been demonstrated to exist. Chapter 5, Feasibility, 

contains the full feasibility analysis.

DEVELOPMENT OF ALTERNATIVES

Four alternatives are presented in this study report, 

including the “no action” alternative which 

describes the continuation of current management 

and serves as a baseline for comparison for the 

other three action alternatives. Two of the three 

action alternatives include designation of a national 

park unit. All three alternatives respect private 

property rights and existing agency authority. 

The NPS alternatives propose collaborative 

management models that do not require extensive 

land management by the NPS. See Chapter 6, 

Alternatives, for a full description of the study 

alternatives.

REPORT PUBLICATION, REVIEW AND 

TRANSMITTAL

Publication of the Draft San Gabriel Watershed 

and Mountains Special Resource Study and 

Environmental Assessment will be followed by a 

90-day public comment period. The NPS study team 

will then revise the report if needed, and transmit 

it to the Secretary of the Interior. The Secretary will 

transmit the report to Congress, along with the 

Secretary’s recommendation for the area.

Related Plans and Studies 

This section describes regional or coordinated 

planning efforts have recently been completed and 

which provided guidance and resource information 

for the study. 

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NATIONAL FORESTS 

LAND MANAGEMENT PLAN, ANGELES 

NATIONAL FOREST STRATEGY (2005)

The Land Management Plan guides forest managers 

in site-specifi c planning and decision-making for 

the Angeles National Forest, including policies for 

the types of activities and special designations 

that can occur within each national forest. Projectlevel decisions that are subsequently designed and 

implemented must be consistent with the direction 

described in the plan.

SAN GABRIEL RIVER MASTER PLAN (2005)

The San Gabriel River Master Plan represents a 

shared vision for the San Gabriel River corridor. 

A steering committee representing cities, other 

public agencies, water groups, and community and 

environmental groups developed this shared vision 

of the river and a plan for how to achieve it.

The master plan integrates many objectives, 

including: habitat, recreation, open space, fl ood 

control, water supply and economic development, 

and identifi es priorities, provides guidance, and 

coordinates multiple goals of the many jurisdictions 

and other stakeholders that share the river, 

refl ecting the consensus of all these stakeholders. 

GREATER LOS ANGELES COUNTY INTEGRATED 

REGIONAL WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN (2006)

The purpose of the Greater Los Angeles County 

Integrated Regional Water Management Plan 

(IRWMP) is to improve water supplies, enhance 

water supply reliability, improve surface water 

quality, preserve fl ood protection, conserve habitat, 

and expand recreational access in the Los Angeles 

Region. The IRWMP also defi nes a comprehensive 

vision for greater Los Angeles County which will 

generate local funding, position the region for 

future state bonds, and create opportunities for 

federal funding.

COMMON GROUND: FROM MOUNTAINS TO 

THE SEA (2001)

Common Ground is a joint plan undertaken by two 

California state land conservancies, the San Gabriel 

and Lower Los Angeles rivers and Mountains 

Conservancy and the Santa Monica Mountains 

Conservancy. The Common Ground plan articulates 

a vision for the watersheds of the San Gabriel and 

Los Angeles Rivers and provides a framework for 

future watershed and open space planning. The 

overall vision is to “restore balance between natural 

and human systems in the watershed.” The key 

component of the plan is a set of guiding principles, 

which provide over-arching goals for future open 

space planning in the dual watersheds.

PUENTE HILLS LANDFILL NATIVE HABITAT 

PRESERVATION AUTHORITY RESOURCE 

MANAGEMENT PLAN (2007)

The Resource Management Plan (RMP) was 

designed to guide the preservation and recreational 

uses of land managed and/or owned by the 

Habitat Authority. The main components of the 

RMP include habitat restoration, fuel modifi cation 

management, a trails plan, an interpretive element 

and cultural resource management - all within the 

Puente Hills.
10 Draft San Gabriel Watershed and Mountains Special Resource Study & Environmental Assessment 

Emerald Necklace Park Vision and 

Accord - Amigos de los Rios (2005)

The Emerald Necklace is a vision for a 17-mile loop 

of parks and greenways connecting 10 cities and 

nearly 500,000 residents along the Río Hondo and 

San Gabriel rivers. The Emerald Necklace Accord 

is an agreement among agencies and cities of 

the region to preserve the rivers and tributaries 

for recreational, open space, and native habitat 

conservation and restoration purposes. 

Los Angeles County Draft 2035 

General Plan 

The Los Angeles County 2035 General Plan provides 

the policy framework for how and where the 

unincorporated county will grow through the year 

2035. Comprising approximately 2,650 square 

miles, unincorporated Los Angeles County is home 

to over one million people. The Los Angeles County 

2035 General Plan accommodates new housing and 

jobs within the unincorporated area in anticipation 

of population growth in the county and the region.

America’s Great Outdoors: A 

Promise to Future Generations 

(February 2011)

In April 2010, President Obama launched the 

America’s Great Outdoors Initiative. Listening 

sessions were held in communities throughout 

America to initiate a dialogue about conservation. 

The America’s Great Outdoors report: A Promise 

to Future Generations is a result of that dialogue. 

The outlines ways in which the federal government 

will help empower local communities to accomplish 

their conservation and recreation priorities. Many of 

the initiatives and recommendations overlap with 

the goals of this study including: 1) connecting 

Americans to the great outdoors; 2) conserving and 

restoring America’s great outdoors; and 3) working 

together for America’s great outdoors.

Emerald Necklace Park Network location map. NPS Photo.