View supporter list [3] of our Wilderness and Wild & Scenic River campaigns.
Stretching from Santa Clarita to San Bernardino, the San Gabriel Mountains are the recreational "backyard" for more than 17 million Southern Californians. This majestic mountain range is the landmark feature of the Angeles National Forest.
The Angeles National Forest is an irreplaceable natural resource that gives Los Angeles County 70% of its open space, provides 35% of the region’s drinking water, and contributes clean air to a polluted region. The forest serves as critical habitat for many endangered and sensitive plant and animal species including the Nelson’s Bighorn sheep, California condor, mountain lion, spotted owl and the mountain yellow-legged frog. It also defends against climate change, retaining carbon gases within its forests, instead of emitting them into the atmosphere.
San Gabriel Mountains Forever is working to protect this magnificent mountain range’s wild places by seeking the two strongest federal protections for public lands: Wilderness and Wild and Scenic River designations.
With wilderness protection, unique and roadless wild lands are preserved in their unspoiled state for hiking, hunting, fishing, horseback riding, and many other activities. San Gabriel Mountains Forever is working diligently to add additional Wilderness to three existing Wilderness areas:
San Gabriel Mountains Forever is also working to secure Wild and Scenic River protection for 44 miles of the clear and free-flowing rivers and creeks of the Angeles National Forest. No waterways in the San Gabriel Mountains currently have this federal protection, which preserves outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values. The campaign is focusing on three rivers and creeks:
- San Gabriel River [7] (east, west and north forks)
- San Antonio Creek [8]
- Middle Fork Lytle Creek [9]
The Angeles National Forest is also home to many other pristine and unique landscapes. They include the potential wilderness areas of Castaic and Condor Peak, as well as Little Rock Creek and San Francisquito Creek – both eligible as Wild and Scenic rivers.