Divided hearing on rebuilding closed part of Hwy 39 in Angeles National Forest
Caltrans asks the public: Should it reopen a segment of a highway in the Angeles National Forest closed for 46 years?
The Angeles National Forest can be described as a collection of rugged mountains, sparkling streams, dark canyons and breathtaking vistas, along with piles of trash, too few rangers, frequent picnic area and campground closures and fragmented access.
On Tuesday night, Caltrans began asking the public to weigh in on a forest access proposal that would reopen a 4.4-mile mountain portion of State Highway 39 closed for 46 years by a rockslide.
The full-build option would reconnect Highway 39 — the main road into the forest and San Gabriel Mountains National Monument — with State Highway 2 at Islip Saddle. The historic project would restore full circulation inside the 700,000-acre forest known as L.A.’s backyard playground, giving motorists a straight shot to Wrightwood, Mt. Baldy ski areas and High Desert communities.
In the first in-person public hearing on the topic in modern memory, about 50 people came to the Azusa Auditorium and listened, while some shared their thoughts. From hikers to naturalists to residents, most wanted a reconnected Highway 39, but some said that reopening the highway would bring too much traffic into the forest and hurt local wildlife.
The draft environmental document offers four alternatives: Alternative 1: No build. Alternative 2: Open a shoulder only for emergency vehicles. Alternative 3: Provide a recreational shuttle at the site to ferry hikers and bicyclists. Alternative 4: Fully rebuild the roadway with access to all vehicles, as well as pedestrians, hikers and bicyclists.
“Opening of the road and getting full access is just the baseline needed for access to the forest,” said Neil Poltin of Covina. “It will make something that can really shine for the San Gabriel Valley,”
Others who testified in support of Alternative 4 agreed, saying it would be a benefit to rebuild the connection to forest sites and High Desert sites 27 miles north of the forest entrance in Azusa.
“I believe SR-39 (State Route 39) is about connecting communities and restoring normalcy to those affected by the closure,” said Matthew Chavez, a local Boy Scout. Chavez said communities in the San Gabriel Valley and beyond should embrace a full reopening, undoing the dead-end on Highway 39.
Karl Price, senior environmental scientist with Caltrans who led the hearing, said the state agency identified several reasons to reopen the closed portion of the highway.
Among those reasons, he said, the current situation is unsafe for Caltrans maintenance crews and will be more dangerous if no work is done. Workers battle rockslides and a deteriorating roadway, which would be fortified with retaining walls and better drainage in all of the alternatives — except for the “no build” alternative, Price said.
Fully reopening Highway 39 would not only let public vehicles circulate, but also Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies, search and rescue teams, paramedics and firefighting trucks would have quicker access. “Alternative 4 would improve access for everybody and would provide unrestricted access to emergency personnel,” Price said.
Gary Jones of Glendora said he wanted a full reopening for safety reasons. “In an emergency, it is another way out of the area,” he said.
Daniel Nau of Wrightwood said his neighbors in the San Bernardino County town of roughly 4,500 people, located at an elevation of about 6,000 feet in the eastern San Gabriel Mountains, are concerned about too many people from the San Gabriel Valley invading their hamlet if easier, more direct access from Highway 39 exists.
But, he said, “I welcome it. I think the public should be able to fully use this road. We need to have people enjoying the resources, making (Angeles National Forest) a national park experience.”
Some questioned whether Caltrans can afford Alternative 4, which the EIR says has a total projected cost of $335 million. “I am wondering: Can you assure us funding will be there?” asked Jose Henriquez of Montebello.
Bryan Matsumoto, representing Nature For All, said the group does not favor reopening the closed section of Highway 39. They instead support Alternative 2, which would repair only the shoulder for emergency vehicles and for evacuating residents via Highway 2, also known as Angeles Crest Highway, during wildfires.
The group opposes a roadway rebuild because it could kill some of the Nelson’s Bighorn Sheep. The unique breed of sheep, Ovis canadensis nelsoni, are known for their curled horns and elusive behavior. These majestic mammals can be seen standing on cliff tops in the Sheep Wilderness in the eastern Angeles range, or running in the brush alongside Highway 2.
Price said the sheep have been spotted in the Islip Saddle area. “We’ve seen them walking on the (closed) roadway so we know they are there,” he said. He said Caltrans would limit the “takes” of sheep by working with biologists from California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and the U.S. Forest Service. Also, portions of the roadway would be built on columns, allowing for sheep and other wildlife to pass underneath.
About 417 bighorns are estimated to be living in the highest slopes of these rugged mountains within the Angeles and San Bernardino national forests, said Jeff Villepique, supervising biologist with CDFW. There are only about 5,000 bighorn sheep in all of California, he said. The bighorn population closest to the San Gabriel Mountain group lives in the Mojave Desert.
While the sheep are not classified as endangered or threatened, they were listed as protected by CDFW. But the status of the Nelson’s subspecies changed last year, making a permit for killing some of the sheep acceptable, according to the EIR.
“Any loss of a bighorn sheep will be considered a potential impact and a full road opening will impact the sheep, which are hanging on for survival,” said Matsumoto.
Daniel Hyke, a regular forest visitor, said reconnecting Highway 39 to Highway 2 would be good for circulation. But the unintended consequence would be creating “a circuit” for street racers, who already speed on the curvy, mountain throughways.
“I think it would lead to a lot more accidents and highway deaths,” he said.
Nathan Nunez, who leads volunteer groups that pick up trash mostly in the East Fork of the San Gabriel River area of the forest, said the forest already receives 4.6 million visitors a year, according to the latest count. That tops the yearly attendance of Grand Canyon National Park.
Adding a connection to Highway 2 will bring more visitors to the sections of San Gabriel Canyon already overcrowded in summer months. He put the question to supporters and Caltrans: “Prove to us, who frequently visit and care for the mountains, how this will benefit the forest.”
Price said the public will have a second chance to comment during a virtual public hearing via Zoom on Saturday, April 20, at 10:00 a.m. To register, visit: https://bit.ly/SR-39DEDPublicHearing. Send comments by May 11 to: SR-39DEDComments@dot.ca.gov.
He estimated the EIR would be completed by fall of 2024. Caltrans would choose the preferred project alternative by Spring 2025. A final design would be ready by fall of 2029. Construction could start in the summer of 2030 and be completed by spring 2033.
Despite approving the road rebuild in 2009, then canceling it in 2012, the project concept was restarted in 2022.
“Caltrans still believes there is value in opening this part of the roadway,” said Price.