Activists Decry Brush Clearing in Old Woodland

Residents and woodlands supporters are upset about the apparent weekend actions of fire clearance crews in an area near what used to be the Arcadia woodlands and the Santa Anita Debris Basin, lamenting the destruction of native plants and threats to what they say are active habitats for wildlife.

Kerjon Lee, spokesman for the County Department of Public Works, said that while the decisions to clear out vegetation can sometimes be the "choice of last resort," such fire clearance work was originally undertaken with the Arcadia and Monrovia fire departments, with DPW assisting on the final parts of the process. He also noted that the Department of Fish and Game has knowledge of the work and that it is "within Flood Control's right of way." He also said many residents knew the work was coming.

"The work was initiated with some residents who requested some assistance," he said. 

But some believe the range of the clearout extends too far.

Lori Paul, an open-space advocate in Altadena, wrote to Patch and Supervisor Michael Antonovich's office with concerns that road crews were not leaving specimen plants and rare species undisturbed. 

"The extensive clearing by the DPW in Arcadia reportedly extends 50 to 80 or more feet from the unpaved access road, well into native vegetation and valuable habitat," Paul wrote. "Removing native cover will result in 'type conversion' of the site to invasive foreign grasses and weeds, resulting in a greater fire hazard than the productive native vegetation that was destroyed, as well as a loss of diversity and reduction in freshwater recapture."

Arcadia resident Camron Stone called the clearing "another example of DPW’s scorched earth policies” in a letter he wrote to representatives of Supervisor Antonovich’s office. Stone, who also blogs for Patch, said he was specifically worried about active fox dens in the area and removal of a species of cacti that he says can act as a fire barrier. Stone says he found the scraped area while he was out walking his dog, and has shared pictures with Patch.

This story has been updated to include the response from Kerjon Lee of DPW.