Overview of the Issue
The Angeles National Forest restricted access to Williamson as a result of successful lawsuits brought by the Center for Biological Diversity and other conservation organizations to protect the MYLF. Williamson Rock remains closed to climbing, but Access Fund and local climbing advocates remain focused on pressuring the USFS to finalize an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that evaluates climbing management strategies that could allow controlled climbing access while still protecting the MYLF.
Current Status
Williamson Rock remains closed at this time. The Forest Service recently reported that they plan to issue the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) by the end of 2024. Access Fund will remain engaged with the Forest Service and alert the climbing community when the FEIS is released. The Bobcat Fire in 2020 significantly impacted the habitat in this area and has set back efforts to reopen this area to the public for rock climbing and hiking. Access Fund remains committed to finding a balance between protecting the MYLF and allowing sustainable rock climbing access to Williamson Rock.
March 2021 Update
The Angeles National Forest has issued a formal statement regarding the Bobcat Fire damage at Williamson Rock. The USFS has conducted a post-fire ground survey of the upper Littlerock Creek/Williamson Rock area in mid-October, multiple impacts from the Fire were observed including:
• Multiple dead trees fell into the creek channel.
• Up to a foot of accumulated ash throughout the area, including the creek channel.
• Ash and charred wood leachates visibly entering the surface flow of the creek; and,
• Small rockslides from both the north and south slopes that reached all the way to the creek.
Depending on the amount and the intensity of winter precipitation that the area receives, some of these impacts could be even worse as slopes that have lost all their vegetation could experience soil erosion and introduce large debris flows into the creek.
Given the current impacts and the potential for even more post-fire impacts to the population of endangered mountain yellow-legged frogs (MYLF) in the Project area, our partners at the United States Geological Service captured around 15 adult frogs and over 150 tadpoles from the site and moved them either to another suitable location on the ANF or to captive breeding facilities at the Los Angeles Zoo and the University of California – Los Angeles.
The health and persistence of the Littlerock population of MYLF is central to the success of the ongoing Williamson Rock and PCT Trail Access EIS Project. As currently written, the baseline MYLF population size is the primary indicator in the Project’s adaptive management approach. Changed conditions due to the direct and indirect impacts to the area from the Bobcat Fire may likely require an updated assessment of the baseline environment and potential impacts of the Project. The USFS will need to account for the removal of a large portion of the MYLF population and the feasibility of returning animals to the area next year. For these reasons the USFS has decided to pause any further action on the project until late spring of 2021, when the USFS and agency partners can revisit the area and assess the changed conditions and status of the MYLF population.
After the Bobcat Fire, a Closure Order was put into effect for a majority of the burnt area, including this project area. The Closure Order is meant to protect both public safety and the fragile natural resources. The entire area in the Williamson Rock Project is closed to the public by Forest Order 05-01-20-08 until April 1, 2022. In 2021, USFS staff will assess changed conditions, revise Project documentation as needed, and get a final signed Record of Decision before the current closure order expires.
Access Fund continues to work with the USFS and offer support in post-fire stabilization efforts. We will continue to keep the climbing community informed as further assessments of the area are completed by the USFS.
December 2020 Update
The Angeles Forest Service has confirmed that the Bobcat Fire burned through the Williamson Rock and Little Rock Creek drainage. A full survey of impacts will be conducted by the USFS in spring 2021. The area remains closed to all access under a fire closure. The impacts to Little Rock Creek and the Critical Habitat for the MYLF are unknown at this time. The pending FEIS to decide future recreational access is on hold until at least spring of 2021. Access Fund will continue to update the climbing community as this situation develops.
May 2020 Update
Angeles National Forest released a draft environmental impact statement that proposes several options for re-opening Williamson Rock to climbing. This is the most progress we’ve seen in over a decade, and we are optimistic that with a strong show of support from the climbing community, this will lead to the reopening of this iconic Southern California crag.
The Forest Service is currently working on incorporating all public comments into a Final Environmental Impact Statement which we are awaiting the release. Stay tuned for updates on this project.
Incremental progress was made in the summer of 2014 when the US Forest Service initiated a process for evaluating alternatives for opening the climbing area. After initial project scoping, the Forest Service postponed the project citing lack of funding.
In the spring of 2017, the USFS announced that the EIS is back on track. In early April, Access Fund joined the USFS staff and a group of stakeholders—including Center for Biological Diversity, Pacific Crest Trail Association, US Geological Survey, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Friends of Williamson Rock, Latino Outdoors, and environmental consultants—on a site visit to Williamson Rock to kick off this effort. The tone of the meeting was positive and collaborative, with stakeholders discussing reasonable options to protect the endangered MYLF and nesting raptors in order to re-open Williamson Rock to climbing.
