Rebuild Structures and Restore Functions Lost in the Woolsey Fire

The public is invited to provide comments on the redevelopment of sites within the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SAMO) that were burned in the 2018 Woolsey Fire. The National Park Service (NPS) is initiating a public scoping phase to kick off the preparation of an environmental assessment (EA) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

The actions that will be proposed in the Woolsey Fire Disaster Recovery EA will restore park functions lost in the Woolsey Fire. However, recovery actions will not be a simple in-kind replacement of lost buildings. Many of the structures lost were inherited with land purchases and may not have been in the best location or configuration for park purposes. The construction program that will be proposed in the EA contains only the buildings and utilities necessary to replace lost functions. New structures may be in different locations, with a different internal layout. The goal is to create more functional and efficient facilities that better serve the public interest and park operations.

When the EA is complete, it will evaluate construction at three locations: Paramount Ranch, Rocky Oaks, and Peter Strauss Ranch. Details about these sites are included at the bottom of this page.

Details about the three locations where fire damage occurred:

Paramount Ranch: The Woolsey Fire destroyed 13 structures - four of which were contributing elements to the cultural landscape - and damaged electric, water and wastewater systems. The project at Paramount includes four buildings that would be constructed in the same general location and having the same appearance, mass and materials as contributing buildings lost to the fire. The project also replaces utilities and includes minor improvements to parking and circulation, including redefined parking and pedestrian areas, and improvements to accessibility.

Rocky Oaks: The project would replace an administrative building lost to the fire in approximately the same location with a new ABAAS-compliant building. This project also proposes constructing a 4-plex housing unit on an abandoned agricultural field in the southwest section of the property. This housing unit would provide the capacity of the units lost at Rocky Oaks, Paramount Ranch, and Arroyo Sequit. Former housing locations at Rocky Oaks and Arroyo Sequit would be returned to natural conditions.

Peter Strauss Ranch: This project would reconstruct the Miller ranch house, a contributing historic element which served as the focal point for activities at the property. The project would also improve accessibility throughout the site and accomplish several actions proposed in the treatment plan for the 2018 Cultural Landscape Report, including addressing deficiencies in accessibility, circulation, parking, and utilities.

Topic Questions Instructions:

During this initial public scoping period, the following types of comments are particularly helpful:

Topic Questions:

1. Information about the project area that the NPS should consider during the analysis

2. Information about how you use the project area and how the project might affect that use

3. Other projects or activities that might affect or be affected by the project

4. Resource and other impacts that should be considered

5. Other ideas, studies, data, or alternative ways of meeting the project objectives

Document Content:

SAMO_Woolsey EA_FONSI_508compliant.pdf   (780.8 KB, PDF file) Disclaimer: Links within the above document(s) were valid as of the date published. Note: Some of the files may be in PDF format and can be viewed using the Adobe Acrobat Reader software. You may download a free copy of from Adobe Systems.