Moments of a Lifetime: SAMO Edition

Hey guys! Time is flying by so fast!!! I am already three weeks into my internship, It feels so unreal. Every day at SAMO is truly a moment to appreciate! This week was the best thus far, issuing arrest warrants, creating defensible space by reducing heavy fire fuel vegetation, hiking the canyons, and connecting with visitors on foot patrols have made this SAMO experience a moment of a lifetime.

On the Backbone trail

The Santa Monica Mountains is a popular destination where millions of visitors from all over the world visit for recreational adventure. But for thousands of transients National Parks have become a place of retreat. Law enforcement rangers have seen an increase in the homeless population within

 the park over the past few years, many often driven by job loss, drugs, alcohol addiction and mental health problems. Transient(s) use the park as places to get out of the elements, for its infrastructure, and create places inside the park to reside for periods of time. By creating unauthorized camping areas, using fire and camping supplies outside designated areas, and littering the area it poses a threat to the parks resources.

Defensible Space unit working with inmate crew

During the week I assisted rangers with a field operation that consisted of cleaning up a polluted park site and issuing a warrant for residing on park lands, a violation of the NPS’s Title 36 rule. I was tasked with being the person of contact, whereas I managed communications for the operation between LE rangers and dispatch center. This was an exciting learning experience. I learned about a safety tool known simply as GAR. It stands for green, amber, and red which is a go/no go operational tool. Every ranger references this index card prior to approaching any mission. It’s a tool that helps with operational risk management. It originally stemmed from the coast guard, and the National Park Service, and Search and Rescue have adopted this tool to ensure personal and team safety.

This week I continued working with the defensible space unit under fire management. The goal was to remove excess vegetation that pose a threat to NPS constituents who live nearby. The removal consists of litter and debris that has stemmed from homeless people living on park property over the years. The NPS works in collaboration with L.A County’s fire department who share similar goals of ensuring wildfire safety for the environment and for the public.

L.A County Fire Department

 Defensible space unit has incorporated inmate crews for the past 25 years.  The nature of the collaboration is to protect the values natural resource protection. By using the inmate crew it helps the NPS manage their numerous properties throughout the Santa Monica Mountains. At the same time the program also helps to rehabilitate the inmates and assist them in making a conversion back in the community once their sentence is completed. They also get an opportunity to build a skill set while incarcerated. This is a beneficial program, working with the inmates you can really see firsthand that many of them are willing to make changes to better their life.

Clean up done by inmate crew

On that day we reduced fuels that spark potential fires that invade social values such as human communities. The management of LA County realizes that there is a need to protect people within the community. Fire protection is the main goal. This is done by managing the habitat to prevent the spread of wildfire. As an example, the Migratory Bird Act protects many birds that dwell on NPS land, however that mitigates fire prevention when it comes to defensible space. For this reason Planning Science and Resource Management (PSRM) has to oversee the operation.

Observing for bird nesting activity

At the end of the week, I hiked Solstice Canyon on a foot patrol, I observed a few infractions such as dogs off leash and area closure violations near the waterfall on Solstice canyon trail. I issued verbal warnings to the individuals and they left the area immediately.

Solstice Canyon Waterfall

 

Robert's Ranch (ruins)

Apart from the many infractions observed it’s an amazing place to go for a hike and get lost within mountains while being so close to LA. I also had the opportunity to connect with the public and share my experience with them. Many of them was interested in the mission of the ProRanger Program and wished me well in my endeavors.

 

Selfie with visitors

……………………..this place is really growing on me!

Santa Monica Views