Ursus Arctos Californicus
CALIFORNIA
GRIZZLY BEAR
RECOVERY AREA 3
an exercise in using freedom of speech for the dissemination of ideas
The habitat here is expected to be more suitable than in Sequoia National Park, since the California Grizzly was largely a chaparral/grassland animal. This area holds the best hope for the recovery of the California Grizzly!
CGRA 3
This is the most exciting of the recovery areas and has the highest
potential for success. Consisting of roughly 2.4 million acres, mostly little-visited
public land, the area is populated by less than 25,000 people. 16,419 of
the people live on or east of Hwy 33 near Taft, and 4,634 of the people
live near Frasier Park close to Interstate 5, leaving less than 4,000
people living in the core area--or about 1 person per square mile. This is
close to the lowest population density in the state, and less than any of
the 58 counties' average population densities. Most of these people are
concentrated in areas such as the Cuyama Valley, which resides in the
center of the recovery area. There is local support for this idea. See the
California Grizzly
Foundation for details.
| Place | Population | Source |
| California Valley | ? | |
| Cuyama CDP | 1,349 | 2000 Census |
| New Cuyama | ? | |
| Ventucopa | ? | |
| Frazier Park | 2,348 | 2000 Census |
| Lake of the Woods CDP | 833 | 2000 Census |
| Pine Mtn. Club CDP | 1,600 | 2000 Census |
| Maricopa City | 1,111 | 2000 Census |
| S. Taft CDP | 1,898 | 2000 Census |
| Taft City | 6,400 | 2000 Census |
| Taft Heights CDP | 1,865 | 2000 Census |
| Ford City CDP | 3,512 | 2000 Census |
| Valley Acres CDP | 512 | 2000 Census |
| Dustin Acres CDP | 585 | 2000 Census |
| Tupman CDP | 227 | 2000 Census |
| Fellows CDP | 153 | 2000 Census |
| Derby Acres CDP | 376 | 2000 Census |
| McKittrick CDP | 160 | 2000 Census |
| Wheeler Springs | ? | |
| Simmler | ? | |
| TOTAL | 22,929+ |
| CDP = Census Designated Place |
The Los Padres National Forest in Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, and Kern Counties is largely wilderness or remote land managed for watershed and wildlife values. Large areas of this forest are already closed to human entry during the height of the fire season (July-November), therefore the impact on recreation would be minimal in this area. Historic accounts of the California Grizzly indicate it was prolific in chaparral areas, which suggests that the habitat of this area is suitable to allow recovery of the species. The area already is managed for California Condor recovery and addition of the California Grizzly to this mix would be most appropriate.
The Carrizo Plain National Monument is near the center of this area, and the ongoing attempt to restore the native ecosystem to this crown jewel of the National Park System would be impoverished without the Grizzly.
Buena Vista Lake is also included, and rewatering of this stolen public resource is expected to provide rich lakeshore habitats suitable for the Grizzly. The area east of Hwy 33 and north of Hwy 166 can be left out if necessary due to the large human population here.
Portions of the coastline between Santa Barbara and Ventura should be considered, to include the Grizzly's historic coastal feeding grounds. If this option were implemented, wildlife tunnels under Highway 101 are recommended. Santa Barbara County has the longest coastline of any county in California, therefore the presence of Grizzly Bears on a small portion of beach should not have any significant negative effects on beachgoers.