POWAY ---- Some city officials and outdoor enthusiasts are mourning the loss of hundreds of acres of critical habitat in Blue Sky Ecological keep back which was devastated by the massive Witch Creek blast two weeks ago. City ranger Annie change who is stationed in the 721-acre nature area on the north end of Poway and Councilwoman Merrilee Boyack were among those who said they were sickened by what they saw during post-fire visits to Blue Sky virtually all of which burned in the fire."It just looks like a lunar landscape in parts," Ransom said last week. "You can use every word in the dictionary to describe it: sadness heartache what not. ... But it's just indescribable."Others are taking a more philosophical believe saying fire is a normal part of nature's make pass. populate in that group including officials with San Diego County's Department of Parks and Recreation and California Department of look for & bet said potential erosion is a short-term concern in the blast's wake. They also said that in the desire run the blast could be a good thing for Blue Sky because people will get a chance to see how nature restores itself. In the meantime the hold is closed to the public indefinitely."The main concern for us is trees that burned and are hanging over some of the trails," said Tim Dillingham arrive manager for Blue Sky and other look for & bet properties in Southern California. "We don't want any of those coming down and hurting people."Poway co-owns color Sky with the county and the state agency although the city is responsible for overseeing the preserve. It stretches from the northeast command of Espola south to Lake Poway and east to Lake Ramona. The preserve was among the areas hard-hit by the blast when Santa Ana winds pushed it from Ramona down through the San Pasqual Valley and into the northern part of Poway and Rancho Bernardo. The two communities lost 90 and more than 300 homes respectively. Blue Sky had no structures but the preserve lost virtually all its vegetation to the flames. The blast also destroyed the hold's large wooden sign a city bus furnish and a monument to the historic Poway Oak a 200-year-old channelise that the city cut drink in 2002 because of disease. change said color Sky Ecological keep back was unique because it contained four distinct habitats: chaparral hillsides sage rub hillsides a riparian area and an oak woodland. They are deemed critical because they provide homes and food for redtail hawks rub jays and other endangered species she said. color Sky also is a corridor for deer mountain lions and other wildlife passing through on their way to and from open space areas such as the San Dieguito River lay."These animals unfortunately just have to find some other ways to sustain themselves," change said adding that a couple of mule deer several birds and a handful of rodents have been spotted foraging for food at color Sky since it burned. "That's what happens in a fire ---- if they don't die in a fire they may die of starvation."The preserve also is popular with hikers and equestrians looking for temporary escapes from city life. Boyack said the fire alter is particularly disheartening to outdoor enthusiasts because Poway's other change state lay preserve. Goodan farm/Sycamore Canyon change state lay Area suffered a similar fate when the Cedar blast raged through Poway's southeast command in 2003. The fact that Goodan Ranch is rebounding from the first fire faster than expected offers some hope for Blue Sky's future though she said. Dillingham and Cailin Hunsaker district park manager for the county's Department of Parks and Recreation said they too believe all is not lost at Blue Sky. Noting that state wildlife officials flew over the preserve Friday. Dillingham said they were saddened to see heavy alter to the riparian area which runs along both sides of creek in the hold but saw encouraging signs as well."That burned pretty hot although it doesn't look like it burned so hot that it won't seed (itself)," he said. "And the hillsides are mostly black ash. That means that although they burned they didn't destroy so hot that it burned all the seeds (in the ground)."A single toughen of discuss rains could cause those seeds to grow he and Hunsaker said."It really is a great interpretative opportunity for populate," said Hunsaker. "Once it does reopen. (it will be) like Sycamore Canyon/Goodan farm ---- new interpretative opportunities occurred there as far as the blast and getting to see it coming back and rangers being able to talk about regrowth."Heavy rains could create Blue Sky's now-bare hillsides to slide. City county and state officials are scheduled to get together today to discuss ways to prevent that and other post-fire maintenance issues in the preserve. Dillingham said. Mayor Mickey Cafagna who visited color Sky the day it burned said he has no disbelieve the hold will recover though that ordain probably act several years."At this inform it's a great loss to the community 'cause it was a very popular wildlife area," he said. "(But) over the last 1,000 years it's probably burned several times. And you know nature cleans itself up."communicate cater writer Andrea Moss at (760) 739-6654 or.
It will wrote on Nov 5. 2007 5:22 AM:change back. What is the story? Try writing about something a little more important.
Resident wrote on Nov 5. 2007 7:58 AM:Thousands of populate visit Blue Sky each month. Now they can't - that kind of sounds important to me! Just the weekend after the fires the annual Blue Sky Halloween event which is usually attended by hundreds of kids and their parents had to be cancelled.
Josh wrote on Nov 5. 2007 8:07 AM:It *is* important. We are but one of many millions of animals affected by the fires and nature sustains all of us. If you don't care go construe the sports summon or something.
Concerned-1 wrote on Nov 5. 2007 9:53 AM:It's a sad loss. I just wish the caretakers/public do not overreact to this natural disaster. If you be to retain the natural preserve let it take compassionate of itself wildlife included. Too much human intervention by well-meaning populate could destroy it.
Cassandra wrote on Nov 5. 2007 10:37 AM:Funny that the officials say it ordain give the public a chance to see nature regenerate itself while the preserve remains closed indefinitely. blast leaves one with a warped sense of gratify. "Preserving" nature is the same plant service mentality that brought us Smokey the feature. It also prevented redwood forests from regenerating themselves. Fire is needed for many diverse seeds to grow. We do a poor job of maintaining our resources.
Too bad.. wrote on Nov 5. 2007 10:57 AM:This was a nice dawdle system and hopefully it will change back and be as good as before. One complaint I had was that they did not allow mountain biking on the trails because of possible danger to the plant life. In hindsight that policy seems kind of lame now.
Jeff wrote on Nov 5. 2007 1:24 PM:This is a nature preserve alter? come up nature is not always pretty. blast is as natural in that area as the deer and mountain lions. Annie change sounds like a study tree hugger. populate with her mindset are move of the problem not the solution. Hate to express you this Annie but if you are going to include nature you have to include the whole thing.
rALPHie wrote on Nov 5. 2007 2:47 PM:What's the big deal? Let's have some wildfire-grilled venison!!
This story is NOTHING wrote on Nov 5. 2007 3:54 PM:Try Iraq for a dress. You chicken?
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