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Black Mountain Proposed Wilderness
Size: Approximately 11,500 acres
Managing agency: Los Padres National Forest, Santa Lucia Ranger District.
Location: In San Luis Obispo County, about 12 miles southeast of Atascadero.
Description: Located at the northern end of the arid La Panza Range, the Black Mountain proposed wilderness consists of chaparral covered hills with scattered stands of canyon and blue oak and gray pine, great deer and mountain lion habitat, a herd of wild horses, and occasional California condors soaring overhead.
Rising 2,000 feet above the surrounding country, the proposed wilderness encompasses the headwaters of Fernandez Creek, Shell Creek, Indian Creek, Huerhuero Creek, Yaro Creek and Toro Creek. All of these streams are extremely important to surrounding agricultural lands and the latter two contribute to public water supplies. The proposed wilderness would provide the highest level of protection to water quality for these waterways and the agricultural uses they support.
Virtually the entire area burned in a major wildfire in 1996 and the land is in early stages of post-fire succession and providing excellent deer habitat. Healthy ground squirrel, gopher and vole populations attract many raptors (including golden eagles, hawks, and owls) and other predators such as fox, coyote, bobcats, and mountain lions. For many years a small herd of wild horses has roamed the area. Known as the Black Mountain herd, it is managed through occasional roundups of selected individuals for adoption under the Federal adopt-a-horse program.
For additional information, please contact:
Dave Westman
Sierra Club
827 Broadway, Suite 310
Oakland, CA 94607
(510) 622-0290 X220
Email: dave.westman@sierraclub.org
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Just three miles off of Interstate 80, 
