FORESTS AWAIT STORM REPAIRS ROAD, TRAIL, CAMPGROUND FLOOD DAMAGE REMAINS.

Byline: Susan Abram Staff Writer

ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST - Local forest officials are still waiting to learn how the $34.3 million in federal emergency funding to repair roads and campgrounds damaged by the winter floods will be divided between the Angeles, Cleveland, Los Padres and San Bernardino national forests.

The uncertainty is likely to affect Memorial Day weekend plans for popular camping areas within the Santa Clara-Mojave Rivers District of the Angeles National Forest, where damage from the rains was assessed but funding has yet to trickle down, forest officials said.

``We haven't received the money to fix them yet,'' said District Ranger Cid Morgan. ``Engineers are assessing the four forests to see which is worse. We did get some emergency money for forest roads, but it's a very tedious progress.''

Roads, trails and campgrounds were washed out in the 330,000-acre Santa Clara-Mojave Rivers District. In February, damage to the northern end of Angeles National Forest was estimated to be $10 million. Roads and trails were washed out and several campgrounds damaged.

The popular Zuni and Streamside campgrounds in Bouquet Canyon were covered in mud and parts of Zuni washed away as Bouquet Creek swelled. A third site, newly renovated for the disabled, also sustained heavy storm damage.

In April, a U.S. Senate panel approved $34.3 million in emergency funding to split between the four forests to make the repairs.

The good news for Memorial Day travelers is that most highways and roads into and out of the north Los Angeles County are now open, according to the California Department of Transportation and the Los Angeles County Public Works Department.

``Unless we have some emergency work going on, we're trying to keep lanes open for holiday commutes,'' said Caltrans spokeswoman Jeanne Bonfilio. ``We encourage people to plan ahead and leave early and have an alternative route.''

``Bouquet Canyon is open, so people can utilize that way to a campground,'' said True Pawluk, spokeswoman for public works. ``There will be road work being completed during the summer, but we're not planning to shut it down.''

San Francisquito Canyon Road, however, will remain closed for an estimated $6 million bridge and realignment project. The road has remained closed since January.

Meanwhile, Morgan with the Forest Service said her office is asking the public to ``know before you go,'' she said.

Campground use is on a first-come, first-serve basis, but campers should call the Santa Clara-Mojave Rivers Ranger District at [phone] for information, Morgan said.

Susan Abram, [phone]

susan.abram(at)dailynews.com