LOS PADRES SITES CLOSED TO CAMPERS AS TOAD PROTECTION; ENDANGERED SPECIES LAWSUIT PROMPTS BAN.

Byline: Lisa Mascaro Daily News Staff Writer

The little arroyo southwestern toad that has been trying to stay alive in the Los Padres National Forest will have full run of the place under plans to close overnight access at some of the area's prime campgrounds.

The decision to shut down sites used by hikers to access the Sespe Wilderness near Ojai and prospectors who pan for gold in Piru Creek comes as the U.S. Forest Service is stepping up efforts to protect the 3-inch-long toad and the steelhead trout, both endangered species that live in the area.

``The effect is very large. It's closing most of the campgrounds in the area,'' said Charlie Robinson, recreation officer at the Ojai Ranger District. ``There's a lot of people who like those areas, who are repeat visitors.''

The closures, which could become permanent in some areas, are already in place at some sites.

The action to protect the toad and trout comes as Los Padres, along with three other Southern California forests, are defendants in a lawsuit filed in federal court in June by an Arizona-based environmental group over endangered species policies, forest officials said.

``It was a catalyst,'' Juanita Freel said of the suit filed by the Southwestern Center for Bio-Diversity. ``It kind of accelerated the process.''

Both the toad and the trout are recent additions to the endangered species list. They live in small numbers in the Los Padres National Forest, which stretches from Northern California to Ventura County.

The Forest Service last week closed about 3,000 acres of Angeles National Forest trails, streams and a campground to protect the arroyo southwestern toad. That closure, in effect until 2003, has angered off-road enthusiasts, who staged a protest Sunday near Littlerock.

One of the largest populations of the toads is in the Sespe Creek, which runs through the popular Lion Campground, one of the larger overnight sites in the Ojai section of the forest and now closed.

There, more than 130 adult males thrive, coming out mostly in the evenings, and sharing waterways with the trout, whose numbers are much fewer, according to forest biologists.

Already, local forest rangers have fenced off a popular swimming area at the bank of the creek to protect the toad's tiny eggs, which are scrunched underfoot.

But now the entire campsite, which serves as a gateway for hikers to the Sespe Wilderness, is off-limits from dusk to dawn, and the road into the area is closed to vehicles and mountain bikes, leaving only trail hikers and equestrians to access the region, rangers said.

``It is a significant impact to our capacity,'' Robinson said.

Likewise, Piru Creek, in a popular stretch west of Pyramid Lake, is home to the forest's second-largest contingent of toads, who will now have undisturbed evenings with closure of the 25-campsite Hardluck Campground.

For local gold mining enthusiasts like Barret Wetherby, an officer in the group Public Lands for the People, the closure is just another limitation on access to the forest lands.

``That whole Piru from the lake on up has been gold mining for 150 years,'' Wetherby said. ``Not only the prospectors, but campers would use it . . . off-roaders would use it.''

Other endangered species, including the red-legged frog and the Smith's blue butterfly, are also causing closures in other parts of the Los Padres Forest outside of the Ventura County area.

Sam Sweet, the University of California, Santa Barbara, professor credited with helping put the toad on the endangered species list in 1994, said the measures were drastic attempts to save the critters.

``The problem has been that campgrounds, at least in the Los Padres, tend to be put in the best places for frogs and people,'' Sweet said.

Under the closure plans, forest biologists will be taking inventory of the endangered species over the next 90 days and proposing ways to allow recreational use that would cause as little harm as possible to the species.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will then step in and review the information and report back within about 45 days on long-term suggestions, such as closures, which would then be subject to public hearings.

FOREST CLOSURES

The following are local sections of the Los Padres National Forest to be temporarily closed to protect the arroyo toad and steelhead trout. Campgrounds will be closed from sunrise to sunset.

Campgrounds

Lion Campground

Middle Lion Campground

Beaver Campground

Blue Point Campground

Hardluck Campground

Roads:

Sespe Road/Road to Middle Lion Campground: Closed to vehicles and mountain bikes.

Cherry Canyon Road: Closed to vehicles.

Piru Creek: Seasonal restrictions on prospecting and mining.

CAPTION(S):

Box

BOX: FOREST CLOSURES (See text)