Williamson Rock closed due to frog

Forest service to keep Williamson Rock closed
This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press
Monday, December 31, 2007.

By JAMES RUFUS KOREN
Valley Press Staff Writer
ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST - A popular rock-climbing area will be closed for at least another year as U.S. Forest Service officials try to protect an endangered frog species.

The 1,000-acre area surrounding Williamson Rock, near the headwaters of Littlerock Creek in the San Gabriel Mountains, has been closed since December 2005, when it was designated as a "crucial habitat" for the mountain yellow-legged frog.

The closure cuts off access to Williamson Rock, which has been a popular spot for rock climbers since the 1960s, and to a section of the Pacific Crest Trail, a national scenic trail that stretches from Mexico to Canada. Hiking in the closed area could result in a $5,000 fine or up to six months in jail.

The forest service also is working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and California Department of Fish and Game to find a solution, but forest service Ranger John Capell said it has been difficult.

"It's turned out to be a thorny problem to figure out," Capell said. "The big issue is how to maintain public access to the area while at the same time protecting the frog population." .........

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