FIRE RECOVERY CONTINUES, WHILE WHITING RANCH REOPENS
TOP: Prickly pear cactus is sprouting new pads in the Irvine Ranch Open Space. (Photo by IROS Operations Manager John Gump.) BOTTOM: Natural Resource Program Coordinators Alisa Flint and Matt Major survey the landscape at Limestone Canyon Nature Preserve. (Photo by Natural Resources Manager Jennifer Naegele.)
Thanks to the hard work of many OC Parks staff, Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park reopened March 6, and areas of the Irvine Ranch Open Space are slowly recovering after two major fires in 2020. Between October’s Silverado Fire and December’s Bond Fire, about 8,000 acres of the Irvine Ranch Open Space and Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park burned. Both parks closed to all visitors to allow for recovery — with help from park staff and Mother Nature. Whiting Ranch partially reopened in January, while areas 20
Co unty Co n n e c t i on
like Borrego and Red Rock canyons that suffered significant burn damage, remained closed. The park fully closed again February 7 following a mountain lion incident. While Whiting Ranch remained closed for a full month as park staff continued to see mountain lion activity, it did provide the opportunity to wrap up some work that allowed all trails, even in burn areas, to reopen. Some of the work included placing 6,500 feet of rope along trails to keep visitors out of sensitive burn recovery areas and smoothing out trails. A hike down Borrego Canyon Trail
