The San Gabriel Mountains may cause some legal headaches if they become a national monument. Image: Shutterstock |
Surprisingly, the proposal has received much criticism. Many are worried about the potential effects the new status could have on private property rights, water quality in the area, and flood control in the mountains. Others wonder where the money for improvements will come from, since both the Forest Service and the federal budgets already seem quite tight.
"We have strong concerns about this proposal and its impacts," Tony Bell, spokesman for Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich said Monday.
Many residents, however, are in huge support of the push and the many benefits it would create for the San Gabriel Mountains, despite possible legal changes.
"This designation would give public land managers the tools — and hopefully the money — to address their recreational needs and better protect this treasure trove of species, habitat, and free-flowing rivers," Daniel Rossman, spokesman for San Gabriel Mountains Forever said.
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