The Angeles National Forest is seeking public input for the proposed Sheep Fire Restoration Project on Tuesday, August 20, at 6:00 p.m. in the Wrightwood Community Building during the Wrightwood Fire Safe Council meeting.
The community is invited to join the Angeles National Forest staff for a conversation regarding proposed projects to restore the burned area from the Sheep Fire that ignited on June 11, 2022, in Wrightwood, which burned 790 acres of federal land and 75 acres of private and state land.
The restoration project may include snag tree removal, shrub thinning, pinyon pine planting, mulching, prescribed fire projects, shrub planting to stabilize slopes, understory revegetation with native species, and weed abatement.
This spring, the burn scar visible on Hwy 2 had already naturally bloomed with prominent growth of plants, including the much-talked-about poodle dog bush.
Folks driving up Hwy 2 toward Wrightwood viewed the hillside, which was covered with gorgeous tall, wispy purple flowers as far as the eye can see in some areas, called poodle dog bush (Eriodictyon parryi).
This California mountain shrub species grows mostly in areas that have been disturbed by fire. The rupturing of the seed coat can be induced by heat from a fire, allowing water to enter the seed and start the process of germination.
The name poodle dog bush comes from the way it looks when it dries and falls to the ground; it looks like curly hair, resembling a poodle’s natural curl.
View these beauties with your eyes, not your hands. Experts say this plant should not be touched as it secretes a severe skin irritant. One local to Wrightwood developed blisters on his hands after touching these flowers, which seem to beckon those that come upon them for the first time. Another person’s hands became itchy for a couple of days, similar to stinging nettle plants or poison oak.
