After greater than 100 rescues and at the least 10 deaths on Mt. Baldy since 2020, San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus is asking legislators and the U.S. Forest Service to implement new measures to limit entry to the ten,064-foot peak in Angeles Nationwide Forest in hopes of saving lives.
In January alone, 15 hikers have been injured or misplaced on the mountain, and two hikers have been killed, officers mentioned.
Dicus mentioned he has reached out to the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Rep. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park), whose district contains Mt. Baldy, however mentioned in an announcement Wednesday that he was “disenchanted” that extra hasn’t been performed to avoid wasting lives on the height.
“Regardless of quite a few discussions with USFS, Sheriff Shannon Dicus is disenchanted these measures proposed haven’t been applied,” the assertion learn. “Sheriff Dicus hopes with the help of U.S. Congresswoman Judy Chu and USFS, whose jurisdiction contains the Mt. Baldy space of the San Gabriel Mountains, laws could be enacted to avoid wasting lives.”
Officers with the U.S. Forest Service didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
In an announcement, Chu mentioned her employees has reached out to Dicus.
“I’m able to have a critical and productive dialogue on this with the sheriff, and my employees has reached out to schedule a gathering as quickly as potential to guage out there subsequent steps and make sure the Forest Service has the assets it must handle the protection of hikers at Mt. Baldy,” Chu mentioned within the assertion.
The treacherous, harmful however acquainted nature of Mt. Baldy, which attracts skilled and unprepared hikers alike with its proximity to Los Angeles, was most just lately highlighted with the disappearance of actor Julian Sands in January. Quite a few unsuccessful searches have been launched till his stays have been present in June.
The mountain’s proximity has additionally given guests a false sense of safety, making the mountain one of many nation’s deadliest peaks, in response to skilled climbers.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Division has spent $3 million in rescue operations on the mountain over the past 5 years, in response to the division, though the area falls below the jurisdiction of the U.S. Forest Service.
“The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Division performs a important function in finding and rescuing misplaced and injured hikers within the treacherous Mt. Baldy space,” the assertion reads.
The searches have additionally resulted in misplaced lives, the division notes.
In 2019, a nine-year search-and-rescue veteran with the division, Tim Staples, was separated throughout the seek for a lacking hiker. He turned misplaced and was killed in a fall.
Sheriff’s officers mentioned they’ve been in touch with the U.S. Forest Service and have requested for measures, reminiscent of implementing a allow course of in order that regulation enforcement officers are conscious of the variety of individuals on the mountain at any level.
The division has additionally requested for the Forest Service to coach the general public about mountain climbing, navigation expertise, vitamin, hydration and emergency shelter earlier than heading up the mountain. The division has additionally requested for the company to inform guests concerning the lack of cellphone service.
“Regardless of the efforts made by varied native and federal companies to take care of the protection of hikers, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Division believes that extra must be performed by the Forest Service to implement efficient measures prioritizing hiker security,” learn a letter from Dicus to Chu’s workplace, dated Aug. 1.
Congress is in a six-week recess and can return Sept. 12.
Based on a spokesperson from the Sheriff’s Division, talks with Chu’s workplace about Mt. Baldy have “stalled,” however the division remains to be hoping to work with the congresswoman to discover a resolution.
Within the assertion, Chu mentioned the letter from Dicus was the primary written correspondence to her workplace relating to security situations within the mountain.
“I welcome the chance to debate the right way to shield the general public’s security in San Bernardino County with Sheriff Dicus, and I appreciated receiving the primary written correspondence from him final week on the perilous mountain climbing situations on Mt. Baldy,” Chu mentioned.
