Rosemont Preserve: Habitat, Wildlife
There’s a locked gate at the top of Rosemont Avenue in La Crescenta, backed by a paved area and a catch basin. It may not look like much from the street, but if you were able to get beyond the gate you’d find yourself in a pristine wilderness area, walking beside a seasonal stream surrounded by sage scrub, peppered with western sycamore and California walnut trees and stands of mature oak.
This is the planned Rosemont Preserve, natural open space that the Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy is working to protect. It’s home to a range of wildlife, including mule deer, mountain lions, bobcats, bears, coyotes and Arroyo toads, along with at least 31 bird species. The land is situated in the mouth of Goss Canyon, backed by about 300 acres that have been maintained as mostly wilderness over the decades by private landowners.
Preserving the “Top of Rosemont” would ensure that the area continues to provide much-needed low-elevation habitat for these creatures, and that it will never be developed. Once the land has been saved, the Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy will work to restore habitat, removing invasive plants that choke out native plants. The habitat restoration will be guided by a biological survey and management plan.
AFC also plans to provide access beyond the gate at the Rosemont Preserve, allowing visitors to enjoy the wilderness in a way that’s sensitive to wildlife and plant life, as well as adjacent landowners.