Diablo Trails
About 150 equestrians came to the Concord Mt. Diablo Trail Ride Association on April 12, for a presentation by Mount Diablo State Parks and a discussion of their plans for trails on the mountain.   State Parks Ranger Lorrie Thomas Dossett, the District Maintenance Chief, gave a slideshow presentation explaining that Mt Diablo has not had a revised General Plan  since 1979 and has limited  documentation of Mt. Diablo’s 22,000 acres and 187 miles of trails. So their current efforts towards a Unit Trail Plan will start with measuring and quantifying what condition the roads and trails are in, who is using them and what repairs or rehab work is needed, as well as to develop a budget for the ongoing maintenance needs. She explained that trails are considered facilities and must be documented in the Park’s computerized maintenance program, so that resources can be requested and allocated for trails in the same way they are for roads, restrooms, benches, tables and water troughs. By documenting all facilities, the budget can be more accurate, maintenance and improvements can be planned and projected more realistically.

Lorrie discussed the “demand on trails” coming from groups including government agencies, equestrians, mountain bikers, hikers, native plant society members, adjoining ranches and neighborhoods, animal groups, geo trackers and others. She maintained repeatedly that the project was starting with no prejudice for any one group or “stakeholder”.  Her staff has been taking on this project unfunded, working on weekends to present the slide show to as many groups as possible, striving to inform the public,  Once all the area has been mapped and all facilities listed, a document will be written to assist Mt. Diablo State Park in obtaining grants and funding for deferred maintenance, normal maintenance and improvements. 

In addition to holding meetings with different user groups, MDSP staff are surveying park users in different locations and at different times. After surveying the trails and the trail users, park staff will draw up a draft resource inventory of existing conditions, issue a statement of park purpose and vision, develop alternative directions as part of a preliminary plan, and then open it to public review and workshops. Then comes an Environmental Review and other government mandated reports to make sure that all is safe, protected and available to everyone within the perimeters of the Road and Trail Plan, then more public review and finally adoption of Road and Trail Plan.  The Road and Trail plan will show the trail system, including some of the volunteer trails. This entire planning process is expected to at least two years.  

A survey form based on one used in the Sierras was handed out and reviewed by the participants in the meeting. The form asked what was liked and disliked about the park.  Many in the crowds spoke up to say that safety is a monumental issue, sharing experiences where equestrians and mountain bikers met on trail, incidents occurred, people were hurt.  Many suggested stricter enforcement of existing rules to ensure safety on trails and keeping the narrow, single track trails for hikers and equestrians only.  Some speakers were concerned that some mountain bikers are looking for the thrill of a technically challenging ride without regard to personal or public safety or what is best for the environment and public as a whole. Support for multi use trails was expressed with the caution that each group must respect other groups concerns issues, educating the public on what is required for each user group. 

Part of the impetus for initiating this process came from the request by mountain bike proponents that 19 different single track Diablo be opened to Mountain Bikers, part of a statewide push for more access for mountain bikes on State Park trail. This meeting is one of four coming up this year.  Please send me your comments and let me know what is going on in your area. Please contact me at dianeocr@sbcglobal.net or 925-525-1123. - Diane Offutt, CSHA Inc. State Trails Chair, Region 5 Trails Representative


Annual 100 Mile 6-Day Ride Earns $20,600 for the Ridge Trail and East Bay Trails
Tilden-Wildcat Horsemen's Association and Metropolitan Horsemen’s Association 6th annual ride in the East Bay hills - Aug. 29- Sept. 3, 2007 attracted 56 riders and 80+ volunteers! Bay Area Barns and Trails donated $5,000 to the ‘bank’. This ride has now earned $85,000 for the Bay Area Ridge Trail and for equestrian improvements on East Bay trails.
For more information, contact Morris Older at 925-254-8943, ebhillsride@comcast.net,
or Martha Mikesell at 925-833-9279, martha.mikesell@sbcglobal.net
For the rest of this inspiring story, visit www.twha.org


Pinole Watershed now open to public: 7.5 Miles of New Ridge Trail dedicated Nov. 3, 2007
200 people attended the opening ceremony for a long awaited trail, on a beautiful fall day, as the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council and the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) dedicated a new section of the Bay Area Ridge Trail, Saturday November 3. The trail travels 7.5 miles through beautiful Pinole Watershed and has spectacular views of the East Bay hills and the Carquinez Strait. The trail through the Pinole Watershed connects to the Ridge Trail in Sobrante Ridge Regional Preserve (an East Bay Regional Parks District property), creating a nearly 10 mile continuous stretch of Ridge Trail. With this new addition, the Bay Area Ridge Trail now has 310 miles open to the public. The new trail is also a key link in a planned 50-mile loop trail around the Carquinez Strait. The Pinole Watershed, previously not open to the public, is accessible to hikers and equestrians . The trail can be accessed just west of the Alhambra Valley Road and Bear Creek Road intersection in Pinole. Trail use requires an EBMUD Trail Use Permit, available from EBMUD here. Download the Pinole Watershed Map for the location of the new trail.


CONCORD REUSE PLAN
http://www.concordreuseproject.org/
Components Common to All Alternatives: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space
Key elements that form part of all of the alternative concepts include:
• Preservation of hillsides at 30% slope or greater
• A 300 foot wide riparian corridor along Mt. Diablo Creek
• New biking and hiking trails that connect to the existing regional network
However…there is NO MENTION OF EQUESTRIAN ACTIVITIES/TRAILS. Project manager stated (OVER THE PHONE) that equestrian activities are included. We must not take this for granted: Your comments are needed: the plan be SPECIFIC.
• A tournament quality youth and adult sports complex consisting of multiple sports fields
and facilities
• Community golf course
• An environmental education and interpretive center
• Preservation of pre-historic cultural sites
• Wildlife habitat areas for a variety of plant and animal species
• Neighborhood parks
• Community parks
• Neighborhood buffers


East Bay Regional Park district to ask voters for bond funds: … will use poll to gauge reaction, approval..
‘The East Bay Regional Park District is planning to ask voters to approve a parks bond measure worth $400 million to $500 million after a poll found the measure has broad public support.

Some 76.5 percent those surveyed in Contra Costa and Alameda counties would likely support the measure, an extension of a 1988 property tax to buy and improve parks, according to the district-commissioned poll, The park system now has some 97,000 acres in 65 parks, including Tilden in Berkeley, the Hayward Regional Shoreline, Pleasanton Ridge and Ardenwood Historic Farm.

-The bond measure — to provide money for city and local parks as well as regional ones — would need two-thirds voter approval to pass.

Park officials are eyeing it for the November 2008 ballot.
"It looks very positive" said Ted Radke, a regional park board member from Martinez. "This poll shows support for what we've done with our 1988 bond measure (Measure AA), and they want us to continue."

District officials say they took the poll to decide whether to drop the ballot idea for lack of interest, or move ahead to draft a proposal to present to the public, city councils and community groups in the East Bay.

"The short answer is yes. The poll told us it's worth it to structure something," said Dave Collins, a park district assistant general manager. "We will be talking to many cities and groups to come up with a plan."

The park board has until mid-June 2008 to vote on placing issues on the ballot that November.
…."It's not an increase in the tax rate, but a continuation, an extension," Collins said.

-The board has pledged it will not seek to raise the property tax rate above a current limit of $10 per $100,000 of assessed valuation. That means the owner of a $500,000 home would pay $50 per year, at most, for the park tax. Property owners in the two counties currently pay $8.50 per $100,000 assessed valuation for the 1988 bonds. Board members also said they want to devote 25 percent of the bond money to city and local parks, as with the 1988 bond measure for $225 million. The other 75 percent of the money would go toward expanding parks and trails. Without a new bond measure, park officials say, the money from the 1988 bond measure would run out in a year or two, crippling efforts to buy natural lands for recreation, scenery and wildlife protection…

-The poll of 500 likely voters was taken in December and January by Strategic Research Institute in Southern California. The poll had a margin of error of 3.5 to 4.5 percent. The pollsters found that 97 percent of those surveyed knew of the regional park district, and 96 percent agreed that regional parks and trails improved the quality of life in the East Bay. Half of those surveyed put a higher priority on spending park money to open access to existing park land, rather than buying new land. Thirty-seven percent placed more importance on buying new parkland, and 7 percent gave equal weight to buying parkland and providing access to it. Some 71 percent said they prefer that the park district spend money on renovating existing park facilities, rather than building brand-new facilities. The park district used the proceeds from its 1988 bond measure to acquire some 34,000 acres and add 200 miles of trails. Any new park bond measure would be decided by voters in the two counties, except for the greater Livermore area because it was annexed to the regional park district after the 1988 bond election and does not pay the assessment.
-OAKLAND TRIBUNE - Denis Cuff, MEDIANEWS STAFF
March 23, 2007


Action Alert: Call for a Good Future for the Concord Naval Weapons Station
The City of Concord is hosting a community workshop to discuss alternatives for the future of the Naval Weapons Station. When: Saturday, August 4, 9:30 am - 12:30 pm

This meeting is the final opportunity for the public to weigh in before the City Council decides on the alternatives it will study in the Environmental Impact Report, starting in September.

City planners and Councilmembers need to hear your strong support for a good alternative for the base. At least one of the alternatives should include a regional park, equestrian opportunities/trails, endangered species protection, and creek restoration, and should create a walkable community around the BART station with new homes and job opportunities. Please speak up for a good plan for the base!
When: Saturday, August 4, 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
Where: Concord Senior Center, 2727 Parkside Circle

Do you have news about land and trails preservation in your county?
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