◼ Backcountry Horsemen of California Members Only Pack Clinic
When: Sat, January 28, 10am – 11am
Where: Polasek's Place
Description: Pot luck lunch! Hamburgers will be provided, bring an appetizer, side or dessert!
There will be a packing and dutch oven demo.
This event is members only!
You may join at the event.
Contact the Polasek's to RSVP.
Northern California Horsemen's Association (NCHA) Ride
When: Sun, January 29, 11am – 12pm
Where: South Jetty
Description: January 29th, Sunday South Jetty. Meet at 11:00 a.m.
For more information, visit: http://nchahumboldt.org/
Lots more: (details at Backcountry Horsemen of California Calendar)
Wednesday, February 1
7:00pm BCHC Redwood Unit Monthly Meeting
Thursday, February 2
Thursday, February 9-12
BCHC Pack Clinic Humboldt County Fairgrounds in Ferndale
Thursday, February 9 6:00pm
Humboldt Trails Council Meeting
Friday, February 10
BCHC Pack Clinic
Saturday, February 11
BCHC Pack Clinic
Sunday, February 12
BCHC Pack Clinic
Wednesday, February 15
6:00pm Barrels by the Bay
Saturday, February 18
Gymkhana
If you have an event to add, put it in the comments.
Text from the Little River CDP Coastal Development Permit for the Little River Project
For those of you interested this is the text from the Little River CDP Coastal Development Permit for the Little River Project that pertains to our trails.
Note that the proposed trail does not even connect to the county backdune trail to the south or even to the beach.
It is important that they have recognized the historic use of horses on these trails. That makes it hard to kick us off.
This comes from a rather large document but if anyone wants it I'll send it.
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF PARKS & RECREATION
CDP Application No. 1-10-004
pg 16
Third, the Department proposes to designate and partially construct a new 1.34-milelong
equestrian trail extending from the existing parking lot to the Little River, in part
through the backdune environment (Exhibit Nos. 4 and 5). LRSB is a popular riding area for local equestrians, who currently park at the existing southern parking lot and ride out to the beach to ride either north to the mouth of the Little River or south to the mouth of the Mad River. Currently horses are permitted only along the waveslope below the mean high tide at LRSB. Approximately 4,113 feet of the proposed new equestrian trail would follow existing developed way trails currently used by both equestrians and hikers, and approximately 3,000 feet of the trail would require new construction. The proposed new section of trail to be constructed would occur immediately adjacent to the frontage road from the existing parking lot at the southern end of LRSB to approximately across from proposed Parking Lot B. This proposed new trail section would be constructed on the paved western shoulder of the frontage road by removing a 3-foot-wide section of existing pavement along the road shoulder from the existing southern parking lot to proposed Parking Lot A and placing a crushed rock and soil mix trail surface in its place. The portion of the proposed new equestrian trail extending from across the frontage road from Parking Lot A to across the frontage road from Parking Lot B would run along the base of the (road) fill slope parallel and adjacent to the frontage road shoulder (atop existing flat terrain dominated mostly by herbaceous invasive weeds) and would have a 4-footwide native surface
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF PARKS & RECREATION
CDP Application No. 1-10-004
pg 20
The proposed trail improvements within ESHA areas are limited to nature study use and improvements that are designed to restore the ESHA for various reasons. First, none of the trails except for the boardwalk will require new trail construction within the dune ESHA. The portions of the trails to be designated within the ESHA are limited to locations where there are existing way trails currently used by public access users where no new construction is proposed and where designation of the trail will help channel and direct public access use away from other way trails and from undisturbed portions of the dunes, thereby helping to maintain and restore the dune ESHA. Second, the 3,000 feet of new equestrian trail construction is confined to the edge of the existing frontage road in areas that are either currently part of the road shoulder or immediately adjacent flat areas of ruderal vegetation that is not environmentally sensitive. The portions of the equestrian trail to be designated within the ESHA are limited to existing way trails that have previously been used by horses, and the surrounding ESHA is not likely to be adversely affected by additional equestrian use. The existing equestrian trails to be utilized are wide enough to accommodate horse use without danger that the trails will be widened out by increased use. Third, the proposed California Coastal Trail improvements will consist...
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF PARKS & RECREATION
CDP Application No. 1-10-004
Page 21
only of striping a bike lane within the paved areas of the existing frontage road and its shoulder outside of any ESHA and designating portions of the trail system as part of the Coastal Trail. Fourth, the proposed boardwalk construction will be located within the dune ESHA, but it will be located within existing way trails and limited in width to the minimum width necessary to meet ADA requirements. Fifth, the two proposed bridges will completely span the dune wetland areas they cross without any fill in the wetlands. Finally, the proposed loop interpretive trail will include interpretive signs to educate users about the natural dune environment they are passing through.
Malibu Lagoon: Coastal Commission met with protest
◼ The powerful California Coastal Commission visited Malibu last Thursday, touring several beach properties that have caused controversy over public access and dominate the statewide perception of the commission's relationship with Malibu. But it was a stop at the site of the issue most talked about locally, the Malibu Lagoon restoration project, that generated the most heat when commissioners were met at the lagoon by about 30 indignant protesters, who carried signs and pointedly questioned the logic behind the project. - Malibu Times
The commission, touring by bus, was scheduled to spend 45 minutes at the lagoon but arrived late and left after only 20 minutes for lunch with Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy head Joe Edmiston at Ramirez Canyon Park. Whether the presence of the protesters affected that timetable is unclear, but it was a tense atmosphere as Suzanne Goode, senior resource ecologist for California State Parks, gave a talk recounting the history of the lagoon and the proposed restoration efforts while surrounded by protesters.
Goode, one of the designers of the restoration project, described the current lagoon as “essentially a dead zone,” with low levels of oxygen in the water that were harmful to birds and fish. She called the present configuration of the lagoon, which was restored in 1983, unnatural, and said the reshaped lagoon would have better water circulation, which would scour out excess mud in the back of the lagoon and raise the low levels of oxygen in the water.
Goode drew boos from the protestors when she defended the use of bulldozers to reshape the lagoon channels....
Vaill said that Assembly candidate Torie Osborn had said she would stand with him in front of the bulldozers on June 1, when the project is set to begin. Osborn is running for election in the new state Assembly district that includes Malibu.
David Jacobson, a representative of Osborn, confirmed on Monday that if a “time-out” is not taken to review the science used in the original Environmental Impact Report for the project, Osborn would stand in front of the bulldozers on June 1.
Neighhhhhh, they say
◼ About 80 equestrian trail advocates “flash mobbed at Clam Beach today,” reports Uri Driscoll. They parked about 35 horse trailers alongside the frontage road between U.S. 101 and Clam Beach/Little River State Beach, and then assembled on foot in front of them with sign boards and a petition. They demanded that Redwood State Park listen to their concerns about a trail project about to get underway along the state’s Little River stretch of the long beach.
“This is the area that State Parks intends to narrow by nearly half and install a two-foot wide bike lane and a horse trail alongside the remaining asphalt,” said Driscoll in an email following the action.
According to the equestrians, there’s a perfectly good horse trail they’ve already been using, and would like to keep using; they don’t want the new trail the state proposes to build — so why spend scarce state money on it?
Driscoll says they invited State Parks officials to come to the action and accept their petition with about 200 signatures, but received no response.
...............Heidi Walters/North Coast Journal Blogthing
ACTION ITEM: Please come to Clam Beach Saturday Jan. 14th at 1 pm
We plan to have a gathering of the horse clan at Clam Beach tomorrow Saturday the 14th at 1 pm to deliver the petition to State Parks personnel and have invited the press. The press seems pretty interested in this and hopefully State Parks will show up.
What we would like to do is have any of you that can bring your horse trailers (and horses if you wish) and park along the west side of the frontage road from the north County Parking Lot (the middle one). This will be easier if you get off at the Crannell exit and come south.
It is mainly for the photo and we would love to show up in force. We will present State Parks with the petition and then we can all go riding. Should be a nice day.
Keep in mind this will carry a lot of weight into the future so please do what you can to show up. We should be done within a half hour or so.
Call your friends and you don’t need a horse trailer.
Uri Driscoll
Update: AWESOME TURNOUT! THANK YOU ALL!
What we would like to do is have any of you that can bring your horse trailers (and horses if you wish) and park along the west side of the frontage road from the north County Parking Lot (the middle one). This will be easier if you get off at the Crannell exit and come south.
It is mainly for the photo and we would love to show up in force. We will present State Parks with the petition and then we can all go riding. Should be a nice day.
Keep in mind this will carry a lot of weight into the future so please do what you can to show up. We should be done within a half hour or so.
Call your friends and you don’t need a horse trailer.
Uri Driscoll
Update: AWESOME TURNOUT! THANK YOU ALL!
We Want Trails not Trouble
We as horsemen and women have a long history of building, maintaining and riding our local trails. So why then would so many of us have objections to the equestrian trail project slated for Little River State Beach?
The reason is simply that there is a perfectly fine existing trail that ties into county trails to the south. The new isolated trail would put horses right next to the road with obvious and unaddressed safety concerns. We are also not in favor of tearing up undisturbed habitat when it is completely unnecessary.
In an effort to gain local equestrian support for this project we were told by State Park personnel several years ago at the onset of this project two important things that turned out to be not exactly true. One was that we were “not allowed” to ride where we have been for decades. The fact is State Parks had a no restrictions policy that did not prohibit us from enjoying our horses on long established trails. Second was that we were also led to believe that State Coastal Commission representatives had stated that they would not allow horses on the existing trail slated for pedestrians only. So far State Parks although asked several times, has not provided the identities of those representatives. The two Coastal Commission personnel recently contacted indicated there would not be any problem with shared use. This shared and existing use would not require any new construction.
These two misleading presentations led us to believe the only way we would be able to use our horses on this public land was to support this project.. Admittedly we were caught of guard as we had for decades enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship with State Parks.
We would much rather see monies and efforts directed toward restoring and replanting the area at Little River that was bulldozed a few years ago. State Parks has said funding was limiting their permit obligations to replant.
Another disturbing element of the trail part of this project is that while perfectly good, safe trails have been and are being used in this area the new trails would involve using heavy equipment to tear up undisturbed habitat. We have communicated this to the State Parks project manager and acting District Supervisor this past year with no response that addresses this.
Removing a significant part of the County frontage road is also a inexplicable part of this project.
State Parks could better direct their limited energies to keeping more of our campgrounds open that benefit local economies and give families inexpensive summer camping opportunities.
While horsemen and women will continue to support much needed multi use trails in our community this project has become an example of what does not meet our needs. With such limited resources we can do better for our environment and our valued recreational systems.
Uri Driscoll
ACTION ITEM: Please come to Clam Beach Saturday 1 pm
We plan to have a gathering of the horse clan at Clam Beach tomorrow Saturday the 14th at 1 pm to deliver the petition to State Parks personnel and have invited the press. The press seems pretty interested in this and hopefully State Parks will show up.
What we would like to do is have any of you that can bring your horse trailers (and horses if you wish) and park along the west side of the frontage road from the north County Parking Lot (the middle one). This will be easier if you get off at the Crannell exit and come south.
It is mainly for the photo and we would love to show up in force. We will present SP with the petition and then we can all go riding. Should be a nice day.
Keep in mind this will carry a lot of weight into the future so please do what you can to show up. We should be done within a half hour or so.
Call your friends and you don’t need a horse trailer.
The reason is simply that there is a perfectly fine existing trail that ties into county trails to the south. The new isolated trail would put horses right next to the road with obvious and unaddressed safety concerns. We are also not in favor of tearing up undisturbed habitat when it is completely unnecessary.
In an effort to gain local equestrian support for this project we were told by State Park personnel several years ago at the onset of this project two important things that turned out to be not exactly true. One was that we were “not allowed” to ride where we have been for decades. The fact is State Parks had a no restrictions policy that did not prohibit us from enjoying our horses on long established trails. Second was that we were also led to believe that State Coastal Commission representatives had stated that they would not allow horses on the existing trail slated for pedestrians only. So far State Parks although asked several times, has not provided the identities of those representatives. The two Coastal Commission personnel recently contacted indicated there would not be any problem with shared use. This shared and existing use would not require any new construction.
These two misleading presentations led us to believe the only way we would be able to use our horses on this public land was to support this project.. Admittedly we were caught of guard as we had for decades enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship with State Parks.
We would much rather see monies and efforts directed toward restoring and replanting the area at Little River that was bulldozed a few years ago. State Parks has said funding was limiting their permit obligations to replant.
Another disturbing element of the trail part of this project is that while perfectly good, safe trails have been and are being used in this area the new trails would involve using heavy equipment to tear up undisturbed habitat. We have communicated this to the State Parks project manager and acting District Supervisor this past year with no response that addresses this.
Removing a significant part of the County frontage road is also a inexplicable part of this project.
State Parks could better direct their limited energies to keeping more of our campgrounds open that benefit local economies and give families inexpensive summer camping opportunities.
While horsemen and women will continue to support much needed multi use trails in our community this project has become an example of what does not meet our needs. With such limited resources we can do better for our environment and our valued recreational systems.
Uri Driscoll
ACTION ITEM: Please come to Clam Beach Saturday 1 pm
We plan to have a gathering of the horse clan at Clam Beach tomorrow Saturday the 14th at 1 pm to deliver the petition to State Parks personnel and have invited the press. The press seems pretty interested in this and hopefully State Parks will show up.
What we would like to do is have any of you that can bring your horse trailers (and horses if you wish) and park along the west side of the frontage road from the north County Parking Lot (the middle one). This will be easier if you get off at the Crannell exit and come south.
It is mainly for the photo and we would love to show up in force. We will present SP with the petition and then we can all go riding. Should be a nice day.
Keep in mind this will carry a lot of weight into the future so please do what you can to show up. We should be done within a half hour or so.
Call your friends and you don’t need a horse trailer.
Ridge Trail Gains Key Northern Link
That leaves just two parcels to be acquired until the 4.3 mile Ridge Trail is fully owned by the citizens of Arcata.... Read the rest.
Those wishing to contribute to the Forest Fund for creation of the Ridge Trail may find information for doing so on the trails Facebook page. ◼ Arcata Ridge Trail
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