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Proposed mountain biking sites:
Henry Cowell State Park, Fall Creek unit.
Portions of Henry Cowell State Park, main branch.
Big Basin State Park, Skyline-to-the-Sea trail.
Front page news yesterday in the Santa Cruz Sentinel:
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archive/2006/October/15/local/stories/01local.htm
Mountain bikers hope new law wins new riding trails
By ROGER SIDEMAN
SENTINEL STAFF WRITER
A new state policy has mountain biking enthusiasts looking to expand their turf in the county's State Parks system.
One group of bikers is seeking access to roughly 15 miles of local trails currently off-limits to bicyclists, a pursuit that isn't likely to come easy in a county where feuds over trail use have frequently erupted as mountain biking has grown in popularity.
A trail policy put on the books last year for the state system's 278 parks forces park administrators to be more responsive to requests for new trail access.
"These are our parks, too," said Tom Ward, who has long felt mountain bikers have gotten short shrift and is helping local bikers as a lobbyist in Sacramento for the International Mountain Biking Association.
Mountain bikers have been associated with aggressive trail use and environmental damage to trails.
Ward helped establish the State Parks trail policy when he worked as a top official for the agency last year. By establishing an appeals process, Ward said, the current policy has put in place a system of checks and balances to ensure that public requests are heard by local districts.
The Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz, an advocacy group with 163 members on its mailing list, hopes to give bikers new access in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park Fall Creek Unit, where mountain biking is illegal, the Skyline-to-the-Sea trail, which connects Big Basin State Park's headquarters to Highway 1 and is mostly off-limits to bikes, and areas of Henry Cowell's main branch.
Existing "multi use" trails open to a growing number of bikers are too congested and need expanding, advocates say.
"Big Basin is a large park that will give mountain bikers a solitary experience," said Mark Davidson, a software engineer and head of Mountain Bikers Of Santa Cruz.
From the perspective of many bikers, the sport's rise in popularity has drawn new-kid-on-the-block treatment and they have to fight for access to trails traditionally enjoyed by hikers and horseback riders.
"Basically the situation is that mountain biking has evolved since the State Parks were acquired and, since the government is slow and resistant, it's hard to open trails," said Patty Ciesla, director of the Northern California Mountain Biking Association.
Before the new trail policy, proposals could be sat on indefinitely by a cash-strapped parks system with more pressing priorities.
Steve Musillami, State Parks trail manager, acknowledged the need to address trail designation.
"There's been more concerns with local trails systems in the past five to 10 years," Musillami said.
Proposals for expanded mountain biking have been challenged in the past, and almost certainly will face problems in the future.
Critics don't want to be spooked or forced off trails by aggressive mountain bikers; they say the high-tech activity isn't always in keeping with the sanctity of wilderness areas.
Aldo Giacchino, director of the Sierra Club's local chapter, said he wouldn't take a position on the Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz proposal until he sees it but said the Sierra Club is generally against adding new mountain biking trails.
"People don't want to be surprised by fast moving objects in tight situations," he said.
Others are concerned about trails and the erosion and damage caused by the ruts left by tires.
Other groups also have taken issue with allowing mountain bikes, including the local chapter of the California Native Plant Society, the Rural Bonny Doon Association and several UC Santa Cruz ecology professors.
Mountain bikers are quick to cite scientific studies suggesting equestrians cause as much, or more, trail damage than bikes. Davidson says that most mountain bikers are environmentalists, too.
The mountain bike group is also eyeing trails at the Coast Dairies Ranch, in the "Gray Whale" area adjacent to Wilder Ranch State Park and the off-road footpaths above UCSC.
Contact Roger Sideman at [email protected].
Proposed mountain biking sites
Henry Cowell State Park, Fall Creek unit.
Portions of Henry Cowell State Park, main branch.
Big Basin State Park, Skyline-to-the-Sea trail.
Henry Cowell State Park, Fall Creek unit.
Portions of Henry Cowell State Park, main branch.
Big Basin State Park, Skyline-to-the-Sea trail.
Front page news yesterday in the Santa Cruz Sentinel:
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archive/2006/October/15/local/stories/01local.htm
Mountain bikers hope new law wins new riding trails
By ROGER SIDEMAN
SENTINEL STAFF WRITER
A new state policy has mountain biking enthusiasts looking to expand their turf in the county's State Parks system.
One group of bikers is seeking access to roughly 15 miles of local trails currently off-limits to bicyclists, a pursuit that isn't likely to come easy in a county where feuds over trail use have frequently erupted as mountain biking has grown in popularity.
A trail policy put on the books last year for the state system's 278 parks forces park administrators to be more responsive to requests for new trail access.
"These are our parks, too," said Tom Ward, who has long felt mountain bikers have gotten short shrift and is helping local bikers as a lobbyist in Sacramento for the International Mountain Biking Association.
Mountain bikers have been associated with aggressive trail use and environmental damage to trails.
Ward helped establish the State Parks trail policy when he worked as a top official for the agency last year. By establishing an appeals process, Ward said, the current policy has put in place a system of checks and balances to ensure that public requests are heard by local districts.
The Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz, an advocacy group with 163 members on its mailing list, hopes to give bikers new access in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park Fall Creek Unit, where mountain biking is illegal, the Skyline-to-the-Sea trail, which connects Big Basin State Park's headquarters to Highway 1 and is mostly off-limits to bikes, and areas of Henry Cowell's main branch.
Existing "multi use" trails open to a growing number of bikers are too congested and need expanding, advocates say.
"Big Basin is a large park that will give mountain bikers a solitary experience," said Mark Davidson, a software engineer and head of Mountain Bikers Of Santa Cruz.
From the perspective of many bikers, the sport's rise in popularity has drawn new-kid-on-the-block treatment and they have to fight for access to trails traditionally enjoyed by hikers and horseback riders.
"Basically the situation is that mountain biking has evolved since the State Parks were acquired and, since the government is slow and resistant, it's hard to open trails," said Patty Ciesla, director of the Northern California Mountain Biking Association.
Before the new trail policy, proposals could be sat on indefinitely by a cash-strapped parks system with more pressing priorities.
Steve Musillami, State Parks trail manager, acknowledged the need to address trail designation.
"There's been more concerns with local trails systems in the past five to 10 years," Musillami said.
Proposals for expanded mountain biking have been challenged in the past, and almost certainly will face problems in the future.
Critics don't want to be spooked or forced off trails by aggressive mountain bikers; they say the high-tech activity isn't always in keeping with the sanctity of wilderness areas.
Aldo Giacchino, director of the Sierra Club's local chapter, said he wouldn't take a position on the Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz proposal until he sees it but said the Sierra Club is generally against adding new mountain biking trails.
"People don't want to be surprised by fast moving objects in tight situations," he said.
Others are concerned about trails and the erosion and damage caused by the ruts left by tires.
Other groups also have taken issue with allowing mountain bikes, including the local chapter of the California Native Plant Society, the Rural Bonny Doon Association and several UC Santa Cruz ecology professors.
Mountain bikers are quick to cite scientific studies suggesting equestrians cause as much, or more, trail damage than bikes. Davidson says that most mountain bikers are environmentalists, too.
The mountain bike group is also eyeing trails at the Coast Dairies Ranch, in the "Gray Whale" area adjacent to Wilder Ranch State Park and the off-road footpaths above UCSC.
Contact Roger Sideman at [email protected].
Proposed mountain biking sites
Henry Cowell State Park, Fall Creek unit.
Portions of Henry Cowell State Park, main branch.
Big Basin State Park, Skyline-to-the-Sea trail.
