CORBA: The Concerned Off Road Bicyclists Association

CORBA is pleased to announce the approval of our proposal for a new trail in the Angeles National Forest. The new Rock & Rail Trail will be a 1 mile long trail at the summit of Mount Hillyer near Chilao. It will include many technical features. Read all about it on our Mt Hillyer Project web page.

A San Rafael man who built an illegal bike trial on federal land in 2001 is in legal trouble again - this time for carving a trail in China Camp State Park, authorities said.

Michael Philip More, 54, was charged Thursday in Marin Superior Court with willful or negligent destruction or removal of plants and dead wood, diverting or obstructing the natural flow of a stream, resisting a peace officer and allowing a dog to roam off-leash in a restricted area, prosecutors said.

More is accused of digging an illegal bike trail into a hillside, hacking down tree limbs and constructing rock paths through two drainage ditches, authorities said. The quarter-mile trail is at the end of Robinhood Drive in San Rafael's Glenwood neighborhood, which borders the state park.

The cost of repairing the damage is estimated at $20,000, said Kathryn Mitchell, a senior county prosecutor.

Dave Gould, the superintendent overseeing state parks in Marin, said the damage to the natural resources was "significant."

"It looks like chainsaws were used and trail-building tools to carve out the hillside," he said. "This isn't where 15 people walked up and down the hillside and you can see their path - this is an attempt to construct an illegal trail."

More, who could not be reached for comment, has pleaded not guilty. His attorney, Patrick Ciocca, said More would be "loathe to engage in a public discussion" about the allegations while preparing his defense.

"It would not be beneficial for him to enter into a public dialogue," Ciocca said.

Park rangers received a tip about the trail in March, when a resident noticed unusual activity in the area. A ranger investigating the trail found More at the scene, and More allegedly tried to flee.

More was cited, but not arrested, while prosecutors reviewed the case. He is scheduled to be appear in court on May 9.

Alex Burnham, president of the San Rafael-based Access4Bikes advocacy group, said he is concerned that the case will tarnish the entire bicycling community and inflame tensions between cyclists and noncyclists. The issue of trail use has fueled years of acidic conflict among hikers, bikers, equestrians and dog owners, with the county sometimes resorting to barbed wire to block cyclists from trails.

"We do not condone this behavior," Burnham said. "We advocate for legal trails. É In Marin County, the trail user community is so polarized that anything that occurs is a blight that gets thrown on the community of mountain bikers."

More was once a prominent bicycling activist, serving on the Marin County Open Space District Trails Committee. But he resigned the position in 2001 when federal authorities accused him and two other men of carving a four-mile illegal bike trail into the Golden Gate National Recreation Area near Bolinas Ridge.

All three men were indicted by a federal grand jury and eventually pleaded guilty to misdemeanors. They were ordered to pay more than $34,000 in restitution for the destruction to federal property, placed on probation for three years and banned from the federal park system during probation.

They apologized in court.

IRVINE, Calif. -- Enjoying the outdoors is as natural as riding a bike and Shimano American Corporation and the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) have teamed up to promote how important the activity is. Shimano is a major manufacturer of bicycle components and IMBA is a national advocate for responsible riding and trail construction. Together they are releasing the new document, The Economics and Benefits of Mountain Biking at the National Bike Summit in Washington D.C. March 4 – 6, 2008.

More than 1 in 5 Americans age 16 and over ride a mountain bike, and contribute $26 billion annually to the American economy while enjoying the sport. Kozo Shimano said, “We want legislators, policy makers and the public to understand how significant mountain biking is to both the economy and to keeping people healthy.” One recent cost benefit analysis concluded that every dollar invested in trails led to almost three dollars in direct medical benefit. The World Health Organization recommends riding a bike to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Mountain bikers are also dedicated conservationists who volunteer their time, labor and money to protect the natural and cultural resources where they ride. IMBA Executive Director Mike Van Abel commented, "From the beginning, IMBA members have embraced a stewardship ethic that benefits conservation of our natural lands and waters. This timely publication shows how that conservation mindset also gives back with economic benefits."

Scientific research has shown mountain biking to be a low impact environmentally sustainable activity with no more impact on natural resources than hiking, and far less than many other recreational activities.

Kozo Shimano added, “To put the activity in perspective, 50 million Americans ride a mountain bike – more than 1 ½ times the number of people who play golf. “

Copies of The Economics and Benefits of Mountain Biking can be obtained from IMBA by sending a request to info@imba.com.

The CORBA web site has been revamped to make it easier to find information on mountain biking in the LA area! Stop back from time to time to look for new features.

In late February-early March, the City of LA held a series of meetings to discuss the 2008 Bicycle Master Plan update.

The meetings were very informative and it appears that the City of L.A. is doing things the right way. One great thing we learned is that the new plan will include off-road bicycling and two meetings in June and August (dates TBA) will be held for feedback on off-road access and issues on City properties.

A brief introduction was followed by a fairly thorough Powerpoint presentation outlining some of the challenges and options the City is facing/considering. Alta Design is the group doing the plan. Their staff includes riders and bike commuters, cyclocross racers, and urban planners, with some big city planning projects already under their belt.

The room was lined with easels outlining the major goals of the plan, along with excerpts from other successful city bicycling plans from around the world that are being considered for inclusion. There was also a map outlining the current draft proposals, which looked promising. Many of the existing bike paths to nowhere are shown as being linked to other arterial routes and bike paths, along with many new class II (bike lane) routes, and class I (bike path) routes.

The maps and all the information are available at http://www.labikeplan.org. Please take the Bicycle survey to provide input ASAP. They also link through to bikely.com and suggest people create routes and submit them with comments and suggestions for improvements. If there's a route you ride or would like to ride, go ahead and get it considered. They're taking feedback for the next six weeks or so, and will then be out in the field taking measurements and doing traffic studies.

The plan is due for completion early next year, but of course, then it all comes down to funding. So if you live in, ride in, or commute in L.A., it's worth seeing the proposals and making sure your needs are covered.

We'll definitely be attending the off-road meetings in June and August where we'll likely face a barrage of opposition from Griffith Park equestrians...so a show of numbers is going to be helfpul.

Horse enthusiasts and bicycle fans are going to have to learn to get along - or at least tolerate each other - under a plan approved Saturday by the Rancho Palos Verdes City Council.

After hearing from nearly a hundred speakers during a daylong session, the council voted 4-1 to reopen the 420-acre Canyons Ecological Reserve to both four-legged animals and two-wheeled conveyances, with only Councilman Peter Gardiner voting against the proposal.

First, trail signs must be posted, educational material prepared and an enforcement plan put in place. It could be months before any of that happens.

And another thing: The park isn't called Canyons Ecological Reserve anymore. Earlier in the day, council members voted to change the name to the Portuguese Bend Reserve. They also agreed to change the city's entire 11,000-acre chain of wilderness areas from the Portuguese Bend Nature Preserve to the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve to avoid any confusion for visitors.

"The minute you step into Torrance, nobody's heard of it," Councilman Tom Long said of Portuguese Bend.

Four other less controversial trail plans also were approved. With four more to go, the council decided that after nine hours of discussions it had had enough and voted to postpone further talks until next month.

So many people showed up to the meeting at the Point Vicente Interpretive Center that a television had to be set up outside, and people watched under a steady late-afternoon drizzle.

Although the council conceded that adjustments will probably have to be made, the new plan calls for horse riders and bicyclists to share many of the winding trails.

Other paths can be used by horses, but not bikes. Bikes can use some, but not horses. And hikers get to use all of them.

The majority of the speakers were horse riders who said that while most bicyclists are courteous, many ride down hills too fast, take turns dangerously and generally spook the horses. They also complained that bicycles are eroding the terrain and destroying plants.

It was a refrain heard dozens of times during the day. Horseback riders acknowledged that bike riders had a right to enjoy their hobby. They should just do it somewhere else.

"The only part of nature they enjoy is gravity," said Rancho Palos Verdes resident Judy Herman.

But bike riders said that while there will always be reckless people, most of them are well-behaved.

"There will always be people who don't follow the rules," said Rancho Palos Verdes resident George Hicks. "Embrace the responsible user."

In the end, most people seemed satisfied with the truce - at least for now. And as Mayor Doug Stern reminded everybody more than once, figuring out how to share such a beautiful piece of real estate isn't exactly the biggest problem in the world.

"This is a wonderful position to be in," he said. "You all go out victors no matter what."

Your presence is urgently needed Saturday Feb 23rd, 2008
Rancho Palos Verdes City Council to Decide Trails Uses
This will be your last opportunity to express your views on the trails plan

Where: Point Vicente Interpretive Center Community Room located at 31501 Palos Verdes Drive West (Map)

When: Saturday Feb 23rd 9:30 AM meeting may last all day. Here is the suggested schedule.
Why: Council will review and consider the Public Use Master Plan (PUMP) Committee’s recommended Trails Plan.

● View PUMP Committee trail recommendations for all reserves here.
● View CORBA PV trail recommendations for all reserves here.

You can view the full Planning Commission Staff Report with maps, minutes from the PUMP meetings, comments from committee members, and letters from the public.
What other groups recommend - Equestrian 10-3-07 , SUN'P Phase II 10-3-07

You can participate by speaking (details on speaking) and /or sending an email to the city council at CC@rpv.com. We encourage RPV residents to voice their views. Email CORBA PV at info@mtbpv.org if you have questions.

Goodsearch.com is a grassroots search engine that donates a small amount (1-2 cents) to a charity of your choice each time you search. If even just 100 people use Goodsearch.org twice a day, that's about $730 raised for CORBA per year. The search engine that goodsearch.org uses is Yahoo. You can also click though their GoodShop affiliate program when you shop online with participating retailers for additional donations to CORBA or another charity of your choice. It's easy to use. Once connected to http://www.goodsearch.com, simply enter CORBA into the box where it asks "WHO DO YOU GOODSEARCH FOR?" Check it out!

Now you can also use GoodShop to help CORBA! Do your online shopping at more than 500 stores through GoodShop and they will donate a few percent to CORBA. Don't forget to specify CORBA as the group you goodshop for.

CORBA has received complaints about irresponsible Mountain Bikers on the Stunt High Trail. The trail is located in Stunt Ranch off of Mulholland Highway a few miles west of Old Topanga Road. This trail runs through Mountains Recreation Conservation Authority (MRCA), Mountains Restoration Trust (MRT) and University of California Reserve land. This trail is used as part of an outdoor education area for young kids to learn about the Native Americans, Plants and Animals.

On 1/27 a group of five riders came down the trail. Four of the five riders were considerate and slowed down as they passed a group of instructors and young kids on the trail. One of the five riders did not slow down at all. The report is that he was out of control and yelled to the group to get out of the way! He nearly missed individuals in the group as he sped passed. After he passed the group he crashed! This apparently was not the first incident like this on this trail. Although this trail has probably been ridden by many riders for years it did not become an issue until this incident. Remember your actions on the trail affect us all!

Please only ride on trails that are open to bikes. Always control your speed and your bike. Scan the trail ahead for other trail users and animals. Use a bell to alert others of your presence! Bicyclists yield to hikers and horses.

CORBA is pleased to announce that we are part of the Albertsons' Community Partners Program. Albertsons grocery stores contribute to your favorite participating 501(c)(3) non-profit when you use your club card. All that you need to do is click on this link to sign up, and use our Community Partner ID# 49001015710. http://www.albertsons.com/cp/ Sign-up now! It's quick and easy.

Governor Schwarzenegger's plan to combat California's projected budget crisis includes across-the-board program reductions, including many cuts to the state parks department. The new proposal would close 48 parks, including popular destinations like Henry Coe and Topanga Canyon.

California State Parks has been victim to several significant budget reductions in past years and the new plan would seriously imperil the agency's ability to serve Californians, including more than five million mountain bikers.

Take Action! Send a message to the governor and your representatives!

Tell the Governor and your state legislators that these proposed closures are unacceptable.

Why the Governor Should Spare State Parks

Millions of Californians rely on State Parks for their main source of recreation. At a time when health and obesity are major issues for California citizens, parks are a viable resource that contributes to mental and physical health.

The California State Park System is one of the best in the nation. The proposed budget cuts, on top of significant past reductions, will further jeopardize stewardship of the state's precious natural and cultural resources.

In comparison to other departments, State Parks has an extremely small budget and therefore a reduced capacity to absorb cuts. The Governor's plan calls for a $13.3 million reduction, but this will close 48 parks and reduce seasonal staff hours by 50 percent.

CORBA is pleased to announce that we are part of the Ralphs Community Contribution Program. Ralphs grocery stores contribute to your favorite participating 501(c)(3) non-profit when you use your club card. All that you need to do is click on this link to sign up, and use our "NPO" number 90320. http://www.ralphs.com/ccprogram.htm Sign-up now! It's quick and easy.

The City of Glendale has approved its Trails Master Plan. The City of Glendale covers part of the the east end of the Verdugo Hills, The west end of the San Rafael Hills and all of Deukmejian Wilderness Park.

The Trails Master Plan was presented to the Glendale Parks and Recreation Department on November 7 and to the City Council a few weeks later.

Funding for the varius projects will need to be obtained. The proposal includes a Mountain Bike Skills park and several new trails.

Revenge was not sweet for a man who allegedly admitted digging holes on bike trails in a Fullerton park as payback for nearly being run down by a mountain biker. He has been charged with felony vandalism, police said Friday. Warren John Wilson, 52, faces a single felony count of vandalism, said Fullerton police Sgt. Linda King. Wilson, who could not be reached for comment, remains free on his own recognizance pending a court date that has not yet been set, according to King. Holes began appearing in mid-June on a trail popular with mountain bike riders that runs parallel to the city's Bud Turner Trail at Laguna Lake Park at Euclid Street and Laguna Road. About 50 of the holes have been found since June, all dug across the path so that they would pose an obstacle to bicyclists. The holes measured about 1 foot by 2 feet, King said. Tree branches and brush were often placed along the trail, as well as across the trenches in what seemed an attempt to hide them, King said. Some riders reported that they were thrown over the handlebars after hitting the holes, but no major injuries have been reported, she said. A park ranger reported the holes to police, who periodically did surveillance in the area. Detectives checked the trail after a man walking a dog was spotted, and vandalism was found, King said. On Dec. 11, the same man with his dog was seen entering the trail and leaving it 15 minutes later, and a later check showed holes covered with a large piece of concrete and a branch, King said. When questioned by police, Wilson allegedly said that he had "almost been run over" by a bike rider once and, in retaliation, began digging the holes and placing obstacles on the trail, King said.

CORBA has a very active group working on the trail access issues in Palos Verdes. Please see our separate site that is dedicated to the Palos Verdes area.

CORBA is pursuing new multi-use trail opportunities with several land management agencies in the Los Angeles and Southern Ventura County areas. CORBA solicited your feedback on the type of trails you enjoy most.

The Trail User Survey is now closed. We would like to thank everyone that took the time to fill out the survey! The results from the Survey will certainly help in our efforts to bring new riding opportunities to the Los Angeles area. Also a big thanks Cole Wheels for donating the wheel set which was won by one lucky survey participant!

The City of Los Angeles Fire Department’s Special Operations Division and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy noted that the current fire potential is extremely high and unprecedented. The LA City Fire Department Special Operations Division, with the permission of the Conservancy, took “fire life safety” actions to protect the community from wildfire this coming season. The Fire Department’s goal was to re-blade pre-existing fuel breaks (ridges) that run perpendicular to the northeast Santa Ana winds to a width of at least 50 feet wide. While we warmly refer to them as ridges, the fire authorities cut them decades ago to serve as fuel breaks, yet they have not been re-bladed in approximately 20 years. Should fire occur, a DC10 will be flown along the fire-side of the ridges and drop a swath of fire retardant 1/4 mile long per each pass. Fire crews and helicopters will be positioned to fight fire on the leeward side of the fuel breaks, if it is deemed safe.

The ridges that were re-bladed were Kenter Ridge, East and West Mandeville ridges, Westridge and Sullivan Ridge. Per the Fire Department, those are the only ridges that are being “re-bladed.” Only ridges that are, according to the Fire Department, pre-existing fuel breaks, were bulldozed. Trails adjacent to the ridges, such as the Whoops, were not and will not be touched. The Assistant Fire Chief would not commit to including community groups such as CORBA in the fire life safety planning process. While CORBA is not in the business of fire prevention planning and we have no intention of interfering with fire prevention efforts, we are in the business of saving trails. We have requested to be contacted prior to future work projects and that such projects be posted so trail users are aware of what and why a project is being done. We believe that trails can be preserved while authorities accomplish their goals of fire protection.

The State of California is currently in the General planning process for this fairly new State Park. The plan calls for some of the existing trails to be closed to all users, some trails will be open to hikers only. The Old Santa Susana Stage Road may be closed to Mountain Bikes due to its Historic Status. There are also some trails near Oakwood Memorial Park that the Park Service may be considering closing to bikes and Horses to protect cultural resources.

We need your input. For more information, please go to the State Parks Site and check out Preferred Plan on the right side of that page. This is a PDF map of the area and it shows the trails. If you ride this area and know of trails that are not on the map (if they are not on the map they may be closed)and you feel they should remain open for Mountain Bike use or have other feedback, CORBA would like to hear from you. Please contact Hans with any feedback or concerns.

The most extensive formal appeal in IMBA's 19-year history has culminated in an agreement that will maintain widespread bicycle access in four National Forest units in Southern California. With hundreds of trail miles at stake in the Angeles, Cleveland, Los Padres and San Bernardino forests, bike advocates embarked on a lengthy appeals process to a Forest Service decision to close dozens of trails to bikes.

The decision was the culmination of five years of mountain biker participation in the Forest Service planning process. "Even when the documents and alternatives didn't favor us, the Forest Service staff welcomed our participation and encouraged us to keep working toward a solution," says IMBA Rep Jim Hasenauer, who began working on the issue in 2001 when the four forests first announced a joint planning process for trail management.

According to IMBA California Policy Advisor Tom Ward, strong partnerships with state and federal agencies hold the key to bike access throughout the state. "IMBA's approach to mountain bike advocacy is to build strong relationships with land managers throughout California. We promote quality riding opportunities and work hard to create fun, environmentally sustainable trails that all users can enjoy," says Ward.

In 2004, after three years of preliminary work, the four Southern California forest units jointly released alternative plans for forest and trail management. IMBA's action alert generated hundreds of messages and letters urging that trails be kept open to bikes. "Although there was much that we liked in the original plan, we had concerns about some of the proposed Wilderness areas, the treatment of bicycles in 'critical biological zones,' and the ambiguity of language regarding bicycle use only on formally designated 'system' trails," says Hasenauer.

In 2005, the forests issued a revised plan that addressed most of IMBA's initial concerns. New Wilderness additions would have little effect on mountain bike opportunities, bikes would be allowed on trails in the "critical biological zones" unless specifically prohibited, and the Forests promised to deal with the "unofficial" trails issue with public participation, over time.

In Oct. of 2006, the San Bernardino National Forest indicated its intention to close all "non-system trails" to bicycles. "We felt that was inconsistent with the 2005 plan," says Hasenauer. The Forest disagreed, but met with local bicyclists to inventory and keep some of those trails open. The local mountain biking community stepped up to help the Forest identify important trails for mountain bikes and the Forest agreed to delay the closure.

At the same time, Hasenauer worked with fellow IMBA Rep Daniel Greenstadt, IMBA's Gary Sprung (then Senior Policy Adviser, now an independent contractor) and Washington-based policy advisor Kirk Bailey to develop an official appeal. "The appeal was the most extensive public participation document that IMBA has ever developed," says Hasenauer. "Most appeals are quickly disqualified, but ours went forward."

In Nov. 2006, Hasenauer met with the Southern California Forest Supervisors and staff. "We agreed that the three other forests had a more reasonable approach and we're in fact, a more reasonable interpretation of the new plans," says Hasenauer. "We agreed that there would need to be a process and a Forest Order before trails were closed. Bicyclists could continue to ride such trails unless specifically prohibited. They also indicated that generally if non-classified trails were to be closed, they should be closed to all users." That understanding resulted in the December 2006 withdrawal of IMBA's appeal.

"This is a great example of how steadfast advocacy inside public participation processes can save trails. IMBA is quite satisfied with the resolution and we look forward to working with the Forest Service on trail management issues again," says IMBA Government Affairs Director Jenn Dice.

For more information, Contact: Mark Eller, Communications Director, markeller@imba.com, 303-545-9011

The National Park Service hosted a Listening Session at the Museum of Natural History in Los Angeles. With the Centennial of the National Park Service approaching in 2016, the agency hosted Listening Sessions nationwide to hear from the public to help craft a vision for the next century. NPS Superintendents from all over the Western United States including the Western Regional Director, Jon Jarvis, and many NPS rangers and managers were in attendance to facilitate discussions and take public input back to be compiled and presented to the White House as part of the Centennial Initiative, a ten-year plan to invigorate national parks and prepare for the next century. The Centennial Initiative provides $100 million per year to the NPS above and beyond the annual budget for investment into the National Park system. There is also a provision of up to $200 million per year additional funding, whereby the federal government will match philanthropic donations of up to $100 million to the NPS for signature projects.

Three main questions were asked by the NPS including: what are your hopes and expectations for the future of National Parks; what role should the National Parks play in the lives of Americans and visitors from around the world; and what projects and programs would you like to see completed. Despite these questions, a handful of anti-mountain bikers were in attendance suggesting that mountain bikes not be a part of the future of our National Parks. Fortunately, CORBA board members Jeff, Louisa and Gary were there to add balance to the discussion, provide input and also note how successful multi-use trails are in our local National Parks (i.e., Cheeseboro) as well as the amazing experiences that are available at parks such as Joshua Tree and Chaco Canyon.

We also shared our vision for a National Parks system with more opportunities for responsible mountain bicyclists. Bikes get people out of their cars and into the parks. Mountain biking is a sustainable, low-impact, human-scale form of recreation that is healthy for individuals, families and communities. We know from our experience in the Santa Monica's and other National Parks that bikes belong. We thank the National Park Service for hosting the Listening Sessions.

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