“Change in Trail Use” Meeting Sees Big Turnout

Karl Knapp addresses the audience. Photo by: Michael McClure

On Wednesday night the Angeles District of the California Department of Parks and Recreation (CDPR) hosted a public meeting regarding a recently submitted Change in Trail Use proposal for Lookout and Yearling Trails in Malibu Creek State Park. Approximately 125 people packed the Administration Center’s conference room, where Angeles District Acting Superintendent Craig Sap and  CDPR Roads and Trails Operations Manager Karl Knapp explained the process and answered questions. Sap concluded this segment of the meeting by saying that anyone is welcome to call or email him with questions and concerns (818-880-0396, csap@parks.ca.gov).

In an earlier blog we discussed the Change in Trail Use (CTU) process which included the CDPR flow chart (see link at the end of this story). No significant additional information came out of this meeting, except perhaps the clarification by CDPR that CORBA did not request the rerouting of a couple of sections of the Yearling and Lookout Trails. In fact it was already the State’s intention to realign portions of the trails due to instability, prior to the Change in Trail Use evaluation. Key points of the CTU proposal were that the process is still ongoing and will need California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) approval; since modifications in the trail have been recommended, a Project Evaluation Form will need to be submitted; and funding is still needed.

After the discussion by Sap and Knapp, attendees were asked to gather at tables to ask questions and submit comments to agency representatives, including Angeles District Topanga Sector Superintendent Lynette Brody and National Park Service (Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area) Trails Planner Melanie Beck. During this part of the meeting, CORBA hand-delivered the results of our online petition with 550 signatures to State Parks officials.

We will post any new developments as we learn of them.

A more detailed account (with photos) of the meeting can be found here (the comments and opinions are solely those of the author, Michael McClure).

State Parks has provided us with a blank Trail Use Change package. The first page of this package is a flow chart of the entire process, and the other pages are the Trail Use Change Survey that is completed while evaluating the trail.

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This entry was posted on Friday, March 4th, 2011 at 4:05 pm and is filed under Advocacy, Santa Monica Mountains, Trail Access. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

One Response to ““Change in Trail Use” Meeting Sees Big Turnout”

  1. Dianne Domingo-Foraste says:
    March 13, 2011 at 10:55 pm

    I agree with the concerns outlined by Marietta Kruells:
    1) Unsubstantiated equine contamination of streams and need for more current research
    2) Better, safer design for horse troughts
    3) Safe junctures for horses at curves with mechanized wheelchairs and other wheeled devices.

    Please also notify the LA Equine Advisory Committee and Equestrian Trails Incorporated when the next draft comes out.

    Thank you very much.