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The Girlz Gone Riding event, held October 28 at Malibu Creek State Park, was a huge success! If you were unable to attend, you can get a feeling for the excitement through the photo:
Other galleries of photos will be published over the next few days so keep an eye on the photo galleries home page to catch the updates!
100 riders plus volunteers and vendors enjoyed the day at Malibu Creek State Park
Craig Sap introduces Superintendent David Szymanski
The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) has a new Superintendent. After a ten-month search to fill the position, David Szymanski has taken on the post to oversee the SMMNRA. His prior post was at the Lewis and Clark National Historic Park in the Pacific northwest.
About 60 dignitaries gathered Thursday at Will Rogers State Park to welcome the new superintendent to his position in an informal meet-and-greet. There are many different agencies who work with the SMMNRA in a unique collaborative management of this treasured public land, and all had representatives here to welcome Szymanski. State Parks Angeles District Superintendent Craig Sap introduced Szymanski to the gathered crowd, and was joined by County Supervisor Zev Yaraslovsky, MRCA’s Rorie Skei, and several others to welcome him. Also present were representatives from several non-profit agencies who work with the SMMNRA and State Parks, including CORBA.
Woody Smeck, whom Szymanski half-jokingly referred to as “Saint Woody,” set a high standard for his successor, having managed the SMMNRA with a fair and competent hand for more than a decade. The recently announced changes to National Park Service mountain bike policies have come about through the efforts of IMBA and NPS staff at the Federal level, with the SMMNRA’s multi-use policy under Woody and our relationship with him as one model of success. Both David and his predecessor are familiar with IMBA’s Jenn Dice and the successful efforts to streamline the NPS policies for mountain bikes nationwide.
Szymanski is a cyclist, and has already begun exploring the trails of the Santa Monica Mountains both on foot and on a bicycle. In our brief and friendly discussion, it was clear that he is an avid cyclist, but that his responsibilities to the mountains will preclude any favoritism towards one user group over another. However, he understands the issues we face, and we expect him to do well in his new post. He is still in the orientation phase, learning the unique challenges that the SMMNRA faces, for the next few weeks. His position is as much about managing partnerships as it is about managing public lands, but all of those partners are clearly eager to work with him.
We welcome Superintendent Szymanski to his new position, and look forward to continuing our good relationship with the SMMNRA.
CORBA Welcomes Superintendent Szymanski
The Special Resource Study for the Rim of the Valley Corridor has been released. While we have not yet had a chance to look at the proposed alternatives, we will do so in the coming weeks and after the first round of meetings. We reported on the ROTV corridor study’s release of Scoping comments in 2011. The alternatives presented in Newsletter #3 should address and consider these comments.
The four alternatives presented are:
While all these alternatives have their advantages and disadvantages, there is an overlapping study for the San Gabriel Watershed and Mountains Special Resource Study. It’s unclear from these preliminary documents how these two studies overlap, and how much of the effort in each is a duplication.
It is within CORBA’s mission to help protect and preserve our open spaces and public lands, in addition to providing access to those public lands through natural-surface, shared use trails. None of the alternatives presented in this newsletter outline any specific actions with regards to the Rim of the Valley Trail, but rather, provide an outline for the role the National Park Service might play in its future development and management.
We’ll look over these alternatives and publish our comments, and strongly encourage others to also comment by the January 7 deadline.
Below the break is the meeting schedule and offical notice for the study, which can be downloaded here.
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Preliminary Findings & Alternative Concepts Newsletter Available for
Rim of the Valley Corridor Special Resource Study
Dear Friends,
We are happy to report our progress on the Rim of the Valley Corridor Special Resource Study, and we invite your feedback on the preliminary ideas which are presented in our recently published Newsletter #3. The newsletter includes preliminary study findings that address whether resources of the study area are nationally significant, and whether they are suitable and feasible for inclusion in the national park system as a new park unit or as an addition to Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA). Based on these preliminary findings, four preliminary alternative concepts are also presented in the newsletter for your consideration. Please send us your comments by January 7, 2013.
The four preliminary alternative concepts presented in the newsletter illustrate different ways of providing protection and public enjoyment of resources that have been identified as potentiallynationally significant. They include different levels and types of involvement by the National Park Service (NPS). Most importantly, these preliminary alternative concepts serve as a starting point for discussion and public input.
Please tell us what you think about the alternative concepts. Do you like one particular concept more than the others? Do you like various elements of each of the concepts? Do you have an entirely different vision of how the area should be managed? Your comments will help us refine the concepts and will ultimately lead to a recommendation to Congress.
We have scheduled seven public meetings extending through the month of November, concluding with a final meeting in early December. During these meetings, we will update you on our progress on the Rim of the Valley Corridor Special Resource Study and listen to your thoughts and ideas. Dates, times and locations of these meetings are listed below. The NPS will also host a virtual public meeting online. Information on the virtual public meeting will be posted on the study website.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Wednesday, November 7, 7 – 9 p.m.
Conejo Recreation and Parks District, Community Room
403 W. Hillcrest Dr., Thousand Oaks,CA 91360
Thursday, November 8, 7 – 9 p.m.
George A. Caravalho Santa Clarita Sports Complex, Activities Center Building
20880 Centre Point Parkway
Santa Clarita, CA 91350
Tuesday, November 13, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.***
Pacific Community Center
501 S. Pacific Ave.
Glendale, CA 91204
Thursday, November 15, 7 – 9 p.m.
Mason Recreation Center
10500 Mason Ave.
Chatsworth, CA 91311
Tuesday, November 27, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Encino Community Center Women’s Club
4935 Balboa Blvd.
Encino, CA 91316
Thursday, November 29, 7 – 9 p.m.***
Moorpark Community Center
799 Moorpark Ave.
Moorpark, CA 93021
Saturday, December 1, 10 a.m. – noon
Eaton Canyon Nature Center
1750 North Altadena Dr.
Pasadena, CA 91107
Back in March 2011 we reported on a developer’s attempts to cut off the Hastain trail, which has been in public use for more than forty years. A group of local advocates and trail lovers led by Ellen Scott, through the Save Franklin Canyon group, fought the developer’s attempts to close public access to the trail. They garnered petition signatures and did a great job of alerting the trail using public about what was at stake.
The Mountains Recreation Conservation Authority joined the plaintiffs in the suite, and brought in additional legal resources.
There were enough legacy hikers–people who could testify and verify that they had been using the trail since before 1972–to legally establish grounds for a prescriptive easement. Judge Palazuelos, who presided over the case, personally toured the trail at the request of the plaintiffs.
On Tuesday, October 16, 2012, the Court made a tentative ruling in favor of the plaintiffs. The defendant, Coldwater Development LLC, have been ordered to remove all equipment and fences from the trail. A public easement has been permanently established.
We thank this dedicated group of concerned trail users, that included many local hikers and some cyclists, for their diligent efforts to keep this trail open to the public.
The October Skills Clinic photos have been published.
In celebration of CORBA’s 25th Anniversary, on November 17 we will Ride up to The Hub in Topanga State Park and Mingle for a photo opportunity to show land managers and the trail user community that mountain bikers can and do coexist on the trails. We are hoping for 250 (or more) riders. Save the date and spread the word!
We’ll meet at 10am and around 10:30 we’ll take the group shot. We’ll then hand out cash prizes, with the top cash amount being $1,000. We’ll also be having a 50/50 drawing, so bring $20 in cash and put it into the pot, with the lucky winner getting half of whatever is collected and the other half going to CORBA.
How do you get to The Hub? There are several trail head locations you can start from. Reseda Blvd., Trippet Ranch, Sullivan Canyon, Mulholland Drive (dirt) from the east (Encino) or west (Woodland Hills), Will Rogers State Historic Park, Westridge Fireroad, and San Vicente Mountain Park (Nike Site), to name a few.
Check this map with all the trails and trailheads. The Hub is marked with a blue dot and the letter “z.”
Or, download this map. The Hub and the major trailheads are circled. Print it and bring it with you so you don’t get lost!
Though no RSVP is required, you can let us know you’re planning to Ride and Mingle on CORBA’s Meetup group.
While there will be no Fat Tire Festival for 2012, CORBA will be organizing a group Ride And Mingle (RAM) on November 17, 2012 (rain date Dec. 2) to support and promote the ongoing efforts of its programs. But most of all, it’s a chance to mingle with our members and do what we love most: RIDE! In celebration of its 25th anniversary, CORBA hopes to turn out at least 250 mountain bikers in a show of solidarity for mountain biking and responsible cycling. Ride in then meet at The Hub in Topanga State Park at 10am. There will be some cash prizes (yes, you can win CASH), but mostly it will be a chance for a photo opportunity and to mingle among our riding brethren. Riders are encouraged to ride from their local trail heads.
Recent comments overheard at a public meeting got us to thinking that we need to show the land managers and open space trails community at large that responsible riders comprise the vast majority of mountain bikers. Unfortunately, a small percentage of people riding too fast at the wrong time is giving the off-road bicycling community at large a bad rap. The RAM will give mountain bikers a chance to show that we can and do coexist on trails.
We are also asking that you ride what you were riding in 1987 (if you have it) or any vintage mountain bike (pre-1992). If not, no worries, just come and enjoy a ride in one of the most beautiful places in the country.
CORBA conducts quarterly meetings with representatives from California Department of Parks and Recreation Angeles District and National Park Service Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. It is a chance for us to voice concerns and report on upcoming and past trail work, events, and CORBA programs.
Of particular note are a couple of topics that have been posted on our blog recently. The first is enforcement of dangerous behavior by bicyclists (excessive speed, disregard for other users’ safety). The second, which was brought up in a reply to one of our blogs, is the concept of alternate day use on trails that are currently closed to bicyclists.
Enforcement: This is not a new issue. Citations have and will continue to be issued if and when rangers see cyclists riding in a manner that might endanger the resource, themselves, or other users. This can be, but is not limited to, going too fast. However, the issue that has brought more attention to this behavior is the increased use of the website Strava to create a “time trial” format. Even though groups are not going out on the trails and racing, the very nature of being able to “compete” against others by trying to post the fastest time on the Strava site creates a virtual group, and a situation that could lead to riders going fast at the expense of their and other users’ safety. It was noted that speed is also situational, and that as long as people are being safe there isn’t necessarily an issue with speed.
Alternate Days: The State and NPS representatives at the meeting agreed that alternate days are a viable alternative to trails that are currently closed to bicycles, and recognized that they were aware of similar programs that were being used successfully in other parts of the country. It was pointed out however, that there is currently a Change In Use process in place that allows for changing a trail that does not allow bicycles to one of designated as open to bicycles. The Yearling/Lookout Trails is currently undergoing this Change In Use process (see below for the status of this process). The comment was made that any change to the designation of a trail would have to go through the formal Change In Use process, so it makes sense to try to change a trail’s designation to shared use all the time, not on alternate days. One note: the suggestion of alternate trails came primarily in response to trails that are closed in the State Wilderness of Point Mugu State Park. State Wilderness basically follows the Federal Wilderness Act of 1964 which, among other things, bans “mechanized transport” which includes bicycles. To change the Wilderness Act would require a lengthy and costly political and legal battle which CORBA is not prepared to wage.
Yearling/Lookout Update: This trail, which is on the northwest edge of Malibu Creek State Park with, is slated for an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) because it will need to be rerouted before any change in use can occur. The Topanga General Plan/Malibu Lagoon EIR is taking precedent over other EIRs, so the Yearling/Lookout EIR’s status is on hold at this point. Click here to see our original blog article regarding the Change In Use for Yearling/Lookout trails.
TRAIL MANAGEMENT PLAN UPDATE
The long awaited NPS Trail Management Plan (TMP) is likely going to move forward soon. A consultant has been identified and public meetings and other efforts should begin shortly, with a projected completion date of early 2014. Once completed, the TMP will allow agencies within the the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area to formally address many pressing issues, among them shared use on many trails that are currently restricted to hiking and equestrian use only.
On October 6, in conjunction with the IMBA Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day, CORBA Kid’s Club will be having a fun ride at Malibu Creek State Park at 9:00 am. This will be a ride followed by a barbecue. All ages are welcome! If the kids are too young to ride, feel free to bring a bike trailer or trail-a-bike and tow them along. These can be your own kids, nieces, nephews, friends kids, neighbor kids… Kids must have their own bikes and helmets.
There will be a few different ride options for different age groups. Feel free to participate even if you don’t have any kids to bring.
Childhood obesity in the United States has reached an all-time high. Experts say that the current generation of U.S. children could actually have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. IMBA and CORBA believe mountain biking can help reverse this trend. We need your help to get kids back on bikes.
For for more information email info@corbamtb.com
To get to Malibu Creek State Park (Google Map with directions), take the Ventura Freeway (101) to Calabasas, exit Las Virgenes Road/Malibu Canyon. Go south 3.5 miles. You will cross Mulholland Highway and go another 1/4 mile to the entrance to Malibu Creek State Park on the right.
From Santa Monica, take Pacific Coast Highway north to Malibu Canyon Road and turn Right. Go 6 miles to the park entrance on your left. Just past the ranger kiosk to the left is a large parking lot. Look for the CORBA Tent and flags.
From the Southern California Gas Company Public Affairs Manager
Southern California Gas Company Sullivan Canyon Pipeline Protection Project
SoCal Gas plans to perform maintenance and repair work to the portion of Sullivan Canyon, which has been owned and maintained by SoCal Gas since 1960, in accordance with State and Federal pipeline safety regulations and a 5-year Maintenance Plan. We are currently in the second year of that plan.
Heavy rains during 2010 and 2011 caused severe earth erosion and washout damage to the pipeline maintenance access road within the canyon. As a result, buried SoCal Gas transmission pipelines have been exposed in some areas. It is important that we repair this damage in order to maintain safety and so that we may continue to provide Southern California residents with a safe and reliable supply of natural gas.
For your consideration, the following impacts are to be expected in your neighborhood. Please note that these are only approximations and are subject to change. We will do our best to keep you apprised of any changes.
Location and Logistics
Purpose and Project Scope
Environmental Impacts
In order to re-establish the road and repair the pipelines while minimizing environmental impacts to the canyon, SoCal Gas has commissioned and will be working closely with professional environmental consultants during project planning and implementation. To date, a survey has been conducted by the project biologist and an arborist recommended by the City of Los Angeles. The survey identified and the City concurred upon the removal of two hazardous oak trees within the project alignment. A hazard tree removal permit will be issued for this work and these trees will be mitigated at a 5:1 ratio (10 new trees will be planted as replacements) per the California Department of Fish and Game. No additional oak trees or other native trees will be removed.
Oversight Agencies and Additional Advisory Assistance
Updates regarding additional closures and/or canyon restrictions, or changes to the project plan will be distributed periodically throughout the duration of the project. Closures or restrictions will also be posted on the gate at Queensferry Road and at the entrance to the property off of Mulholland in advance, to the extent feasible.
We apologize for the inconvenience caused by this necessary work to ensure pipeline safety and maintenance of a reliable natural gas supply to the Los Angeles basin area. SoCal Gas appreciates your understanding of the need for this maintenance work and temporary disruption of canyon access.
Please know that safety is our first priority. We appreciate customers and members of the community keeping us informed on conditions surrounding our facilities. Likewise, we believe it is important to communicate with you when we know our work will impact our neighbors. Again, there are two high-pressure transmission pipelines located in the canyon and we will continue to periodically perform maintenance work to them as-needed to ensure safety. We will provide notification when projects are scheduled and we will do our best to work with neighbors and the public to minimize impacts to customers and stakeholders. It is our goal to keep disruptions to a minimum and we regret temporary inconveniences.
Thank you for your understanding while we perform this necessary maintenance and repair work. Should you have any questions, please call Krista Phipps at (323) 578-2650 or email kphipps@semprautilities.com.
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