CORBA News - Concerned Off-Road Bicyclists Association

Urge California Decision Makers to Adopt Bike-Friendly Land Protection Measures

June 27th, 2008

June 27, 2008

From the International Mountain Bicycling Association

The Assembly Committee on Natural Resources recently passed a bill — authored by Assembly member Noreen Evans (D-Santa Rosa), Chair of the Assembly Democratic Caucus — that directs the state to assess the suitability of numerous state lands in Northern California for Wilderness designations.

Bicyclists value natural landscapes and access to trails that bring us closer to nature. Because our activity is a quiet, low-impact and human-powered use that is compatible with wild settings, we believe many of these Northern California areas should not be protected with Wilderness designations, which would effectively prohibit bike access.

IMBA California Policy Advisor Tom Ward has testified in front of the committee and many members expressed their support for mountain biking — but they still passed the bill out of committee. Unless they hear from the mountain bike community, the bill will keep moving and suggest massive closures at three important parks.

There are many ways to protect these important places without banning the existing use of mountain bicycling. Cyclists need to rally and make sure their assembly member hears from our constituency.

Take Action!

IMBA’s simple online comment form takes seconds to complete! Tell the governor and your state senator and representative you support land protection that allows bicycling to continue.

A quick phone call can be even more effective. Click here to find contact information for your elected officials.

Please also forward this alert to all mountain bikers, bike shops and industry employees you know.

Additional Information

Assembly Bill (AB) 2923 passed from committee with a 6-2 vote and awaits further review in the Assembly Appropriations Committee

Sponsored by the California Wilderness Coalition, the bill directs the Resources Agency and the State Lands Commission to assess whether selected state lands merit wilderness designation.

Mountain biking is an existing use in several of these areas, including Robert Louis Stevenson State Park and Henry W. Coe State Park.

Mountain bikers also have a long-standing proposal to create shared-use trails in Austin Creek Redwoods State Park.

Because Wilderness designations would prohibit bike access in these parks, we urge that these areas should be protected through other means.

IMBA California’s Tom Ward is meeting with key Senate staffers and will keep the pressure up to ensure that mountain bike access is protected.

Posted in Advocacy, California, IMBA News, National, Trail Access | Comments Closed

New Rancho Palos Verdes policy for bikers, hikers and equestrians satisfies few

June 7th, 2008

June 7, 2008

Runners take the Burma Road through the Portuguese Bend Reserve. Because preserving habitat takes top priority, the city of Rancho Palos Verdes has established limits on the use of trails in the reserve. The trails were reopened to the public under the new rules Friday. (Steve McCrank, Staff Photographer)

By Melissa Pamer, The Daily Breeze Staff Writer

With some of the most sublime ocean views in the South Bay, the steep, narrow trails in Rancho Palos Verdes’ Portuguese Bend Reserve draw fierce allegiance and occasional territoriality from hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians alike.

Now, following the reopening Friday of the 417-acre canyon park after a four-month trail closure, a new set of rules – dictating which trails may be traversed on foot, on bike or on horseback – will be put to the test.

Few are pleased with the new access plan, which was created after months of debate by a citizen committee and approved by the City Council earlier this year.

“We’ve gone with the least bad solution,” said Gordon Leon, a member of the committee who counts himself as a representative of all three “user groups.”

“The fact that nobody’s happy means that everybody had to make compromises. Any way you look at it, by allowing people up there, you impact habitat,” Leon said. “When it comes right down to it, at the top of the priority list is habitat. Then there’s everything else.”

Under the plan, cyclists will have access to far fewer trails, and many of the most challenging and popular paths will be off-limits to bikes. More than half of the trails will be closed to all users. There are no signs barring access to closed trails – so if a trail isn’t marked, its use isn’t allowed, officials said.

Enforcing the new rules may prove a challenge, council members acknowledged at a Tuesday meeting in which they approved the reopening of the reserve.

“When I last looked, the signage was still inadequate,” Councilman Tom Long said before voting in favor of the reopening. “We need resources to enforce the rules.”

For now, the Sheriff’s Department is responsible for enforcement. City staff will request sporadic visits from deputies if there are regular

reports of illicit trail use. Penalties for violators – currently subject to a fine of up to $1,000 under city code – may change if the city follows a Sheriff’s Department recommendation to give only a written warning to first-time offenders.So far, it’s clear that what some called a “lawless” atmosphere hasn’t entirely changed. Earlier last week, before the side trails reopened, evidence could be seen that the closure had not left the area to the lizards. Prints from hiking boots, hooves and tires marked dusty side trails. Hikers could be seen in off-limit areas of the reserve. At one juncture, a new trail sign had been shorn off at its base.

It may take time for the new rules to be respected, said Andrea Vona, executive director of the nonprofit Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy, which manages the reserve along with other nearby areas. She’s hopeful that signs and a new map will keep users in line.

“Our general philosophy is it’s going to take community buy-in – to make this a successful reserve – from all user groups,” Vona said.

The city’s “timeout,” which began Jan. 31 and was intended to allow the land to heal from overuse, interrupted a decadeslong period of unregulated recreation in the canyon area.

Purchased in 2005 for $17 million – funded largely by grants and $4 million raised from the community – the coastal sage scrub-covered land had been long used by the public with the tacit approval of a private owner. The trails that crisscross the hillside, some running parallel and just feet from each other, offer scenic hiking and horseback riding. With its sharp turns and steep descents, the area became popular beginning in the early 1980s with mountain bikers, some of whom cleared brush for spots to perform tricks.

“It’s been sort of a free-for-all,” said Ara Mihranian, the city’s principal planner. “There were areas that were used for jumps and free-riding. That’s no longer part of the plan.”

The new reserve entered the spotlight in July 2006 when the Public Use Master Plan committee, a 15-member citizen group, began analyzing uses of all the city’s open space, including nine other reserves. Some members, who viewed bikers as harmful to the reserve and disruptive to peaceful hikes and horseback rides, wanted cyclists barred from the area altogether.

“It’s an organized assault. It’s not just locals; they come from all over,” said former Mayor Ann Shaw of the cyclists’ use of the reserve. A member of the PUMP citizens committee, Shaw came down firmly against the bikers.

“If you’re exhilarated it ought to be from the scenery, not because you’re going fast,” Shaw said. “(Bikers) are not there for the primary purpose of the preserve, which is preservation of the flora and the fauna.”

Participants said the PUMP meetings became repetitive rehearsals of conflicts between equestrians, hikers and bikers. Some detailed instances of confrontation on the trail, particularly between bikes and horses. Differing views on the groups’ own effects on habitat and trail degradation also separated the sides.

The cyclists’ defense fell in part to committee member Troy Braswell, who in 2004 helped found a local branch of Concerned Off-road Bicyclists Association, or CORBA, which seeks to protect biker access and maintain trails.

The group – which numbers around 250, Braswell said – has done regular restoration work on the city’s trails, including the 154-acre Forrestal Reserve, next to Portuguese Bend.

Under a previously approved city plan, most trails in Forrestal remain open to all users. But the area is less popular with bikers than the neighboring reserve, which bikers sometimes call “Del Cerro” after a nearby municipal park, Braswell said.

On Saturday, National Trails Day, CORBA was set to co-sponsor several hours of volunteer work in Portuguese Bend, which is treasured as some of the best riding in central Los Angeles County, and by far the best in the South Bay.

Braswell acknowledged that a few irresponsible or disrespectful riders have made a bad name for bikers in the reserve. But he said incidences of conflict between user groups were rare.

“The habitat issue is bikers going off trail. I have to admit, that has occurred,” Braswell said. “The people who were doing that had no understanding of the habitat, and there was no rules or no management at all that told them what to do. We call it the vacant lot mentality.”

`Free-for-all’ culture

Areas off limits to cyclists

Since CORBA-Palos Verdes was founded, the group has sought to educate riders on proper trail etiquette and respect for the environment, Braswell said. But that hasn’t seemed to sway enough supporters to their side this time around.

Ishibashi trail is open to all users, but cyclists are barred from the wide Ishibashi Farm trail, which they argue can accommodate more use. (Steve McCrank/Staff Photographer)

Under the new rules, the Grapevine, a Portuguese Bend trail beloved by mountain bikers, has been limited to horses and hikers. Two wide trails – Ishibashi Farm and Water Tank – that can accommodate multiple users more easily than most of the reserve’s narrow paths have also been deemed off-limits for cyclists. And, because so many small spur trails have been shut down, paths that are shared among all three user groups will be more crowded, Braswell said.

“By closing so many trails, they’ve basically cut bikes out,” Braswell said.

But some who have been critical of bikers aren’t thrilled with the outcome either.

“There are no victories,” Shaw said. “I will be happy when we see the trails being actually used properly.”

The city is set to review the trails plan for Portuguese Bend Reserve in six months.

Posted in Advocacy, Palos Verdes, Trail Access | Comments Closed

Fire Danger Level Being Raised on the Angeles National Forest

June 6th, 2008

June 6, 2008

Arcadia, Calif. – The Fire Danger Level on the Angeles National Forest is being raised from “Moderate” to “High,” effective June 6, 2008 as summer temperatures continue to dry out vegetation and the forest prepares for an increase in summer visitors. The “High” fire danger level is the third in a six-level, graduated fire danger rating system. A variety of factors determine the level, including the moisture in vegetation, weather conditions and firefighting equipment needs due to national fire activity. Despite the change, there are no new campfire restrictions: Open wood and charcoal fires will still be permitted in developed campgrounds and picnic areas only. Gas and propane powered stoves and grills are permitted in non-developed areas with a valid California Campfire Permit.

Spark arrestors (required year-round) should be checked to make sure they are in good working order on all off-road motorcycles, chain saws and other equipment with internal combustion engines. Travelers through the Forest should remain on designated roads and never park on dry brush or grass.

Visitors should also be reminded that some closures remain in effect. This includes areas affected by the Ranch Fire (west of I-5) and the Buckweed Fire (northwest of Hwy 14), including the popular Rowher Flat OHV area. In addition, approximately 1,000 acres in the vicinity of Cooper Canyon (north of the Angeles Crest Hwy) remain closed in order to protect critical habitat of the Mountain Yellow-Legged Frog, a federally endangered species. Williamson Rock, an area frequented by rock climbers, and a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail lie within the closed area. Hikers can take a detour around the area by departing the trail (northbound) at Eagles Roost and taking the highway to Cloudburst Summit, a distance of 4.5 miles.

Contact: Sherry Rollman or Stanton Florea at (626) 574-5208

“Know Before You Go” to the Angeles National Forest. Find out about local conditions at your destination prior to leaving by contacting the following offices:

Forest Supervisor’s Office – Arcadia, (M-F 8:00 am to 4:30 pm) (626) 574-1613
Los Angeles River Ranger District, (M-F 8:00 am to 4:30 pm) (818) 899-1900
San Gabriel River Ranger District, (M-F 8:00 am to 4:30 pm) (626) 335-1251
Santa Clara-Mojave Rivers Ranger District, (M-F 8:00 am to 4:30 pm) (661) 296-9710

Posted in Angeles National Forest, Trail Hazards | Comments Closed

Buy a Cell Phone for Mountain Biking Access!

May 19th, 2008

May 19, 2008

(Note: As of March 2010, Phones for Good is no longer a viable concern.)

CORBA has partnered with Phones For Good. Phones For Good is an online retailer of cellular phones dedicated to raising money for nonprofit organizations. PFG offers a broad selection of phones and often, more competitive pricing than traditional retailers. Many phones are free, and they are an authorized Agent of AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, Nextel and T-Mobile. When you buy a new cellular phone and plan through the Phones For Good website and select CORBA, CORBA will earn $40.00 – $50.00 for each new purchase. Check it out at http://www.phonesforgood.com/pfg/go/245 .

Learn about other businesses that will donate to CORBA when you use them.

Posted in CORBA News | Comments Closed

Trail Race Is On – Trail in Good Shape Thanks to Dedicated Volunteers

May 17th, 2008

May 17, 2008

By Bill Coburn and Pete Siberell, sierramadrenews.net

The Mt. Wilson Trail Race is scheduled for Saturday, May 24^th at 7:30am sharp. Though it is the 42^nd running of the race, it is the 100 year anniversary of the first race, run by nine runners back in 1908. The men ran seven miles from Sierra Madre up to Mt. Wilson, rested half an hour, then came back.

From 1912 to 1929, there was no race, some say because the runners’ interest was waning due to the popularity of the automobile. Half-way between Sierra Madre and Mt. Wilson was an orchard of apples, cherries, plums and chestnuts that soon became a public resort known as “Orchard Camp.” In 1930, the trail race was started again to draw attention to Orchard Camp, and for the first time, the race was expanded to include women and young girls.

The race was held sporadically until the late 1940’s when it was abandoned completely. It was revived in the autumn of 1965, and over the years evolved to its present format. In the spring of 1987, it was held in conjunction with Search and Rescue Days. It has been run annually ever since, but this year, the Centennial of the first race, it nearly wasn’t. The Santa Anita Fire closed down the trail and did some major damage to the hillside on which the trail sits.

According to Pete Siberell, chairman of the Mt. Wilson Trail Race Committee, the work literally started while there were still fires on the mountain on Monday, April 28. A meeting of the Committee was held in Kersting Court, and the members resolved to get the trail ready in time to have the race go on as planned. “I received 15-20 calls and emails on that day from people who wanted to help,” said Siberell. “The first step was assessing the damage, which we did in short order right after the trail was closed. The majority of damage occurred in a stretch less than a mile-long, between the fire road just above the trailhead and the switchbacks just short of First Water.” While there is significant damage on the ridge to the east of the trail, the ridge on which the trail runs is relatively unscathed north of First Water up to Orchard Camp, 3.3 miles up from the foot of the Trail.

Charlie Bell, a long-time Trail Blazer who has tended the trail for many years, went up the trail numerous times with other colleagues to assess its condition and to start grooming the trail. Peter McNulty, Gary Hilliard, Mark Gage, Mark Hacker, Pete Siberell, Brian Simms, John Grace and other CORBA members and mountain bikers took part. According to Siberell “The work was mostly clearing the “slough” made up of dirt and rocks that had fallen onto the trail from above when vegetation burned up, and clearing dead vegetation. It made for extremely grimy work, as clouds of dust came back in our faces from below the trail. Although we were equipped with masks, we looked like coal miners coming off the trail.”

Some volunteers worked on the trail during the day while it was still closed to the public, but many came after completing their work day at their jobs, arriving sometimes at 6pm or later and working for an hour and a half or two until the sun went down. A CORBA member who lives in Sierra Madre put together a volunteer team for last Saturday morning (May 10). With help and donations, he organized about 20 workers. The Department of Public Works lent tools, while the Only Place in Town provided sandwiches, Starbucks sent beverages, and Leanora Moss and Webb-Martin Realtors provided cash for refreshments. Defending women’s champion (and pregnant) Sharon Pevsner delivered the sandwiches to the hungry workers. The workers not only put final touches on the trail, but even worked above First Water on the part of the trail that was not fire-damaged.

Charlie Bell (who is the acknowledged expert on the trail, based on his years of experience helping to maintain it), the world famous Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team, and Pete Siberell with the Mt. Wilson Trail Race Committee had the final say as to when the Trail could be re-opened to the public. Charlie assessed the trail on Friday, May 9 and thought the trail should be opened as soon as possible, for two reasons: first, so runners could familiarize themselves with the new section of the trail and second, so that runners and hikers could tramp down the trail as much as possible before the race, as it was soft in many sections.

Jeremy Heiner, a Search and Rescue volunteer who is also on the MWTR committee, declared the trail safe with some recommended precautions. And Pete Siberell ran up and down the trail numerous times to make sure the trail was race ready. Upon hearing those recommendations, the city opened the trail the afternoon of May 9th and agreed with Siberell the race would be run as scheduled, absent any mudslides occurring before then!

That doesn’t mean the work is finished. Crews will continue going up to clear slough that will have fallen on the trail between now and race day. Heiner and Siberell will be going up the trail before race day to flag any spots still considered dangerous for runners, and Search and Rescue plans to add another eleven volunteers to the twenty he already had scheduled along the damaged trail on race day so they can be ready to respond in case of a fall. And finally, Siberell will be sending out emails to runners to caution them about race conditions. He will also provide specific pre-race instructions before the race begins on the morning of the race.

Said Siberell “As with the way the community came together during the fire, it has similarly bonded to bring the trail back to us, literally right before our eyes. The 100^th anniversary of the running of the Mt. Wilson Trail Race will take place, right over the very mountain that was ablaze and had all of us in such anxiety and suspense! But knowing the citizens and their love of volunteering and the Mt. Wilson Trail, that is to be expected.”

The Committee stopped accepting applications weeks ago, when the maximum allotment of three hundred runners was met. Runners who want to check in early can come to the Pasta Dinner event in Kersting Court on Friday night from 6P to 8PM. Runners can pick up their race number and t-shirt early and have a great pasta dinner from Cafe 322. Proceeds from the race will go to SM Search & Rescue. As a bonus, John Robinson will be providing a history of the Mt. Wilson Trail at 7:00P.

Spectators are encouraged to come out Saturday morning, as there will be plenty going on to entertain them while they wait for the competitors, friends and family to make it back across the finish line. Kersting Court will be filled with booths from Elite Fitness Boot Camp, New Balance, Patagonia, Jamba Juice, Kaiser, the Sierra Madre Historical Society, and Train fitness center. Local singer/songwriter Lisa Turner will be entertaining the crowds with her “Celtic-tinged acoustic power folk rock.” And for the adults this year, the Sierra Madre Rotary is sponsoring a beer garden where folks can find a little post race refreshment. Proceeds from the beer garden will be donated to the City’s Fire Fund. There will be a Children’s Art Show co-sponsored by the Sierra Madre Community Arts Commission. And at 8am, half an hour after the Trail Race start, the Third Annual Kid’s Fun Run will take place for children three and up. The Fun Run, sponsored by CATZ (MWTR Committee’s Jim Liston is President) starts at the same starting line as the grown-ups’ race, and the kids run up Baldwin Ave. and back down to cross the same finish line as the adults.

Siberell is planning to put a sign up on the trailhead next week. It is on behalf of the Mount Wilson Trail Race Committee, thanking the trail workers for their wonderful efforts. The community is encouraged to come out on Race Day and show their support, as well, for both the runners of the grueling race, and the volunteers who helped ensure that this Centennial edition of the race is run.

Posted in Health | Comments Closed

The Mount Hillyer Project

May 12th, 2008

May 2, 2008

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.

Posted in CORBA News, Trail Access, Trail Crew | Comments Closed

Mustard Growth on the New Millennium Trails in Calabasas

May 9th, 2008

May 9, 2008

Spring has sprung and so did the Mustard plants! The New Millennium Trail has become so overgrown with this plant the trail is unusable at this time! The CORBA Trail Crew was out on 4/15 and 4/17 working on the trail. It was a slow process but we managed to clear .7 of a mile from the intersection of the Bark Park Trail heading south. There is still much work to be done!

CORBA has been communicating with the Mountains Restoration Trust (MRT) to come up with a solution to get this great trail passable once again! The MRT has mobilized their Crew to work on brush removal on the trail. The CORBA Trail Crew returned to the trail on 5/9 and worked on some slides and erosion problems on the South side of the trail near Normans Way.

The MRT Crew has cleared the brush from Parkway Calabasas past Normans Way/Stokes Canyon to the switchbacks and Parkway Calabasas towards Calabasas Road/Gun Club Road past the water tank on the ridge above the other set of switchbacks.

We hope to be able to report very soon that the entire trail is once again usable!

Web pages to check out:

December 7, 2008 Update: The trails are completely clear of mustard and other weeds.

Posted in Conejo Valley, Santa Monica Mountains, Trail Access, Trail Building and Restoration, Trail Crew | Comments Closed

Bicyclist in trouble again over illegal trail at China Camp

May 1st, 2008

May 1, 2008

by Gary Klien, Marin Independent Journal

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. 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.

Posted in California, California State Parks, Etiquette, Trail Access | Comments Closed

Poop Predicament Has Los Angeles Horse Owners Raising a Stink

April 25th, 2008

April 25, 2008 (Bloomberg) — The poop hit the fan when the last manure mulcher in Los Angeles closed shop.

Fritz Bronner, a local horse owner and activist, feeds two of his five Arabian geldings in the corral behind his house in the Lake View Terrace neighborhood of Los Angeles on April 8, 2008. Los Angeles is home to some 1,500 legally registered horses, but the actual count is more like 10,000, according to Los Angeles City Councilwoman Wendy Greuel. Photographer: Nadja Brandt/Bloomberg News

The price of poop disposal is breaking the budgets of Los Angeles horse owners, as stable owners pass along the expense of taking horse droppings to landfills.

“The cost to get rid of this stuff has just skyrocketed,” said Royan Herman, 65, who runs the Peacock Hill and J-Bar Ranch stables in the San Fernando Valley with her husband, Mark. “A lot of young families aren’t able to afford a horse anymore.”

Los Angeles, the city of Hollywood stars, is also home to about 10,000 horses, said City Councilwoman Wendy Greuel. Some estimates of the horse population run as high as 20,000 within city limits and 45,000 in all of Los Angeles County, which has 9.9 million residents.

The waste produced by horses living in a big city wasn’t a problem for decades, as plant nurseries and compost yards accepted manure and turned it into fertilizer. When zoning officials allowed developers to build homes close to those sites, new residents complained of the stench and nurseries began turning away the dung. The owner of the last compost yard, Dickran Sarkisian, said he closed in October because he wasn’t able to renew the lease.

Depositing manure at a landfill costs as much as $47 a ton, five times what the mulchers charged, said Mark Herman of Peacock Hill and J-Bar. Stable owners can’t afford to stay in business unless they pass that expense to boarders, he said.

“In the last four to five years, the cost for individual horse owners has doubled,” said Herman, 85. He said the 120 horses at his stables produce as much as 5 tons (4.5 metric tons) of manure a day.

Equine Surrender

Some Angelenos said the rising stable fees are forcing them to give up their beloved horses.

“The prices for boarding a horse are crazy,” said Rachel Rosenberg, 24, an aspiring actress who keeps her mustang, Indie, at Ravensview Ranch. “If I don’t get enough hours together at work, I won’t be able to afford him.”

Jack Quigley, a retired oil field production technician, already had to sell his mare, Fancy.

“I loved her to death,” said Quigley, 67. “But I couldn’t afford to keep her.”

Barbara Underwood, 65, who owns Ravensview, a 27-horse stable near Burbank, said she lost eight boarders when she raised prices. She charges $300 a month for a small corral and $400 for a box stall, following the $15 increase in December. She expects to boost rates again soon, by $20.

At Peacock Hill and J-Bar, Royan Herman said she may have to raise fees by $100 from the current $300 to $450 a month.

Riding Territory

Los Angeles offers plenty of space and varied terrain for riding. The county encompasses 4,000 square miles (10,000 square kilometers), including a 70-mile (110-kilometer) Pacific Ocean coastline, mountains, forest and desert.

Some horse-friendly enclaves cater to riders. In Lake View Terrace, a dry cleaner has a hitching post, and street-crossing buttons at some intersections are at a height where they can be reached from horseback.

“It’s this incredible feeling of being in a different world,” said Fritz Bronner, 49, riding Faz, one of his five Arabian geldings, on one of Lake View Terrace’s bridal paths. “All along my street, there are horses and chickens and dogs. It’s a little country feel on a half acre.”

Much of the Los Angeles horse population is off the books. Only about 1,500 are registered, which is required by law, according to city officials.

Registration Drives

That doesn’t help the equine community’s cause, said Greuel, the councilwoman. She’s pushing for a Horse Advisory Task Force to get more owners to comply, so they’ll have a bigger voice in municipal affairs.

Some residents including formed “poop councils” and staged registration drives to educate owners and encourage them to sign up their animals for $14 a year.

“I’ve never even heard of registering your horse,” said Sari Sarlund, 41, who boards her Frido at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center.

Horses generate an estimated $900 million in ancillary revenues a year, Bronner said, sustaining riding teachers, veterinarians, blacksmiths, and feed and tack stores. Bronner, an actor, runs a non-profit service that provides Arabian horses for military re-enactments, parades, films and television.

“It’s an underground economy,” said Bronner, who serves on the Foothill Trails Neighborhood Council. “We never get credit for it. It’s never properly accounted for.”

Poop could add even more cash to city coffers. Councilman Richard Alarcon started a pilot program to recycle some of the manure into compost.

“We are looking at every option available to us, including the generation of electricity,” Greuel said.

Bronner said he’s worried that the poop-disposal crisis and lack of political clout may spell an end to the intangible benefits of sharing Los Angeles with horses.

“The clip-clop on the streets is soothing,” Bronner said. “Horses just slow everything down a bit. Traffic slows down, you slow down.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Nadja Brandt in Los Angeles at nbrandt@bloomberg.net

Posted in Environment, Los Angeles, Trail Hazards | Comments Closed

Good News from Palos Verdes

March 19th, 2008

March 19, 2008

After the recent disappointment of the Portuguese Bend meeting, mountain bikers in Palos Verdes really needed a positive outcome. It came late Tuesday night at the Rancho Palos Verdes City Council meeting.

Some speakers claimed that bikes destroy habitat and endanger other users, and therefore should not be allowed on trails at the Forrestal Reserve.

Fortunately, factual data in the city-ordered Forrestal Monitoring Report supported our claims that bikes present no more problems than other users. In fact, the report stated that there has not been a single complaint against bikers.

As a result, the trails plan at Forrestal remains intact with the exception of Cristo Que Viento, which was changed to pedestrian. Bikers seldom use this trail because it’s incredibly steep and goes into Rolling Hills.

It appears that the City Council is beginning to grasp the needs of the entire community in this complex issue. Some councilmen asked detailed questions from mountain bike speakers. One questioned whether CORBA-PV could fulfill its promise to help educate local bikers. Yes, we can! Now It is up to everyone who rides in Palos Verdes to ride responsibly and continue to volunteer for trail work. These are the keys to more trail access for bikes.

After being disappointed at last meeting’s results for Portuguese Bend, we feel rejuvenated. We owe a big thanks to the eight resolute bikers who came to the meeting. You rose from the ashes to fight again. You are all heroes here! Thank you.

Posted in Palos Verdes, Trail Access | Comments Closed

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