FW: Parks Advisory Committee--April 11, 2008 (off-road vehicle parks, oh my)

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From: <char.ayers@att.net>
Date: Sat, 12 Apr 2008 00:20:06 +0000
To: Charlene Ayers <char.ayers@att.net>
Subject: Parks Advisory Committee--April 11, 2008  (off-road vehicle parks, oh my)

Parks Advisory Committee˜April 11, 2008
 
Boy, did I think I took a wrong turn∑.
 
What would you think if Rick Landavazo (cranky Hellhole Canyon guy) was lavishing praise on SUP Horn for being an outstanding conservationist?  Adding that SUP Horn was „always‰ available to talk to his constituents.  
 
Then Jim Peugh (Audubon Society) not only recommended that the County-State set aside land for an off-road vehicle park, but said that probably three of them would be about the right number.
 
Whoa!
 
Yep.  That‚s waaaht they said.
 
Landavazo was responding to a request from a committee member for the group to write a letter appreciating and encouraging SUP Horn in his conservation efforts for San Luis Rey and Rancho Guejito.
 
Some of the other committee members cautioned that it may be a bit premature on Rancho Guejito.
 
Landavazo counseled that maybe an individual communication to Horn would be more appropriate.  He brought up an email that Horn had just sent to his constituents recently urging them to contact him on anything that was on their minds.  Landavazo assured us that Horn was always available to talk to his constituents.  He offered to forward Horn‚s email to that effect.  If you would like to see that email:  Landavaz@owl.csusm.edu
 
Peugh‚s remarks came at the end of the presentation to the group by Crystal Crawford, SANDAG, on finding a place in the county for legal off-road use.   He prefaced them by commenting that he did not subscribe to the theory that creating one of these parks would curb the illegal off-road use taking place now.   He thought it would probably increase it as the sport would expand its participants when a legal place was created.   BUT he said based on the „green tags (registration)‰ it looked like there were three areas where the concentration was high and where the parks should be placed.
 
Peugh and Crawford serve on the Biodiversity Council.   They have been serving on the OHV Recreation Committee.  They have visited two successful parks in Santa Clara County:  Metcalf and Hollister.
 
Peugh was clear that the parks have to be maintained, habitat repaired, and the rules of the road/ride strictly enforced.  He stressed that education was an important component of the plan for these parks, and experienced, professional management a must.
 
He said that in the year that the committee has been meeting sadly several good locations have „collapsed.‰  He said that it was important to do this.  The sooner the better.
 
 Crystal Crawford‚s remarks which she handed out are below.
 
There was terror and trepidation on several of the Parks Advisory members faces at this prospect.  One worried about how it would fit amongst all the MSCP/HCP programs.  He said that the land was all took up.  Another who is a well-known anti-off road vehicle activist looked stricken.  One wanted the companies who sell and market these vehicles to put their money into purchasing and maintaining these parks.  He brought a huge coffee-table book called „Thrill Craft‰ to show how destructive these vehicles are.  He offered to buy one for the Parks Department.  The offer was declined.
 
The surprise was that some of the Parks Advisory members had been off-roaders, and they supported the idea of providing these parks.  These were people who were active in maintaining existing county parks as volunteers.
 
Waaay back when I started in this vocation, I found a lawsuit in Idaho in which the snowmobile folks, hunters, and others sued the state for access to recreational areas.  The premise was that recreation was for all the people of the state who had paid for it, not just a few, and certainly not for the just the kind of recreation that the government liked better.  The snowmobile folks, hunters and others won.   It only makes sense.
 
Charlene
 
 
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__________ _ __________ _______________________________________________________!_______________________________CRYSTAL CRAWFORD - SUMMARY OF QUICK FACTS RE OHV
 
The San Diego region has a growing problem with the illegal use of off-highway vehicles (OHV) in open space areas, which stresses the natural resources on lands protected for open space. The last 15 years have seen an 85 percent increase in dirt motorcycles and ATVs in the State. New technologies have been developing including electric dirt bikes, ATVs that operate off-road and in the water, and four-wheel drive golf carts for families. Off-highway recreation has increased to become a multi-generational family activity.
 
San Diego County has the second highest number of „green stickers‰ (OHV registration stickers) in the State, but the money collected from those fees goes to areas where there is legal OHV. Without any legal place for OHV riders in San Diego County, illegal use will continue and will increase with the growing popularity of the sport.
 
Santa Clara County faced with this same challenge and developed the 459-acre Metcalf Motorcycle Park. Santa Clara County‚s Park and Recreation Department operates this facility, which operates five-days a week and provides over 65,000 visitors a year a variety of motorcycle and all-terrain vehicle (ATV) experiences on over twenty miles of trails. Since Metcalf Motorcycle park was established in 1978, the illegal OHV use in Santa Clara County has dropped to virtually zero.
 
Could this approach work in San Diego and reduce impacts to our native habitat while providing a safe, legal place for recreation?
 
A meeting of the California Biodiversity Council (CBC) last April 2007 challenged the preconceived notions of the various members regarding OHV parks, i.e. images of unrestricted access devoid of native habitat. Instead the Council learned that:
 
    Managed OHV parks have a variety of recreational users of all ages and with experience levels from beginner to expert
    Managed OHV parks have active ranger patrols and a strong volunteer component for safety, enforcement and trail maintenance
    User fees are charged to off set cost of the OHV park
    OHV parks can successfully include strong environmental education programs and self-enforcement among users is prevalent and encouraged
    Long and fast is not necessarily the most interesting trail design for users. Similar to mogul hills in skiing, a low speed single track challenging trail can be just as interesting to riders
    Trails can be designed to be hydrologically invisible on the landscape
    Restoration of native resources is a component of OHV Parks
 
Daphne Green and Phil Jenkins, California State Parks, Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division are willing to help the region find a way to solve its illegal OHV problem. They have worked in other Counties (most recently Yolo) to design solutions to the exact same issues. A report is due out from the State this month on the potential locations of OHV opportunities in the San Diego region.
 
Crystal Crawford is a councilmember from Del Mar. She represents Del Mar on the SANDAG Board of Directors and is SANDAG‚s representative to the CBC.
 
For Agenda Item 8 (April 11, 2008)
San Diego County Parks Advisory Committee


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