Yosemite--Old Age, Alas! The Cavalry to the Rescue!

[Myron & Sue Flagg <bzdgulch@ecis.com>]

I'm forwarding this because it may give some of you ideas for your ongoing
battles for trails.  I will be at the meeting Friday, Jan. 9, at Concord-Mt.
Diablo Trail Ride Assn. to listen and hope to speak on the issue of
handicapped access via horseback.

Anyone who might be interested in attending the Yosemite meeting Friday,
please contact Nancy Dupont at:  htrails@earthlink.net

                        Sue in California

>>From: "Quinn, Adda" <AQUINN@epri.com>
>>Date: Wed, 7 Jan 1998 16:34:25 -0800
>>
>>Gentlemen,
>>As an ex-wilderness backpacker, now long in the tooth, pained in the
>>back, and generally too infirm to haul my personal tonnage about for
>>very long distances, it was with great concern that I learned of the
>>potential to eliminate horses and horse facilities in Yosemite.  These
>>days, I can only hike 5-7 miles, without bodily complaint and failure.
>>I have discovered horses in the past 5 years to be the perfect solution
>>to getting back to where I want to be.
>>
>>You are proposing to eliminate horses and horse access just at the very
>>time when other jurisdictions have discovered how much revenue
>>equestrian pursuits can generate.  In fact the East Bay Water District
>>has recently embarked on a program establishing horse camps at about 25
>>mile increments throughout their holdings to capitalize on this revenue.
>> In San Mateo County, reservations must be made ONE YEAR in advance to
>>book at the Jack Brook Horse Camp.  In most cases, the equestrian
>>community has built these facilities, and helps maintain them with
>>volunteer contributions and efforts.  Rather than cutting back on horse
>>activities, you might find it productive to create a master plan which
>>expands them and incorporates volunteers in trail building, horse
>>camping, volunteer patroling, and search and rescue.  Failure to include
>>horses, and equestrians trails and facilities is denying the public of
>>an incredibly valuable resource--especially us old foggies who will be
>>becoming the demographic drivers of the next 30 years!
>>
>>In many counties in California, the Volunteer Horse Patrols provide a
>>wonderful cost-effective extension for local jurisdication dealing with
>>parks and recreation.  Below follows a copy of a proposal which we
>>recently submitted to the SF Water Dept for use of a volunteer patrol in
>>their urban watershed property.  The PUC is considering this proposal
>>now.
>>
>>I would appreciate consideration of this viewpoint in your future
>>decisions about our beloved Park.  Parks are for people, people need
>>recreational pursuits...including horses.  Thanks so much !!!  Regards
>>from
>>
>>Adda Quinn
>>800-255-3774-2478
>>
>>PROPOSAL TO THE CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO TO INCLUDE
>>VOLUNTEER TRAIL PATROL SERVICES
>>FOR THE Peninsula WATERSHED
>>
>>November 1997
>>
>>THE PROBLEM
>>
>>In a meeting between Cheryl Davis and Joe Naras of the San Francisco
>>Water Department (SFWD) and members of the San Mateo County Voluntary
>>Trail Patrol on October 30, 1997, the following issues were identified:
>>
>>*	The Preferred Alternative selected by the Public Utilities Commission
>>(PUC) for the Master Plan for San Francisco Peninsula Watershed
>>(Watershed) did not contain a recreational element sufficient to the
>>needs of citizens in San Mateo and San Francisco Counties, the Bay Area
>>at large, nor to the Board of Supervisors of the City of San Francisco
>>(SFBoS).  Specifically of interest are planning elements which include
>>the potential for a golf course and more access to public lands through
>>the property, similar to trail systems available in Santa Clara and
>>Marin Counties, and the East Bay water districts.  
>>*	The San Francisco PUC has been asked to build expanded recreational
>>elements into the Comprehensive Management Plan which is under
>>development.
>>*	While a number of publicly accessed trails are proposed, including the
>>Fifield, Cahill and Skyline Ridges, there is potential for unauthorized
>>users to encroach on internal trails as well (see SFWD maps of potential
>>recreational impacts available in Millbrae) in the 23,000 acres
>>comprising the Watershed.  Equestrians are currently involved in
>>informal patrol of this area and would like to continue this service
>>until such time as it can be considered and formalized into the
>>Comprehensive Management Plan.
>>*	Lacking staff, expertise in recreation management, and budget to run a
>>recreational component and control unauthorized use, the SFWD will
>>likely look toward existing public agencies such as the County of San
>>Mateo Park and Recreation Department (SMCP&R), the Mid-Peninsula
>>Regional Open Space District (MROSD), or the Golden Gate National
>>Recreational Area (GGNRA) to administer mixed use recreational programs.
>> These agencies, in turn, rely on uniformed volunteer trail patrols to
>>assist their management.
>>*	While there may be challenges in balancing objectives between
>>maintaining pristine water resources and making Watershed lands
>>available to public access, there are also resources available to assist
>>the SFWD in making this transition, and eventually in actual
>>recreational management.  With the opening of parts of the 23,000 acres
>>of land around Crystal Springs, the SFWD will significantly enlarge,
>>complement, and connect to an existing 55,000 acres of parks and open
>>spaces in San Mateo County.  The SFWD will find a uniformed volunteer
>>trail patrol service to be an invaluable asset once recreational
>>components are added to the Comprehensive Management Plan.
>>	
>>TRAINED RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE
>>
>>Equestrians were specifically invited into the Crystal Springs Water
>>Shed in 1943 to perform patrol functions, and have had security access
>>to interior trails in the Crystal Springs Watershed for the past six
>>decades, with no adverse impacts recorded.  More recently, both foot and
>>mountain bike patrol members have been trained by both SMCP&R and the
>>MROSD in recognition of the value of mixed user patrols on trails.
>>These volunteer patrol efforts are currently assisting limited staff on
>>declining budgets in over 55,000 publicly held acres in San Mateo County
>>alone.
>>
>>Both SMCP&R and MROSD offer formal training programs to instruct and
>>certify trail patrol volunteers.  The volunteers provide their own
>>uniforms and equipment, log patrol hours and locations, and operate
>>under the rules and auspices imposed by the property-owing agency.  Both
>>SMCP&R and MROSD actively recruit volunteers as staff extensions in
>>order to defray costs and provide better public service.  There are
>>never enough volunteers to patrol, build and maintain trails.  If even
>>only some of the 23,000 acres of Crystal Springs Watershed is opened to
>>the public, pre-trained volunteers currently exist and will be a
>>valuable asset to the SFWD.  The only thing lacking is a formal method
>>to connect this existing asset to potential SFWD recreational management
>>needs.
>>
>>PROPOSAL to INCLUDE VOLUNTEER TRAIL PATROL IN THE MANAGEMENT PLAN AS
>>RECREATIONAL LANDS OPEN
>>
>>The Volunteer Trail Patrol seeks consideration in the final
>>Comprehensive Management Plan for provision of uniformed volunteer mixed
>>user trail patrol services, not only on peripheral public access roads,
>>but on internal roads to which we have had traditional access, as well
>>as others deemed important by the SFWD to prevent unauthorized use. 
>>
>> Two options have potential:
>>1.   Develop a formalized Volunteer Trail Patrol program with the SFWD
>>staff along lines that will meet the needs of the Department as it
>>expands recreational access to the Watershed, or
>>2.   Use existing templates and agency resources such as from SMCP&R
>>and/or MROSD
>>
>>This volunteer service is essentially AT NO COST to the SFWD.  The
>>SMCP&R and MROSD provide badges and radios.  These are de minimus costs
>>willingly incurred by the volunteers, if need be.  Communication
>>mechanisms with field staff and formal incident report filing are the
>>primary issues which need to be discussed.  A number of factors need to
>>be taken into consideration:
>>1.  Volunteers do not confront...they suggest, advise and report.
>>2.  Communication will be the key issue for which standards will need to
>>be developed.  Will the SFWD provide radios?  Will volunteers use cell
>>phones?  Will written reports be submitted?  When?  
>>3.  Volunteers will wear uniforms purchased at their own expense.  They
>>will purchase chevrons or patches required to identify them with the
>>property being patrolled, or these may be provided by the Department.
>>Standard attire for MROSD and SMCP&R is khaki shirts and green
>>hats/helmets;  the County provides a green windbreaker in addition while
>>the MROSD provides a vest.  
>>4.  For safety reasons, two people on patrol should be encouraged.  At
>>least one of them would be required to be in full uniform.
>>
>>Since Volunteer Trail Patrol already has a presence and knowledge of the
>>Watershed, and since we already have existing formal relationships with
>>SMCP&R and MROSD agencies to provide volunteer trail patrol services, if
>>the City of San Francisco chooses either of these agencies to assist in
>>running its recreational component, mechanisms are currently in place to
>>proceed rapidly to formalize patrol services according to Department
>>specifications.  Should another agency be selected to manage
>>recreational issues, the existing templates that we have in place with
>>these two agencies, and are in presently in negotiation on at the GGNRA,
>>could rapidly be adapted.  In the interim, we request permission to
>>continue our current informal patrol activities.
>>
>>Please find enclosed information detailing requirements and orientation
>>for San Mateo County.  While this attachment (not included for Yosemite)
>>is specific to equestrian patrol (94 active members), the County
>>currently provides training to volunteer foot patrol (12) and is
>>prepared to extend training to bike patrols, according to Volunteer
>>Coordinator, Ranger Lynne Fritz.  Please call her at 650-599-1306 for
>>further information.  .  Similarly  detail requirements for the
>>Mid-peninsula Regional Open Space District  have equestrian patrol (12),
>>foot patrol (31), dog accompanied foot patrol (7), bike patrols (14),
>>according to Volunteer Coordinator, Paul McKowan.  Please call him at
>>650-691-1200 for further information.  In both cases greater numbers are
>>trained, but may be currently inactive and could be enticed to recertify
>>if needed.
>>
>>While we will, of course, continue to make our services available to any
>>of the peripheral public roads that may be opened as trails, the
>>Volunteer Trail Patrol seeks to recognize current patrol functions on
>>the existing internal trails to which we have had historic access, as
>>well as to any others trails identified either now or later, as critical
>>to assuring that unauthorized trail use does not occur outside of the
>>publicly available routes.   We look forward to working with the SFWD to
>>define a formal patrol service relationship.
>>
>>Adda Quinn
>>
>>EPRI
>>aquinn@epri.com
>>(800) 255-3774 x2478
>