Wilder Ranch and Gray Whale

On Wed Jan 11, 2006 we had a meeting with Kirk Lingenfelter (Sector Superintendent, Pajaro Coast Sector, CA State Parks) and Joseph Connors (Supervising Ranger, Wilder Ranch, CA SP). The topic of discussion was about opening the Gray Whale trails for public use.

Gray Whale Status

The Gray Whale trails issue causes grief when ever it's presented internally to a State Parks (SP) official. The file is so large, the issues are so complicated and its difficult to find a champion for this cause within SP.

Kirk and Joe had a meeting with Victor Roth (Staff Park and Recreation Specialist) and Chris Spohrer (Resource Ecologist) concerning the Gray Whale trails issue. Items for discussion included: where they left it, what they know and what are the current issues.

The process to open the trails stopped at the end of 2001. State Parks submitted the trail proposal to the California Coastal Commission (CCC) . The CCC issued a response to SP - who have yet to respond. More details about the proposal and response can be read in a different post.

The biggest concern is the requirements from California Coastal Commission (CCC, State) which were driven by Fish and Game (F&G, State) and Fish and Wildlife (F&W, Fed) concerns over the listed and endangered species in Gray Whale. These concerns are the basis for the 100 Ft biotic studies request from the CCC. Satisfying 3 government agencies is a tall order for a resource constrained organization like CA State Parks.

The public works project plan (PWP) which was submitted predicated a general plan (GP). There is no general plan for Gray Whale but if there was then the process to open the trails would be easier. A GP is quite an expensive and time consuming affair. A very rough estimate could be about $500K and two years. Also, the plan would have to run the gauntlet of a public process and we know there is a lot of opposition to opening the trails.

After talking with some other people who are familiar with trail plans, 100 Ft biotic studies are not unreasonable. However, 100 Ft studies are new to the North Sector Santa Cruz area. There were some studies done around the time of the Gray Whale acquisition but they were incomplete and were only done to 50 Ft.

The bottom line is that there are seemingly insurmountable hurdles in opening up these trails. State Parks doesn't have the stamina or the resources to open these trails. I don't blame them. The biotic studies requirement would be very expensive to complete and there is a lot of local opposition to opening them from hard core wilderness advocates and environmentalists. The Nisene Marks suit demonstrated that.

State Parks can better utilize their scarce resources to projects which add a lot of value and can demonstrate results. The Gray Whale trails project would require a lot of additional resources a and a champion to drive it internally. After that level of commitment, there is still no guarantee that the trails will be opened.

On a Happier Note

Meeting with State Parks demonstrated the good will shared between MBOSC and CA State Parks. This reengagement will lead to a productive and mutually beneficial relationship. State Parks are willing to help open new trails in Wilder Ranch. There are also some oportunities for creating new alignments to improve existing trails in Nisene Marks.

MBOSC and California State Parks are committed to cooperative efforts to promote mountain biking at Santa Cruz area State Parks, as well as educating all trail user groups on trail etiquette and sustainable use via special events (Take a Kid MTBing Day, Carrot Fest, a possible spring event, etc) and volunteer trail work.

Kirk and Joe would like to thank all trail working volunteers. There are 252 miles of trail in Santa Cruz county that has to be maintained by SP. All the trail work in Wilder Ranch and Nisene has been maintained by volunteers so it's not a burden on SP resources.

Future Directions

All is not lost. The barriers are pretty high to open the trails but not impossible.

SP needs resources (money) to move forward. They got whacked in the last State budget. Perhaps a seed of $100K can pay for a part time resource ecologist position to catalog and address the requirements from CCC, et al. Perhaps some money from a government grant or private donors can help pay to get tha general plan started for Gray Whale. Funding for the Nisene Marks general plan was seeded by donation.

The good news is that the resource department was active in the Wilder/Gray Whale area over the past several years. They have a database of activity and species which may be used as a basis for future studies.

Mountain biking is still perceived as "evil" from the environmental community. This tends to bite us in the public review process in which angry hikers attack mountain bikers as a group for anecdotal incidents of user conflict and the perception of trashing the environment. As mountain bikers, we know that we are environmentally aware and concerned. We really do have the same values as other environmental groups like the Sierra Club. As a user group we need to alter the public perception of our sport to illustrate our environmental credentials.

The lack of progress in Gray Whale doesn't mean that SP doesn't want to open trails. There may be opportunities for opening new trails in Wilder Ranch and Nisene Marks. We should consider trying to re-open Deja Vu - which is a nice single track diversion off Eucalyptus Loop. Deja Vu was closed around 2000.

Recently, a new "Fire Break" was created near Deja Vu from Eucalyptus Loop to Long Meadow. The decision to open this Fire Break was necessary and permitted outside the normal works project approval process, due to exigent circumstances that came up during the last controlled burn (fire fighter safety and control of an unplanned flare up). State Parks are interested in trying to reopen the portion of Deja Vu that does not cross into Gray Whale.

Perhaps private citizens should bound together to lobby CCC, F&G, F&W and try to get clarity, resources and lowering the requirements for opening the Gray Whale trails. This shouldn't be limited to mountain bikers. All users who have a vested interest in opening the trails should consider lobbying these organizations for access.

Meet the Ohlone Tiger Beetle! "Why don't we do it in the road".

There is a seasonal trail use modification on a 200 +/- foot section of Chinquapin Trail. This is located in the area between the Twin Gates (Empire Grade) and the Eucalyptus Grove. The seasonal modification is usually the late winter early spring season and corresponds to when the Ohlone Tiger Beetles meet on the fireroad to get it on.

In 1993, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (F&W) was petitioned by Randall Morgan, a resident of Soquel, to list the Ohlone Tiger Beetle (OTB) under the Federal Endangered Species Act. In 1997, a second petition was filed by Grey Hayes of Santa Cruz. The OTB was listed as an Endangered Species in October, 2001.

California State Parks and Recreation Department (P&R) has done surveys of endangered and other unlisted species of concern for many years, including the OTB. There have been reported sightings of the OTB in Wilder/Gray Whale for years, although no official sightings by State Parks personnel until this year. This year, there has been a sighting of a number of OTBs in the area that is posted.

The rational for the situation is that the OTB, and other similar beetles, are believed to like the open spaces to sun themselves, hunt for food, and especially for activity during mating season, which happens with the onset of warm weather. The recent sightings of the OTB in the area, in conjunction with the warm weather, has caused F&W to conclude that mating season is starting early this year. So F&W's analysis is that in the 10 months of the year other than the mating season, having the trails open to bikes is a good thing, because it keeps the trails clear of the intrusion of grasses, and maintains the open spaces that the OTB likes. However, during mating season, the OTB, which otherwise is a pretty fast mover when hunting, etc., is out en mass and engaged in mating activities that make it slower, and at greater risk of getting crushed.

It is F&W's belief that the OTB is fast enough and crafty enough to avoid getting stepped on by walkers and horses while mating, but that the faster moving cycles create a greater risk to the OTB during mating season.

MBOSC supports appropriate protection for habitat of endangered species; MBOSC encourages compliance with reasonable trail use regulations. We are glad that habitat protection has not resulted in a total trail closure, and that the current limitation is only temporary. For those reasons, we encourage cyclists to comply with the "WALK BIKE" zone, and to be careful when walking bikes through the area that you do not step on or roll over the OTBs.

At the same time, MBOSC is concerned that the desire to protect the OTB has inappropriately resulted in use limitations for cyclists only, and not for other user groups. It doesn't seem to make sense to simply post the area as a "WALK BIKE" zone without telling cyclists what habitat is being protected, why they should be walking, that the limitation is temporary, and without telling other user groups about the OTB habitat issue and what role they should have in protecting the habitat of the OTB. While we support appropriate habitat protection, we believe it should be done in a manner that does not unfairly discriminate against cyclists as a group.

CA State Parks will be presenting their recommendations (based on the Gray Whale Advisory Committee recommendations) at an upcoming California Coastal Commission hearing to decide which trails to open in Gray Whale Ranch. If you want to help make a difference towards getting more multi-use trails in Santa Cruz County, write a letter in support of opening new trails in Gray Whale Ranch to the California Coastal Commission.

The GWAC has recommended to the CA State Parks for the immediate opening of four of the six pre-existing ranch-roads that we proposed for new trails in Gray Whale Ranch. Before opening, these four trails need several minor re-routes and/or the installation of a couple of small bridges or culverts to avoid environmental damage. One of the remaining two trails will need a large bridge and approval to pass through University of California property but the GWAC wants State Parks to pursue this as soon as possible. The last trail passes on the edge of sensitive "Sand Hill" habitat and will be difficult to open without a struggle. Nevertheless, the trail user representatives on the committee, (MBOSC, the Santa Cruz County Horseman's Association and the Association of Concerned Trailriders), strongly believe this route is critical to provide a much needed loop with Woodcutter's Trail. This upper section of Gray Whale Ranch is seldom used because it has no loop connection with Woodcutter's Trail. Furthermore, we believe that any negative impacts from opening the existing trail can be mitigated by utilizing existing trail maintenance methods and minor re-routes in critical areas.

Please send letters of support for opening all six of the trails to both State Parks and the California Coastal Commission. State that the trail openings are for pre-existing ranch-roads only and will allow necessary trail maintenance to better protect the natural resources threatened by neglect. The improved access to the Gray Whale property also will prevent creation of inappropriately designed renegade trails. Any negative social or environmental impacts will be minimal and mitigated through proper education, trail maintenance and re-alignments. In support of this claim, user conflicts in nearby Wilder Ranch State Park have decreased over the past five years through public education and this will be true for the new trails in Gray Whale Ranch. Additionally, trail conditions in Wilder Ranch SP have markedly improved due in large part to the monthly trail work that MBOSC has sponsored since 1997. MBOSC is committed to continue its public education efforts and sponsorship of monthly trail work in Wilder/Gray Whale Ranch State Park in the future. Help make a difference! Send your letters to:

California Coastal Commission
Attention: Dan Carl
725 Front Street
Santa Cruz, CA, 95060

Dave Vincent, District Superintendent
California State Parks
600 Ocean Street
Santa Cruz, CA, 95060

Thanks for helping to make our trails better!

We have been working for the last two and a half years to get 6 trails opened in Gray Whale Ranch. We consider these to be the easiest to open since they are old ranch roads that are being used extensively by all user groups. The Gray Whale Advisory Committee (GWAC) which is comprised of MBOSC, Santa Cruz County Horsemen's Association and the Association of Concerned Trailriders have recommended a set of trails which should be opened which are listed in order of priority:

1. Wally World; from top of Long Meadow to Cave Gulch
2. Holiday Trail; from Chinquapin Trail to bottom of Woodcutters Trail
3. Picnic Loop; from Chinquapin Trail to Holiday Trail
4. Deja Vu Connector; From Eucalyptus Trail to Long Meadow
5. Majors Creek Vista; a short trail off of Woodcutters to a nice view
6. UCSC Connector; from top of Englesman Trail to the University property across from the Arboretum.

Unfortunately, not all or even all parts of the trails were recommended by the GWAC for opening at this time and some are longer term projects that need bridges (eg. trails 4 and 6). The bottom line is that the GWAC recommended for opening more trails than MBOSC expected considering the number of anti-mountain bike groups that were on the committee.

In addition, the trail user groups consider this to be only the first round in getting more trails in GWR. There is a large parcel of the ranch to the north of Smith Grade that the State Parks did not include in potential trail openings at this time. We will be continuing our efforts to get trails designated in that area in the future.