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Trails on County Parks and Open Space |
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The County Parks and Open Space District has released the Negative Declaration of Environmental Impact (Neg Dec) and associated studies for the proposed "680 Trail," which will link the Loma Alta and SleepyHollow/Terra Linda Divide preserves. The Neg Dec is available for public review here. Led by Open Space staff, the new trail alignment was hiked by about 25 Marin residents, including representatives from MCL on Saturday, June 5. The District has hoped this new trail, tentatively called the "680 Trail," due to its proposed elevation being above the 680-foot contour line, would be built starting this summer and completed and open by the Summer of 2011. District staff has nearly completed the preliminary environmental analyses of the site. Previous public meetings were held in January and April 2010 and the public also had the opportunity to hike the initially proposed trail route on two separate occasions in February 2010.A video of the District's presentation of this project to the County Parks and Open Space Commission on January 27 is available here. This trail, which takes advantage of an easement granted in the late 1990s by San Domenico School, would be an important link between two popular areas in the District - Loma Alta and the Sleepy Hollow/Terra Linda Divide, as well as points beyond, such as White's Hill and Lucas Valley. For may years, these areas were able to be accessed by crossing private ranch lands, but the current property owner, James Hetfield, has since blocked public access to his property. This trail would bypass the Hetfield land. Late last year (November 3, 2009) the Board and staff of the County Open Space District convened a meeting to initiate a dialogue concerning the problem of growing conflicts among user groups on the District’s open space preserves. A subcommittee consisting of Supervisor Steve Kinsey and Susan Adams was appointed to develop recommendations. These were presented at a follow-up Trails meeting February 1, 2010 at which four approaches were outlined for the District to pursue: 1) Initiate Phase 1 of the Road and Trail Management Plan; 2) Explore appropriate uses of new policy tools intended to address and reduce user conflicts; 3) Build the 680 Trail, a new proposed multi-use (bikes, pedestrians and equestrians) trail between the Terra Linda/Sleepy Hollow Divide and the Loma Alta Preserves; and 4) Complete planning and pursue funding for a possible Stafford Lake (Bicycle) Park. MCL has emphasized to the County its position that the Marin Conservation League strongly supports trail policies that are consistent with the primary MCOSD goals of protecting natural resources and ensuring visitor safety, and requests clarification how enforcement is actually carried out by MCOSD rangers. 2010 Documents and Correspondence May 18, 2010 - Letter to Parks and Open Space Directors re: enforcement of laws and codes on Open Space lands February 18, 2010 - Letter to Parks and Open Space District re: 680 Trail Alternatives February 8, 2010 - Letter to MCOSD Board regarding funding for the 680 Trail January 26, 2010 - Letter to Marin Magazine regarding advertising January 23, 2010 - MCL letter to BOS on change in use |
