Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Hi Sandy and Ridecamp (in case anybody is interested)  Below is a response to the questions Sandy posted to Ridecamp regarding the trail closure issues at Montana de Oro State Park in California.

I'd also like to add, that the environmentalist concern about the Snowy Plover's extinction continues to be a complete puzzlement (they want to close down a big chunk of beach access to protect this bird).....if those birds are going extinct they'd have to do it in mass numbers judging by what I see at the beach.  There are hundreds of the little devils everywhere.  What IS amazing to me is how any kind of bird or animal who puts its nest out in the wide open sand dunes and leaves its eggs unattended has NOT become extinct already.  Also, Sandy, there IS an Equestrian Advisory Committee....John is a member of that. 

I applaud Sandy for picking up the phone and trying to get the facts straight!  John's response to what you were told by Mr. Franko are inserted in (hopefully) blue.

Subj: [RC] Equestrian Trail access - the story I heard? 
Date: 4/15/2004 11:14:04 AM Pacific Standard Time 
From: sandy.l.holder@xxxxxxxxxx 
To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 

In the past, with or without encouragement, I've contacted state officials 
re: trail use. ?After reading the email about 'Greg Smith secretly and 
quietly. . . ', I was impassioned to connect, once again with people 
involved in this process. ?Specifically, a few minutes ago, I spoke with 
Nick Franco, who seemed to be a pretty straight forward kind of guy. 
Without any hype, this is what I learned.

1). Powell II Property (newly acquired lands within Morro Bay State Park): 
this property is LAND LOCKED by PRIVATE property owners, who don't want 
the public trespassing on their property. . . duh, the State Parks don't 
have access yet, even though they own the land on the water. ?When they 
actually DO have legal access, they will create a path ?to create access.
NOT EXACTLY TRUE.
**SURROUNDING LAND OWNERS HAVE GIVEN RIGHT OF ACCESS.
**ONLY POSTED SIGNS SAY "NO HORSES." RESIDENTS FREELY WALK THEIR DOGS OFF LEASH ON THIS PROPERTY
**STATE PARK RESOURCE ECOLOGIST CONFRONTED 2 OF OUR VOLUNTEER MEMBERS WHO WERE RIDING ON THIS PROPERTY AND WAS EXTREMELY HOSTILE TO THEM, PRIOR TO ANY POSTED REGULATIONS ON THE PROPERTY

2). Cerro Cabrillo section of Morro Bay State Park (with traditional 
multi-use trails used by hikers, bikers, equestrians for years and years): 
there is a huge issue on PARKING here; a). is it adequate; and b). is it 
safe? ?I offered up that as a member of AERC, if they needed assistance, 
AERC may be able to provide some (either coordination of actual people to 
help clear, grade, etc. or maybe even - heaven forbid - we apply for some 
organizational money to help them out). ?He WELCOMED the assistance and 
will check out our aerc.org site for contacts (unless someone wants to 
contact him - hint, hint).
**PARKING IS NOT A HUGE ISSUE AND I PERSONALLY DISCUSSED THIS ISSUE WITH NICK FRANCO LAST TUESDAY. HE WAS "TOLD" IT WAS AN ISSUE BUT WAS NOT SURE HIMSELF AND ASKED ME IF IT WAS AN ISSUE. I INFORMED HIM THAT WHILE PARKING IS LIMITED, IT HAS NEVER BEEN AN ISSUE SINCE THERE ARE RARELY MORE THAN 1 OR 2 HORSE TRAILERS IN THE PARKING LOT AT ANY ONE TIME, AND I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS LOT FULL, EVER.
**THIS PROPERTY WAS CLOSED TO EQUESTRIANS BY GREG SMITH, WITHOUT ANY NOTIFICATION TO NICK FRANCO (HIS BOSS), THE SUPERVISING RANGER WHO HAS TO ENFORCE THIS REGULATION. IT WAS NOT KNOWN TO ANY OF THE RANGER STAFF OR MAINTENANCE STAFF, OR THE HIGHWAY PATROL WHICH POLICES THE ROADS IN AND OUT OF CERRO CABRILLO. WE KNOW THIS BECAUSE ONE OF OUR VOLUNTEER MEMBERS ASKED A PASSING PATROLMAN WHAT THE REGULATION WAS, AND HE SAID THE "NO HORSES" SIGN WAS NEW TO HIM.
**PRIOR TO BECOMING STATE PROPERTY, CERRO CABRILLO WAS FOR DECADES A RANCH WITH MINING, COWS, HORSES, ETC. ON IT. I WOULD CONSIDER THIS A REAL SLAP IN THE FACE TO HAVE ACCESS CLOSED TO EQUESTRIANS BASED ON HISTORY ALONE, WITHOUT ANY PUBLIC HEARING OR AT LEAST COMMUNICATIONS WITH ONE'S BOSS AND FELLOW STATE PARK EMPLOYEES.

3). Morro Strand section of Morro Bay State Park (open to equestrians for 
years and years): The federal government says Snowy Plovers are 
endangered, and lots of HIKERS have been stepping in their nests. ?To 
date, only 4 nests have been found to be affected by equines. 
Unfortunately, they need to keep EVERYONE (bikes, hikers & us folks) out 
of the fore dunes and the preserve where they nest. ?They're trying to 
work through with some ideas on the spit area - maybe allowing use during 
low tide, BUT, due to the Snowy Plover, the south strand will have NO 
ACCESS to ANYONE.
**AGAIN, THIS WAS AN ACTION THAT DID NOT HAVE TO BE TAKEN, AND WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN TAKEN, IF NOT FOR GREG SMITH. I GUARANTEE YOU THAT NICK WOULD NOT HAVE DONE THIS. THERE WAS NO PRESSURE FROM THE CITY OF MORRO BAY, FROM THE USFWS, SIERRA CLUB, ETC., ETC.? AND, WHEN THE MORRO STRAND WAS CLOSED, NICK AGAIN WAS NOT AWARE OF THE CLOSURE. DO YOU SEE A PATTERN HERE?

Additionally, he personally would like to see an Equestrian Advisory 
Committee started as a reach out point of contact for help when they need 
it. ?I've moved to Gilroy, CA so I'm a little far away, but some of you 
folks down there might want to reach out a hand to help in this area.

In any event, I personally don't like innuendo and subterfuge, so here's 
what I learned today without any of that. 
INNUENDO AND SUBTERFUGE FROM WHOM? IF SANDY IS INSINUATING THAT I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR INNUENDO AND SUBTERFUGE, SHE IS ILL INFORMED AND SADLY MISTAKEN! FEEL FREE TO GIVE HER MY E-MAIL IF SHE WOULD CARE TO HEAR THE TRUTH.

JOHN KRUEGER
EQUESTRIAN ACCESS COMMITTEE