susiemurphy

9/8/2019 Orosco update from SDMBA: Since receiving news of the cancellation of the Orosco Ridge Trail Project at the beginning of August, SDMBA staff, volunteers, members and other interested trail users have been taking action. This has resulted in the attention of one congressional representative and a meeting with the Forest Service on the calendar for early October. This meeting will involve the new Forest Supervisor, District leadership from Palomar and Descanso Districts. The goal of this meeting is to find a way forward for trails within the Palomar Ranger District. The Palomar Ranger District has sent us a refund of close to $9,000 for staff time billed to date on this project. This is a fraction of what we have spent to date on this project. We have put these funds and all remaining money for this project aside for trail projects within the Palomar Ranger District. We will continue to provide updates after our meeting in October and outline a plan on how to move forward with the Palomar Ranger District.

ATT will have it's revival. FS all fine with the trails currently on their land. No access to trails formally on tribal land. Now the work is to create legal access from the bottom. We are getting close. Only a couple of parcels left to acquire by the County and other partners. It will happen.

Actually much of the newer staff are mountain bikers, climbers, trail runners and such. This is one of the reasons we are making some headway on the Descanso district of the Cleveland National Forest. Rangers who have recreation backgrounds and actually get outside to recreate is the key. Sierra Club is a different story and they are opposed to most all we try to do if they can tear themselves away from their litigation activities.

hard to make blanket statements in any area. Advocacy is a nuanced issue and progress is hard. In stark contrast to what is happening with the Orosco Ridge Project on the Palomar District, we want to highlight the fact that we have a highly effective ongoing partnership with the Descanso District of the Cleveland National Forest. The Mount Laguna Trails Plan is going through the same process and regulatory requirements that the Orosco Plan was. Under a collection agreement between SDMBA and the Descanso District, SDMBA is providing funds, raised through a grant from REI and proceeds from the Mount Laguna Trail Fest, to pay for the staff time to complete the NEPA requirements. This partnership is thriving under the effective and innovative staff who see the immense benefit of providing new and improved sustainable trails in the Mount Laguna Recreation Area.

we agree. We are not giving up. Shared stewardship to get trail projects done is the only way forward that the USFS has!

@Happypanda1337: Actually the City of San Diego has approved class 1 and 2 ebikes on their non-motorized trails. So that means Mission Trails Regional Park, Black Mountain Open Space, Penasquitos Canyon, Tri Canyon Trails as City of San Diego managed spaces are ok for ebikes.