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possible Rubicon Trail Closure
Submitted by Bob on 25/Jan/2010
71.142.211.35
Message:
Comments Deadline January 25, 2010
EL DORADO COUNTY SUPERVISORS TO CONSIDER FUTURE OF RUBICON TRAIL
FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, ON JANUARY 26 THE EL DORADO BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WILL CONSIDER THE FUTURE OF THE RUBICON TRAIL IN OPEN SESSION
Tell El Dorado County Supervisors that Destruction is Not Recreation !!!
Image removed by sender. Truck in snow
Destruction during wet season ... it ruins the skiing and
snowshoeing!
This Tuesday, January 26, El Dorado County Supervisors will choose a management strategy for the world famous Rubicon Trail. Please take a few minutes today to call or email El Dorado County Supervisors and ask them to choose Option 1, which will allow vehicles to continue using the historic route across public and private lands in the high country of Eldorado National Forest, but stops the destruction that led to last year's Cleanup and Abatement Order (CAO) from the Regional Water Board. This is the least expensive option.
Please refer to the Summer 2009 Snowlands Bulletin for details on the CAO.
The historic Rubicon Trail, adjacent to Desolation Wilderness, has been used to drive from Georgetown to Lake Tahoe since the 1930's. Since the mid-50's it has been a popular destination for off-roaders, who enjoyed the combination of a challenging driving experience and the beauty of the high Sierra landscape. Since the late 1990's however, a new type of user has invaded this iconic trail. "Rock Crawlers" began to deliberately destroy the trail, in order to make it more challenging for their highly modified rigs. Not only did they make segments of the historic trail impassable for traditional off-road vehicles, their activities resulted in significant damage to the public lands and streams through which the trail passes. The Water Board's CAO was a result of that damage.
In addition to its clean-up orders, the CAO requires the County to designate the legal location of the Trail. Because of the damage to the historic route, numerous by-passes have been created. Option 2 that the county is considering includes some of these by-passes in its designation, in order to allow the extremists to continue using the play areas they have created through their destruction. Option 3 would add "corridors" of unspecified length and width to Option 1 or 2. Both Option 2 and 3 would allow the activities that resulted in the destruction of the Rubicon Trail and the adoption of the CAO to continue! Options 2 and 3 do not meet the Water Board's requirements and put the county in conflict with the Clean Water Act.
What you should do
Ask the Board of Supervisors to adopt Option 1, which maintains the historic trail and use, but repairs the damaged portions so traditional use can resume. The trail may also be rerouted around sensitive areas.
Everyone can comment. You don't have to live in El DoradoCounty. But if you live in El Dorado County, then your comments are especially needed!
DON'T DELAY. YOU NEED TO COMMENT BY MONDAY NIGHT.
If you are not able to attend the meeting, please call or write the Supervisors and ask them to adopt Option 1, a single trail from Wentworth Springs to Lake Tahoe.
El Dorado County residents should call or write their Supervisor. Non-residents should write or call Norma Santiago.
John Knight, District 1
bosone@edcgov.us
Phone: 530-621-5650
Ray Nutting, District 2
bostwo@edcgov.us
Phone: 530-621-5651
Jack Sweeney, District 3
bosthree@edcgov.us
Phone: 530-621-5652
Ron Briggs, District 4
bosfour@edcgov.us
530-621-6513
Norma Santiago, District 5
bosfive@edcgov.us
530-621-6577
If you are going to attend the meeting, the Rubicon Trail is the last agenda item and will likely be heard from about 2 PM until as late as 9 PM. The meeting will be held at:
330 Fair Lane, Bldg A
Placerville, California
Points for your call or letter
The most effective letters include some information about why this area is important to you and your family. Also, you should not simply copy the text below - put it in your own words.
* A Single Route is the only viable, affordable and environmentally-sound option for the Rubicon Trail. Allow historic use of this iconic trail to continue, including street-legal off-road vehicles and Jeep Jamborees. End "rock crawling" and damaging winter use on wet soils.
* Option 2, with multiple alternate routes, would be expensive and serve a few, mostly out-of-county extreme rock-crawlers who want the challenge of climbing over boulders and plowing though snow and mud. What they consider "fun" is the very activity that accounts for most of the environmental damage on the Trail, including erosion, petroleum spills and water quality impacts; the issues that brought on the Clean-up and Abatement Order. This kind of destruction is not appropriate on public lands, and El Dorado county taxpayers shouldn't have to pay for it.
* Option 3 is even worse than Option 2 because it will allow destruction beyond the existing trail.
* El Dorado County faces a serious budget deficit. The Board eliminated the Department of Parks and Recreation, which served many more county residents than the Rubicon Trail. Now General Funds are supporting a play area for extreme off-roaders, most of them from out of the county. This is unfair to County taxpayers.
Thank you for your support and help on this issue.
Together we can make a difference!
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