February 2017 Advocacy Minutes

Advocacy Meeting

February 6, 2017 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.

4499 Ruffin Road, San Diego

Ben Stone - Advocacy Committee Chairperson/Vice-President SDMBA

Meeting called to order at 6 PM

Welcome and Introductions (Ben Stone)

Questions or comments?
1. Comments on law enforcement from Dee Folse - park rangers, land managers have a job to carry out their duties and enforce policies.
2. However, it is definitely possible to work with them to reach common goals in some cases.

Guest Speaker: Kevin Best, Park Superintendent, Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
1. Non profit association CRSPIA (Cuyamaca Rancho State Park Interpretive Assn) - non profit fundraising that can be used for “interpretive programs” - educational by nature
2. Could we get RSPIA to fund bike fixing/maintenance stations?
  1. Yes, and we can place one at a volunteer camp in Cedar Grove. Project evaluation form - shows improvements at volunteer camp. Also, bike lockers are there and available.
  2. Pilot program - to look at and fit bike station device with the goal of putting more in the park
  3. Wilderness areas - strict about mechanized equipment. Would encourage people to use their bikes. The challenge will be finding locations for them. Green Valley Falls and other areas - MBAU does do interpretive programs for the visiting public, and SDMBA bike fixing station could possibly be integrated with this.
3. Clinics at Cuyamaca? SDMBA owns some plastic ramps and the like, but has had to transport them in the past.
  1. One clinic has been done up at Cuyamaca, and Cuyamaca would like to have their own equipment for ramps, practice equipment, etc.
4. Cedar Grove Volunteer camp - being revamped and is right next to the school camp. Equestrian volunteer camp right next to it.
5. Volunteer camp will be going online - ability to make reservations, etc.
6. Trail connectivity - Blue Ribbon trail would enable mountain bikes to stay off 79 and enable connection to the southern end of the park. This has been taken out of wilderness, and there needs to be a “change of use” taken into account in order for this to be designated for MTB.
7. Ben has learned of the process to attempt a “change of use” for trail systems, and is concerned that it will go very slowly
8. A system-wide CEQA is being done. In the Roads and Trails survey, there is opportunity for public input. All trails have been GIS’ed, they have been surveyed and data is being compiled and recommendations being given for use. That document comes out as a graph, and then public can give input.
9. The timeline on that is unknown, but has been over a year.
10. Ben, on state Wilderness - this designated through a process that is not done by congress. The only way to move these boundaries is to have a full environmental review done. There seems to be a regulatory issue here, along with the fact that this could be a barrier to getting more people/visitors into the parks.
11. Kevin Best - this land is set aside to preserve resources, but also help to provide recreation. It is difficult to get new trails opened and/or looked into in state parks.
12. East side trail connecting up to Green Valley Road - this would include a route that is not too difficult and acceptable for beginner riders.
13. Kevin Best- the overall process is what is the biggest impediment, and it would probably have to do the most with lack of staff. State parks in general are underfunded and understaffed.
14. They are currently about halfway through trails and fire road assessment - is there any idea when that will be able to start?
15. Susie -The Trails Maintenance Unit has work parties are every Saturday and anyone can be involved in that.
16. Reminder that it rains more up there and trails can be torn up fairly easily. Please spread the word that riding in the rain/mud is very damaging to the trails. Trails in Cuyamaca do not usually close because there are many ways to get in and the trails are difficult to close.
17. State Parks will be going through some changes fairly soon, and staff could potentially be changed
18. Matt Bartelt - What decision-making do you have in regards to a reroute of trail? Kevin Best - Not so much, something like a reroute would have a team working on it and would go through at least some small mitigations.
19. What will the next step be into moving the process along? - This is the first time for Kevin Best through the Roads and Trails survey. Alex Steele would be a place to start, as she is the head of the Roads and Trails program.
20. Connection from the end of Lucky 5 to Pine Mountain Trail. This is pretty much all on public land, but is part of Anza Borrego. This would be great to get people off of Sunrise Highway as a connection. We can go out and walk this trail legally, but at a certain point it cannot be walked anymore. Most of the valley is still in private hands. We would like to get effort to state parks to change this.
21. Anza Borrego is going through a master plan update and is the largest state park in the country. We have recently had some ideas - state assemblyman and city council member from Santee, planning on running for state senate - had passed a modification for liability issues around skateparks. Has worked on similar bills before. State park changes and regulations - CDFW try to open up these trails to the public to have access to that. Could we take STC bill and revamp it in order to cover all these bases?
22. Q: What can we do to try to change regulations in state parks? What ways are there around this? A: Target a state senator/assemblyman. Circulate to other California chapters and attempt to draft this through state senate. It would probably have to be dual sponsored.
23. Changes in state parks will not happen on their own - we will definitely need to pursue this.

La Costa/Denk Mountain update (Susie Murphy & Dee Folse)
1. News in the last month- Sarah Godfrey is in lands management La Costa/part of Calavera. MarKus of CNLM (Center for Natural Lands Management) sent it out, and it goes over potential property acquisition for 4 parcels.
2. Denk Mountain history: in 1996 - Harmony Grove fires. Switchbacks started to form there and got ridden in. There were no homes there then. This has been a local hub for many years, and there needs to be more authorized recreational use of that area.
3. Underlying threat was that a very small parcel could be developed within the trail system. CNLM has been afforded the opportunity to purchase that and keep it safe. We have proven on many different levels that we will work hard to keep land intact. Example: Copper Canyon/Copper Creek was purchased and then bridges were added in.
4. La Costa preserve is the hub of North County - for Double Peak, Elfin, North of the Border, Green Flash, etc.
5. Looking for $50,000 for tax account in perpetuity from donors. CNLM is a non profit and can handle the acceptance of any donations and will handle the acquisition. On the parcel that will be bought, there are no specific trails but it is crucial to keeping La Costa intact.
6. Everything has to be managed, there has to be a plan, etc.
7. Rich Julian, Dee Folse, Adam Watkins, Nick Buck, Sarah Godfrey (CNLM) and other interested parties came together for a meeting - with that group there is definitely a great chance of excellent management and organization.
8. There is a lot of interest in getting maintenance done on those trails. Trail work tools - Dee says that they are good to go. This could be 100% legal! This is the hub and drop in spot for everything, and there is parking. This definitely needs to be a collaboration.
9. Question: if land is acquired, is there going to be something in place for short/long term volunteers? Who is liaison at La Costa? Rich Julien is currently but Rick Minnick will be taking over.
10. Would like to come up with a patrol similar to Dave Hekel’s patrol in Lake Hodges, and the land manager is in support of this.

SDMBA Top 10 Priority Project List - discussion and revision (Ben Stone)
1. Stowe Trail Alignment
2. Mission Trails Master Plan Update (possibly not as important as it used to be)
3. Palomar District/Orozco Ridge - letter of intent got pushed up to Will Mets to review 25,000 acres owned by the forest service. People of Ramona are excited about this. Bike park/bikepacking opportunities out there.
4. Mother Miguel/Rockhouse
5. Sycamore Goodan Ranch reroutes
6. Bike Park
7. Tecolote
8. Black Mountain/Black Widow
  1. PQ council and City of SD is still deciding what to do with this.
  2. Should this be removed from the top ten?
9. Del mar Mesa Loop Connection
10. State parks - lucky 5 connector
  1. New trail at Lucky 5 - that needs to be looked at ASAP with the forest service side. 2019-2020 projects are being looked at now.
11. San Diego River Park trail Ocean Beach to Santa Ysabel
12. La Costa Preserve/Denk Mountain
13. Hollenback Canyon
  1. Tracy Nelson to work with community to help build trails.
14. Further discussion will be had at upcoming board meeting to revise this list for 2017.

MCAS/Stowe Trail update/Work Day 2/11/17 - (Ben Stone/Kevin Loomis)
1. MLK day 2016 was when bikes we confiscated by Marines.
2. March 11th the trail is being opened up to permitted riders! The Stowe Connection will be opened up. Press release will go out, and the trail cannot be ridden without a permit..
3. Online, then get a permit from the base. Need to have ID and permit when riding there. Instructions will be distributed once they are received from the Marines.
4. If trail users go onto the base (even accidentally), everyone can easily lose access.
5. On Homefed land, there is an easement as long as the City of Santee is doing what they need to. This is granted easement from a developer allowing us to ride on their land.
6. Two sections will be designated for parking, off Fanita Parkway to the Santee Lakes recreation/RV area. If this gets filled up, we cannot have people parking in the neighborhood. On Strathmore, there are can be NO PARKING.
7. The area that will be open will allow us to enter from a different spot on Fanita Parkway.
8. If you are parking anywhere, do not park in front of people’s houses. We will let the community know of this.
9. Staging/grand opening on March 11, will potentially be in the lot of Coffee Corner and church - if the dirt lot is not graded, we will have a staging/grand opening in the parking lot there. We would like to establish a place where people know where to park.
  1. We will get decent compliance, but it will not be 100%. We will do our best to enforce this.
10. Trail goes north and south through the valley from Santee Lakes to Sycamore Goodan Ranch. Additional signage will be added - some provided by the Marines and some from SDMBA.
11. Trail work day on 3/4/2017, we need as many people as possible to rehabilitate and brush areas, and to do trail work. It will be close to 2 miles. Everything that is west of that trail will need to go away.
12. Andy Darraugh will get GPX and split into three teams. We can only use brush that is local. 15-20 marines will also be there helping with polaris vehicles.
13. Do we have the right tools for the number of people that are expected?
  1. We will need a lot of picks, decompacting picks, plants to transplant.
  2. Possibly borrow from Matt’s stash.
14. Staging will be difficult, and parking in the original lot off Sycamore Park Road will be like clay if it is too wet. Parking adjustments will be publicized if necessary.
15. Switchbacks, etc. will not come back. There will be signage and potentially more oversight on trails to the east.

MTRP comment period (Kevin)
1. March CAC meeting - March 7th Tuesday night (Advocacy first).
  1. Comment period for trail alignment/master plan update. We need mountain bikers to show up to this meeting. City is looking to us for help and leadership.
  2. The Master Plan will decommission a lot of road. Steep roads will have switchbacks going off to the side. Jackson, Fortuna, etc. will receive new trails.
  3. A CEQA that will come for each individual part of the park. There will be one for Cowles, East Elliot, Sycamore, East Elliot, Tierrasanta/Fortunas, Grasslands. At each review, we can make changes to these plans.
  4. Master Plan will be on the website.
  5. It will probably be available at the Visitor’s Center also. After this, it goes to city council to be voted on
  6. 1-2 years minimum before dirt will be moved.
  7. It would be great to have another organized event in this more central area!

Sycamore Goodan Ranch Update (Ben Stone/Evan Sollberger)

USFW Mother Miguel/Rock House update (Jason Showalter, Susie)
1. Supposed to start on work this month, but there were issues with trying to plan realignments and permission from SDGE to stage logistics. To get the alignment has been slowed a bit, but will hopefully get to look at this again in March.

Black Mountain New Trail Building/Arsenic Update (Matt Bartelt)
1. Here is the good - east ridge of Black Mountain is done for this year! This was a 5 year plan, 3 year build.
2. The bad - high amounts of arsenic in the Miner’s Ridge area, trail is closed. Stay out of that area. This will be at least a 3 month process, testing woodrats and determining what kind of arsenic it is. There is a potential for breathable arsenic.
3. Do not touch the black/blue/orange rock that is out there! It is potentially deadly. There are runoff collection pools in the lower areas. Please respect the closure - it will be at least April/May before a decision is made. They do have to start ticketing. Law enforcement will be out there.
4. Connector that will drop into the valley will be the next project - 2-5 years of plans.
5. Trail finished last week is open on the east ridge!!
6. We should send an announcement out to tell people where to ride and where not to ride.
7. Staging at Miner’s Ridge is still open, but make sure to stay off of trails that are marked. Entered from fire road on the west side of the mountain also available to get to newer trails.

Chollas Creek Update (Susie)
1. Work day last Saturday at Chollas Creek with about 35 people including the San Diego Urban Corps crew. This is a 1 mile section of trail in City Heights going northeast between Euclid and 54th.
2. True urban trail. This is city property, funded with SD Canyonlands and UrbanCorps with a grant from SD Foundation.
3. City wanted to put in steps, but we wanted to do a sustainable reroute. Kyle and Jason convinced the ranger and city biologist to allow us to design a reroute. People rode through it, ran on it, etc. Great amenity for the neighborhood. Built 100 feet of new trail!
4. Got our foot in the door with SD Foundation, for the city to show that we can do great work together.

Trail Crew Leader Training 3/12/17 Elfin Forest (Susie)
1. In the past, we used IMBA Trail Care Crew which is not currently being funded. We are now going to take trail care training in-house. If you are interested, please talk to Susie.
2. Will be done at Elfin Forest. Morning classroom session, trail work in the afternoon.
3. The goal is to get all the liaisons on a common page with vocabulary, trail building etiquette, etc. Kyle Gunderman and John Holloway will be the instructors.
4. If we train a core group of trail leaders, we can then do a Trail 101 class for people who would like to learn more, possibly twice a year. And then, they could graduate to being trail crew leaders.
5. All trail liaisons should have gotten an invitation.
6. Some land managers will be invited as well.

New Liaison: Hollenbeck Canyon Louie Cardinale (Susie)
1. Jose Galaz recruited Louie Cardinale, who lives in Jamul/Spring Valley for help with Hollenbeck.
2. Tracie Nelson (CDFW) is very enthusiastic. Louie has spoken with Tracy in the past, and already has a connection with her and there is definitely potential for growth there.

Member Poll/IMBA changes (Kevin)
1. IMBA is going through some major challenges and is offering some solutions to chapters across the county. We are concerned because IMBA is in some financial trouble, losing Subaru, etc. SDMBA seeks to do an analysis and survey members and our community as to remaining an IMBA chapter makes sense at this time.
2. IMBA has announced the hire of Dave Wiens as the new Executive Director.
3. One possible proposal shows dual IMBA/SDMBA membership increase from $35 to $49 with 60% staying with SDMBA and 40% to IMBA. Currently, we get 40% of dues and send 60% to IMBA. This is, however, not where the majority of our funds comes from.
4. IMBA also proposing to provide opportunity by buy insurance at a lower price than SDMBA currently pays. Currently, we pay for our own insurance. IMBA will be offering insurance again, and this will be less expensive than what we currently have. Still waiting on details here.
5. Regional directors are proposed to change to Subject Matter Experts that chapters could use for a consulting fee as needed. IMBA currently manages membership, mailers, emails, payroll, etc.We will have a poll with members to ask what is important. Our members will need to have a lot of background information in order to make an informed opinion regarding IMBA and what benefits we have as a chapter.
6. Q: Robert is working on website, what membership capabilities will that have?
  1. A: There was a committee last year to come up with a backend plan for SDMBA to take all data onto Memberleap - take all the membership data that IMBA has for marketing, volunteers, advertising, etc. We can be 100% self-sustained. March-April will be the completion of this.
7. The numbers regarding the relationship between SDMBA and IMBA are available from Kevin Loomis if anyone would like to look at the financial analysis.

What is IMBA able to do now vs. what we can do?
1. IMBA will be doing their lobbying with feds and Washington - littel or none in Sacramento. IMBA does not fully support bikes in Wilderness as Sustainable Trails Coalition does
2. World summit - many great gains being made in places like Arkansas. They like the support of the e-bike industry. Very centrally focused.
3. As an affiliate, we can support them as a benefit on a national scale. Form a 501C3 nonprofit with many of the California chapters.
4. A few other CA chapters that would like to help form the basis for this.
A franchisable model is what we have attempted to design. Other groups would like to be a member of a non-IMBA organization. However, someone would have to run this.
If we broke with IMBA, there would be an issue of dual advertising so we would have to have an advertising plan.
Q: Taking leave from IMBA, would there be more room for marketing?
1. A: Yes. Trek Superstore, for example, gives $2 for every bike. We could sign those people up for SDMBA to be members free for 6 months. Then, we would be able to advertise to them for years after that. Kevin’s goal: 2000 members this time next year. This package should allow many more people to be involved than before.
Q: How would we capture the people who are expiring? Because of this, we could potentially lose members.
1. A: 6 month extension right off the bat, link them back in. Data dump includes membership dates.
2. Membership drive to be done that day, if that is the case. Education or our MTB community needs to be done first before any action is taken.
We need a summary of what SDMBA does, and what IMBA does, along with Pros vs. Cons of remaining a chapter.
We could potentially do more for the region here and focus on California. Things may change, but it will be difficult to do that from Sacramento. We can do more for the SD MTB community here than anywhere else.
From a financial perspective, we have doubled in funds in the past 3 years, with a full-time employee.

Old Business (Non-discussion items)

Tecolote Trails plan - (Evan) - (In progress 2016 build 2017)
Pamo Valley/Orosco Ridge Forest Service Waiting for LOI (Ben)
Fanita Ranch Trails Plan (Ben Stone) (Mid of 2017)
Castlerock project date June 2016 grading has begun (One year) Ben
Black Mountain/Black Widow (Matt/Susie 2017)
San Diego County Bike Park (Jason Showalter)
Del Mar Mesa Surrounding Development
Rock House / San Diego Wildlife Refuge- update (Jose/Jason)
Otay Valley Regional Park - (Jose)
Tijuana River Valley (Jose)
Palm Canyon Update (in Progress October-November)
San Diego County PLDO Funds
Village 13 Projected Date “(First Quarter 2017)”
Mission Trails Master Plan (Summer 2017)

Meeting ended at 8:50 PM

Next meeting: Monday, March 6, 2017

Minutes recorded by: Siobhan Baloochi, Secretary

Attendees ( 26 total):

Minette Ozaki

Kevin Loomis

Ben Stone

Matt Bartelt

Andy Darragh

Sandy Jones

Dom Dias

Mark Webb

Susie Murphy

Mike Lewry

Steve Boland

Sean Murphy

Dee Folse

Bob Ponting

Louie Cardinal

Philip Erdelsky

Kyle Gunderman

Karen St. Germain

Chuck Hickey

Kirk Bennett

Michael Macare

Rob Aaronson

Tom Cook

Daniel Pitard

Evan Sollberger

Siobhan Baloochi