HomeMy WebLinkAbout3/16/2021 Item 12, Vujovich-La Barre
Wilbanks, Megan
From:Mila Vujovich-LaBarre <
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Protect Our Open Space and Natural Reserves - No to Night Hiking and Biking
This message is from an External Source. Use caution when deciding to open attachments, click links, or respond.
March 15, 2021
Dear Mayor Harmon and Members of the San Luis Obispo City Council,
In 2018, the San Luis Obispo City Council voted “3 to 2” to increase winter night hours on Cerro San
Luis Natural Reserve for mountain biking and public access. It was allegedly a two-year "trial
program."
Due to the precautions taken during the COVID pandemic, I understand that this two-year program
was not fully evaluated nor voted on at the previously published time.
It is my request that you vote to reinstate the previous guidelines that were “passive recreational use
from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset.” Please provide protection for the City's
Natural Reserves and Open Spaces.
Even on the shortest day in winter, this allows for 11 hours of public access. These hours of use
protect wildlife and allow them to move freely for survival. The hours also provide for public safety.
From my observation, since 2018, hikers and mountain bikers have been taking advantage of night
hiking and biking on other peaks and in other neighborhoods, not just Cerro San Luis. There are not
sufficient City funds to provide for the supervision and monitoring of all of these locations. In addition,
night hikers and mountain bikers detract from the serenity and privacy in established neighborhoods
where trails exist.
Please be aware that I am not against fitness - hiking or mountain biking - I actually enjoy both
activities. It is just very important that everyone continues to respect the beauty and serenity of our
natural reserves and open space and is mindful of the health and safety of residents and visitors
alike.
The City's General Plan states that the primary purposes of the City's Natural Reserves/Open Spaces
are the protection of wildlife, their habitats, and other natural resources, with a secondary purpose of
passive recreation only if it does not degrade the natural resources being protected nor cause
significant neighborhood problems due to compatibility. Natural Reserves/Open Spaces are not
parks. This trial night hiking program has indeed degraded natural resources and has had significant
compatibility impacts.
1
Please vote to renew long-standing environmental protection. Many constituents in San Luis Obispo
long for a City Council with words and actions that support the environment. Please do not
permanently degrade the City's long-standing Open Space Ordinance's Wildlife Protection.
As San Luis Obispo experiences more infill and growth, with both residential and commercial
development, protecting our open space is critical.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Mila Vujovich-La Barre - San Luis Obispo, California
2