HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/9/2021 Item 4a, Lucas
Delgado, Adriana
From:wcwlucas@aol.com
Sent: 2021 2:15 PM
To:E-mail Council Website; Purrington, Teresa; Hill, Robert; Hermann, Greg
Subject:For November 9, 2021 City Council Meeting: OPEN SPACE WINTER EVENING HOURS
OF USE AT CERRO SAN LUIS NATURAL RESERVE
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To Mayor Stewar t and City Council Members,
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As a member of yak titu titu yak tiłhini – Northern Chumash Tribe of San Luis Obispo County, I appreciate
this opportunity to address you in the very important decision about Cerro San Luis Mountain.
You are making a decision on Tuesday night that will have permanent and on-going ramifications.
I apologize for my late input.
When I first spoke at the City Council meeting two years ago about the nighttime hiking and biking ordinance, I
approached it through a health and safety lens. As a physical therapist, I had worked with many folks with head
injuries and spinal cord injuries, those typically being adventurous risk-takers. I thought it would add some
weight to your consideration not only for people's safety, but also liability issues for the city. I assumed that
the biological and ecological issues would be well-represented, so I focused on the risk for injury. In daylight,
mountain bikers and hikers do not mix well. The problems with this as a nighttime activity are compounded
exponentially.
I was astonished to see the heavy turnout that night. I also increasingly wished that the speakers would have
been required to identify where they were from, as the "in-house" chamber conversations I could hear indicated
they were definitely not from this area ("the drive from Santa Barbara," etc.) The bike coalition was strong that
night, impressively so and well-organized. One gal even introduced herself as being from the Audubon Society,
and stated that essentially there would be no negative impact on bird life (a clever ploy to identify her self as
such, but we all know it does not take much money to be a member of the Audubon Society).
One comment from a City Council member at the end that night was that they recognized “the public need” to
have this mountain be available in this way, and voted in approval. I was immediately struck by the construct
of that statement, and really wished I could have made the point of the importance of distinguishing a "want"
from a "need" - a critical discernment, especially these days. Exercise is a public need.
Mountain biking access to this mountain, day or night, is, admittedly a strong desire by some, but certainly does
not rise to the level of a need. Water is a public need. Access to Pepsi is a strong desire by some.
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I frankly was very disheartened and discouraged by the approval of the temporary ordinance at that time, and
that the speakers of science, biology and ecology were essentially ignored over the calls for nighttime
recreation.
So what difference does it make to speak out?
And I don't know if this time it will make a difference, but I must at least try. For all our sake.
We speak, in indigenous ways, of learning to be in relationship with the land. To honor its gifts that are
abundant, and often times that means simply to be present and listen. To reconnect and learn the lessons nature
has to teach us.
If there ever was a societal need for this reconnection, it is now. Walking/hiking enables this- using this
mountain as a race course does not.
I offer this plea, on behalf of the wildlife and the plantlife, the habitat of our beloved animals, be they 2 or 4
legged, furred or feathered, their nesting and grounding activities, and the life of this beloved mountain, to say
“NO” to this nighttime ordinance.
You are in the position of being able to protect this beautiful natural resource, instead of being the decision-
makers that contribute to its devastation.
And in the big issue of climate change and the destruction of our planet, we are all, in actions large and small,
playing a part to speed things along or slow it down. Personal responsibility does matter.
I ask, I beseech you, to deny this ordinance (as well as not allow any further mountain biking, but that is not in
the purview of this ordinance) on Cerro San Luis Mountain. This is deemed a Natural Preserve for a reason, and
needs to be respected in that way. Please help protect the land, the animals, the birds, and the plants now and
for future generations.
I ask you to love this mountain so much that you will do everything you can to protect it.
Thank you,
sûmoqini (always)
Wendy Lucas
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yak titu titu yak tiłhini – Northern Chumash Tribe
San Luis Obispo County and Region
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