HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/9/2021 Item 4a, Christie
From:Santa Lucia Sierra Club <sierraclub8@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, November 8,
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:re 11/09 meeting, Item 4a
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Dear Councilmembers,
We are pleased that the Council decided at its Oct. 19 meeting that it needed to see a thorough review of information submitted by the
public and the potential environmental impacts of permanently opening the Cerro San Luis Natural Reserve to hiking and biking after
sundown, when wildlife is most active.
Of all the data that has come to light over the course of the pilot program, the most significant is likely the collection of studies and
findings assembled in the peer-reviewed journal of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Fish and Wildlife
Journal; Recreation Special Issue 6-10; 2020,
The following sampling is representative:
“…smaller carnivores and mountain lions seemed to be exceptionally vulnerable to human disturbance. Furthermore, the higher the
level of overall disturbance in a protected area, the more sensitive carnivores were to disturbance variables.” (pg. 41)
“Mountain biking in the dark (i.e., night riding), which is on the rise in protected areas, can disrupt the natural balance between diurnal
and nocturnal wildlife.... Night riding can compound the pressure such wildlife experience from daytime recreational activities by
increasing encounters with competitors and even further reducing the time available for foraging and breeding.” (pg. 113)
“Despite the prevalent emphasis on the societal benefits of protected areas and the purported reciprocal relationship between protected
areas and humans, most agencies responsible for managing protected areas are chronically underfunded. And, promoting the pursuit of
these societal benefits without protecting the dual-role protected areas’ core function (biological conservation) from that pursuit
actually undermines both the human experience and biological conservation.” (pg. 43)
“A consideration often not made in conservation planning is the need to address the temporal aspect of human-wildlife interactions.
For example, similar to seasonal restrictions, diurnal or nocturnal “temporal zoning” may be necessary to restrict certain human
activities during times of the day when sensitive species are most active or when the likelihood of negative human-wildlife encounters
is greatest.” (p. 119)
“At some point, the exploitation of protected areas resulting from recreation-related disturbance to wildlife, without commensurate
reciprocity with care for the protected areas, may outweigh the benefits of public access to protected areas.” (p. 46).
We urge you to consider these studies and their conclusions in light of the purpose of the City’s Open Space Ordinance (at 12.22.050,
Rules and regulations applicable in city open space lands): “All natural and cultural resources (including, but not limited to, all
naturally occurring plants and animals, prehistoric and historic artifacts, structures, and remains of structures) within city open space
lands are protected, and no person shall collect, gather, or otherwise disturb any natural or cultural resources found therein….”
Also consider the intent of the Conservation and Open Space Element (at 1.2), “to protect resources (such as air and water, wildlife
habitat, scenic and agricultural lands, watershed and historic features) with a secondary goal of accommodating passive recreation
where it will not harm the environment”), and its “Priority 1: Protection of existing wildlife and natural habitat generally” (Appendix
C: Management of Open Space Lands), and the stated purpose of the COSE (at 7.0): “Natural communities also have value in their
own right, independent of their role as sustainers of the human community or as pleasant vistas. As urban uses expand into open
space, the natural cycles and interrelationships upon which natural communities depend are altered. This results in the disturbance,
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displacement, loss of habitat or mobility and the loss of animal or plant populations.... As a steward for the natural resources of future
generations, the City must preserve habitat and the species that it supports.”
Thank you for this opportunity to comment,
Andrew Christie, Director
Santa Lucia Chapter of the Sierra Club
P.O. Box 15755
San Luis Obispo, CA 93406
(805) 543-8717
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