HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/17/2017 Item 10, Cooper
To:SLO City Council, Derek Johnson, Greg Hermann and Robert Hill
Re:October 17, 2017 City Council Agenda item #10 - Pilot Program for Winter Open Space
Hours of Use
From: Allan Cooper, San Luis Obispo
Date:October 12, 2017
Honorable Mayor and Council Members -
The spirit and letter of the 1964 Wilderness Act is to protect speciÐc lands Åwhere the Earth and its
community of life are untrammeled by manÆ and where the land retains Åits primeval character and
inÑuenceÆ and is Åmanaged so as to preserve its natural conditions Æ. The Wilderness Act also is very
clear about the kinds of activities that are deemed acceptable in designated wildernessÄnamely travel
without Åmechanical advantageÆ, i.e. dirt bikes.
Our wild lands are not outdoor gymnasiums or amusement parks. Part of the rationale for wilderness
designation is to encourage and provide an opportunity for people to contemplate and observe natural
systems. Noise and rapid movement, which stress fauna, cannot be avoided with mountain biking. Wild
areas should only allow for passive recreation. Passive recreation includes walking, hiking and birding in
small groups. Active recreation includes running and cycling.
Worse, though, is not so much the trails that are commandeered by mountain bike users, but the
numerous new and often completely unregulated creation of trails. Where there are mountain bikes,
there are frequently multiple trails established, often without any ocial oversight by land management
agencies.Little regard is given to impacts that new trails and user activity might have on sensitive
species of wildlife, the spread of weeds, and the fragmentation of habitat. I Ðnd many, but not all,
mountain bikers (snowmobile and ATV enthusiasts) put their particular recreational desires ahead of
preserving wild nature.
The purpose of open space lands as described in our Municipal Code (12.22.020) is as follows: Åopen
space lands have been acquired (both in fee and through easements) for speciÐc purposes, such as
protection of scenic character, wildlife habitat values, passive recreation and agriculture.Æ
It is bad enough that the City allows for day time mountain biking but now our City is proposing to
further degrade our open space lands by permitting hiking and mountain biking at night. Your sta report
states that Åit is likely that some level of indirect impact will occur, however the extent and severity of
those potential impacts (to Ñora and fauna) remain unknownÆ. These indirect impacts include:
Disruption of normal foraging for nocturnal and crepuscular species (i.e., those that forage at or
just after sundown);
Increased energy usage as a result of disturbance;
Disruption of breeding or nesting behaviors;
Increased risk for predation for species Ñushed by human activity; and
Abandonment of habitat near recreational uses.
Moreover, night hiking and night-time mountain biking is illegal in most state and county parks for the
very reason that it is risky and the potential liability can be huge.
The proposal before you is that SLO Parks and Recreation Ranger Service personnel will implement
patrol of the so-called ÅreserveÆ during a two-year pilot program. City sta and biological consultants will
conduct regular, weekly monitoring and evaluation of both human use and wildlife use. My question to
you is why do we need research to prove what is obvious?
I am urging you not to proceed with the proposed pilot program at this time. Thank you for your time and
consideration.