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 ● Equestrians Help ● Position Statement ● Thanks Forrestal Committee ●   PVPLC Newsletter ● Sierra Club trail recommendations ●  CORBA booth at PV Street Fair  ●  Forrestal Public Meeting ●  National Trail Day  ● Trail Use Survey ● Forrestal History  ● Plant Alert  ● Bikes Banned ● Trail work December 10 2005   ● Meeting with Horsemen's Assoc ●
● Public Use Workshop June 3rd 2006 ● Trail workday 7-8-06
 
Public Use Workshop June 3rd
We made a difference. Keep it going!
The Palos Verdes Vision Plan and Public Use Master Plan Visioning Workshop was held on June 3rd. About 100 people attended the event. Over 22 cyclists made the commitment to save our trails - thank you!

After an orientation by Melendrez and Associates, 8 workgroups of about 10 people were formed to express views about open space. Their conclusions were then presented to the assembly.

The results will be formally published later but some commons points were expressed:
► Keep the trails the same, without over sanitizing them.
► Keep the trail use the same.
► Create a fun zone for cyclists.

Some well-known ardent anti-bike people were in attendance but their negative views were not part of the group conclusions. Why? Because cyclists were there to express their views, face to face. This is an example of what we have to do to keep our trails. Without a helmet or body armor, cyclists are just good people with the same rights as everyone else.


CORBA PV has worked hard to help keep trails open to bikes. Cyclists have contributed hundreds of volunteer hours to help the land conservancy and city repair trails. Because of the work cyclists have done, most of the community is not opposed to bikes on trails. However, there are some who take every opportunity to fervently voice opposition to bikes. Without your participation, they will succeed. Don’t let this happen!

Position:

For decades, hikers, equestrians, and cyclists have freely shared trails on privately owned open space in Rancho Palos Verdes. Cyclists have wholeheartedly supported the acquisition of open space through fund raising and volunteerism. We are all stakeholders.

Every trail user has a fundamental right to use our communally owned open space and trails. To deny this basic right should be the option of last resort, pursued only after every effort has been made to resolve perceived issues.

In the event land managers close trails to specific users, the underlying reason should be clearly stated to allow for future mitigation. Trails should not be segregated without measurable cause.

Remediation should be given high priority with the intent to restore trail access to everyone. This process should be reviewed on a regular basis and be open to the public.

Issues:

Trail erosion – All trail users denude the tread surface. However, water is the predominate cause of erosion on poorly configured trails. Water erosion can be managed by trail work projects that correct trail deficiencies. Cyclists have volunteered hundreds of hours to repair and redirect water flow off trails.

Impact to habitat - There is no evidence that cyclists impact habitat more than other trail users if they ride only on designated trails. New trail construction can damage habitat. Cyclists have organized to stop unauthorized trail building and to repair inappropriate trails built before open space came under public management. CORBA PV will continue to educate cyclists about this important issue.

User conflict - Some trail users have complained about speeding cyclists. We believe that this is a rare occurrence. To minimize this issue, CORBA PV has created a trail brochure and web site to educate cyclists about trail etiquette. In addition, CORBA PV has offered to provide an on-trail presence to further educate trail users and assist land managers and the city.
 


Palos Verdes Peninsula Horsemen's Association Meeting
By Troy Braswell
I was invited to attend a meeting of the PVPHA on August 18 at the Empty Saddle Club in Rolling Hills. PVPHA President Dale Allen introduced me as a CORBA member, and I received a warm welcome. He gave a brief history of our cooperation with their group at Forrestal. I feel the exposure was a very positive step toward our goal of close cooperation between cyclists and equestrians.

Guest lecturer Rod Bergen spoke to more than 50 horsemen about how to deal with trail distractions, including bicycles. His focus was directed at training the horse and rider to deal with any event that may "spook" a horse.
Rod was not only informative but very entertaining as well. He presented a lot of details about how horses perceive everything around them and why they react to threats.

Horses have survived for thousands of years by instinctively running away from anything that they see as a threat. Armed with the right knowledge, equestrians can observe this behavior and react to prevent disaster. A raised head with ears pointed forward is a key sign that the horse is getting ready to escape the situation. A lowered head means the horse is relaxed.

Equestrians were shown how to respond to this distressed state by controlling the horse and understanding the horse’s needs for safety.

I participated by moving a bike towards a horse at progressively higher speeds. Please note that this was not a simulation of a high-speed bike encounter but was intended to show that the horse could learn that I was not a threat. In the hands of Mr. Bergen, the horse learned quickly and was well behaved.

While the focus was on horse/equestrian response, it is very obvious that cyclists need to obey the rules of the trail and anticipate encounters with any trail user. Here are some guidelines you’ve seen before with some new insight on horse behavior.

● Maintain a speed that will allow you to stop well before an encounter. If you can’t see around a curve or obstruction, slow down as though there will be a horse or hiker there. Think ahead. Trail bells are encouraged but are not a permit to go charging around blind corners.

● If you see a horse, stop first. Don’t just slow down. Ask the rider in a normal tone what to do.

● If the horse is approaching, get off the trail with everyone on the same side. Don’t make the horse run a gauntlet. If there’s a drop off, move to the downhill side so the horse is above you. Predators often attack horses from above.

● If the horse becomes distressed, ask the rider what you should do. Remember the horse must quickly find a “safe zone” in order to calm down. Never surround a horse. Always leave an escape route.

● When the horse passes, don’t immediately jump on your bike or make noise. Predators attack horses from the rear, so you may spook the horse even after an otherwise good encounter.

● You are encouraged to stop and talk to the rider. Everyone benefits from being a friendly member of the trail family.

● If you are tempted to pet the horse, ask the rider first and approach with your hands down. If you touch the horse, extend your hand palm down to reduce the threat response. Many horses don’t like to be petted on the face, preferring the neck or shoulder instead. As with many animals, eye contact can be viewed as a threat so don’t look directly at the eyes. Stay visible at all times.

Every off-road cyclist is a representative for our sport. We have to demonstrate these simple rules to every rider on every ride. We have a great opportunity to form a lasting relationship with our equestrian friends and to show everyone that we can all share the trails in Rancho Palos Verdes.
 

Bikes Banned from Trails - Not Exactly

The RPV City Council voted on the the trail access portion of the Forrestal Nature Preserve Management Plan on Dec. 4.

Bikes are temporarily restricted from trails A-14, A-15, A-16, and L-1 because of safety and stability (map). As soon as a revised map is available, we'll post it on this website so you can understand exactly what trails are involved. Here is the city statement.

At first, we were disappointed the council did not adopt the Forrestal Steering Committee Management Plan as proposed, but we realize the council’s approval of any mountain bike use in the preserve is a success for our efforts. Remember that bicycle use was not even considered before we became involved.

The city council’s vote was premised on putting a high priority on improvements to the upper trails. CORBA-PV will focus our efforts on getting these improvements started as soon as possible. We hope you will volunteer for the trail work involved.

A big thank you to everyone who attended meetings, volunteered for trail work, and demonstrated responsible riding on the trails. You made this possible. You’re continued support will make a difference.

No date has been set for actual implementation of the plan. We will keep you updated.

We did make a difference.

  • The concept of multi-use trails was accepted.

  • We have confirmed that our volunteerism is essential for the management plan to work.

  • Trail safety and stability were the reasons for closure, not habitat destruction or user conflict.

  • We know the closures can be reversed by physical means.

  • The city council has agreed to place a high priority on making trails suitable for multi-use.

  • The city will allow CORBA guided rides while work is done to open trails to the general biking public

We need your support.
This year we learned that volunteerism is our strongest asset. We are deeply grateful to all of you who made the effort to come out and work.  You are our heroes. If we maintain this level of commitment in 2005 we can achieve all of our goals.