We meet every third Wednesday of the month @ 7 pm at Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor Center.
Check the Event Calendar for the next meeting.
Afflilates
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SDMBA - San Diego Mountain Biking Association
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Report on Happy Trails Happy Habitats Event at Crestridge Ecological Reserve, 2014, January 25 |
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Wonder what you missed if you didn't attend the Happy Trails Happy Habitats event at Crestridge Ecological Reserve last weekend? Here is a full report with photos. Keep it on your radar for next year! Everyone learned so much and had so much fun, we're looking to do it again next year! Thank you to all the volunteers and sponsors that made it possible. And a big thanks to the IMBA and Clif Bar grant!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4PTft85Mm2waTFxSENfNFdtV1E/edit?usp=sharing |
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Your efforts have been noticed! Mountain Bikers and fellow trail users have been successful in raising awareness about the need for better public policy on environmentally responsible recreational trails for all users.
Sept. – Dec. 2013- SDMBA representatives attended public and private meetings with staff of the City Parks and Rec. Dept., MTRP CAC and Task Force, Council Member Sherman and staff of Assemblyman Jones. (See MTRP Update below for details.)
In November- SDMBA launched a letter campaign to alert City Council and the City Park and Rec. Dept. of the discontent of trail users with the recent trail closures all around San Diego. We requested that they work with us as stakeholders to be a part of the solution to better manage trail users. Your letters and phone calls got their attention!
Jan. 11, 2014- Members of the community took things into their own hands and organized a grass-roots protest ride at MTRP. This event was supported and attended by an estimated 500 trail users including SDMBA, Bonita Valley Horsemen and Bonita Bikers. Many local television and newspaper reporters were there to cover the event. Thank you Dustin, Doug and Mike for all your efforts to direct this energy in a positive and productive direction.
Jan. 15, 2014 the monthly SDMBA meeting drew over 50 attendees who volunteered for Advocacy, (new) Website and Sponsorship Committees and several new candidates surfaced for SDMBA Board seats at the next election. Kevin Loomis accepted the position of new Advocacy Committee Chair.
2014 is going to be an exciting year for SDMBA. We appreciate the diversity of volunteers and members who have stepped up to make our voice stronger. Please join SDMBA if you are not already a member and Like us on Facebook to take part in the conversation of our current issues and events. |
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SDMBA representative met Wednesday January 15th, 2014 with San Diego City Councilman Scott Sherman, Field Representative Brandi Klemstine from CA State Assemblyman Brian Jones office, and Liz Saidkhanian from Council member Scott Sherman office to discuss MTRP and trail closure issues relating to East Elliot area.
SDMBA discussed possible trails in the MPU to prioritize and get a head start on for implementation once the MPU is approved. SDMBA stated some high priority trails were now missing on the current MPU that were present on the previous Conceptual version (Barker Service Road reroute and others) and asked why they were now gone. Trial loop systems on the MPU were stressed by SDMBA representatives as high priorities to provide the most useful trail options in the East Elliot, Fortuna Mountain and Cowles Mountain areas.
SDMBA stated willingness to partner with the City in any MTRP trail building projects and had both the manpower and expertise that could expedited the process. Sherman stated that such trail building labor assistance would need to be reviewed in case of conflicts with Unions that could do the work per their contract before SDMBA or IMBA trail builders could be included in budget planning and any actual work.
The issue of private parcels in East Elliot was discussed. Private parcels present two roadblocks to approved trails implementation: 1) passage through them and 2) habitats that may be endangered. A previous meeting with Open Space Division, Park and Recreation Department (October 18th) focused on the parcels element as well in which SDMBA and City Planning discussed the areas, generated maps of parcel owners, habitats, and thought that it was possible to use those areas to build a trail system. The city though, cannot implement trails without ownership or easements through them. Those need to be established before trails can be built. Sherman's office is looking into possible solutions to the private parcel issues.
Property Ownerships N of HWY 52 can be found at:
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Help get trails open at Bonita/Sweetwater Summit Park Area |
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Sharing a message and request from our supportive fellow trail users Bonita Valley Horsemen. If you were at the SDMBA meeting Wed. night, THIS is the letter Jay asked you to send in support of opening trails at Bonita/Sweetwater Summit Park Area.
If you didn't know, Bonita Valley Horsemen showed up to support the Mass Meet-Up ride at MTRP last weekend. Let's return the show of support and send your letters now. We want these trails open ASAP!
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Bonita Valley Horsemen
Subject: Fwd: Update of Southside Trail Closure
Hello Trail Users:
This is an update relative to the South Side Trail Closure in Bonita/Sweetwater Summit Park Area. We encourage you to spread the word of what is going on and contact Sweetwater Authority and San Diego County to urge them to move forward.
At the Beginning of December 2013 a public meeting was held regarding the trail closure. After that meeting the County Parks Department (County) and Sweetwater Water Authority (SWA) met with US Fish and Wildlife and came up with a game-plan to get this trail back open. This is a legacy gateway trail (est. 1978) to all parts east of the Park. The first step was that the County and SWA would draft a request for a “Low-Effect Habitat Conservation Permit”, which would allow for a low boardwalk to be constructed over the puddles. This would allow passage for all trail users (Horses, dogs, bikes and people) to cross the puddles.
SWA and the County put this together, but are now arguing over who will sign the permit! SWA insists the County should be a co-signer and the County insists it cannot sign for responsibility not in their jurisdiction. Unfortunately, once they receive the application, FWS must publish this permit in the pubic register to allow for public review for 30 days. However the permit is now sitting in LIMBO and the attorneys from both sides continue to hold things up!
Attached are two documents for you to read and review:
1. A letter from the County Parks Department to SWA asking them to sign or deed the property over to the County so the County can sign.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4PTft85Mm2wbWZDSzBKWDYzOWc/edit?usp=sharing
2. A letter for you to send to both the county and SWA urging them to stop this impasse and sign the permit so the trail can be appropriately rehabilitated and opened.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4PTft85Mm2wMlIyd3Rrb2J2Vmc/edit?usp=sharing
Also for your information, there is currently a large mud puddle on the trail between Summit Park and the South side trail. SWA has been notified of this and has agreed it is not a vernal pond and has promised to fix it immediately.
Thank you for your continued involvement in our trails. We must continue to fight to keep our trails open.
--
Diane Carter
President Bonita Valley Horsemen
http://www.bonitavalleyhorsemen.com/ |
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We are in the process of launching a new website that should make it easier to navigate, find information, and for us to update the site with fresh content. In the meantime, for the most up-to-date content, please visit our Facebook Page at facebook.com/SDMBA. The new site is scheduled to launch by 1/31/2014, but the date is subject to change. |
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Hikers and Bikers to Rally in Protest of Recent San Diego Trail Closures |
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Saturday, January 11, 2014 9 AM – 1 PM
Protest Parade starts at 10 AM
Mission Trails Visitor’s Center
One Father Junipero Serra Trail, San Diego CA 92119
Trail users including Hikers, Mountain Bikers and Trail Runners are planning to gather in protest of the rash of recent trail closures across San Diego County. All Trail Users are encouraged to participate. While SDMBA did not plan this event, we support the local community of trail users that are rallying to express their disappointment in the way these trail closures were carried out.
Look for SDMBA volunteers and the SDMBA iPad to sign up for membership and join the fight for better trails in San Diego.
We encourage people to ride responsibly and ride only on open trails. We encourage the City and MTRP to work with SDMBA and other Trail Users to come up with alternatives before closing trails.
For more information about the protest rally, a link to the Draft MTRP Master Plan Update and an on-line petition click here. |
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News Alert: Mission Trails Regional Park Area Closures |
A Special Edition TrailNews Alert was sent out on 9/17 to inform you of a planned closure to areas of Mission Trails Regional Park, SDMBA's actions, stance, and next steps.
Click here to view the entire message. |
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