Topic: Rubicon makes SacBee... again.

[*FFC*]

Edit: The top of the article says 2006... I just recieved this link from a friend assuming it was today's article.  Sorry for the confusion.

Sounds a bit hopeful...?   http://www.sacbee.com/411/story/40862.html

Following a summer that spotlighted abuse of a popular camping area along the Rubicon Trail, off-road-vehicle enthusiasts will have an opportunity to voice their thoughts on how to improve trail management.



As a step in preparing the Rubicon Trail Master Plan, El Dorado County and the Rubicon Oversight Committee will hold a workshop Sunday afternoon at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds in Placerville. Presentations at 1 and 3 p.m. will be followed by discussion of possible management strategies to be included in the plan.



Numerous public meetings have been held to discuss the trail's future, but "this is the coup de grace," said Del Albright, a spokesman for Friends of the Rubicon, an umbrella organization for recreational groups using the Sierra trail.



"This gives everyone a chance to look at the options and say, 'Is this what we want?' " Albright said. "We'll get our hands in the pie and stir the ingredients."



Steve Peterson, a consultant with Sacramento-based Environmental Stewardship Planning Inc., has been working with trail users, property owners and representatives of environmental groups to develop the plan for the 22-mile trail, which extends from Highway 49 near Georgetown to Tahoma at Lake Tahoe.



"The thing that has come forward is an understanding that the county and users need to promote a culture of responsibility," he said.



Nearly 8.9 miles of the trail are in Placer County. Although the master plan would apply only to the El Dorado County portion, Peterson said he hopes Placer officials will participate in developing the management strategies.



Efforts to educate trail users and monitor their activities have been stepped up since mid-July, when El Dorado County and the U.S. Forest Service announced a 120-day closure of the Spider Lake area, citing safety hazards posed by large amounts of human fecal waste deposited near the lake.



User groups generally supported the closure and have been working to correct the situation.



"They've done a lot of good work in voluntary cleanup," said Mike Gray, county parks and recreation manager.



Trail users in the past couple of months have formed a volunteer patrol to help Sheriff's Department and Forest Service law enforcement officers by serving as extra eyes and ears, Peterson said. They've approached people who have driven off the trail and have explained the need to adhere to the rules if the trail is to remain open.



In addition, Peterson said, they have learned how to be good witnesses and provide evidence to law enforcement officers so people who refuse to comply can be prosecuted.



Friends of the Rubicon also has formed the Rubicon Trail Foundation and is applying for nonprofit status so it can raise funds for facilities and educational projects.



As became clear with the Spider Lake closure, sanitation will be a key element of the management plan.



Peterson said user groups have agreed that people traveling the trail should carry portable toilets and be prepared to pack waste out of the area. "Leave no trace" is an old concept governing the use of wilderness areas and one that needs to be applied along the Rubicon Trail, he said.



Albright said the foundation's first project likely would be to install a restroom near Friends of the Rubicon's kiosk at the Loon Lake entrance to the trail. People entering the trail also could pick up portable toilets at the outpost, he said.



Options for some system of permits to prevent overuse of the trail also will be discussed during Sunday's workshop.



The goal is to limit the number of people on the trail, said Gray. The device could range from something like a campfire permit that trail users would pick up from the Forest Service to a reservation-type system, he said.



Peterson said facilities that the foundation might help fund include a campground for off-highway-vehicle users that would serve as a gateway to the trail in the Wentworth Springs area near Georgetown. It would help reduce overlapping use of the Loon Lake campground, which is intended for people using the lake but also has become a staging area for four-wheel-drive enthusiasts.



Gray said Sunday's workshop will be an open forum. "It's a good opportunity for anyone who uses the trail or has concerns to put in their two cents' worth," he said.



Peterson said results of the discussions will be the subject of a follow-up workshop Dec. 4.



Sunday's meeting will be held in the Marshall Building at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds, 100 Placerville Drive. For more information on the workshops or the Rubicon Trail Master Plan, see the El Dorado County Web site at www.co.el-dorado.ca.us or call Mike Gray at (530) 621-5330.



Rubicon Trail workshop


What: Rubicon Trail Master Plan-Trail Management Strategies workshop
When: 1-4 p.m. Sunday, presentations at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Where: Marshall Building, El Dorado County Fairgrounds, 100 Placerville Drive, Placerville
For more information on the workshop or the Rubicon Trail Master Plan, see the El Dorado County Web site at www.co.el-dorado.ca.us or contact Mike Gray at (530) 621-5330


About the writer:
The Bee's Cathy Locke can be reached at (916) 608-7451 or clocke@sacbee.com.

[sloyota]

thanks for keeping us updated FFC..