Topic: PRESS RELEASE: RUBICON TRAIL FOUNDATION STATES POSITION

[cruzila]

I thought this might help folks understand what was driving our vision and position in regards to this CAO. Initially we started a rebuttal but quickly realized we were positioning ourselves in the matter. After many, many hours of thought, legal review and rewrite, we presented this to the Rubicon Trail Foundation Board. It passed unanimously.

RUBICON TRAIL FOUNDATION
Contact: Scott Johnston FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Telephone: 530-409-8482
E-mail: Scott Johnston
Placerville, CA April 24, 2009

PRESS RELEASE: RUBICON TRAIL FOUNDATION STATES POSITION
Position Statement by Rubicon Trail Foundation in regards to:
Rubicon Trail, El Dorado County

The Rubicon Trail Foundation maintains that discharging waste into waters of this state where it threatens to create a condition of pollution or nuisance is not an acceptable practice and that reasonable steps are being taken to manage discharges.

The Rubicon Trail Foundation sees two separate issues in over the snow travel and wet weather/snow melt conditions.

1. Deep snow conditions that discourage travel, camping and general use are a barrier that significantly reduces trail population. In these conditions, vehicles with a large tire footprint can float over the snow and result in a near zero impact.

2. Super saturated soil conditions present a soil erosion risk that exceeds that of other conditions. Rubicon Trail Foundation strongly recommends voluntary travel restrictions during these super saturated conditions based on site-specific and scientific evaluation.

The Rubicon Trail Foundation does not support the blanket restriction of Rubicon Trail use by season, or by vehicle numbers, type or size.

The Rubicon Trail Foundation supports El Dorado County's current management procedures for addressing vehicle fluid spills on County roads. The Rubicon Trail Foundation believes improperly disposed of human waste on the Rubicon is best corrected by a multilevel approach that includes public education, portable sanitation solutions and permanent toilet installations, where practical.

The Rubicon Trail Foundation supports a County-developed Operations and Maintenance plan for maintaining the Rubicon Trail based on the March 2009 California Geological Survey assessment and its updates. This O&M plan should include a list of prioritized projects.

The Rubicon Trail Foundation supports efforts to define the boundaries of the Rubicon Trail. A well-defined trail, maps and signage are important steps in that direction.

The Rubicon Trail Foundation encourages the establishment of reasonable and practical operating procedures for training of volunteer groups and others to install and maintain trail drainage structures, stream crossings and new trail segments.

The Rubicon Trail Foundation supports educational programs to inform Rubicon Trail users of trail rules and etiquette.

The Rubicon Trail Foundation supports requiring every Rubicon Trail user to carry portable human waste disposal devices and requiring every motorized user to carry oil spill kits.

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The Rubicon Trail Foundation was formed in 2004. We are a federally recognized non-profit organization dedicated to the future health of the Rubicon Trail and our mission is to enhance the future health and use of the Rubicon Trail, while ensuring responsible motorized year-round trail access. The Foundation works with individuals, clubs, organizations, and agencies to maintain and manage the trail. Our Officers and Directors represent a wide variety of Rubicon Trail OHV users, land owners, county representatives, manufacturers, and event organizers.
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If you would like to help with our efforts, you may*send your tax deductible donations to:*
Rubicon Trail Foundation PO Box 2188 Placerville,*CA
Paypal donations or major credit cards by calling 888-6rubicon or by signing up for a Friends of the Rubicon work party at: www.friendsoftherubicon.com
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More information is available at www.RubiconTrailFoundation.org
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If you would like more information on this topic, or to schedule an interview with a representative of the Rubicon Trail Foundation, please e-mail president@RubiconTrailFoundation.org

[BikerTrash]

Way to go man! Looking forward to when I can afford to go all the way to the Rubicon.

[Rocksurfer]

Now if we can just get all the vultures that just come to watch to stop screwing things up by not using the pit toilets or just leaving their trash then we'll have a better place to wheel. I think most people that wheel the Rubicon respect it for what it is and try to keep it clean and open for us and our children to use but there is a faction out there that for the most part don't wheel it but hang out there by the dam and when a group goes by run up to the Little Sluice to watch the carnage, then completely destroy the area. They are called vultures for this and hang out in the vultures nest drinking, partying and making us (wheelers) look bad since it looks like they are with us. It's really hard to control that situation since they have just as much right to be there as us but some there show no control at all. They for the most part don't care if it stays open or not, they are there just for the party. Last year in Big Bear we had a rollover incident, the vultures showed up in mass and completely made us as a club look bad even by those wheelers that came after us. They had nothing to do with us but since we were there it looked like they did an we as a club took the heat for the drinking and garbage left by the vultures. We did return after we cleared the vehicle and cleaned up but it was too late the visible damage to our reputation was done.