San Rafael, CA – The Marin County Open Space District has wrapped up its first full season of implementing a new plan to balance biodiversity, recreational desires and public safety within its 34 open space preserves.
Crew members work on a trail this summer at one of the County's open space preserves.
This summer and early autumn marked the official debut of the Road and Trail Management Plan, which was approved in December 2014 after extensive public feedback, stakeholder input and Marin County Parks staff preparation. The approval process included an environmental impact report ratified after a period of robust and valuable public comment. The plan identifies projects designed to restore natural habitat, improve visitor safety, boost recreational opportunities, adapt portions of previously unsanctioned trails, and decommission other trails.
With wet weather arriving in Marin this week, the district has finished one of its busiest seasons of road and trail work. Crews will close project sites for the season to protect the work and resources from damage during the late autumn and winter rainy season. Closure notices and signage will be installed over the course of this week to protect progress made thus far, and project status updates will be shared on the Parks website and social media pages.
“After more than five years of engagement to develop the plan, it’s great to begin making progress on implementing its vision and using it as our roadmap to improve our roads and trails,” said Max Korten, Acting Director of Marin County Parks. “We’re confident that these improvements will help our environment over the long term and enhance the visitor experience. We’re deeply committed to the success of our plan, and applying it depends on a lot of teamwork, responsibility and respect of others.”
Parks embarked on a handful of projects over the summer, such as:
- improvements to Roy’s Redwoods Loop Trail in Roy’s Redwoods Preserve in the San Geronimo Valley to reduce erosion in the San Geronimo Creek Watershed and improve safety;
- adoption of Candelero Canyon Trail and the Contour Trail complex, including the Boulder Springs Trail (formerly known as Landbridge) in Gary Giacomini Preserve in the San Geronimo Valley to reduce erosion in the Lagunitas Creek watershed and enhance recreational opportunities;
- re-alignment of Old Railroad Grade Trail in Loma Alta Preserve near Fairfax to reduce erosion in the Corte Madera Creek watershed and enhance recreational experience;
- adoption of the Octopus Trail, a multiuse connector in Camino Alto Preserve between Mill Valley and Corte Madera and decommissioning of surrounding social trails to protect habitat and enhance recreational opportunities; and
- adoption of the Fairway Trail and decommissioning of nearby social trails to protect plant and wildlife habitat and enhance recreational opportunities in Camino Alto Preserve.
Still to come is the decommissioning of some social trails in the Gary Giacomini Preserve to enhance recreation and protect plant and wildlife habitat, including for some protected species.
“Our approach on all of those projects was to ensure that they were prioritized and developed through a process that’s transparent, science-based and fair,” Korten said. “It’s valuable for us to engage our community about road and trail usage because local people share our passion for the preservation of Marin’s environmental beauty. I’m proud of the work our staff has done to collect feedback and data from stakeholder groups and other residents who enjoy the preserves we work hard to maintain.”
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