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FOTR is an informal coalition of groups and individuals dedicated
to keeping the Rubicon Trail open and available to all recreationists.
We are working with Placer County, El Dorado County, the USFS,
private businesses, many organized recreation groups, and other
land management agencies to ensure our famed Rubicon Trail remains
as one of our crown jewels of motorized and mechanized recreation.Friends
of the Rubicon and the Rubicon Trail Foundation
Contact: Jacquelyne "Bebe" Theisen or Scott Johnston
Telephone: 530-888-8302 / 530-409-8482
E-mail: bebehumr@gmail.com / president@rubicontrailfoundation.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE: FOTR & RTF STILL COMMITTED AFTER BOS DECISION
Volunteer Coalition and Non-Profit Reflect After County Board
of Supervisors Vote
Placerville, CA January 26, 2010: El Dorado County Board
of Supervisors voted to formalize the alignment of the world-famous
Rubicon Trail. This decision includes a handful of important
bypasses around some of the more difficult sections of trail,
providing trail users the option of taking a less difficult route
around the toughest segments of trail. In a meeting which lasted
well into the night, the Board of Supervisors heard arguments
from county residents, off- highway vehicle enthusiasts, environmental
activists, the U.S. Forest Service, and the State Parks OHV Division
about how to best define the trail which winds through the scenic
Sierra Nevada west of Lake Tahoe.
The Board of Supervisors discussed options for addressing a Cleanup
and Abatement Order (CAO) issued by the Central Valley Regional
Water Quality Control Board. The DOT listed three options for
consideration, ranging from establishing 1.) a single defined
trail, 2.) a defined trail with bypasses around the most difficult
sections, and 3.) a 'corridor' option which would have included
wide areas where specific trails might be defined. In the end,
the Board of Supervisors chose the option of a single route with
bypasses, which they felt provided the widest range of opportunities
for public access while still addressing the CAO. Tom Celio,
Director of DOT, stated that all options presented would be able
to address the CAO.
This County action formally recognizes the main alignment of
the Rubicon Trail and a handful of alternate routes with multiple
levels of difficulty near Devil's Postpile, Forgotten Sluice,
Little Sluice, Indian Trail, and the True Old Sluice. Selecting
this middle option is a balance between recognizing a single
trail and recognizing every existing alternate and bypass. "In
reality we lost very little" said Scott Johnston, President
of the Rubicon Trail Foundation, "We are still committed
to working with the County this was a good step toward
satisfying the Water Board's CAO."
In a frustrating last-minute twist which caught the public by
surprise, the Board of Supervisors also voted to reduce the size
of the largest rocks in the iconic Little Sluice Box, a signature
section of Rubicon Trail near Spider Lake with high technical
difficulty. This controversial proposal, was put forth by Supervisor
Jack Sweeney after the public comments session was closed. "I
and other members of our volunteer community were blind-sided
by the discussion/decision to alter Little Sluice", said
Jacquelyne Bebe Theisen, Trail Boss for the Friends of the Rubicon
(FOTR). "Our volunteers deserved the opportunity to discuss
the alteration of Little Sluice with the Board of Supervisors
and we will. This is not over."
RTF and FOTR will work together to push the County Department
of Transportation, to lead organizations, and agencies together
to identify and employ non-explosive management techniques to
minimize impacts at Little Sluice and still comply with the Board
of Supervisors' instructions. In the meantime, FOTR and RTF will
continue to work with the County to mitigate concerns in the
area by distributing WAG bags (for collecting human waste) and
spill kits (for cleaning up fluids spilled by damaged vehicles);
reaching out with education from the kiosks, providing roving
trail patrol and mid-trail staff; and delivering internet-based
education.
On several occasions during the course of the meeting, the Board
of Supervisors expressed how grateful they were for the incredible
commitment of the (OHV) community who volunteer thousands of
hours a year educating trail users, performing trail maintenance,
and cleaning up and addressing sanitation issues.
The volunteers of FOTR, Jeepers Jamboree, California Association
of Four Wheel Drive Clubs, and many other local clubs and independents
have worked together to maintaining Rubicon Trail for more than
50 years. The joint efforts of the County, the Forest Service,
the California OHV Division, and these volunteers provide an
unprecedented example of a collaborative process that works,
and are a shining example to land managers and user groups across
the nation. "We have to move forward, and keep our volunteers
motivated. It's going to be a challenge, but we can and will
succeed," Theisen added, "We are relieved that after
ten years of discussing the issue of trail alignment with little
action, the County has finally identified what routes they will
maintain in conjunction with the Volunteers."
FOTR's extensive volunteer coalition coordinates with RTF's federally
recognized non-profit organization, and with 8+ years of FOTR
volunteerism and 5+ years of RTF fund-raising, we expect that
the Rubicon Trail will continue to be an environmentally sound,
viable, year-round trail accessible to the public for years to
come. If you would like to help with our efforts, you can sign
up for a Friends of the Rubicon work party at: www.FriendsoftheRubicon.com
or send your tax deductible donations to: Rubicon Trail Foundation
PO Box 2188 Placerville, CA 95667. Donations may also be made
with Paypal or major credit cards by calling 888-6RUBICON.
More information is available at www.RubiconTrailFoundation.org
and www.FriendsoftheRubicon.com
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For more information on this topic, or to schedule an interview
with a representative of RTF or FOTR, please e-mail Scott Johnston
at President@rubicontrailfoundation.org or Jacquelyne Bebe Theisen,
Friends of the Rubicon Trail Boss and Volunteer Leader at bebehumr@gmail.com
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Please print and hand out the
FOTR Brochure below! |
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Keep a few copies handy in your
rig so you can share them with others. |
FOTR Brochure Page 1 (pdf download)
FOTR Brochure Page 2
FOTR Website
Click to find out how to Donate to the Rubicon Trail
Foundation
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