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Mountain Bikers Caught Red-Handed Riding Illegally in Ventana Wilderness!
From: "Jim Preston"
Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2007 20:04:22 -0800 Subject: Ventana Wilderness Alliance success story The VWA is a mini-Sierra Club that focuses on wilderness in the northern Santa Lucia Mountains. These rugged mountains are south of Carmel to Cambria on Highway 1, known mostly as Big Sur, and west of 101 from Salinas to Paso Robles. The wilderness areas are within the Los Padres National Forest. www.ventanawild.org There is a mountain bike club that is working on trails south of the wilderness areas but I met them as they stumbled into us on a wilderness trail. The trail leads always have an FS radio but they didn't harass the MTB'ers for illegal riding. These MTB'ers were trail workers and admired our work so that probably had something to do with attitudes :-) I do a little trail work with this lively group and decided to attend the annual meeting in Marina yesterday (Saturday). A few items of interest to ROMP and the presidents of other clubs who lurk on this list: 1) VWA is only 8 years old. It has a couple hundred members with about 50 who are active and 25 who are very active. Sounds typical, heh? 2) They have a useful Web site and it is being upgraded soon. Most people find the group, as I did, by doing a Web search for the trails in the Ventana. The VWA has an excellent list of the trails and user input about the conditions. The USFS and State Parks refer visitors to the Web site for trail information. It is a useful and powerful recruiting tool that is going to be improved soon. This is about their only outreach. 2) The Webmaster is in Washington State for whatever reason but they have recently opened, and filled, the position of Editor to relieve the Webmaster of such work. The Editor is building a little editorial staff. This effort stems from their 2007 Action Plan effort. 3) They recently had a board retreat to discuss, well, if they are being all they can be. Their 2007 Action Plan is divided into Organizational Objectives and Program Objectives. They are currently executing on it and have finished several objectives such as the trail brochure for the FS and State Parks visitor centers and the purchase of a $7,000 software package for managing non-profits - Exceed Membership Management. http://www.telosa.com/ They estimate that this investment will save 100 volunteer hours / year plus increase organizational effectiveness. It seems they have either finished or have substantial progress on all 11 items of the Organizational Objectives for 2007. Yesterday's date was 1/20/07. Not bad. They create their own weather. 4) They actively seek new trail leads and get them approved by the FS. They have a trail lead coordinator for this task and have 8 trail leads with me being the newest. Trail crews work year-around, including holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. 5) The annual meeting included a display and discussion of the organization's extensive selection of tools, including several large crosscut saws. The trail work challenge is vastly more than in ROMP's region or in the Sierras. We rarely have to cut our way by hand through 60" diameter downed trees. 6) They have applied for a grant from the American Hiking Association for $14,000 for professionals to blast downed trees that are too dangerous to cut by saw. Patagonia has contributed thousands of dollars to VWA projects and had some very nice clothing available at the meeting for a generous raffle, along with three Patagonia staff (not raffled). 7) Last year's volunteer hours were over 2,000 just on the Cone Peak Trail restoration and the FS valued them at $45,000. They also did extensive work with dozens of volunteers to clean up old cabin sites in new wilderness sections along with other projects. Those projects had close to 1,000 hours. 8) The VWA raised $20,000 last year for professional trail crews to work the really tough stuff on the Cone Peak project. 9) A crew started today, Sunday, on a three day work trip near Kirk Creek with 12 volunteers. That's not bad turnout for January weekdays. They usually get lots of volunteers. The problem is enough trail leads. Mike wanted several volunteers and he ended up with 12. He doesn't even like to supervise. VWA makes trail work romantic. 10) Besides all the officer and board positions, and they aren't always the same people, they have 25 activity chairpersons positions filled and active. They have a separate board to which the founders are now retiring to. Actually not retiring. The board of directors does real board work which is one of the reasons for their success. 11) They spent $30,000 more than revenue last year and could afford it. The money went for projects. 12) They created a reserve fund recently and it is up to $40,000. They received one check for $10,000 and another for $5,000. Next they are developing an endowment fund. Does the VWA organization walk on water? Not yet, but they are closer to it than many organizations. I find it interesting that the Sierra Club Ventana Chapter has been active in the Big Sur area for decades, including wilderness issues, trail work, and publishing books. The VWA seems to be out-competing the Sierra Club, although they do work together often. If you check the VWA's Projects Web page you'll see a variety of projects that are similar to the MROSD and FS projects, except for the Navy bombing next to the wilderness at Fort Hunter Liggett. I don't have a date set yet but sometime in May I'll be the trail lead on a brush and tread work project on the Little Sur River Trail. The trail is a mess but the swimming hole and waterfall at the camp four miles in is a real treat. Email me off the list if you are interested in doing trail work on the Little Sur. We'll backpack in but day labor works also. Some poison oak is mitigated by the swimming hole and the gourmet pot-luck that is the trademark of this group. The backpacking in the Ventana Wilderness is world class, or better, with awesome views, amazingly rugged terrain, and incredible remote swimming holes. Rescues are common as are huge forest fires. There are hot springs and condors, the hot dry eastside and the cool wet coastal side with extensive redwood groves. The northern Los Padres is not all wilderness and MTB opportunities exist, if someone wants to create them. - jim === I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to humans ("pure habitat"). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8 years fighting auto dependence and road construction.) Please don't put a cell phone next to any part of your body that you are fond of! http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande |
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