HOT & EMERGING ISSUES

The following page documents issues of keen interest to the members of this organization.  If you would like to have an issue posted or make comments, please forward you the information to James Verret at info@right-2-ride.com

1. Section 6 Regulations.  The main focus of our current efforts

2. New County Trail Standard.  Board of Supervisors adopted new Trail Riding standards in early 2007 after a brief comment period that no equestrians or equestrian groups appear to have known about.  These standards radically changed the way the county looks at trails and the way horses are regulated.   In the new code section "82.19.050 Development Standards for Trails" all trails for horses (in natural areas) need to look like the diagram below, a diagram that was obviously imagined and drawn by city folk.  

The implications of and questions raised by this diagram are multifold

• Do all trails in natural areas need to look like this to conform with the new code? What about in major remote areas like wilderness.  What about when trails are narrow and go up steep terrain to the top of a mountain?  When they go over rocks?  Are the trails suppose to be closed?  Are the rocks supposed to be removed? 

• What about "designated equestrian corridors" like they have in the Joshua Tree National Park and other area of federal regulated wilderness where there is no designated trail, only a corridor?  Are there now no "equestrian corridors" allowed in San Bernardino? 

• How about historical use of washes?  Are these trails? 

• What about steep trails?  The code code language limit the grade of trails to 20%.  How are switchbacks handled or are they allowed? 

• What about if they don't look like this?  Do they now need to look like this?  And if they need to look like this, does some sort of environmental assessment to make them look like this?   

• What about historic trails or adventure trails?  Do all new trails need to be 8 feet wide - level and boring?

• Also how about off-trail riding? The conspicuous omission of a discussion of off trail use of land by equestrians in the county code (such as in washes) is also troubling given that the county seems to have little concern and understanding of how equestrians actually use public lands.  

Anyway these standards are troublesome and we believe designed specifically to restrict access by equestrians to public lands.  Furthermore, it is obviously this section of the code was passed without considering equestrian rights and issues since equestrian group appear to have known about the new standards prior it passage.  These trail standards, as they relate to equestrians, need to be repealed until the full implications of such a change can be fully considered and assessed by the Board of Supervisor with input for equestrian groups.