The Trail Companion

Beginning July 1, fees for day use at most State Parks will drop by 50% or more. Day use parking drops from $5 to $2, with entrance to historic parks and museums cut by half (children 16 and under free). Fees for camping will be reduced beginning Jan. 1, 20001, as well as reduce day use fees in the remaining parks (mostly urban beaches and busy reservoirs). See details on the State Parks website.

Sempervirens Fund announced they are hoping to acquire the 580-acre Cascade Creek property, which lies directly between Big Basin and Año Nuevo, with help from Prop. 12 funds. The property would serve as a wildlife and trail corridor between the two parks, and includes a significant stands of old-growth redwood that serve as nesting areas for the endangered marbled murrellet. If Sempervirens is successful, they plan to eventually transfer the property to one of the state parks.

The California Commission on Parks and Recreation approved the preliminary General Plan for Castle Rock State Park in March, including the development of the Partridge Farm area. The Friends of Castle Rock State Park and the Loma Prieta Chapter of the Sierra Club have, however, filed suit against the Commission, charging them with violating the State Open Meetings Law, known as the Bagley-Keene Act. The Sierra Club charges that, on March 8th, the Commission acted illegally when it went into closed session and made decisions regarding the general plan for the park. In addition, the Chapter has asked Gov. Davis to rescind the decisions made during the closed session.
      The FoCSP, Sierra Club, Santa Clara Audubon Society, in coalition with a number of other environmental groups, hope to force a review of the Preliminary General Plan and change key elements, including no development at Partridge Farm, defining most or all of the park as wilderness (only a portion would be wilderness under the current plan), and that planning for the park be tied into a regional planning process including Big Basin and other nearby public lands. For more information, contact Bruce Bettencourt or visit the FoCRSP website

The Castle Rock Climbing Committee (CRCC) is nearly halfway through the first draft of a CRSP Climbing Management Plan (the General Plan for the park does not include either the climbing or trails element). In writing the management plan, the CRCC surveyed climbers' attitudes and preferences for the park. The Access Fund, a national, non-profit organization dedicated to keeping climbing areas open and to conserving the climbing environment, has membership in the Committee and is helping to engage the climbing community in the issue the CRCC faces. Climbing access trails is one of those issues - the CRCC is considering whether to recommend a separate system of official access trails similar to the network established in Pinnacles National Monument (an issue which the Trails Management Committee is also considering). The CRCC has also formulated a set of climbing practices which are considered to result in "low impact climbing;" these practices will be incorporated into the upcoming new CRSP map.

Sempervirens Fund announced they are negotiating purchase of San Lorenzo Water District property below Castle Rock State Park with help from Prop. 12 funds. The 1,340-acre property, encompassing much of the upper San Lorenzo River watershed, contains a significant second-growth redwood forest with over 46 million board feet. The property already includes trail easements for the Saratoga Toll Road and the Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail. If negotiations are successful, the property will likely be added to Castle Rock, thereby increasing the size of the park by a third.

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