Friday, December 16, 2016

GGNRA allows dogs, two local on-leash trails


Pacifica Tribune/Jane Northrop, Staff Writer, 12/14/16. "Dog owners howl over National Park Service rule."

Image result for Mori Headlands trail, Pacifica, CA picture
Happy to be off-leash, what?
....  The National Park Service slightly changed the areas where dogs will be allowed off leash and on leash in Pacifica and Moss Beach in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area parks in the final Environmental Impact Statement released last week... .... Addition of on-leash trail at Mori Point (Mori Headlands Trail);  addition of on-leash trail to overlook at Milagra Ridge (Milagra Ridge Road); addition of off leash area at Rancho Corral de Tierra (Flat Top) ... .

....  “While I am pleased that the GGNRA took public comments into consideration and added an off-leash dog walking area to San Mateo County, I am still disappointed that most of GGNRA remains inaccessible to dogs and their owners,” Speier said. “I appreciate the Park Service’s compromise, but it does not go far enough to address the full scope of what dog walkers reasonably requested. However, after 14 years of gridlock, I am relieved to see some movement in the right direction by the Park Service. I have always made it very clear to the Park Service that it is unacceptable to have no off-leash dog walking in San Mateo County. This plan addresses one of my concerns by including an off-leash area at Rancho Corral De Tierra. It also adds some areas for on-leash walking in San Mateo, San Francisco, and Marin counties.”

Local dog owners who organized into grass roots groups to make comments at public meetings with the NPS now find themselves in an adversarial position. San Francisco attorney Chris Carr represents those groups – Save Our Recreation, Coastside Dog Owners Group (DOG), San Francisco DOG and Marin DOG. He said he will sue NPS over this rule.  Read article.

Note photograph. Two dogs, "Best friends hike at Sweeney Ridge" by Steph Schwartz from Dog Trekker, have dog will travel Newsletter, "Impact, San Mateo County".  

Posted by Kathy Meeh

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

The honest truth re. the newly proposed 2016 GGNRA Dog Management Plan:

1. The current GGNRA Dog Management Plan (a downsized and contested version of the original and thoroughly negotiated, by all stakeholders, 1979 GGNRA Pet Policy) designates one half of one percent (i.e., .005) of the GGNRA's over 80,000 acres for off-leash recreation.

2. The newly proposed 2016 GGNRA DMP eliminates 90 percent of #1 above and bans dogs completely from many areas where they were previously allowed off-leash.

Here is how it maps out:

San Francisco Impacts:
Crissy Field: Loss of 60% of dog walking space
Fort Funston: Loss of 60% of dog walking space
Ocean Beach: 80% of Ocean Beach will be no dogs allowed
Lands End: Loss of all off-leash space
Baker Beach: Loss of all off-leash space

Marin County Impacts:
Off-leash dog walking eliminated from all trails in Marin.
On-leash trails have been cut from 24 miles to just 8 miles.
The only off-leash dog walking area will be at Rodeo Beach, a remote location with treacherous surf.
Off-leash dogs will be banned from Muir Beach. There will be no access, even on leash, to any of the fire roads in or around Muir Beach.

San Mateo Impacts:
Loss of half of the on-leash dog trails at Rancho, Mori Point, Milagra Ridge and Sweeney Ridge (from 29 miles to 15 miles).
No dog walking access to Sweeney Ridge from Pacifica. Pacifica residents will have to get in their cars and drive the 8+ miles to San Bruno to access this area that was once accessible from their doorsteps.
No access to any GGNRA trails in San Mateo County for people walking with more than three dogs, a restriction which will displace commercial dog walkers into smaller city and county parks.
No loop trails at Milagra Ridge and Sweeney Ridge.

Thanks FP for posting this!

Anonymous said...

This is what you get when the sociopathic faux-enviros get a hold of power.
Pacifica is now back in the clutches of these self righteous hypocrites with their recently stolen council election.
Just when we were beginning to see some light, this gang wrangled the majority NO vote back into their holsters and will now get back to their favorite past time. Their mantra, "I got mine, fuck everybody else".

Anonymous said...

I went to the public "discussion" GGNRA had here. When I spoke to staff about no off leash in San Mateo the guy very dismissively told me people will drive to Ft Funston. I asked him What kind of carbon foot print is that leaving when I live here, surrounded by open hills. He had no answer.

So, we got about 3 acres of off leash at Flat Top. At the top of a hill. Not easy for everyone, incl me.
Now the only off leash beach in Pacifica is inaccessible. The first time I went there was high tide. Didn't realize I needed the tide table app for that. Water was hitting the stairs.

Sigh... I have a small dog who keeps me young. I'm in much better shape than I was before I got him. I walk him 2-3 times a day. But I cannot exercise him enough on leash. He is well behaved with voice control and I clean up after, even driving it home if needed.

I mostly walk in Moss Beach because I have a horse there. I rarely meet anybody on the trail. Will occasionally see others 1/4 mi away. Yet I will get an expensive ticket if my dog is not on leash. And the trail they closed to any dogs is basically on the other side of peoples fences. It's not a wilderness.

Sigh


Anonymous said...

1130 The only light you've ever seen is Bud. Enviros back in power? Shit happens. You were robbed? Thank Nihart for dropping that ball. Next election in under 2 years and your contribution will be to whine for the entire time.

Steve Sinai said...

How did Nihart drop the ball?

Anonymous said...

She explained it in her email to the San Mateo County Dems, something about her computer being hacked and while trying to get it fixed she forgot to follow up with talking to the Dems about the endorsement and Hatch Act issue. The email is around somewhere. Look it up.

Anonymous said...

I have come to the conclusion that some people are on an endless loop of vitriol on any and every post.

Anonymous said...

"How did Nihart drop the ball?"

She should have waved her magic wand and stopped all the Dierdre supporters from their coordinated campaign of lying that you couldn't vote for Nihart and that those votes wouldn't count.

Anonymous said...

Conspiracy theory much? Need a new tinfoil hat.

Anonymous said...

3:04
Precisely on point. The Deirdre puppet masters knew exactly what they were doing and are completely bereft of morality and decency.
These scumbags are back in power and have ushered in at least another decade of decay. If Pacifica at large can remember this dirty deed when it comes time to replace Digre in two years, we might be able to put a stop to these "I got mine, fuck everybody else" hypocrites.

Anonymous said...

430 It's going to take more than vitriol and sock puppetry on here. And, why lament? Any change in Pacifica in the last 10 years has been inconsequential. The next 10 years promise more of the same. Only Mother Nature shakes up this town.

Anonymous said...

"Conspiracy theory much?"

Moral relativism much?

Whatever it takes to win, right? Enjoy the "victory" because payback is coming two years hence. Meanwhile, you've got a crippled councilmember with no mandate and no legitimacy, so while you've got a vote up there, there won't be any leadership on issues because people tend to frown on politicians who are complicit in voter suppression schemes.

No need for a tinfoil hat, friend. Just have a gander at the dozens of posts filled with false facts, misstatements and lies about the vote count process and Nihart. Observe who posted these lies: all Martin supporters. Perhaps, you made some yourself, or spoke in front of council about this, hmmmm? And most importantly, note the conspicuous absence of a single statement from the candidate herself about any of this.

Steve Sinai said...

"She explained it in her email to the San Mateo County Dems, something about her computer being hacked and while trying to get it fixed she forgot to follow up with talking to the Dems about the endorsement and Hatch Act issue."

From seeing the response by the head of the San Mateo County Democratic Committee, which was basically, "Nobody can tell us we can't endorse anyone and that's too bad for Mary Ann Nihart," I'm pretty sure asking them not to endorse would have been a waste of time. And knowing Martin's supporters, the second Nihart brought the issue up would have been one second before Martin and her supporters decided they would get Nihart disqualified.

Anonymous said...

So someone here said Nihart was too busy to talk to the Dems early enough to prevent disaster (assuming they'd give a rat's ass about her request), but when she and Vaterlaus agreed to not seek the Dems endorsement why didn't they talk to Martin? These cross-species convos have happened before. Common knowledge. Talking to Martin would be the place to start, not go to the Dems after they've given an endorsement. IF no effort was made to include Martin, and too busy to get to the Dems in time, then Nihart screwed the pooch and it turned out to be herself. Hell, Nihart should have made sure she had a Hands Off Pacifica standing order with the Democrats. Kiss them first and best. Politicians who leave them out of their plans do so at their own peril. Hacked, huh? You think Little Vlad was involved?

Anonymous said...

Relax, 4:30. There won't be a decade of decay, just two years of not a single project ever being quite the right fit, so gee, I'm really sorry, I'd really love to support this building, but back to the Planning Committee you go (hee hee hee).

Hang in there for two years. Believe me, in 2018 Pacifica will be made well aware of the voter suppression the NONONO Nothings pulled. They wouldn't have won without it and it's going to be the albatross about their necks. They used it, they own it.

Anonymous said...

Easy to demonize Martin and her supporters, but someone should have asked her. The often demonized Rich Campbell apparently went along with Ervin and Nihart on just such an agreement. Nihart has strong allies on both sides of Pacifica. Legacy enviros among them. Martin should have been asked and in a smart way. And then to go late to the Democrats--this thing is such a total fuck up it's almost Freudian. In two years Nihart can run again if she wants to. She'll be rested.

Anonymous said...

551 You apparently haven't noticed, but, voter suppression is in. If it's good enough for America, it's good enough for Pathetica.

Anonymous said...

Yep, 551. The NOmigos only won because they lied. They couldn't win on merit and the hatch act won't be a card they can play again.

What I'm saying is get ready for Stink Man to hey-I'm-just-asking-some-questions and accuse future candidates of being ineligible because they're space aliens. They can't win without lies. They've got nothing else. This election proved it.

First Amendment Frank said...

All this yakking by people who are saying the vote is tainted, remember there is an election in 2 years and why don't you engage instead of wasting time posting here. Walk a precinct, donate, help, write a letter to the editor. Do something!

Anonymous said...

543 You speak for whom? The people who voted for Martin are happy. You have extreme views and you assume others share them. Delusionional. Many of Martin's voters probably also voted for Nihart because Nihart has always courted both sides. Good luck separating that herd with your albatross.

Anonymous said...

How long will I hold my nose? For as long as it takes for Bill, Hillary and the rest of the corrupt politicians to leave the room, I suppose. But you have no problem with corrupt politicians, do you 6:26? That is, as long as they have a (D) after their name. End always justifies the means for you. We get it.

Even though you elected her, Mary Ann became a liability for you. I wish I were an endangered fly on the wall when you "good citizens" bandied about all of the possible devious alternatives for quashing her reelection. Bet ya they make the infamous "Post Office Mailer Stunt" you guys pulled off back in the 2002 City Council Recall attempt look like Amateur Hour. You guys are effective. I'll give you that.