Sonoma County Farm Bureau
Affiliated with the California Farm Bureau Federation and the American Farm Bureau Federatio

970 Piner Road, P.O. Box 6674
Santa Rosa, CA 95406-0674
Telephone (707) 544-5575

FARMERS' CONCERNS REGARDING
TRAILS ON AGRICULTURAL LANDS

1. Security - rural crime is rising; it includes theft, vandalism, burglary. The Sheriff's Department recommends that farmers keep a record of parked cars - this program is useless if trail users are parking adjacent to agricultural lands. It is difficult, if not impossible, to catch a thief or vandal red-handed - with a trail nearby, all they need say is that they must have wandered from the trail accidentally. Without a trail nearby, they have no excuse when found on private properly.

2. Fencing - 6' high chainlink, maintained constantly (holes repaired) is the only feasible way to keep dogs, hikers, horses, bikers, and others on the trail. If holes aren't repaired promptly, security becomes impossible.

3. Fire - most of these trails are in the areas of high fire hazard - what steps will be taken to prevent fires (most of the trails are so long that overnight hikes and rides are likely)? Most people sleeping overnight on the trail build fires.

4. Orchard contamination - it is easy to carry root rot from one orchard to another. Even with adequate trail fencing, the spores don't respect fences. Hiking in a creek from which orchard irrigation water is diverted has the potential to spread root rot to the healthy irrigated orchard. Many orchards require that vehicles and people entering pass through a chemical footbath to kill the spores. How can this prevention technique be applied and enforced on a trail?

5. Pesticide danger - how can the County protect trails users from chemicals and how protect farmer from liability? In many cases, dangerous chemicals must be applied at critical times, within a narrow time frame to be effective against a pest.

6. Liability - Civil Code Section 846 won't protect the farmer from being sued for injuries resulting from allegedly dangerous activities and conditions. On a farm or ranch, there are many activities and conditions which an urban dweller would consider dangerous (e.g., heavy equipment, open trenches, overgrown holes, farm dumps, guard dogs, aggressive cattle, range stallions).

7. Closure of troublesome or hazardous trails - what criteria and procedure will be implemented for closing trails about which neighbors complain or which are hazardous?

8. Safety - how will the Sheriff's Department or Park Department patrol these trails to prevent muggings, thefts, rapes, motorized vehicles, trespass onto private property, etc.? According to the Sheriff's Department, they have no budget for this type of expensive patrolling.

9. Hours - are these trails for daylight use only? If so, how will that be enforced?

10. Rules for use - how will the public be aware of the rules for use of these trails? Who will patrol the trails to enforce rules?

11. Damage to wildlife habitat - how will this be monitored and prevented?

12. Use of firearms - how will this be monitored and prevented?

13. Motorized vehicles - how will these be excluded?

14. What sanitation facilities will be provided and where?

15. Fences necessary to provide security and to keep trail users on the trail have the adverse impact of interrupting grazing patterns and wildlife migration.

16. What parking will be provided and where?