"Close to Home" guest editorial published in the Press Democrat, April 11, 1999 Sonoma County's fields, hilltops By Ken Wells Why is it still so hard to take a walk in Sonoma County? Truth be told, a large number of Sonoma County residents voted for the open space district because they felt a compelling need to get out on the land. Among other goals, the recreation component in the open space legislation led us to believe that the district would use our tax dollars for a county-wide system of trails and parks connecting urban areas with the unparalleled beauty of our mountains, valleys and coast. Consequently, it is extremely difficult to explain to our children why the majority of the fields, forests, and hilltops they would like to explore are still off limits. Our kids may not understand that Sonoma County has less than a third of the Bay Area average of regional park land per capita, but they do know something is wrong when it is so hard take a walk in the countryside. For nature-loving adults, looking up to the closed off hills, while already paying over $80 million in open space taxes, it is downright infuriating. One of the causes for this situation wasn't explored in the recent Press Democrat profile of Sonoma County's Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District. Further research would reveal that a few powerful insiders, including the same landowners on Sonoma Mountain who have fought strenuously against access to Lafferty Ranch, also oppose public trails and new parks in, or near, open space and ag lands. Much of their point of view has become unofficial policy. For instance, district staff are not allowed to broach the topic of trail access to landowners seeking public funds. Four years ago, a County-sponsored survey indicated that 75 percent of county residents approve of using open space funds to establish parks and regional trails. With the recent green light for parks at Bohemia Ranch and Mom's Beach, the Board of Supervisors appears to be moving in the right direction. Still, the coming months will really be the test of their commitment to the public's wishes. This year is critical because the county is updating its Open Space District Acquisition Plan and finalizing its Outdoor Recreation Plan. These documents will define our ability to provide outdoor recreation opportunities for at least the next decade and, most likely, much longer. These two plans provide the opportunity to establish goals and an official policy for allowing people access to the land. The Coalition for the Outdoor Recreation Plan (CORP) is an affiliation of 22 hiking, biking, running, equestrian, and environmental organizations. Our membership includes more than 12,000 Sonoma County households. We say yes to such a public policy, and yes to a county-wide system of trails and parks connecting urban areas with the splendor of our county. CORP respects the District's mandate to only work with willing sellers, and supports similar landowner protection in the Outdoor Recreation Plan. The task of delivering public access ultimately falls on the county supervisors. They will only do that if they hear strong public support. Let them know the county should establish priority for parks and trail easements in the district's acquisition plan, include a county-wide trail network in the outdoor recreation plan, and increase regional parks' budget to open and manage these new areas. Working together, rural and urban Sonoma County can continue to protect agriculture and critical habitats while creating a superb system of trails and publicly accessible open space lands of benefit to farmers and city folks alike. Isn't that how most of us envisioned the open space district all along? For more information, or to help get the message to the supervisors, call 789-0142, or visit our Web site at www.sonomatrails.org.
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