NPS GMP and New West Side Trails Proposal

[mungeclimber]

Mr Mud, please make this a sticky...


From Access Fund: www.accessfund.org

Pinnacles National Monument Seeks Public Input for New General Management Plan, CA

The National Park Service at Pinnacles National Monument south of San Francisco, CA has begun revising its general management plan (GMP) which will serve as a "blueprint" to guide the park over the next twenty years.

This new master planning document for Pinnacles, home to hundreds of rock climbs, will identify important park issues, visitor opportunities, and program objectives many of which could affect current climbing policies http://www.pinnacles.org/climbing_info/index.html For more information on the GMP process, see http://www.nps.gov/pinn/parkmgmt/planning.htm

A draft GMP is expected for public review in fall 2008 with a final GMP scheduled for completion in 2009.

[mungeclimber]

http://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?documentID=54749

The Pacific West Regional Director approved the Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Pinnacles GMP on June 26, 2013. This FONSI documents the decision of the NPS to adopt Alternative D: Link People and Resources, the preferred alternative, as presented in the Draft General Management Plan and Environmental Assessment (DGMP/EA).
The following documents include the FONSI for the Pinnacles General Management Plan and Environmental Assessment, Errata, Management Zones and Selected Alternative Map, Determination of Non-Impairment, and Response to Substantive Comments.

Climbing won't be considered a traditional use of pinnacles, merely an ongoing use. These are distinctively different categories. Merely asserting that climbing will continue will not make it so. Declaring that climbing is and has been a traditional use, would have tied climbing to the history of the "Monument" similar to Yosemite.

Unfortunate.

To be clear, the climbing management plan is still to be developed.

[waldo]

So who is working on it?  Anybody we know?

[mungeclimber]

National Park Service Press Release
For Immediate Release:     June 24, 2015
Contact(s):  Debbie Simmons, Facility Manager at (831)389-4286; debbie_simmons@nps.gov

National Park Service is Proposing Two New Trails on the West Side of Pinnacles National Park
 
The National Park Service (NPS) is proposing to construct two new trails within Pinnacles National Park.  Both trails would be built on the west side of the park and would begin at the West Side Visitor Contact Station (VCS).  Construction of the VCS was completed in 2012 but no associated trails were built at that time.  Visitors parking at the VCS currently have no way of hiking to other hiking trails within the park.  The road that connects the visitor contact station and Chaparral Area is a one lane curvy road without shoulders that is unsafe for hiking.

The proposal includes construction of a one mile accessible loop trail with views of the Lyons Homestead, spring wildflowers, and the High Peaks rock formation.  Another hiking trail (approximately 1.2 miles) would connect the visitor contact station with the Chaparral Area trailheads.  Other minor site improvements and interpretative components are also included in the project.

The initial comment period for the scoping phase of the study will extend from June 25 through July 25, 2015. This phase is called “scoping” because with public and stakeholder input, the NPS will determine the “scope” or overall approach to the study. The NPS is hosting a public meeting to explain the study process, answer questions, gather information, and listen to public ideas and concerns.  An environmental assessment (EA) is expected to be completed and released to the public in the spring.

The public meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 8, 2015, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., in the Mission Room of the Soledad High School, which is located at 425 Gabilan Drive, Soledad, CA. 
The public is invited to provide comments at the public meeting, comment online at http://parkplanning/nps.gov/westsidetrails or by mail at: National Park Service, Attn:Karen Cantwell, Pinnacles West Side Trail Project, 333 Bush Street, Suite 500, San Francisco, CA 94104-2828.

[JC w KC redux]

Thanks for the heads up mungie.

I think a trail from the visitor center to lower parking is probably a good idea.

I'd heard about he idea for one headed down the valley from the visitor center too.

I could go to the meeting if anyone wants a representative from M&C to be there.

Questions? Concerns?

[mungeclimber]

Exactly, why would the trail be a good idea?  It's not enough that it might be, but really what function does it serve?  Is it a precursor to closing the existing trailhead?

What are minor site improvements?  And What are interpretive components?  Hopefully not signage like in Joshua Tree, a waste and inaccurate.

My main concern is that they don't close the existing trailhead parking on the West Side. Having to hike back up to the VCS on a hot day would be a serious hindrance to those that can hike short distances, but not long, and especially on hot days.

[F4?]

Will Mountain bikes be allowed??

[clink]

 The loop trail at the VCS is a good plan. A 1.2 mile connector to the Chaparral trail heads is not necessary unless it was part of a lager loop created by creating a trail heading east down the valley and on to connect to either the reservoir(which should have it's own loop), High Peaks trail, or Chalone Peak trail.

 While I would like to keep the areas this trail would traverse and give access to distant, and preserve the solitude as it is, "National Park Status" has changed what was Pinnacles National Monument and there is no going back. There are too many visitors concentrated at the existing 2 major trail heads. To connect the West and East Sides of the now "Park" with a southern trail may be a smart option to distribute the visitor load with parking and access.

 The effect and change on the West Side by establishing a southern trail would be significant, and could relieve a portion of the East Side day visitors if it becomes of a destination to balance the visitor influx( i.e. Bob Walton could exclusively hike in from the West Side).

 JC, please do go to the public meeting on behalf of M&C. What are the long term camping and concession plans for the West Side?

 

[clink]

Thanks Munge for this info, I can't imagine the existing trail head closing but we better make sure at the meeting.

[F4?]

Nice idea clink. Since they put the new visitors center up there near the fence which leads kinda to the CCC (?) road to nowhere does go through to the east-side.

they could also tunnel through. make life so much easier.

Alas, camping on the E-side, doubt it.

[mynameismud]

the link does not work.

[Gavin]

Hey All -

As far as I know, there is no plan for updated concessions / camping on the west side. There are also no plans to close the existing trailhead / parking on the West Side. As clink mentioned, I think the idea with the Jawbone Canyon trail was to give trail access - for folks parking up at the Visitor Contact Station on the West Side - down to the Chaparral parking area and trailheads there, and to disperse parking concentrations to some extent.

[waldo]

I approve - cautiously so - of the proposed trails. I was out climbing with John Miller over the Memorial Day weekend and was astonished by the number of visitors on the West Side. Lower lot, overflow and the visitors' center lot were all packed. A dozen cars were lined up waiting for a space of any sort when we left at two. Two dozen more passed us headed in. Folks who'd parked up above were walking down the road - a dangerous stroll. That road is not meant to be shared with pedestrians.

I agree with Clink that even more should be done. The route Jack and I took to Piedras Bonitas -along the fence line from the new visitors' center and up onto a ridge that leads to the High Peaks - would connect several places most elegantly with minimum disturbance of habitat.

[JC w KC redux]

Oops.

Looks like I let the team down - didn't go last night.

Larry said he submitted feedback online (there's a link in mungie's initial post).

Now as for the jacking of the closures thread - I'll avoid that and respond here instead - keeping it to a minimum.

Mud - I doubt you're serious but no FA's for me right now. I'm focused on climbing existing routes and rebolting.

clink - you're insane - I'm not leaving my house at 5:00

[Brad Young]

I approve - cautiously so - of the proposed trails. I was out climbing with John Miller over the Memorial Day weekend and was astonished by the number of visitors on the West Side. Lower lot, overflow and the visitors' center lot were all packed. A dozen cars were lined up waiting for a space of any sort when we left at two. Two dozen more passed us headed in. Folks who'd parked up above were walking down the road - a dangerous stroll. That road is not meant to be shared with pedestrians.

I agree with Clink that even more should be done. The route Jack and I took to Piedras Bonitas -along the fence line from the new visitors' center and up onto a ridge that leads to the High Peaks - would connect several places most elegantly with minimum disturbance of habitat.

I agree 100% with my learned colleague.

[JC w KC redux]

I couldn't get the link to work but found this.

http://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?projectId=12617

This link should take you to the pdf file where you can see the map of the proposed trails.

http://parkplanning.nps.gov/showFile.cfm?projectID=12617&MIMEType=application%252Fpdf&filename=PINN%20159539%20Public%20Scoping%20Newsletter1%2Epdf&sfid=215854

[Brad Young]

clink - you're insane - I'm not leaving my house at 5:00

Among all the thread-jacking going on here I am totally lost now.

I thought 5:00 a.m. was the time Clink did his bubble baths?

[clink]

Just baths, no bubbles.  I would only use bubbles to be modest if you were to bring me breackfast or give me a shoulder massage while I'm tubbing. This can all wait until the Inn trip. 

[waldo]

Just baths, no bubbles.  I would only use bubbles to be modest if you were to bring me breackfast or give me a shoulder massage while I'm tubbing. This can all wait until the Inn trip. 

Forget the bubbles. Brad can take it.

[mynameismud]

Mud - I doubt you're serious but no FA's for me right now. I'm focused on climbing existing routes and rebolting.

You might like this.  Plus there is a possibility that it has been climbed so you can replace the bolts if they are there.  As a bonus I found a route that is not in the guidebook that has an old bolt and sling on it.  You could replace that.