California Mountain Bicyclists: Please Write to Save Recreational Access to Lake Berryessa
California mountain bicyclists need to write the Bureau of Reclamation and other public representatives immediately to save existing and potential trail opportunities at Lake Berryessa. Public comment ends March 22nd. 2004.
Lake Berryessa is close to the Bay Area and has 150 miles of scenic shoreline. The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR)is putting together a plan to redevelop the Lake Berryessa Recreation Area (LBRA). Private individuals with expiring long-term arrangements with BOR are fighting to keep the public from accessing portions of the LBRA. These exclusive permits and block public access and prevent the development and use of trails and other recreation. We need to speak up, as this area represents tremendous riding opportunities for California's cyclists. Local interests are planning a regional trail system for hikers, bikers and equestrians in the greater area.
The BOR is considering several alternatives for management of the area. Alternative D has more public management of non-motorized recreation. The Vision for Lake Berryessa (www.BerryessaTrails.org <http://www.berryessatrails.org/>), drafted by a local conservation group which supports bike trails, improves on D by asking that all recreational areas be publicly managed. These improvements would also help to make these areas more friendly to bikers. Only Alternative D would ensure proper recreational opportunities for Lake Berryessa.
Your letter should reference: "Lake Berryessa"
Points to make in your letter:
· This public land should be managed for low impact recreation, including bicycling, that benefits the public, not a small number of private interests.
· Current exclusive site arrangements should not be renewed when they expire, as these arrangements prevent the development of public recreational opportunities.
· Express support for the proposed 150 mile shoreline trail, asking the bicycling be included as one of the uses.
· Cyclists have a long history of riding with cattle on public lands.
· Organizations like the International Mountain Bicycling Association support the development of public multiple use trails in this area.
Please write to:
Ms. Janet Sierzputowski
Bureau of Reclamation
2800 Cottage Way, MP-140
Sacramento, CA 95825
Please also sent a copy of your letter to:
Congressman Mike Thompson
1040 Main Street, Suite 101
Napa, CA 94559
Senator Dianne Feinstein
One Post Street, Suite 2450
San Francisco CA 94104
Senator Barbara Boxer
1700 Montgomery Street, Suite 240
San Francisco, CA 94111
Representative Ellen Tauscher
2000 Cadenasso Dr, Suite A
Fairfield, CA 94533
Representative George Miller
375 G Street, Suite #1
Vallejo, CA 94592
Representative Pete Stark
39300 Civic Center Dr. Suite 220
Fremont, CA 94538
For more information about this important issue, please visit these web pages:
http://www.berryessatrails.org/lake.htm
http://www.berryessatrails.org/wrong.htm
http://www.berryessatrails.org/trail.htm
http://www.usbr.gov/mp/berryessa/docs/eis/draft/executive_summary.pdf
http://www.berryessatrails.org/bor.htm
California mountain bicyclists need to write the Bureau of Reclamation and other public representatives immediately to save existing and potential trail opportunities at Lake Berryessa. Public comment ends March 22nd. 2004.
Lake Berryessa is close to the Bay Area and has 150 miles of scenic shoreline. The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR)is putting together a plan to redevelop the Lake Berryessa Recreation Area (LBRA). Private individuals with expiring long-term arrangements with BOR are fighting to keep the public from accessing portions of the LBRA. These exclusive permits and block public access and prevent the development and use of trails and other recreation. We need to speak up, as this area represents tremendous riding opportunities for California's cyclists. Local interests are planning a regional trail system for hikers, bikers and equestrians in the greater area.
The BOR is considering several alternatives for management of the area. Alternative D has more public management of non-motorized recreation. The Vision for Lake Berryessa (www.BerryessaTrails.org <http://www.berryessatrails.org/>), drafted by a local conservation group which supports bike trails, improves on D by asking that all recreational areas be publicly managed. These improvements would also help to make these areas more friendly to bikers. Only Alternative D would ensure proper recreational opportunities for Lake Berryessa.
Your letter should reference: "Lake Berryessa"
Points to make in your letter:
· This public land should be managed for low impact recreation, including bicycling, that benefits the public, not a small number of private interests.
· Current exclusive site arrangements should not be renewed when they expire, as these arrangements prevent the development of public recreational opportunities.
· Express support for the proposed 150 mile shoreline trail, asking the bicycling be included as one of the uses.
· Cyclists have a long history of riding with cattle on public lands.
· Organizations like the International Mountain Bicycling Association support the development of public multiple use trails in this area.
Please write to:
Ms. Janet Sierzputowski
Bureau of Reclamation
2800 Cottage Way, MP-140
Sacramento, CA 95825
Please also sent a copy of your letter to:
Congressman Mike Thompson
1040 Main Street, Suite 101
Napa, CA 94559
Senator Dianne Feinstein
One Post Street, Suite 2450
San Francisco CA 94104
Senator Barbara Boxer
1700 Montgomery Street, Suite 240
San Francisco, CA 94111
Representative Ellen Tauscher
2000 Cadenasso Dr, Suite A
Fairfield, CA 94533
Representative George Miller
375 G Street, Suite #1
Vallejo, CA 94592
Representative Pete Stark
39300 Civic Center Dr. Suite 220
Fremont, CA 94538
For more information about this important issue, please visit these web pages:
http://www.berryessatrails.org/lake.htm
http://www.berryessatrails.org/wrong.htm
http://www.berryessatrails.org/trail.htm
http://www.usbr.gov/mp/berryessa/docs/eis/draft/executive_summary.pdf
http://www.berryessatrails.org/bor.htm