header image

[Sign Up Now] to Receive Our FREE Daily SCVTV-SCVNews Digest by E-Mail

Inside
Weather


 
Calendar
Today in
S.C.V. History
March 10
2012 - John Hobbs, Hart Class of 1968, inducted into Country Music Hall of Fame [story]
John Hobbs


Guest Commentary by Kevin D. Korenthal
| Friday, Aug 26, 2011

When government inserts itself into the process of determining winners and losers, the people always lose. No example illustrates this fact better than the decision by Los Angeles County Park and Forestry Service officials to ban mountain bikes on many recreational trails controlled by the county.

It seems bizarre to anyone I have talked to about this issue that while hikers and equestrian users are allowed full access to trails in “natural areas” around the county of Los Angeles, people on mountain bikes are not.

This policy, which has already been proven to be without any substantive reasoning to support it, was originally presented as a means to reduce damage to flora and fauna in these “natural areas.” Although irrelevant to the conversation, the Natural Areas Association founder, George B. Fell, defines Natural Areas as “areas of land which have scientific, educational and aesthetic value by reason of distinctive natural features.” The Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation Mission and Vision Statement claims that the agency exists to promote a healthy lifestyle and strengthen the community through diverse physical, educational, and cultural programming, and enhances the community environment by acquiring, developing, and maintaining county parks, gardens, golf courses, trails and open space areas.

The definition of “diverse” as I understand it does not include discrimination against one group of recreational users or the preference of one group over another. Furthermore, the county Parks and Recreation website contains no mention of why park officials in the Placerita Nature Center area and Vasquez Rocks have disallowed the use of mountain bikes within the parks and trails areas.

And the discrimination is spreading. The Pacific Crest Trail, which runs from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon and Washington, discriminatorily excludes cyclists as well. Its Southern California connection, the Coast to Crest Trail, is tentatively a multi-use trail (meaning it will be open to all non-motorized recreational use) but without continued participation in its development by the mountain bike community, that could change.

Again, we were originally presented with the narrative that the county felt  mountain bikers harm the natural beauty of the parks by damaging flora and fauna at a rate ostensibly greater than hikers and horseback riders. But peer-reviewed, scientific research readily available to anyone who can initiate a Google search on the subject does not back this supposition. In fact, numerous studies have been conducted over the years which demonstrate that mountain bikes, because of their minimal contact with the ground, trail packing abilities and because mountain bikers rarely wander off trail actually have far less negative impact on trail, flora and fauna than horses and the studies demonstrated that bikes had equivalent impact to hikers.

Another excuse for keeping bikes off the trails relates to safety concerns. Bikes descending steep trails can build up speed. Careless mountain bikers may cause accidents. But Los Angeles County officials, despite having erroneously allowed bikes on the Placerita Nature Center Trail for almost a decade, cannot find a single example of an injury that occurred on that trail as a result of mountain biking. Having said that, there are always ways to improve safety and obviously, when three separate trail users are in competition for access, accidents will happen.

But where does the county derive its authority to choose mountain bikers as the losers in this situation? Mountain biking is one of the fastest growing recreational activities around the world. Clearly, the county is acting on biases unrelated to the truth about the impact that mountain bikers relative to other trail user groups.

I am a long-time conservationist and avid cyclist, both road and mountain bike. My hard-earned tax dollars have gone toward the creation and maintenance of these trail systems. I cannot accept the exclusion of mountain bikers from public trails any more than I would accept banning road cyclists from our streets. And neither should you.

If you would like to be involved, or just stay up-to-date on efforts to return access to county trails to the mountain bike community, please join our Facebook group and sign our petition.

We’ll be looking for folks in the communities where these trails exist to write letters to the media and public officials and to turn out for meetings regarding trail access. Together we can return equal access to our trails.

 

Kevin D. Korenthal is a 28-year Santa Clarita resident and creator of the Facebook group, The SCV Trail Users – Safe & Equal Access To SCV Trails. Korenthal’s commentary is availble on this blog.

Comment On This Story
COMMENT POLICY: We welcome comments from individuals and businesses. All comments are moderated. Comments are subject to rejection if they are vulgar, combative, or in poor taste.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.

0 Comments

You can be the first one to leave a comment.

Leave a Comment


Opinion Section Policy
All opinions and ideas are welcome. Factually inaccurate, libelous, defamatory, profane or hateful statements are not. Your words must be your own. All commentary is subject to editing for legibility. There is no length limit, but the shorter, the better the odds of people reading it. "Local" SCV-related topics are preferred. Send commentary to: LETTERS (at) SCVNEWS.COM. Author's full name, community name, phone number and e-mail address are required. Phone numbers and e-mail addresses are not published except at author's request. Acknowledgment of submission does not guarantee publication.
Read More From...
RECENT COMMENTARY
Thursday, Mar 6, 2025
In response to proposed cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs by the federal administration, Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo issued a statement which is available for press interviews after the legislative session today or by phone and video.
Thursday, Mar 6, 2025
Throughout my entire life, I have surrounded myself with animals, whether it is my beloved donkey, cattle dogs or horses, animals truly do have incredible personalities and dynamic feelings.
Monday, Mar 3, 2025
Recent wildfires in Altadena, Pacific Palisades and just north of us in Castaic, have been a stark reminder of the ever-present fire threat in Southern California. As we begin the new year, these devastating events highlight the importance of always being prepared.
Friday, Feb 28, 2025
At the city of Santa Clarita, we are always trying to find new and innovative ways to serve our residents. This is especially true when looking at how we can connect them to the world of resources offered by the Santa Clarita Public Library.
Friday, Feb 28, 2025
Family, heritage and the stories passed down through generations shape who we are. As the proud son of Puerto Rican parents, I’ve always cherished the deep connections, traditions and legacies that bind families together.
Monday, Feb 24, 2025
Did you know that Santa Clarita ranks among the Top 50 cities in the United States on the 2024 ParkScore Index? This recognition highlights our city’s commitment to providing exceptional parks and outdoor spaces for everyone in our community.

Latest Additions to SCVNews.com
The Santa Clarita Community College District Board of Trustees will hold a business meeting Wednesday, March 12, beginning at 5 p.m. The board will first meet in closed session at 3 p.m.
March 12: COC Board of Trustees Business Meeting
The Hart Games will be held 10 a.m.- 1 p.m., Monday, March 24, at Valencia High School, Valencia High School Stadium, 27801 North Dickason Drive, Valencia, CA 91355.
March 24: Valencia High School to Host Hart Games
The city of Santa Clarita Film Office has released the list of nine productions filming in the Santa Clarita Valley for the week of Monday, March 10 to Saturday, March 15.
March 10-15: Nine Productions Filming in SCV
College of the Canyons men's golf placed second at the Western State Conference tournament played at Santa Maria Country Club on Monday, March 3.
Cougars Runner-up at Santa Maria Country Club
College of the Canyons hosted the Western State Conference South meet at Cougar Stadium on Feb. 28, with the Cougars men's and women's teams both securing second place finishes.
Cougar Track Teams Both Take Second at WSC South
Senator Suzette Valladares (R-Santa Clarita) has announced the introduction of Senate Bill 508, which would expand access to life-saving cancer care by allowing cancer patients in California to consult with out-of-state physicians through telehealth platforms.
Valladares Introduces Bill to Expand Health Access for Cancer Patients
Valley Trails Summer Camp, a premier summer camp in Santa Clarita, invites families to a special Open House on Sunday, March 16, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
March 16: Valley Trails Summer Camp Open House
On Saturday, March 22, College of the Canyons will hold Discover Day, an event that will give new and potential students the opportunity to explore program offerings and opportunities.
March 22: COC To Hold Discover Day
Placerita Canyon Nature Center Associates and Field Mycologist Bat Vardeh, founder of Women Forage SoCal, will present a Mushroom Foray and Talk, 2 p.m. Sunday, March 16 at Placerita Canyon Nature Center, 19152 Placerita Canyon Road, Newhall, CA 91321.
March 16: Placerita Canyon Nature Center Mushroom Foray, Talk
Among several important issues presented at its Tuesday, March 11 regular board meeting, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will hear a review on emergency actions ordered and taken to respond to and recover from the January 2025 windstorms and fires.
March 11: Supes to Hear Review on Fire Emergency Actions
The Castaic Union School District will hold its regular board meeting Thursday, March 13 at the District Office, located at 28131 Livingston Ave., Valencia, CA 91355. A closed session will begin at 5 p.m., followed by an open session at 6 p.m., where there will be a report of closed session action.
March 13: Regular Meeting of the CUSD Governing Board
2012 - John Hobbs, Hart Class of 1968, inducted into Country Music Hall of Fame [story]
John Hobbs
1842 - Francisco Lopez makes California's first documented gold discovery in Placerita Canyon [story]
Lopez
1913 - Castaic Range War: Chromicle ally Billy Rose shoots, wounds landowner William W. Jenkins [story]
Bill Jenkins
The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Santa Clarita Valley invites the community to indulge in a delicious way to support the fight against cancer with its spring-themed See’s Candies fundraiser.
ACS Relay for Life SCV Spring See’s Candies Fundraiser
The Santa Clarita Valley Man and Woman of the Year Committee has released the names of the 12 nominees and the nomination organizations for 2025 Santa Clarita Man of the Year.
Santa Clarita Valley 2025 Men of the Year Nominees
The Santa Clarita Valley Man and Woman of the Year Committee has released the names of the 21 nominees and the nomination organizations for 2025 Santa Clarita Woman of the Year.
Santa Clarita Valley 2025 Woman of the Year Nominees
The Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station has rescheduled the March 12 Coffee with a Cop in Canyon Country to the new date of Wednesday, March 19.
March 19: Coffee With a Cop in Canyon Country
The Santa Clarita City Council will meet in open session on Tuesday, March 11 at City Hall to consider a number of agenda items, including awarding a contract for an environmental impact report for the Belcaro at Sand Canyon Project.
March 11: City Council to Discuss Belcaro at Sand Canyon Project
The city of Santa Clarita will offer a free Mountain Bike Demo Day at the Bike Park of Santa Clarita on Saturday, March 8, 10 a.m.-noon.
March 8: Mountain Bike Demo Day at Bike Park of Santa Clarita
The city of Santa Clarita has been awarded a $1.4 million Measure A competitive grant from the Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District, securing vital funding to expand and protect open space in the Santa Clarita Valley. Santa Clarita was among just 13 projects selected for funding.
Santa Clarita Awarded $1.4M Measure A Grant to Expand Open Space
The Santa Clarita Valley Include Everyone Project will offer a dining fundraiser on International Women's Day Sunday, March 8, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. at Apolo Greek Grill, 28263 Newhall Ranch Road, Valencia, CA 91355.
March 8: Include Everyone Project Dining Fundraiser
Santa Clarita Valley nonprofit Fostering Youth Independence is celebrating its eighth year with the theme of “GR8TFULNESS,” acknowledging the many volunteers, donors and community partners who have supported the organization since its founding in 2017. On March 11 a training session will be held for anyone interested in learning more about what being an FYI Ally entails.
March 11: Fostering Youth Independence ‘Ally’ Training
SCVNews.com