San Benito County is in danger of having one of its biggest
tourism draws get locked up for good, and we encourage local
leaders to do everything they can to gain an objective analysis of
the involved science and to conduct a financial examination of the
economic impact it would have on the area.
San Benito County is in danger of having one of its biggest tourism draws get locked up for good, and we encourage local leaders to do everything they can to gain an objective analysis of the involved science and to conduct a financial examination of the economic impact it would have on the area.
The Bureau of Land Management has had Clear Creek Management Area closed temporarily since May 2008 when the BLM office released an assessment showing high asbestos levels. County leaders followed suit and closed the roads in that area leading into Clear Creek – which sparked debate over Civil War-era jurisdictional issues and who actually owns those roads, another topic for another day.
Even though Clear Creek is more than a stone’s throw from Hollister City Hall, its officials should be as concerned as any around here about the potential impact of a permanent closure. This is no distant matter, despite Clear Creek’s close proximity to the Fresno County line.
Clear Creek, operating for 35 years, is “among the top five most popular areas cited by California (off-highway vehicle) users” in a 1990 study from the California Department of Parks and Recreation. There were about 35,000 visitors per year before its closure, according to the BLM’s Web site.
That is a whole lot less vehicle traffic traveling through Hollister stopping to get gas, buy beer, eat dinner and whatever else might rouse drivers’ interests. The local economy already has taken the hit, and the impact with a closure would merely add another structural strain on attempts to revive the flow of business in San Benito County.
The BLM touts studies of the management area from the federal government dating back to the late-1970s that concluded there was “significant risk to public safety and human health from exposure to naturally occurring asbestos.” The BLM always, it appears, has intended to lock up Clear Creek at some point.
There have been a lot of questions about the studies’ science, which should be analyzed with a fine-tooth comb by local officials before they accept any finality to the matter.
And conducting a financial analysis – perhaps the county and city could partner on such an endeavor – would offer a tool in the debate, to perhaps open eyes and show how important the consideration is to this community, whose residents, by and large, happen to cherish such outdoor activities.
Ultimately, local leaders do not make the final decisions on such matters, so it would be wise to aggressively lobby Congressman Sam Farr – who is facing reelection and continually touts tourism as a major priority for the region – and show that this gem for San Benito County is not locking the doors without a fight.
