Environmental review continues through next week for plans to
accommodate hikers, horses and more
Environmental review continues through next week for plans to accommodate hikers, horses and more
The public comment period on potential environmental impacts of the creation of non-motorized, multi-use trails at Hollister Hills State Vehicle Recreation Area ends next week, as plans move forward to develop hiking, mountain biking and equestrian trails at the popular 6,610-acre off-road vehicle park eight miles south of Hollister on Cienega Road.
Hollister Hills staff members have been providing information about and have been gathering comments on the proposed project at recent Parks and Recreation Commission meetings. This week, the county Board of Supervisors received a letter from the commission that will be sent to the state Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division.
The commission’s letter, signed by Vice-Chair Jim West, calls for the establishment of a project advisory committee and encourages outreach efforts “to explain and educate the public on the funding” provided to Hollister Hills, which is run by the state.
The commission plans to “incorporate the community input received on trail design, line of sight for the parking areas and sustainability” while maintaining a “close working relationship” with experienced riders who use the popular offroad vehicle site.
“These are really exciting times for San Benito County,” said Supervisor Margie Barrios. “(This project) is happening a lot quicker than I anticipated, which is a great thing.”
She called the proposed project “an incredible opportunity for San Benito County to bring people from other counties here to support tourism.”
As a state park, county and city agencies do not have jurisdiction over the proposed project, so the report was provided to the board as an informational item.
The project – located within the non-motorized buffer zones on the Renz Ranch and Hudner Ranch properties that were acquired in 1989 and 1993, respectively, calls for the construction of four-foot-wide, multi-use trails, a small practice mountain bike trail, two parking areas with picnic tables and a hike-in day use area.
An environmental review of the project is necessary because of the potential impact on seven “special-status” plants known to grow in the area as well as potential impacts on California tiger salamanders, which are considered threatened species in Central California.
The mitigated negative declaration for the project says that based on the environmental analysis that has been conducted, the so-called Non-Motorized Buffer Trails Project would result in “less-than-significant impact or no impacts” on aesthetics, air quality, noise and other issues. With the implementation of mitigation measures, the report notes, the project would also have less-than-significant impacts on biological and cultural resources and water quality, among other issues.
The project description noted how the county “has little accessible public land for recreation, and this project would provide opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding to thousands of local residents that currently must travel much farther for access to similar activities.”
Hollister Hills SVRA became a unit of the state park system in October 1975.
Public Comment
The initial environmental documents for the Non-Motorized Multi-Use Trails Project are available for review at Hollister Hills SVRA, 7800 Cienega Rd, or by calling Matthew Allen at 636-2016 or emailing him at [email protected].
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