On a Saturday morning, in the fall of 2003, an owner/ developer blocked about 200
feet of the Altadena Crest Trail at Devonwood, in Altadena. Heavy equipment was
cutting into the hillside. Hikers and riders were unable to pass. The trail section
destroyed was a dedicated trail easement. Within hours local trail enthusiasts were
informed. They exchanged ideas on what action should be taken. The ideas ranged from
call the police to a sit-in. Plans were developed to counter this trail threat.
Action was forcefully requested at the Supervisor level. That office was
astonished by the 200 plus emails they received. On Monday a stop work order was
issued. The project remains shut down while the contractor and the County negotiate
a community acceptable solution to maintain the integrity of the trail. This trail
section remains on the Action List pending that solution.
This incident teaches us a lesson on how we can retain, improve and maintain our public
trails. The key is getting large numbers of interested people to act together. In the
past, we have been hindered by lack of communication. We couldn't band together because
we didn't know who our supporters were. Using the internet we can now quickly
inform each other of trail issues. We can exchange ideas and
develop a unified plan. When several hundred people publicly request
action by the County things happen. To make sure they keep happening we will
maintain an up to date Action List. The list will show who was asked what
and when. Always remember this website is NOT adversarial. The people of the
County are our friends. If they know about a problem, they will help us if they
can. They want to do the best they can for the most people.
If you feel this approach will work please unite with us. Get five friends to join and
have them each find five more friends and so on. We will maintain the Action List
weekly to make
sure these problems don't fall through the cracks. If you have a trail problem, post it,
talk about it, gain support and ask for action.