Cotoni Coast Public Workshop Recap
December 6, 2018
On Tuesday, December 4, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) held the first of two public workshops to discuss public access to the Cotoni Coast Dairies National Monument (CCDNM). This was an important opportunity for us a trail-users to make sure the BLM knows we want access to this land. This is especially important because access to the CCDNM will be essential in providing connectivity between the planned 30 miles of trails at San Vicente Redwoods and the coast, which is a key component for better trail connectivity in the county.
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NOTE: If you were unable to attend the first workshop, please make it a point to be at the next one! It will be held on December 13, 5:00 - 7:00pm at the Bonny Doon Elementary School Auditorium (1492 Pine Flat Road, Santa Cruz). Click here for more information and MBOSC talking points.
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The main purpose of the public workshop was to educate attendees about the BLM, the CCDNM, and the planning process for this project. The BLM also wanted to get early feedback about public access to this property and potential access points (parking lots and staging areas). The meeting began with a presentation from the various agencies involved before breaking up into smaller facilitated group discussions where public input was gathered.
Before the official presentation began, one of the involved agencies wanted to gather some data on who was at the meeting. Everybody in attendance was given handheld remotes that could be used to provide answers to questions that were shown on a screen. They asked things such as where we lived, how familiar we were with the CCDNM property, and if we had been involved in any public meetings about the property previously. They also asked what is our favorite recreational activity. The options were biking, walking/hiking, horseback riding, water sports, beach activities, and landscape/wildlife viewing. The results speak for themselves:
Bikers represented a clear majority, so thank you for coming and speaking up!
During the BLM’s presentation, we learned about the history of the property. Until the mid-1700s, this was Costanoan/Ohlone land. From the mid-1700s to mid-1800s it was held under Spanish and Mexican land grants. Sometime in the early 1900s, it fell under the ownership of Coast Dairies and Land Company and the Portland Cement Company. In 1998 it was acquired by the Trust for Public Land, and then donated to the BLM in 2014. At the very end of the Obama administration in 2017, it was made a National Monument through Presidential Proclamation 9563.
A key thing to note about the Presidential Proclamation is that the language within it states that the property “shall become available for public access upon completion of a management plan.” It’s that public access that’s at the center of this BLM management plan planning process.
During our facilitated small group discussions, we looked at potential public access points and talked about what we’d like the BLM to consider when choosing final access points. The BLM currently has about ten potential access points that were located by broadly looking at locations that might be feasible and how they might connect to other projects, such as the Rail Trail. We asked that our community speak on behalf of ensuring that public access to public land be given equal consideration to conservation in the CCDNM planning process.
Trail-users were very well represented at this meeting, and our requests were heard and recorded by the BLM. This is just the very beginning, so please stay engaged with the formal planning process!
Bikers represented a clear majority, so thank you for coming and speaking up!
During the BLM’s presentation, we learned about the history of the property. Until the mid-1700s, this was Costanoan/Ohlone land. From the mid-1700s to mid-1800s it was held under Spanish and Mexican land grants. Sometime in the early 1900s, it fell under the ownership of Coast Dairies and Land Company and the Portland Cement Company. In 1998 it was acquired by the Trust for Public Land, and then donated to the BLM in 2014. At the very end of the Obama administration in 2017, it was made a National Monument through Presidential Proclamation 9563.
A key thing to note about the Presidential Proclamation is that the language within it states that the property “shall become available for public access upon completion of a management plan.” It’s that public access that’s at the center of this BLM management plan planning process.
During our facilitated small group discussions, we looked at potential public access points and talked about what we’d like the BLM to consider when choosing final access points. The BLM currently has about ten potential access points that were located by broadly looking at locations that might be feasible and how they might connect to other projects, such as the Rail Trail. We asked that our community speak on behalf of ensuring that public access to public land be given equal consideration to conservation in the CCDNM planning process.
Trail-users were very well represented at this meeting, and our requests were heard and recorded by the BLM. This is just the very beginning, so please stay engaged with the formal planning process!
Overview of BLM Formal Planning Process
The public workshops are part of an informal information gathering process as the BLM prepares for the formal process, which should begin in March. The BLM said their full planning process should take 6-12 months, which is a streamlined timeline compared to their more typical 2-3 year process. It will be crucial that we as trail-users stay actively involved in the BLM planning process! This will help ensure that we gain access to the CCDNM property, which is a crucial connection to San Vicente Redwoods. Can you imagine? The BLM will take public input very seriously so it is essential that the community speak up and advocate for trail access. There will be three opportunities for public involvement:- Providing feedback during the BLM’s scoping process where they gather public input and opinions.
- Participating in the public comment period on the draft plan.
- Participating in the 30-day public protest period on the final plan. (**You can only participate in the protest period if you’ve previously participated in the project’s formal planning process!**)
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