Trail Closures in SDSF and Nisene Marks

July 12, 2019
Words by Guy Lasnier Some biking, hiking trails to be closed as CAL FIRE and State Parks work to reduce wildfire danger.

*** Update! *** Upper stretches of Aptos Creek Fire Road will be closed on weekdays as CAL FIRE and State Parks fuel reduction work got underway Monday, August 12, and will continue for several weeks from the intersection of Buzzard Lagoon Road toward the Soquel Demonstration State Forest. The project is part of a statewide effort to reduce decades of accumulated brush and timber along strategic ridges and roads to protect lives and property. ***

Over the next couple months, mountain bike riders, equestrians and hikers can expect to hear and perhaps see heavy equipment working along ridge tops and roads in The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park (Nisene Marks) and Soquel Demonstration State Forest. Some favorite trails and access points may be closed for two to four weeks, during the daytime on weekdays as crews and equipment shred and crush brush along the summit-area roadways. The project is part of a statewide effort by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) to reduce decades of accumulated brush and timber along strategic ridges and roads to protect lives and property. The goal is to create zones where fire crews can safely enter and exit, and areas where a wildfire may slow, giving crews a chance to control it before it becomes catastrophic and a threat to local communities and rural residences. Work is expected to begin by mid to late July, according to Andy Hubbs, CAL FIRE forester and the project manager, and will likely take four or more weeks to complete. Most of the project will be in Nisene Marks. CAL FIRE and State Parks are working together to complete the work and notify the public. “We want to be as transparent as possible with the community throughout the project duration,” said Tim Reilly, the State Parks environmental scientist who is leading his agency’s participation on the local fuel reduction project. He said closures will be phased as work progresses and State Parks will post prominent signs around the impacted areas. Also, a State Parks website at www.parks.ca.gov/ForestofNiseneMarks will provide updated road and trail closure information, Reilly said. “It’s really important for the personal safety of all user groups to stay out of these areas during closures,” Reilly said. The biggest impact will be along Upper Aptos Creek Fire Road from Buzzard Lagoon Road to Sand Point overlook which will affect popular biking routes and bike shuttles. Aptos Creek Fire Road will remain open from the entrance kiosk to Sand Point Overlook, Reilly said. Closure details (refer to map above):
  • Phase I (start date Aug. 12) Upper Aptos Creek Fire Road from Buzzard Lagoon Road intersection to Santa Rosalia Overlook/Bench at Ridge Trail Intersection; Upper Buzzard Lagoon Road.
  • Phase II (after completion of Phase I) Upper Aptos Creek Fire Road from Santa Rosalia Overlook/Bench at Ridge Trail intersection to Sand Point Overlook/bench.
  • Phase III (after completion of Phase II) Hinckley Fire Road from Sand Point Overlook/Bench to Westridge Trail Intersection.
  • Phase IV (TBD) Ridge Trail and Sulphur Springs Road in Soquel Demonstration State Forest
The work is dangerous and will involve contractors using heavy equipment called “masticators,’’ that chop and shred brush and small trees. Bulldozers will also be used to crush brush and chaparral for later burning after winter rains begin. “There are good reasons for the closures,” said Angela Bernheisel, CAL FIRE state forest manager. The powerful tractor-mounted tools are capable of throwing heavy chunks of wood 200 feet or more. “I can’t overemphasize the safety aspect,” Bernheisel said. “If things go well it shouldn’t take more than a few weeks.” The work will extend an average of 100 feet on each side of the road, depending on terrain. In some areas, it could extend as much as 300 feet, Hubbs said. Separately, Soquel Demonstration State Forest staff and a private contractor have started a two-week road project on Hihn's Mill and Sulfur Springs roads, working Monday through Friday. The forest will remain open to the public but access to the parking lot off Highland Way may be closed intermittently. Riders can expect short delays along Hihn's Mill and Sulphur Springs roads because of heavy equipment. Another project in the near future will involve work on the Sawpit Trail and affect access in the Soquel Demonstration State Forest. The fuel reduction project stems from an executive order Gov. Gavin Newsom gave CALFIRE to come up with a plan to prevent and mitigate wildfires. Last year, 7,600 wildfires burned nearly 2 million acres in California. Last November, the Camp Fire in Butte County alone killed 86 people and destroyed 18,804 structures. In March, Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency involving forest conditions near vulnerable communities and provided funding for the work. The Aptos Emergency Shaded Fuel Break is one of 35 projects statewide to protect 200 of California’s most wildfire-vulnerable communities. It will treat approximately 225 acres of fuel break along the main ridgetop roads along the Summit area between above Aptos, Watsonville, and Corralitos, an area where wildland fires have repeatedly burned over from Santa Clara County. The 2008 Summit Fire burned 75 structures. Since then, the population has increased and fuel conditions have returned to pre-fire conditions.
Guy Lasnier is a longtime supporter of MBOSC both with a shovel and a keyboard. Guy has a strong background in writing and editing, and he provides MBOSC with guidance in developing great stories while working with the media, publications, and radio.
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