Politics : politics@vcmc.info

Happy New Year and Happy Trails to you all!

Stewards 2018 Year in Review

Stewards members accomplished a staggering amount of work to keep your trails open and enjoyable in 2018 including-

• Clearing 572 Trail Blocking Trees
• Building 723 Water Bars to help keep trails from rutting out
• Maintaining over 300 miles of trail including brushing
• Investing 2800 hours to keep trails open

Stewards also built three miles of new Keyesville single track trail working with the BLM and will be building about another half mile once the snow melts in Alta Sierra.

Your donations and volunteering helped make all that possible.

Stewards Perform 83% Of Sequoia Trail Maintenance

Stewards of the Sequoia now perform 83% of all trail maintenance in the Sequoia, according to Sequoia data.
Since Stewards started our Trail Appreciation volunteer trail maintenance program in 2004, we have increased maintenance on Forest Trails by over 300%. This means more trails are open and more enjoyable to use (no more three foot ruts or trail blocking brush).

Wall of Fame

103 Stewards members each earned a place on our Wall of Fame due their gratifying trail work this year.
WIthout their efforts many trails would be closed or impassable. We all owe them our sincere thanks.
If your name is not on the Wall of Fame yet , we hope you will come out and help on your trails in 2019.
Learn more on Stewards Events Page

 

Pinch Points Save Keyesville Single Track

Not so long ago, there were a number of single track trails in Keyesville. All but one were widened into roads, when side by side OHV's pushed onto the single track. This destroyed the single track opportunity that many people seek for dirt bikes, mountain bikes or horseback.

Stewards of the Sequoia fully support routes for side by side OHV's, quads and 4x4's, however not at the expense of losing single track routes.

In an effort to save the single track trails, Stewards have installed six pinch point fences with openings in them only wide enough for single track users. This has worked very well at keeping the remaining single track from turning into roads.

Pacific Crest Trail Health And Safety Issue

It recently came to Stewards attention that people are dying and being rescued, while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), and that this trend is increasing at an alarming rate with more than ten rescues alone in Kern County last year.

Yet the Pacific Crest Trail Association, who manage the PCT, have caused the Forest Service to create new PCT based restrictions, such as trails crossing the PCT no closer than 5 miles apart, and a one mile wide PCT corridor. These restrictions would harm the ability of search and rescue to get to injured or lost PCT hikers as well as harm other forms of recreation.

We are concerned about the safety of PCT hikers. The cost to Kern County for increased search and rescue, and the double standard where the Forest Service has closed other motorized trails for a mere perceived public safety issues. Yet today people are dying on the PCT and the Pacific Crest Trails Association and Forest Service do nothing.

You can read our letter of concern to the Forest Service cosigned by Kern County Search and Rescue HERE

First Aid CPR Class in January

For those Stewards members whose First Aid CPR needs to be renewed for chainsaw operation or for those of you who want to learn the basics, the Los Padres National Forest will be hosting a First Aid CPR Class at the Ojia Ranger Station on Sunday January 13th from 9am to 1:30 pm. To register, please contact Beth Pfeiler bglidergirl@aol.com or 661-972-9379

Whiskey Flat Trail Project January 12th CANCELLED

Due to the ongoing government shutdown, the Forest Service has cancelled the Whiskey Flat trail project.
Stewards will let our members know if the Whiskey Flat project is rescheduled once the shutdown is over.
We have other projects that we can work on 1/12/19. If you are interested please CLICK HERE to register

Over the years your donations helped Stewards reopen this trail along with eight others and so much more.

Yet today 84% of Stewards members have let their donations expire. Please make your donation now so we can continue our efforts to keep your trails open. Thanks

With your help Stewards of the Sequoia will continue to keep the Sequoia National Forest A Land Of Many Uses and open to all