South Skyline Association

To: Friends of Castle Rock State Park
From: Bruce Bettencourt
Date: 2-18-98
RE: Update

Enclosed (the Computer Phantom willing) is the lastest Information Sheet.

Barry Boulton, Sierra Club, Loma, Prieta Chapter, has written a comprehensive letter to Dave Keck, Planning team, detailing his concerns for the General Plan Proposal presented at the Jan 15th and 16th Public hearings; the main points are:

1. The 2000 ac Preserves is a good idea, but not to develop for public access.
2. Replace wilderness language in the Purpose of the Park.
3. Park usage should be maintained at current levels, with parking remaining at the current parking lot, but only inside the gate. The overflow parking now outside the gate (along side the road) should diverted to several smaller parking locations on ther Hi 9 side of the Park.
4. Partridge farm should be preserved, protected and restored, not developed.

The Conservation Committee of the Ventana chapter of the Sierra Club is drafting a letter to State Parks, echoing Barry’s concerns.

Bruce McPhearson and Fred Keeley are reviewing the General Plan proposals, and the local environmental community’s concerns.

Upcoming meetings:
Mar 4th: The Conservation Committee of the Ventana chapter of the Sierra Club. 7:00 (in the Art Center building, next to India Joze. 426-4453)
Mar 5th: CRSP Advisory meeting. 7:00 at Tin Can Ranch (CRSP). Dave Keck will present the results of the Public Hearings. As always, visitors are welcome. Call me for info at (408) 354-5661.

INFORMATION SHEET, 2-11-98

GENERAL PLAN FOR CASTLE ROCK STATE PARK Background: Since Castle Rock State Park opened in 1968 it has grown to about 3800 acres. The Park is ruggedly beautiful, unique for its sweeping views of mountain and sea, prominent rock outcroppings, and its proximity to a large urban population. Climbers are attracted to the prime climbing rocks. Day hikers are afforded a near-wilderness experience, as they hike through the largest black oak forest in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Back-packers can hike all the way to the ocean, camping in Big Basin along the way. The Park is home to a vast range of wildlife, including several endangered species. But, by all accounts, the natural resources have been neglected, impacted and overused.

State Parks is currently writing a General Plan for the Park. The Sierra Club has become involved, bringing a wealth of ecological concepts heretofore missing from the process, and indeed, has been instrumental in seeing significant improvements included in the proposed re-write of the Purpose of the Park. This is a step in the right direction, but other changes must be made, such as including the phrases "Recovering Wilderness" and "Restoration and preservation of wilderness and its ecological processes in the Natural Preserve will be the highest management priority". And language remains in the Resource Management Directives that calls for the preservation of old logging roads and fruit orchards for their "cultural" values. But even with these important changes, we must remember that none of the Resource Management Directives must me implemented before any development takes place.

On Jan 15th and 16th, State Parks held the 3rd Public Hearings (one in Santa Cruz, one in Saratoga), where they presented their "Preferred Plan" for review. The Plan, in simple terms, divides the Park in to two parts; one to be extensively developed (more parking, day use, car camping and other visitor services), the other as a "Preserve" that would, paradoxically, also be developed, though less so. The feedback that State Parks got at the Hearing was predominantly that Castle Rock should not be developed, but should instead be preserved, protected, restored and maintained in a wilderness state.

But with the Governor's demands for State Parks to make more money, the major user groups (climbers and mountain bikers) reiterating their demands for increased access, and the inertia of State Parks to develop parks along traditional lines, the Planning Team remains unmoved.

An Alternative Plan has been offered that deserves serious consideration. Instead of concentrating new development in already overused areas on Castle Rock Ridge (Castle Rock, Goat Rock, Lion Caves, Partridge Farm, and immediately surrounding areas, where State Park promises to "observe, study, monitor and mitigate" the inevitable impacts), perhaps we should encourage the increased visitation toward the less used, but equally accessible (and equally attractive) Hiway 9 side of the Park. This Plan seeks to disperse parking, usage, and impact, keeping it at levels that will sustain both the quality of the visitor experience, and the ecological integrity of the Park as a part of the wonderful bio-region that is the Santa Cruz Mountains.

If you want State Parks to look beyond the immediate needs of user groups and the pressures to create revenue, if you want to see more protectionist language in the General Plan, if you think future development should be minimal and dispersed, rather than concentrated in already overused areas, if you want to avoid the "Yosemite-ization" of Castle Rock, if you think Castle Rock should remain wilderness, if you would like to see the Park re-named "Castle Rock Wilderness State Park", send your thoughts and concern to Dave Vincent and Dave Keck, and cc: Bruce Bettencourt:

Dave Vincent
Superintendent
Santa Cruz District
600 Ocean St.
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
PH (408) 429-2850

Dave Keck
General Plan Team
Northern Service Center
1725 23rd St., Suite 200
Sacramento, CA 95816
PH (916) 322-2997
FX (916) 324-0888

Bruce Bettencourt
18474 Grizzly Rock
Los Gatos, CA 95030
PH (408) 354-5661
EM BABettenco@aol.com