South Skyline Association

On March 1 the official "preliminary" draft of the General Plan for Castle Rock State Park was released for public review. The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) provides 45 days for the public to submit written comments on the plan.

The SSA Board and its CRSP subcommittee acted quickly to meet the 45 day deadline. A State Parks newsletter summarizing the Plan and the opportunity to submit comments was immediately distributed to 80 residents most directly affected by the Park. The SSA CRSP subcommittee met with Mountain Parks Superintendent Jan Anderson to discuss changes from previous iterations of the Plan. The subcommittee then reviewed a variety of issues and prepared a formal letter for submittal by the SSA board. Several SSA members have also submitted individual comment letters.

The SSA letter is a balance of supportive and critical comments. There are many aspects of the GP we support and want to make sure stay intact in spite of pressure from groups such mountain bikers. These include the creation of the natural preserve, restrictions on mountain biking and rock climbing, preservation of historical features, review and closure of some roadside parking, limiting future acquisitions to willing sellers, etc.

There are several aspects of the Park about which SSA members have serious concerns. The letter raises objections to these by asking pointed questions. These include staffing levels, impacts on neighbors, baseline inventory and carrying capacity, new walk-in camping, and future citizens advisory councils.

The full text of the SSA letter is posted on the SSA web site. Alternatively members may contact one of the subcommittee members for a copy or to discuss its contents: Cliff Jenkins, Eric Isacson, Jan Schwind, Bruce Bettencourt, Ruth Waldhauer, Judith Watson, Bo Gimbal, or Eva Blum.

The next steps will be for State Parks to prepare written responses to all the questions submitted and for the Plan to be formally adopted by the State Parks Commission after holding a public hearing. The hearing will be scheduled later this year.

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