A local non-profit that formed to help keep trails on Cow Mountain clear of overgrown brush is seeking volunteers to help remove "a bumper crop" of vegetation that is nearly completely obscuring some paths.
"After the River Fiver (in 2018), the rate of growth has accelerated," said Ron McDonell, a member of the non-profit Friends of Cow Mountain, which he said he formed several years ago with four other people interested in maintaining the trails on South Cow Mountain in particular.
"Thousands of dangerous, burned, sharp branches obstruct the trails of Cow Mountain," McDonell explained in a press release announcing the group's recent efforts to remove vegetation, noting that "the fire also led to several 'bumper crop' seasons of new brush growth that are now threatening to completely obscure some trails."
With funds provided through a grant from the "Yamaha Corporation, through their Outdoor Access Initiative," McDonell said the group has been able to "hire an operator to run their excavator to complete the Eastside trail project." According to the group's website, the excavator was purchased in 2016 thanks to a Recreational Trails Program grant.
McDonell said the group tries to have at least one project underway at all times, quoting Friends of Cow Mountain president Matt Finnegan as saying that "the heavy brush dangling in the trails is a constant safety hazard."
Cow Mountain, both the north side that is dedicated to hiking/equestrian trails and the south side that is dedicated to off-highway vehicles, is managed by the Bureau of Land Management, but McDonell said that much of the "clearing and brushing of the trails (on South Cow Mountain) has historically been handled by a dedicated cadre of local OHV riders who often spend the day on the trails with loppers and saws clearing brush and downfall."
McDonell said that the group has permission from BLM to conduct their volunteer work, and said they are always looking for more volunteers to help clear vegetation.
"The effort put in by local riders to keep the trails clear is significant, and Mother Nature still wins in the end with brush obscuring the trails and creating safety hazards," Ross Liberty, owner of Factory Pipe in Ukiah and a member of the Friends of Cow Mountain board member, is quoted as saying in the press release. "Every 10 years or so you need a piece of equipment to do the heavy work and knock back the brush. We would welcome a partnership with BLM regarding ongoing trail clearing efforts as the best arrangement for the safety of local OHV riders."
To contact the group or find out about their next volunteer work day, find them on Facebook, or visit their website at: http://www.friendsofcowmountain.com
No comments:
Post a Comment