According to this recent Press Release, State Parks has considerable funds available to build new parks and amenities to “advance the “Outdoor Access for All” initiative championed by Governor Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom and the Natural Resources Agency’s “Outdoors for All” initiative. This effort expands outdoor access to all Californians through focused investments in open space infrastructure…”

Ironically, State Parks doesn’t want to spend money to build additional trail infrastructure for the safety and enjoyment of all State Park visitors.

Doesn’t make sense, does it?

State Park’s insistence on converting existing pedestrian & equestrian trails into multi-use trails instead of building much needed new trails suitable for fast moving mountain and e-bike riders does not “expand outdoor access for all Californians”.

Unfortunately, State Park’s plan to convert many existing trails into multi-use trails will:

• Cause increased crowding on many park trails already at or beyond their carrying capacity,
• Result in displacing and discouraging many current trail users from using park trails because of their safety concerns due to combining fast moving and slow moving trail users, and
• Reduce safe access and use of park trails for all Californians, (which is contrary to the Outdoor Access for All initiative)

State Parks refuses to recognize that not all “multi-use trails” are used in the same way, or that their trail planning process is outdated and flawed. For example, fast moving mountain and e-bike riders use the winding, dirt park trails much differently and for quite different reasons than typical bike riders use the wide, flat, paved American River Parkway Trail, even if both are categorized as “multi-use trails”.

Ace 4 Safe Trails is working on behalf of all trail users to urge State Parks to seriously consider other trail planning and management solutions which would:

• Better meet the current and future needs of all trail users,
• Give State Parks a better long term trail plan to accommodate visitor growth, and
• Provide all Park visitors with a more enjoyable and safer Park experience.

The reason Ace 4 Safe Trails has filed our lawsuit is to force State Parks to rethink their trail plans and for them to place a higher priority on providing Park visitors with safe trails. We want trail users to once again be able to relax and “enjoy the de-stressing experience in nature” that State Parks Director Armando Quintero has said he wants our State Parks to provide.