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12/09/2008: "Turtleback Revised Draft Plan Ready For Comment"

The County Council will hold a public hearing today (Tuesday, December 9) on a Turtleback Management Plan. While the plan is pertinent to Orcas, the Council will hold the public hearing on San Juan Island (2:20 pm in the Legislative Bldg. Hearing Room across from the courthouse).

Councilman Kevin Ranker recently cast a lone protest “no” vote on a Land Bank project, not because he was opposed to the project, but as a way of getting the Land Bank’s attention on the proposed controversial restrictive public use of land on Turtleback.

Ranker wanted greater access for greater use, not the least of which was trails for mountain bikes, and he was not alone. Last March, and then again in April, the Land Bank took public testimony on Who should be allowed to use Turtleback Mountain, and while not everyone of the one hundred plus citizens who made comment on what uses, and to what extent, agreed were appropriate for Turtleback, many felt it should be opened up for horseback riding, biking, and walking and jogging trails.

Others felt it should be protected from future human impacts. The Land Bank Commission, and their partner the Preservation Trust, have now released a revised Draft Management Plan pdf (1094\k file) (the Plan) that takes into consideration some of the public concerns for greater pubic access to the mountain.

What is not clearly stated in the Draft is to what extent, and what limits, will be in place to control public use of the land. The Plan includes a map (see below) that shows a Multiple Use Zone within which “a balance between pedestrian, equestrian, mountain biking, and potentially other non-motorized, trail-based activities will be attempted.”



The use of the word “attempted” may ring a tocsin for those who fear that words do not ring as true as actions. Their concerns may increase when they read that the balance of use against no use will be weighed out in yet another plan, a Master Trail Plan -not yet available- “which will incorporate a careful analysis of the terrain, management objectives, cost, and other context. This forthcoming Trail Plan will be modest in scale, recognizing the Land Bank’s limited stewardship capacity along with the desire to retain the Preserve’s wildness.”

Another area yet to be spelled ou, will be how the use will be allowed and controlled. The Plan suggests that neighbors and interested citizens will be recruited to monitor the property -and perhaps also do some volunteer “maintenance, visitor education, invasive species control, and other stewardship activities.” One Orcas resident expressed a concern about “eager beaver, agenda packing, volunteer Junior Park Rangers” patrolling the mountain looking for someone to chastise.

The draft Plan proposes a “simple permit/monitoring system, providing an opportunity for horseback riders to be oriented to the Preserve, and for the Land Bank to track the activity.” Horseback riding will use an existing north road/trail, and the central loop portion. Mountain bike use will be restricted to a separate “bikes only” trail.

What is clear, is that the following use restrictions will be in effect for the Turtleback Mountain Preserve:

* No camping
* No fires
* No hunting
* No discharge of firearms
* Use limited to designated trails only
* Daytime use only
* Dogs must be leashed
* Service and emergency vehicles only
* Mountain biking allowed where posted
* Horseback riding allowed where posted
* No commercial use
* No collection of botanical, zoological, geologic or other specimens except on a permission-only basis for scientific or educational purposes