M
Mike Vandeman
Guest
Humans own the entire Earth, right? So what could possibly be wrong with
flooding yet more of our scanty remaining wildlife habitat with more humans?
What could be wrong is that we are 100% dependent on the existence of other
species. They clean our air, clean our water, "fix" nitrogen (make it available
to living things), and provide food, medicines, pleasure, and countless other
free services. That implies that we must allow them to have a place to live,
where they can survive in perpetuity -- habitat that is acceptable to THEM. That
is habitat that is off-limits to humans. Most species don't like having us
around, and, considering our track record, WITH GOOD REASON! We have plenty of
places to experience the pleasures of being in nature, without opening up our
protected watersheds to more human access.
Mike Vandeman, Ph.D.
Bay Area dreams that could be realized
Tom Stienstra
Sunday, October 2, 2005
One of my ultimate outdoor fantasies -- one that is now illegal -- is to plunk
my old green canoe into Crystal Springs Reservoir on the Peninsula, paddle to a
hidden cove and then, as the orange glow of dawn arrives, cast with my fly rod
for giant rainbow trout, catch-and-release.
Another fantasy is to hike from Sweeney Ridge near San Bruno to Montara State
Beach, in the process climbing the remote wilderness of the east flank of
Montara Mountain. That's against the law, too.
These and dozens of other adventures are illegal in the Bay Area because the
public is barred from many publicly owned lakes and lands by water departments
and park districts. In the Bay Area, 35 lakes are off-limits to all boating,
even canoeing. All access, even hiking, is prohibited at 14 lakes.
The only chance for this to change is AB-672, now sitting on Gov.
Schwarzenegger's desk, with an Oct. 9 deadline for his signature. Johan Klehs,
D-San Leandro, who is an avid canoeist, authored this landmark proposal: Local
agencies would be required to create access plans, with public input, for
hand-powered boating, trail access and limited fishing.
Though the bill was weakened at hearings -- it might allow water agencies to
stretch out the "planning process" for years -- this remains the public's best
bet for access to long-forbidden waters and lands.
The beef is simple: For the past 100 years, a handful of watershed employees,
rangers and politicians have used these jewels as their personal reserves to
boat, fish, hike and, in some cases, live. All I've asked for is the same
opportunities. Nobody wants to see any of these gems blemished in any way, and
most visitors would accept quota systems with lotteries and catch-and-release
fishing to eliminate any chance of impact.
That given, here are my top 10 Bay Area fantasy picks:
1. On Golden Pond: Can you imagine a lakeside cabin set in a remote canyon amid
redwoods, with your own dock and boat? This is not a fantasy, but everyday life
at Pilarcitos Lake, the hidden lake in the Peninsula's Crystal Springs
Watershed. Wouldn't you love to rent the cabin, and then, after a barbecue at
the picnic grounds in a redwood grove, head out on the lake and cast for trout
that average 16 to 22 inches?
2. Crystal Springs: Like just about everybody, I've been staring at Crystal
Springs from Interstate 280 for most of my life. I dream of the day when I can
legally paddle my canoe to this certain cove on the west side of the lake with a
creek inlet, where the trout mass on summer evenings and feed on the surface.
The swirls are the size of washtubs.
3. Skyline-to-sea: By simply unlocking two service road gates on watershed
lands, the route from Sweeney Ridge to Montara State Beach would open, creating
one of the most spectacular one-way hikes anywhere. From Sweeney Ridge (great
views of South Bay), the route would drop into Pilarcitos Canyon and, from
there, rise up the stunning wilderness of the east flank of Montara Mountain, go
over the top (180-degree ocean view) and down to the beach.
4. Elk and trout: Most people have no idea that San Antonio Reservoir is located
just over the hill from I-680, southeast of Sunol. An elk herd, golden eagles
and peregrine falcons roam the wildlands on the far side of the lake, and the
rainbow trout in the lake could create a lottery-drawn fishery with quality
similar to that in Canada.
5. Redwoods and rainbows: In the remote Oakland hills, a deer trail from Redwood
Regional Park is routed down a canyon through redwoods to the headwaters of
Upper San Leandro Reservoir. From here, you could hike along the lake's coves,
amid woods and waters. Bring your rod to cast for some of the brightest-colored
rainbow trout in Northern California.
6. Carson Creek surprise: This trip starts with a short canoe portage to the
access adjacent to Kent Dam in Marin. You then would paddle up Kent Lake to the
hidden Carson Creek inlet on the left side. Fishing? On a calm summer evening,
you could catch bass like crazy.
7. Lake Curry's mystery: I've flown over Lake Curry, the horseshoe-shaped
reservoir tucked in the hills of Napa County, about 500 times, and I've been
there once. It's loaded with bass. This would be an ideal spot for a float tube,
pram or canoe.
8. Hidden over the hill: It's hard to believe that Stanford has kept Felt Lake a
secret. It is literally just over the hill, with I-280 on one side and
Arastradero Road on the other. This is a beautiful setting for horseback riding
and hiking. Big bass hide in heavy weed beds.
9. Briones paddle: The waters are the deepest blue here of any lake in the Bay
Area. You can already hike and bike here, and Briones Regional Preserve is No. 1
for many from nearby Walnut Creek. Add in a paddle trip, fishing for trout and
bass, and you've got a crown jewel.
10. Summer nights: The warm climate in Sonoma County makes me dream of what
could be at Laguna Lake ... an evening picnic, followed by a float, casting to
the bass surface rise at dusk, taking in the surrounding hillside beauty and
sunsets.
The best hikes to waterfalls in the Bay Area and beyond is featured on "Great
Outdoors With Tom Stienstra," airing at 6:30 p.m. today on Channel 44, Bay Area
cable channel 12.
Don't go jump in a lake
Bay Area lakes' restrictions, county-by-county:
-- Alameda County: Public banned at Upper San Leandro Reservoir and San Antonio
Reservoir; no boating at Cull Canyon, Don Castro or Shinn Pond.
-- Contra Costa County: No boating at Briones Reservoir, Lake Anza or Lake
Temescal.
-- Marin County: No boating at Alpine, Bon Tempe, Lagunitas, Kent, Phoenix,
Nicasio, Stafford or Soulejule.
-- Napa County: Public banned at Lake Curry, Milliken and Rector Res.
-- San Francisco: No boating at Merced Impoundment.
-- Santa Clara County: Public banned at Calaveras Reservoir, Lake Elsman and
Felt Lake; Palo Alto residents only at Boronda Lake; no boating at Arastradero,
Sandy Wool, Cunningham, Cottonwood or Almaden.
-- San Mateo County: Public banned at Upper Crystal Springs, Lower Crystal
Springs, San Andreas Lake and Pilarcitos Lake.
-- Solano County: Public banned at Lake Madigan.
-- Sonoma County: Public banned at Laguna Lake.
===
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to
humans ("pure habitat"). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8
years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)
http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande
flooding yet more of our scanty remaining wildlife habitat with more humans?
What could be wrong is that we are 100% dependent on the existence of other
species. They clean our air, clean our water, "fix" nitrogen (make it available
to living things), and provide food, medicines, pleasure, and countless other
free services. That implies that we must allow them to have a place to live,
where they can survive in perpetuity -- habitat that is acceptable to THEM. That
is habitat that is off-limits to humans. Most species don't like having us
around, and, considering our track record, WITH GOOD REASON! We have plenty of
places to experience the pleasures of being in nature, without opening up our
protected watersheds to more human access.
Mike Vandeman, Ph.D.
Bay Area dreams that could be realized
Tom Stienstra
Sunday, October 2, 2005
One of my ultimate outdoor fantasies -- one that is now illegal -- is to plunk
my old green canoe into Crystal Springs Reservoir on the Peninsula, paddle to a
hidden cove and then, as the orange glow of dawn arrives, cast with my fly rod
for giant rainbow trout, catch-and-release.
Another fantasy is to hike from Sweeney Ridge near San Bruno to Montara State
Beach, in the process climbing the remote wilderness of the east flank of
Montara Mountain. That's against the law, too.
These and dozens of other adventures are illegal in the Bay Area because the
public is barred from many publicly owned lakes and lands by water departments
and park districts. In the Bay Area, 35 lakes are off-limits to all boating,
even canoeing. All access, even hiking, is prohibited at 14 lakes.
The only chance for this to change is AB-672, now sitting on Gov.
Schwarzenegger's desk, with an Oct. 9 deadline for his signature. Johan Klehs,
D-San Leandro, who is an avid canoeist, authored this landmark proposal: Local
agencies would be required to create access plans, with public input, for
hand-powered boating, trail access and limited fishing.
Though the bill was weakened at hearings -- it might allow water agencies to
stretch out the "planning process" for years -- this remains the public's best
bet for access to long-forbidden waters and lands.
The beef is simple: For the past 100 years, a handful of watershed employees,
rangers and politicians have used these jewels as their personal reserves to
boat, fish, hike and, in some cases, live. All I've asked for is the same
opportunities. Nobody wants to see any of these gems blemished in any way, and
most visitors would accept quota systems with lotteries and catch-and-release
fishing to eliminate any chance of impact.
That given, here are my top 10 Bay Area fantasy picks:
1. On Golden Pond: Can you imagine a lakeside cabin set in a remote canyon amid
redwoods, with your own dock and boat? This is not a fantasy, but everyday life
at Pilarcitos Lake, the hidden lake in the Peninsula's Crystal Springs
Watershed. Wouldn't you love to rent the cabin, and then, after a barbecue at
the picnic grounds in a redwood grove, head out on the lake and cast for trout
that average 16 to 22 inches?
2. Crystal Springs: Like just about everybody, I've been staring at Crystal
Springs from Interstate 280 for most of my life. I dream of the day when I can
legally paddle my canoe to this certain cove on the west side of the lake with a
creek inlet, where the trout mass on summer evenings and feed on the surface.
The swirls are the size of washtubs.
3. Skyline-to-sea: By simply unlocking two service road gates on watershed
lands, the route from Sweeney Ridge to Montara State Beach would open, creating
one of the most spectacular one-way hikes anywhere. From Sweeney Ridge (great
views of South Bay), the route would drop into Pilarcitos Canyon and, from
there, rise up the stunning wilderness of the east flank of Montara Mountain, go
over the top (180-degree ocean view) and down to the beach.
4. Elk and trout: Most people have no idea that San Antonio Reservoir is located
just over the hill from I-680, southeast of Sunol. An elk herd, golden eagles
and peregrine falcons roam the wildlands on the far side of the lake, and the
rainbow trout in the lake could create a lottery-drawn fishery with quality
similar to that in Canada.
5. Redwoods and rainbows: In the remote Oakland hills, a deer trail from Redwood
Regional Park is routed down a canyon through redwoods to the headwaters of
Upper San Leandro Reservoir. From here, you could hike along the lake's coves,
amid woods and waters. Bring your rod to cast for some of the brightest-colored
rainbow trout in Northern California.
6. Carson Creek surprise: This trip starts with a short canoe portage to the
access adjacent to Kent Dam in Marin. You then would paddle up Kent Lake to the
hidden Carson Creek inlet on the left side. Fishing? On a calm summer evening,
you could catch bass like crazy.
7. Lake Curry's mystery: I've flown over Lake Curry, the horseshoe-shaped
reservoir tucked in the hills of Napa County, about 500 times, and I've been
there once. It's loaded with bass. This would be an ideal spot for a float tube,
pram or canoe.
8. Hidden over the hill: It's hard to believe that Stanford has kept Felt Lake a
secret. It is literally just over the hill, with I-280 on one side and
Arastradero Road on the other. This is a beautiful setting for horseback riding
and hiking. Big bass hide in heavy weed beds.
9. Briones paddle: The waters are the deepest blue here of any lake in the Bay
Area. You can already hike and bike here, and Briones Regional Preserve is No. 1
for many from nearby Walnut Creek. Add in a paddle trip, fishing for trout and
bass, and you've got a crown jewel.
10. Summer nights: The warm climate in Sonoma County makes me dream of what
could be at Laguna Lake ... an evening picnic, followed by a float, casting to
the bass surface rise at dusk, taking in the surrounding hillside beauty and
sunsets.
The best hikes to waterfalls in the Bay Area and beyond is featured on "Great
Outdoors With Tom Stienstra," airing at 6:30 p.m. today on Channel 44, Bay Area
cable channel 12.
Don't go jump in a lake
Bay Area lakes' restrictions, county-by-county:
-- Alameda County: Public banned at Upper San Leandro Reservoir and San Antonio
Reservoir; no boating at Cull Canyon, Don Castro or Shinn Pond.
-- Contra Costa County: No boating at Briones Reservoir, Lake Anza or Lake
Temescal.
-- Marin County: No boating at Alpine, Bon Tempe, Lagunitas, Kent, Phoenix,
Nicasio, Stafford or Soulejule.
-- Napa County: Public banned at Lake Curry, Milliken and Rector Res.
-- San Francisco: No boating at Merced Impoundment.
-- Santa Clara County: Public banned at Calaveras Reservoir, Lake Elsman and
Felt Lake; Palo Alto residents only at Boronda Lake; no boating at Arastradero,
Sandy Wool, Cunningham, Cottonwood or Almaden.
-- San Mateo County: Public banned at Upper Crystal Springs, Lower Crystal
Springs, San Andreas Lake and Pilarcitos Lake.
-- Solano County: Public banned at Lake Madigan.
-- Sonoma County: Public banned at Laguna Lake.
===
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to
humans ("pure habitat"). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8
years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)
http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande