Project abstract summary - protecting resources and improving visitor access in the fortord national monument in californiawith over 86 miles of trails, the fort ORD national monument in california…

Project abstract summary - protecting resources and improving visitor access in the fortord national monument in californiawith over 86 miles of trails, the fort ORD national monument in california (fonm, themonument) is a major destination for hiking, road and mountain biking, DOG walking andequestrian use in the monterey peninsula. The monuments over 1 million annual visitorsinclude the local inhabitants of monterey county and the larger monterey BAY area spanningsan luis obispo, santa cruz, and SAN jose, as well as national and international visitors to thearea. Many of the fonm trails were built on old army paths that have steep grades and crossmarshy areas that flow freely with water during the rainy season. This poses safety hazards tovisitors and environmental impacts to the surrounding landscape. In response to a request forsupport to address the erosion issues utilizing sustainable trail hardening techniques, santacruz mountains trail stewardship (scmts) will provide trail resurfacing and reshaping to TRAIL30 in fonm in the coming year, with additional trails to be improved in the following yearsbased on the highest need at that time. The project will be accomplished utilizing demonstrated best practices to minimize user andweather caused erosion, improve user experience and safety, and protect the landscape. TRAIL30 is a popular trail that leaves from the creekside trailhead. For many visitors IT is their firsttrail experience in the monument. Because of its ease of access and popularity, trail 30 showscommon trail damage from its high level of use such as rutting, caused by soil displacement anderosion, and trail widening, caused by users avoiding difficult sections. Trail repairs andimprovements will include the addition of stone aggregate and reshaping the trail in strategiclocations to prevent water erosion and help the trail dry out faster after rain.implementing trail hardening on trail 30 and additional trails in subsequent years will achievethe goals of improving user experience and safety for a large number of visitors and protectingthe landscape. Moreover, high quality trail hardening not only restores damaged trails, IT alsodecreases erosion and environmental impacts in the long-term, thereby improving the long-termmaintenance outlook in the fonm.with over two decades of experience, scmts envisions a future where outdoor adventuresspark collective care for open spaces, helping communities and landscapes thrive together.scmts works closely with the bureau of land management and other agencies and landmanagers throughout the BAY area to provide trail construction, repair, and maintenance for thebenefit of both the public and the natural environment.