Hoot Trail is a new 1.4-mile trail for non-motorized use. It was designed and constructed by Bicyclists of Nevada County, Gold Country Trail Council and the U.S. Forest Service.

Hoot is located in Tahoe National Forest a quarter mile east of the Harmony Ridge Market. It provides connectivity between the Pioneer Trail and the Rock Creek Nature Trail. (Note: no bikes or equestrians permitted on the Nature Trail).
HOOT ROUTE
Hoot winds down the northern slope of Harmony Ridge through towering sugar pines, big leaf maples and madrones, with dogwoods and Humboldt lilies blooming on all sides. Riding this trail is a wonderful way to celebrate National Bike Month — but it's also important to remember that not all users are riding a bike and proper trail etiquette is necessary to ensure the enjoyment and safety of all.

The easiest rule to remember is that equestrians have the right-of-way at all times and bikes yield to everyone else. When like meets like, the user traveling uphill has the-right of-way. However, when it comes to horses, this is oversimplifying things a bit.
Horses are prey animals and if a bike approaches a horse at trail speed, it can easily be mistaken for a predator. A startled horse is dangerous to both the equestrian and other trail users.

TRAIL SAFETY
The following guidelines from cccmb.org can go a long way toward keeping everyone safe:
When approaching horses head-on, come to a stop and ask the equestrian whether they prefer you to stop or ride by slowly. Speak naturally so the horse recognizes that you are a human.
When approaching horses from behind, call out in advance so that the equestrian knows that you are there. It can be disconcerting for both rider and horse to find a bike rider two inches off their "bumper."
Although trail rules state that bike riders and hikers defer to horses, it's best to do whatever the equestrian feels is easiest and safest for everyone.

BONC BAR
BONC will have a table at the trailhead from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday to provide information about the trail, trail etiquette, and volunteer opportunities. To get there, ride east on the Pioneer Trail from Harmony Ridge Market for about a quarter mile. When you arrive at a four-way intersection, you'll see chalk lines pointing to a new connector trail that leads up to the top of Hoot Trail.

Orion Kroeger is treasurer and trail builder for BONC, or Bicyclists of Nevada County. For more information visit http://www.bonc.org

To see the original article and pictures in The Union newspaper CLICK HERE.

WASHINGTON -- Today, at the Department of the Interior headquarters in Washington, D.C., President Donald J. Trump, accompanied by Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, signed the Antiquities Act Executive Order. The order directs Zinke to consult local governments and tribes in order to review national monuments created by the Antiquities Act since January 1, 1996, that are greater than 100,000 acres in footprint and report back to the President on suggested legislative or executive action, if applicable, within 120 days. The Antiquities Act of 1906 authorizes the president to declare federal lands of historic or scientific value to be national monuments by designating the “smallest area compatible with proper care and management of the objects to be protected.” 
"The Interior is the steward of America’s public lands. Part of being a good steward is being a good neighbor and being a good listener. In the Trump Administration, we listen and then we act," said Secretary Ryan Zinke. "For years, the people of Utah and other rural communities have voiced concern and opposition to some monument designations. But too often in recent history, exiting presidents make designations despite those concerns. And the acreage is increasing."
Since the 1900s, when the Act was first used, the average size of national monuments exploded from an average of 422 acres per monument. Now it’s not uncommon for a monument to be more than a million acres.

The designations of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in 1996 and the Bears Ears National Monument in 2016 are considered the book-ends of modern Antiquities Act overreach. Each monument is more than 1.3 million acres.
"Historically, the Act calls for the President to designate the 'smallest area compatible with proper care and management of the objects to be protected,'" Zinke continued. "Despite this clear directive 'smallest area' has become the exception and not the rule. Under the President's leadership, I will work with local, state and Tribal governments to review monument designations made the past 20 years and make sure they work for the local communities.
"The view from the Potomac is a lot different than the view from the Yellowstone or the Colorado. Too many times, you have people in D.C. who have never been to an area, never grazed the land, fished the river, driven the trails, or looked locals in the eye, who are making the decisions and they have zero accountability to the impacted communities. I'm interested in listening to those folks. That's what my team and I will be doing in the next few months."
What the Executive Order does do:

• The Executive Order directs the Department of the Interior to review monuments designated using the Antiquities Act as of January 1, 1996, that are in excess of 100,000 acres, or monuments that were expanded without adequate public outreach and coordination with relevant stakeholders.
• This Executive Order restores trust between local communities and Washington and roots out abuses of power by previous administrations.
• This Executive Order puts America and the Department of the Interior back on track to manage our federal lands in accordance to traditional “multiple-use” philosophy by directing the Secretary of the Department of the Interior to make recommendations to the President on whether a monument should be rescinded, resized in order to better manage our federal lands.
• This Executive Order gives rural communities across America a voice and restores land use planning by directing the Secretary of the Interior to consult and coordinate with the Governors of States affected by monument designations or other relevant officials of affected State, Tribal, and local governments.

What the Executive Order doesn’t do:

• This Executive Order does NOT strip any monument of a designation.
• This Executive Order does NOT loosen any environmental or conservation regulations on any land or marine areas.
  

CLICK HERE for the press release from the Department of the Interior

Working together on a regional goal, Placer County and the town of Truckee are hoping to secure funding to build two sections of the Resort Triangle Trail Network, continuing an effort to connect Placer’s Tahoe communities and resorts with Truckee by a world-class trail system.

The Placer County Board of Supervisors today unanimously gave the OK for the county to apply for the funding.

“I’m just delighted that we continue to move forward on creating the connectivity on these recreation paths along the resort triangle,” said Supervisor Jennifer Montgomery, whose district includes these Placer County trail sections. “The trail that we’re going to be partnering on with the town of Truckee will ultimately end up in Reno.”

Truckee and Placer County are jointly submitting a funding application to the California Federal Lands Access Program for money to build the two multiple-use, paved trail segments that will eventually link North Lake Tahoe with Truckee. Now about halfway completed, the system will eventually be a continuous 62-miles of trails running from Truckee to Northstar, then to Kings Beach. From there the trail will continue to Tahoe City before returning to Truckee along the state Route 89 corridor.

Placer County has partnered with Truckee for a coordinated application that increases the chances of obtaining the funding. The proposed trail segments meet federal funding requirements by enhancing public access to federal lands and providing an economic driver for the region.

Placer County’s trail segment will be the continuation of Truckee's Legacy Trail from the county line west to the intersection of West River Street and state Route 89. This section of trail will include a bridge to cross the Truckee River and possibly a trailhead parking area at the intersection. The Truckee portion will run from the county line east to Brockway Road near the intersection with Palisades Drive. An analysis of the trail forecasts high use for both recreation and alternative transportation.

The estimated cost for both the Placer County and Truckee trail sections is $4.75 million. The county and the town would each need to provide an 11.5 percent match to the federal funding for their respective trail sections. For Placer County, that will be about $545,000.

Source: Robert Miller, County of Placer

To see the original and complete news article in the County of Placer news, CLICK HERE

A study completed by the local League of Women Voters urges Nevada County supervisors to focus on improving the area's parks and recreation, a goal supervisors said they've already made a priority. To access the LVV study CLICK HERE.

The 2017 parks and recreation study, presented Tuesday to the Board of Supervisors, recommended the county accept the responsibility and take a central role in recreation. The study pointed to the health benefits of recreation, claiming that people who live near trails exercise more often. It also cited the draw parks and recreation has toward wealthy retirees and the increased value it adds to homes.

"Recreation opportunities also attract tourism," said Justin Sternberg, secretary of the League of Women Voters of Western Nevada County. According to Sternberg, nonprofit or other groups currently provide recreation. Those groups have no requirement to patrol their property and have no method like the government does to fund its costs.

County staff said community service districts currently provide recreation opportunities throughout the county. They pointed to two failed recreation-related votes in the 1980s, saying voters already have chosen to use service districts instead of a countywide recreation department.
However, the county in January made recreation a top priority. Officials intend to complete a $15,000 to $25,000 study focused on recreation and the possibility of collaborating or consolidating western Nevada County into a regional parks and recreation operation.

"I'm excited about pursuing this," Supervisor Heidi Hall said, though she noted consolidating efforts would be a challenge. "We've seen two ballot measures rejected. Are we ready to try again?"

For the original article in The Union Newspaper, CLICK HERE.

The Board of Supervisors' written response to the study, CLICK HERE.