Tulare County approves letter backing Balch Park Pack Station operators amid access dispute with CAL FIRE

The Tulare County Board of Supervisors on July 15 voted to send a letter to CAL FIRE supporting the Balch Park Pack Station’s operators and asking the agency to restore access to essential on-site facilities or otherwise enable continued operations.

Israel Sotelo, chief of staff to the Tulare County Board, said recent CAL FIRE modifications to the operator’s lease have restricted access to on-site facilities and threatened continued operation. Sotelo asked the board to approve a letter asking CAL FIRE to reverse or modify the changes; following Supervisor Dennis Townsend’s request, staff amended the draft to add Secretary Wade Crowfoot and the entire Tulare County state delegation as carbon-copy recipients.

An economic development official from the county, who identified themselves as overseeing county tourism and economic development, told the board Balch Park and its pack station are important to regional outdoor recreation and attract visitors who might otherwise lack mobility access to the backcountry. The staff member said the Southern Sierra has relatively few pack stations — contrasting the county’s supply with Inyo County’s 11 pack stations — and noted that one nearby pack station lost four buildings in the SQF fire, increasing the local importance of Balch Park.

Townsend told the board the issue has generated an unusually high volume of public emails and letters; he also said the City of Porterville planned to send its own letter of support. The board then voted to approve the letter with the expanded CC list.

The motion was made by Supervisor Townsend, seconded by Supervisor Eddie Valero, and passed 4-0 with Supervisor Larry McCarrie not voting because he was not in attendance. The approved letter asks CAL FIRE to restore access or make other arrangements that will enable effective continued operation of the pack station, the staff report said.