Regional recreation plan urges trails, branded trailheads and fire mitigation; city seeks partnerships
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Summary
A two‑year recreation plan funded by the Sierra Nevada Conservancy recommends multi‑use trails, branded trailheads with QR codes to link to local businesses, trail maintenance partnerships and fire mitigation work; staff and the recreation committee emphasized partnerships and funding readiness.
Speaker 2, the presenter, told the council the sustainable recreation planning project ran for two years and was funded by the Sierra Nevada Conservancy. The process included public workshops, focus groups, interviews with businesses and a recreation committee; the public contributed roughly 80 ideas and prioritized six projects.
The plan highlights multi‑use trails, branded regional trailheads (with QR codes to help promote local restaurants and hotels), trail maintenance coalitions, fire mitigation and winter road access planning. Speaker 2 said the plan linked recreation to economic development, equitable access and climate/fire concerns and that community adoption makes projects more competitive for state and federal funding.
Speaker 2 acknowledged challenges, including private landowners who restrict summer access for fire concerns; staff are exploring alternate alignments and potential land purchases to secure public access. The plan recommends forming a regional trail maintenance group and pursuing partnerships to increase eligibility for grants.
Councilmembers asked about grant eligibility and timelines; Speaker 2 noted the value of being ‘shovel‑ready’ to increase competitive scoring for CDBG and other grants, and said staff will continue outreach to funders and partners. The council encouraged continued community engagement and accepted the presentation, with staff to return with funding and implementation next steps.