NPS Paramount Ranch Proposed as 2024 Olympic Mountain Bike Training Ground

by Stephanie Abronson

A HEADS-UP CALL:
Save this date and please show up to express your concern -- August 23, 2016, Tuesday, NPS Diamond X Ranch, 26412 Mulholland Hwy., Calabasas, CA 91302 at7:00 PM

Mountain Biking is a future Olympic Sport in 2024. This may be the worst and most ecologically abusive event to be added to the Olympic roster for the damage it will cause to our environment. Mountain Bikers will need a training area specifically for them to race and crash without endangering all other trail users. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti proposes that NPS Paramount Ranch be used as an Olympic Mountain Bike Training ground in 2024. This proposal is inappropriate!

A copy of my letter to David Szymanski, Superintendent, National Park Service, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, may be used to help other folks to chime in against the Garcetti proposal to use NPS’s Paramount Ranch -- nor any other area in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area for future Olympic Mountain Bike training. Remember the SMMNRA is located in the California Coastal Commission zone. Wouldn’t a Coastal Permit be required to improve any training area in the SMMNRA?

Think of the Mountain Biker’s hope of gaining a spot on the United States Team, the amount of training – months and years - that goes into any Olympic sport, and what it will mean to the ecological systems in all the countries that support a Mountain Bike team!!

Mountain Biking takes place in mountainous terrain, most often in our state, national, and historic parklands. Training for this event will cause irreparable damage to all natural habitats the bikers come in contact with. Think what will this mean to those of us who must use the same trails for hiking and horseback riding? We will end up giving up our use of our trails for fear that our safety cannot be secured.

Think also of the local traffic congestion should Paramount Ranch be designated an Olympic training area. It is promised that “restoration” will occur after the Games. But that is only for Paramount Ranch. Fat chance! All the local California parklands will be overrun and damaged, not just Paramount Ranch. We are now in a 5-year drought! Think what will happen during our expanding spring, summer to fall Fire season!

Encourage the members of the Sierra Club, Audubon Clubs, and others to join in this effort to protect the Santa Monica Mountains NATIONAL Recreation Area.

Send your letters to:
David Szymanski, Superintendent, Email:david_szymanski@nps.gov
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
United States Department of the Interior,
National Park Service,
401 West Hillcrest Drive,
Thousand Oaks, California 91360-4207

Sally Jewell, Secretary
Department of the Interior
1849 C Street, N.W.
Washington DC 20240

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Pacific Southwest Region
Jody Holzworth, Assistant Regional Director, External Affairs
2800 Cottage Way W-2606,
Sacramento, CA 95825

Joe Edmiston, Executive Director Email:info@smmc.ca.gov
Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy
57S0 W Ave 26 #100,
Los Angeles, CA 90065

Craig Sap Email: craig.sap@parks.ca.gov
Angeles District Superintendent,
California State Parks
1925 Las Virgenes Rd.
Calabasas, CA. 91302

Santa Monica Mountains Trails Council
P.O. Box 345
Agoura Hills, Ca 91301
Howard Cohen howard@gravityh.com