Folsom Lake plan under fire by horse owners

Equestrians showed up in force last week to criticize a preliminary management plan for the Folsom Lake State Recreation Area.

And their presence appears to have already made a difference in the plan - in particular how it affects the future of Shadow Glen Riding Stables in Orangevale. Nearly 200 people, many wearing stickers adorned with the image of a horse, attended the meeting at Cavitt Junior High School in Granite Bay to review and comment on the plan.

It was the first of two public meetings held by California State Parks and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The second was held Tuesday at Folsom Middle School. While the preliminary general plan and resource management plan for the recreation area and the Folsom Powerhouse deal with an array of issues - from marina capacity to campground crime - the audience's focus last week was clearly equestrian use.

Many people expressed concern that equestrians were not getting a fair shake from the plan - compared with other park users such as boaters, bikers and hikers. Of special concern was a proposal to phase out the Shadow Glen equestrian facility at Mississippi Bar, within the recreation area boundaries.

"They're going to close where my daughter boards her horse," said Michael Bigelow."I'm not going to have this place shut down."

"The service they provide to the public is huge," said Elizabeth Winward, an Orangevale resident who boards two horses at Shadow Glen. Others said there aren't a lot of places where people can board horses. Shadow Glen, which has been in business for 35 years, is the only equestrian concessionaire in the Folsom Lake State Recreation Area.

In response to the complaints, Jim Micheaels, a planner with the state parks' Gold Fields District, said, "It's a preliminary plan. This is an opportunity to consider your comments as we move ahead with a final plan." Micheaels said that the state parks' intent, as stated in the plan, is to emphasize enhanced trail access and public recreation at the Shadow Glen equestrian facility, not the private boarding of horses.

But following last week's meeting, state parks staff members met with the stables' owners, Ken and Bonnie Houston. Micheaels said this week that officials "are clarifying our intent" regarding the stables' future.

"As long as there is a viable concession there, we'll continue to allow for boarding and rentals," Micheaels said.

That's welcome news to the Houstons. "This is not about Ken and I, it's about Shadow Glen remaining in the community," Bonnie Houston said.

However, she pointed out that the stables are still on a month-to-month lease agreement, and the Houstons are concerned that they could be forced out when their agreement expires.

In the meantime, they and their supporters will continue to gather signatures for a "Help Save Our Stable" petition.

Equestrians weren't the only ones voicing displeasure with the preliminary general plan last week.

Bob Holderness, speaking for the Folsom Economic Development Corp., told officials, "I think this changes the Folsom Lake State Recreation Area to the Folsom Lake State Conservation Area." The plan, Holderness said, "depreciates recreation opportunities."

Like many in the audience, he asked that the public review and comment period be extended to 180 days. Presently, the deadline for comments is March 24.

Micheaels said Monday that state parks officials are considering extending the deadline.

The document may be viewed at www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_projdetails.cfm?Project_ID=543.

Written comments on the draft plan should be sent to Laura Caballero, Bureau of Reclamation, 7794 Folsom Dam Road, Folsom, CA 95630, e-mailed to lcaballero@mp.usbr.gov or faxed to (916) 989-7208, according to the BLM.

To request printed or compact disc copies, call Micheals at (916) 988-0513 or e-mail him at jmiche@parks.ca.gov.

In spring 2002, state and government officials began work to update the general plan-resource management plan for the recreation area. Stakeholder meetings and public workshops have been held to decide which issues should be addressed in the plan and to look at alternative management concepts.

In addition, a resource inventory was prepared and a visitor survey was conducted.

Creating a management plan has been a difficult process, said Scott Nakaji, superintendent of the Gold Fields District. "Folsom Lake State Recreation Area is a finite piece of land. We're trying to balance things out," he told the audience at Cavitt School.

With an average of 1.5 million visitors over the past five years, the recreation area has become one of the most popular in the California State Parks system. Since adoption of the 1979 general plan for the Folsom Lake State Recreation Area, outdoor recreation use has undergone significant change. When the area first opened, for example, equestrians and hikers primarily used the trails. Recent decades have seen a rising popularity of running, jogging and mountain biking.

But according to state parks planners, the most significant change to occur since 1979 is the 62 percent increase in the population of the Sacramento region - specifically development near the recreation area.

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