LAKEPORT, Calif. – Creation and adoption of the Konocti Regional Trails Master Plan took another step forward when members of the public came back together to receive an update and provide feedback to the Konocti Regional Trails Team as it finalizes the draft plan.

The final draft of the Konocti Regional Trails Master Plan will be presented to the public in a workshop on Oct. 13, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Board of Supervisors Chambers at the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.

Subsequently, the plan will go to the Lake County Planning Commission for approval and to the Board of Supervisors for adoption later this fall.

On Aug. 7 representatives from public groups that have been involved in the trails process from the beginning were invited to hear the progress that has been made by, and give feedback to, the Konocti Regional Trails Team, who have been meeting several times per month to work on the proposed maps, trail policies, and other major components of the master plan.

The Konocti Regional Trails effort has been guided by Barbara Rice, with the National Park Service, River Trails and Conservation Assistance program, who has been lending her assistance and expertise to the project and team through a technical assistance grant.

In addition, Alta Planning + Design, a consulting firm specializing in developing trail master plans, greenways, multi-use hiking, and community pathways has provided technical expertise and facilitation to the planning effort.

Once approved, the plan will serve as a guide to prioritize trail building projects. The first task will include working with local landowners who have already expressed interest in providing an easement on their property to the County for the creation of a trail. With the adoption of a trails plan, grant funding can be sought to acquire property from willing sellers for trail creation.

The initial project began in 2008, and a public workshop was held in June 2009, to kick off the effort to gather valuable information from the public.

An online public survey was then completed by more than 650 respondents (one percent of the population of Lake County – an impressive survey response) who gave more vital information on the needs of the public, including existing destinations, key issues and concerns, and desired transportation modes and trail amenities.

Last January, nearly 100 community members attended a public workshop to give input on trail policies, trail planning and trail design.

Public input from the workshops and survey has been synthesized by the Konocti Regional Trails Team into a framework that has guided the master plan development plan thus far.

This framework includes nonmotorized, multi-use trails system; a “backbone” trails system for recreation and transportation; provide consistency and cohesiveness in implementation of the overall trails network; and connections between established communities and recreational destinations.

On Aug. 7, the Konocti Regional Trails Team updated the stakeholder group on several issues, including the opening of Mount Konocti County Park, which was slated for October but since has been pushed back to December due to trail construction design issues.

The park will be opened for hiking initially while the Mount Konocti Master Management Plan is developed with additional public input to determine other potential types of use, with preservation and conservation as the ultimate goal.

The group also was updated on the completion of all seven water trails with corresponding brochures, available at www.konoctitrails.com, and a tentative agreement has been reached with all necessary property owners for a trail access easement on the Bridge Arbor Trail. The Department of Public Works is in pursuit of multiple funding opportunities and is finalizing design plans so the environmental review can be started.

The Konocti Regional Trails system is divided into six major study areas:

• Northshore Study (NS) Area: Covering Clearlake Oaks, Glenhaven, Nice and Lucerne;

• Westshore Study (WS) Area: Covering Upper Lake and greater Lakeport;

• Konocti Region (KR) Study Area: Covering Kelseyville, Finley, Mount Konocti and the Rivieras;

• Eastshore (ES) Study Area: Covering greater Clearlake and Lower Lake;

• South County (SC) Study Area: Covering Hidden Valley Lake, Middletown and Cobb;

• Clear Lake (CL) Study Area: Covering Water Trails on Clear Lake.

Each study area has five or more proposed or existing trails. At the Aug. 7 meeting, attendees were asked to participate in group discussions to review maps and trail narratives that have been developed to ensure that their previous input was reflected and to note any glaring omissions of proposed trails in study areas.

The Konocti Regional Trails Team has since incorporated all feedback from the Aug. 7 meeting into the draft master plan and maps and continues to make final edits before submitting the plan to Alta Planning + Design for completion.

For more information on the Konocti Regional Trails Plan effort, go to www.konoctitrails.com.

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