04/26/10 Warrior’s Society Weekly News
In this issue:
1. Share 2010 Poker Ride, Saturday, May 15th
2. Rails to Trails Needs your help here in Orange County
1. SHARE 2010 POKER RIDE, SATURDAY, MAY 15TH
Hello SHARE Members and Friends
Mark your calendars!
Here are the 2010 SHARE Poker Ride details:
Date: May 15, Time: 8am, Place: Santiago Oaks Regional Park.
Online registration only at:
http://www.active.com/cycling/orange-ca/santiago-oaks-poker-ride-2010
[We need volunteers too. If you would like to help at a checkpoint or check-in, please email sharemtb@gmail.com]
2. RAILS TO TRAILS NEEDS YOUR HELP HERE IN ORANGE COUNTY
Dear Trail Advocates and Local Leaders:
Recently, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) learned of an upcoming railroad corridor abandonment in your area. On or about April 1, 2010, Union Pacific Railroad Company filed for the abandonment of 1.15 miles of track near the City of Brea in Orange County, California. We are providing you with this information so you may take advantage of the opportunity to develop a real regional asset — a multi-use trail that can accommodate hikers, bikers, equestrians and other appropriate uses.
BENEFITS OF RAIL-TRAILS: As you may know, there is already an extensive network of rail-trails around the country — more than 1,400 open trails, stretching more than 15,000 miles, with hundreds more miles of trail being developed. None of the nearby communities wanted to lose rail traffic or the local economic benefits of the railroad, but developing a community asset such as a multi-purpose recreation and transportation trail can help to replace this lost income to the community. Trails such as these can improve the overall quality of life for people in your community by providing a safe place for children to ride their bikes and for older people to recreate and enjoy life; by creating safe places for equestrians to ride; by encouraging older businesses to remain in the area and new businesses to relocate there; by improving property values of landowners near the trail; and by providing a convenient location for all area citizens to exercise, socialize and enjoy the outdoors.
NEXT STEPS: If you believe this corridor is suitable for trail use, we strongly urge you, or an appropriate local, regional or state agency or organization, to take action now. You can file a “boiler-plate” letter (found at http://www.railstotrails.org/resources/documents/resource_docs/RTC%20Fact%20Sheet_Railbanking.pdf) with the Surface Transportation Board (STB) and the abandoning railroad using STB docket number AB-33 (sub-no. 281x). Filing this letter does not commit you (or the agency which files) to acquire this corridor; it merely gives you time to develop a rail-trail proposal and undertake negotiations with the railroad. According to the information we have received, you have until April 30, 2010 to file this letter. Even if you miss that deadline, there is probably still time for you to contact the relevant parties, since the railroad may have experienced a delay in filing all of the paperwork, or the STB may still have jurisdiction over the corridor. However, it is important that you take prompt action. The STB posts all abandonment decisions and filings at www.stb.dot.gov. The filing for your area is posted at http://tinyurl.com/yaw7new. More information on the rail corridor, including a map, can be found in this filing.
You should also know the STB has imposed a $200 filing fee for all railbanking requests. Entities filing a railbanking request may request a fee waiver or reduction, and government agencies will receive an automatic fee waiver.
Throughout the process, make sure your local government officials and citizen activists are kept informed of the project’s progress. We also recommend that you contact your state trails coordinator or your state bicycle/pedestrian coordinator:
Jean Lacher, Manager
Office of Grants and Local Services
California State Parks
P.O. Box 942896
Sacramento CA 94296-0001
916-653-6160; Fax 916-653-6511
jlach@parks.ca.gov
Ken McGuire, Chief
Bicycle Facilities Unit
Division of Local Assistance, MS-1
California Department of Transportation
P.O. Box 942874
Sacramento, CA 94274-0001
916-653-2750; Fax 916-653-1905
ken.mcguire@dot.ca.gov
Both of these individuals are knowledgeable about state laws and resources and may be able to assist your community with this rail-trail project. Also, you may want to contact the abandoning railroad to add your name to their service list.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AVAILABLE: RTC’s website may provide valuable tools as you plan for a rail-trail, including how-to manuals, a Trail-Building Toolbox, our Publications Library and the Trails & Greenways Listserv for trail advocates and professionals. You can explore these trail-building resources at http://www.railstotrails.org/ourWork/trailBuilding
Shimano is the Major Component Sponsor of the Warrior’s Society
Rock N Road Bike Shops, El Pollo Loco and Switchback Cyclery are Major Sponsors of the Warrior’s Society
O’Hara’s Pub at the Orange Circle is the Official Watering Hole of the Warrior’s Society
Hammer Nutrition is the official Nutrition bar and gel of the Warrior’s Society
The Warrior’s Society is a Blue Ribbon Coalition (BRC) affiliated organization
The Warrior’s Society is a Tax Exempt Organization under 501 (c) 4 of the IRS Code
“Far better it is to dare mighty dreams, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take the ranks with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in that gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat!”
Theodore Roosevelt
www.warriorssociety.org