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Backbone Trail, East of Kanan Trailhead

SMMNRA Interagency Trail Management Plan

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area » SMMNRA Interagency Trail Management Plan » Document List

PROJECT UPDATE:
The National Park Service (NPS), California State Parks (CSP), Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy (SMMC), and the Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority (MRCA) have placed the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) Trails Management Plan (TMP) on indefinite hold. NPS has moved away from broad, general plans and associated required NEPA compliance, as these plans could take decades to implement and do not have allocated resources. NPS is now moving toward focused, project-specific trail plans that can be accomplished in a 1-5 year window. Given the interconnectivity of the properties within the SMMNRA, it is not practical to continue the planning process without the full participation of all partnering organizations. The SMMNRA TMP will be placed on hold until such time when all participating agencies can collectively prioritize and provide the necessary resources to complete the plan.

MOST RECENT DOCUMENTS: Click on "Document List" to the left to view Regional Trails Update Newsletter #4.

TO SUBMIT COMMENTS: The comment period for the Notice of Intent and Notice of Preparation of the joint TMP EIS/EIR closed on April 1st. We are now reviewing the comments and will post a summary report in early May. The next opportunity for comment will be when the draft TMP EIS/EIR is published later this fall or winter.

National Park Service (NPS), California State Parks (State Parks), Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, and the Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority are reinitiating preparation of the long-awaited Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) Interagency Trail Management Plan (TMP). The TMP will establish the overall vision for future development and management of the nearly 500-mile SMMNRA trail network. Based on identified desired conditions for park natural, cultural and recreational resources, the TMP will prescribe a comprehensive plan for circulation, access, and allowable trail uses for trails throughout the national recreation area. Because NPS and State agencies are jointly preparing the TMP, a NEPA and CEQA-based Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) will accompany the TMP. The TMP EIS/EIR will consider alternative visions for the trail network and will provide a detailed analysis of potential environmental impacts of each vision.

A reissued federal Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS was published in the Federal Register on January 31, 2014. The state Notice of Preparation of an EIR was reissued on [February 3, 2014]. NPS and State Parks are now accepting the public's suggestions for issues the TMP EIS/EIR should address and for the content and design of a range of alternatives. Please click on "Open For Comment" to the left to submit your comments online.

Planning for the greater SMMNRA trail network began in mid-1990s with the Santa Monica Mountains Area Recreation Trails (SMMART) Project. The original federal and state notices to prepare the TMP EIS/EIR were published in 2003. In September 2005, NPS, State Parks, and SMMC/MRCA conducted public scoping meetings and gathered public comments on conceptual trail facilities and map alternatives needed to prepare the Draft EIS/EIR. Owing to lack of funding, the NPS and partner agencies were unable to prepare the Draft EIS/EIR after the 2005 public scoping effort. With funding now in hand, the partner agencies are resuming preparation of the joint TMP EIS/EIR. We invite your participation throughout the planning process.

Contact Information

National Park Service
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
401 W. Hillcrest Drive
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360
SAMO_Trails@nps.gov