Curious.Judith

I haven’t kept up with posting monthly reviews this year, nor have i kept up with walking the creek or the SPCWC. There has been activity regarding trail planning in the riparian corridor and more plans along the Permanente Creek corridor as well, as well as tension over human use (BMX sites, off leash dog runs) in conflict with habitat protection. I won’t do a year end round up, but hope to keep up a little more in 2010.

December began with an arrest of a man suspected of attacking and attempting to abduct several women jogging on Stevens Creek Trail. He faces three counts of assault with intent to commit rape. Newspaper headlines seemed to be more hysteria-oriented than the joggers who were assaulted.

Sunnyvale’s city council unanimously agreed to amend the city’s General Plan with a policy supportive of new trails, by incorporating the following statement into the city’s General Plan:

Support proliferation of multi-use trails within Sunnyvale, and their connection to regional trails, in order to provide enhanced access to open space, to promote alternative transportation options, and to increase recreational opportunities, while balancing those needs with preservation of natural habitat, public safety, and the quality of life in residential neighborhoods.

There are a few more steps before this policy is official:

• staff will return to Council with a General Plan Amendment for review,
• a hearing on this amendment will occur before the Planning Commission, and
• a public hearing will be held when the item is returned to Council for adoption.

The amendment was supported by Friends of Stevens Creek Trail.

The Mercury News reported that most Cupertino city residents don’t want dogs to run off leash. The possibilities included funding a fenced dog park in Stevens Creek County Park, but The Mercury News reported that, after discussing the options and costs, the city council is only looking to invest in building a fenced park within Cupertino limits. The city page regarding dog park options does not seem to have been updated since the July 2009 city meeting.

Rainy weather began, a delight after last winter’s drought. The San Francisco Chronicle had an article about the pleasures of hiking in the upper watersheds during the rain and mentioned the Stevens Creek headwaters at Monte Bello Opens Space (despite the misspelling). After the cut, reports from the Santa Clara Valley Water District and the state.

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People who looked at this item also looked at…

• Stevens Creek Trail in the News & SPCWC now “Social”
• Stevens Creek in the News: Jan 2010
• Notice: Community meeting for the Santa Clara Valley Habitat Plan
• More on the Hanson Permanete Quarry
• Monte Bello Open Space

Related items

• Stevens Creek Trailblazer Race
• Stevens Creek in the News – July 2008
• Reminder: Stevens Creek Trail Celebration
• Moffett Airfield and Stevens Creek in the blogosphere & news (blews?)
• Save the Date: Moffett Field Bay Trail Opening

Moffett Overcrossing of Stevens Creek Trail

Originally uploaded by Elaine with Grey Cats

Today is the dedication of the Moffett Blvd Overcrossing (pictured) and the El Camino Real to Sleeper Ave extension.

Tim Oey of Sunnyvale writes about extending the trail into to Sunnyvale in a blog post this week and has drawn a Google Map to represent his understanding of the possibilities. Friends of Stevens Creek Trail have a trail status page and mailing lists to keep folks informed of changes as well.

i know from the Stevens and Permanente Creek Water Council that trail grades can be controversial. While my understanding is that for Mountain View residents, issues of “crime” — more specifically encampments of homeless along the creek — have decreased with the trail, there is also the environmental impact of routing a well used corridor for bicycle commuting and wheeled recreation along the wildlife corridor. The whirr of speeding bikes and the vrumm-vrumm-vrumm of roller bladers can be a constant companion on the existing trail. Personally, though, i found the creek first through commuting and then, in my frequent observations, i became concerned for its health. While not every commuter is going to become concerned for the health of the riparian ecosystem, the trail makes it visible and allows local residents to connect with the original arteries of the region.

I love the vision of the Stevens Creek corridor supporting a trail that connects the Bay trail to the Ridge trail, that connects the open spaces in the Santa Cruz mountains to the Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge around the south bay.

Today, a little celebration of that vision coming closer.

People who looked at this item also looked at…

• Curious about Judith?
• Update: Quarry Meeting
• Streamkeeping
• Stevens Creek Fish Ladder Walk – June 6th 2009 – 10 am
• GIS and geoscience data for Stevens Creek

Related items

• Stevens Creek Trailblazer Race
• Shoreline at Mountain View: 25th Anniversary Celebration
• Stevens Creek in the News – March 2008
• Moffett Airfield and Stevens Creek in the blogosphere & news (blews?)
• Stevens Creek Trail news: Trailblazer Race & Trail Walk Sept 26

More information about the 10K Race and 5K/3 mile Walk on Sunday, 28 September after the cut. Race proceeds support Friends of Steven Creek Trail. Don’t forget the eWaste recycling event on Saturday, 6 September, to support the Stevens and Permanente Creek Watershed Council. The church location is adjacent to Hale Creek, a tributary of Permanente Creek.
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People who looked at this item also looked at…

• A story about “Please Vote for Me”
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• Nervousness Post about Orphaned Works
• Free eWaste Recycling to support SPCWC (Stevens & Permanente Creek Watershed Council)

Related items

• Stevens Creek in the News – July 2008
• Watershed Links
• Stevens Creek in the News – September 2008
• Stevens Creek in the News – March 2008
• Stevens Creek Clean-up – new date: Saturday May 20

First, a link to an older story about a Zeppelin possibly making use of Moffett Field. To my uninformed eye, that looks like a delightful co-use of the space, and my steampunk sensibilities prompt me to wonder if the bay area needs lots of zeppelins for disaster relief. About the time i ran across that article I found Steve Williams‘ site. He is “a pilot and aircraft owner from Mountain View. [His] goal for [his] web site is to record news and opinions about public use of Moffett Field, and especially civil aviation use.” He is such a well measured correspondent and his site provides such a useful service, i hope that civil aviation use can be found to have no negative effect on the wildlife refuge. He’s provided an update on the Hanger One report from the Navy, delayed until January.

In other news, the SF Chronicle ran an article about the release of the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project report with this supportive blog entry from a hiker. I wish i could have taken more time off from work to be involved in the report development, and wonder if i should volunteer to be on the Alviso Ponds & Santa Clara County Working Group. There seem to be no surprises. The Chron reports that, “Today’s plan favors converting 90 percent of the former ponds to tidal marsh,” and mentions the concept of adaptive management (explained in a KQED segment) and how that may change that target date as observations are made about the effects of the early changes. I’m personally delighted to hear that, “A 2 1/2-mile segment of the Bay Trail will open between Mountain View’s Stevens Creek and Sunnyvale for hiking, biking and watching wildlife.” The December Newsletter reports, “Next year should be particularly exciting as we plan to … open the segment of Bay Trail adjacent to Moffett Field.” I’m not patient enough to dig out an exact date, but i think the work i’ve been observing has been of trail development. I hope it’s soon. When i walk out to the bay on the trail beside the creek, i really enjoy the sense of being so far away from sub/urban life and the changing views of the Moffett Field buildings. I think this will be an exciting addition. I do hope that in opening it up to public use that the public can respect the wildlife habitat and that i don’t have any more encounters with runners with their dogs off leash. (Dogs are not allowed in the Don Edwards section of the Stevens Creek Trail.)

Just as as side note, as i look at the maps being put out as part of the restoration planning, i note the well marked Hetch Hetcy aqueduct and ponder again whether Santa Clara parcel data has grounds for not responding to freedom of information requests for data on the grounds of a threat to homeland security. Hrmph.
Hangar One, Don Edwards NWR,South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project,salt ponds

Related items

• Stevens Creek in the News – July 2008
• Stevens Creek in the News – April 2008
• Shoreline at Mountain View: 25th Anniversary Celebration
• Stevens Creek Trailblazer Race
• Reminder: Stevens Creek Trail Celebration