This week, Deb, our Executive Director, attended a regional workshop along with 40 representatives from other California public agencies and nonprofits to begin discussions with CA Natural Resources Agency, Deputy Secretary Toy to identify barriers and opportunities to expand equitable outdoor access. This workshop is about building a solid foundation for developing an effective strategy and achieving access for all Californians, especially for communities currently lacking access to our state’s natural, cultural, and historic resources. 

The timing of these workshops coincides with RTAs internal and external work discussing and advocating for the critically important topic of access for everybody and every BODY.  We also had the opportunity to catch up with our friends at SCMTS, SFUrban Riders, CAMTB and CA State Parks Director Armondao Quintero and many others not shown.

Thank you, Parks California, and Bay Area Together for hosting a great workshop on the Outdoors For All Initiative. To learn more about the program visit  

https://resources.ca.gov/Newsroom/Page-Content/News-List/California-Outdoors-For-All-Initiative

Trione-Annadel State Park update: 

Thank you to California State Parks Foundation for a $10,000 grant to help fund a volunteer coordinator for our volunteer work in Trione-Annadel State Park (TASP).  We were awarded the grant thanks to support from Trione-Annadel staff and our Bay Area District Leadership.  We are excited to be getting closer to getting work done in the park.   We are still waiting on the Donation of Services Agreement to be signed pending a legal question pertaining to prevailing wage.  We are hopeful the question will be resolved and we'll be back on track to get volunteer work and trail repairs started.  We understand this has been a long process but we are optimistic and now with soon to be help from a dedicated volunteer coordinator.

We have ongoing conversations regarding a road and trail management plan (RTMP) for TASP and are excited this is a high priority for our district this year.  In our partnership with TASP staff, Bay Area District leadership and Friends of Trione-Annadel we have begun talking about the process and what the next steps are.  As we move forward we will reach out for input from our community on what you'd like to see.  Your voice matters!!

For updates specific to our work in Trione-Annadel SP email us at TASP@trailsalliance.org.  This will be the method we use regarding volunteer work days and updates on the RTMP

Singletracks.com recently posted an article written by Maureen Gaffney regarding the work being done in Boggs.

"Redwood Trails Alliance in 2022 is a force to be reckoned with. Formed in 2020, RTA works across three Northern California counties—Sonoma, Lake, and Napa—to “advocate for our diverse community of trail users. We teach responsible trail stewardship and offer volunteer trail work opportunities along with planning and construction services for trails for all to enjoy” according to their mission statement."

FULL BOGGS ARTICLE HERE

Trione-Annadel State Park update: We've been working with our Bay Area District leadership to negotiate a 2 year Donation of Services Agreement to authorize project work and maintenance work in Trione-Annadel State Park.  We finalized the terms of our contract, sent it through partnerships office and legal office.  Next steps are to get signatures from RTA and the Directors office.  Final stage is to go through Department of Finance and it's done.  This is the first contract of this type done with our district for TASP.  

How the partnership works:  Friends of Trione-Annadel is committed to raising funds for trail repairs and recently donated the FOTA Kubota to Redwood Trails Alliance for use in TASP.  Redwood Trails Alliance will run volunteer crews and our trail team for repairs and maintenance work. State Parks will provide the guidance and support needed to approve and assist with the backlog of work.  First project up is Lawndale from the parking lot to the creek crossing.

We recently submitted a grant request with the support of our Bay Area District leadership and park staff to fund a part time volunteer coordinator position for work in TASP to allow us the capacity to assist with maintenance work such as clearing trees and overgrowth in trails.

We continue are advocacy effort towards implementation of a road and trail management plan.  This will be a long process and we will need help from the community to give input on what you'd like to see when the time comes.  Again, this is a very long process but we are committed to keeping the conversation going and advocating for a streamlined method.  

Greetings Redwood Trails Alliance supporters!

We’ve been working hard to bring more trails and better trails to our tri-county area.  Excitedly, we are on track to add 12 new miles of trail and a new pumptrack in 2022!  We’ve been busy and we are stoked! 

Our trail team under has been going gangbusters with trail project planning, mapping, excavating, improving existing trails, and training youth crews on durable trail construction.  We’ve increased our community volunteer opportunities and added an all-community new trail build in Taylor Mountain. If you’re out and about and see the team, give them a shoutout.  As you know, we’ve been growing rapidly over the past year. We are proud to have a full-time trail team and have plans to continue to grow our team over the next couple years.  We have you to thank for our success! Expanding our trail team is due to your supporting memberships and donations.

Where we've been. Where we are. Where we will be: Boggs Mountain Demonstrations State Forest, Moore Creek Park, Skyline Wilderness Park pumptrack, Trione-Annadel State Park, Sonoma Valley Regional Park, Monte Rio Redwoods, Wright Hill Ranch, Helen Putnam Regional Park Hood Mountain Regional Park, Mark West Springs Regional Park and Pinnacle Gulch Regional Park.  

We recently expanded our internal work and hired a full-time person to help myself and provide internal project management support for our trail team.  This is huge!  Rachael Bean transitioned from our trail team and into the office.  Her experience as a trail builder makes her a perfect fit!  Being supported internally will provide more time to focus on our advocacy efforts, communications, strengthening our partnerships and continue to develop our relationships with community leaders who see trails as an asset.

Our board of directors is also expanding.  If you’re interested in what we do, reach out to me directly.  deb@trailsalliance.org  3 spots are currently open.  We have an enthusiastic, positive and deeply engaged board of directors who donate their time and expertise to ensure we are meeting our mission, vision, purpose, and values.  Serving on the board for Redwood Trails Alliance is an opportunity to be involved in strategic planning, advocacy at the highest level and a great opportunity to get the inside scoop on trail projects, past, present, and future. 

We held our first bike giveaway in 2022 to support our Bring Back Boggs campaign and raised $80,000 towards rebuilding Boggs trails! Even though the bike giveaway is over we continue to raise funds. Bring Back Boggs  We recently launched our Trails Don't Build Themselves campaign in support of Dan's Wild Ride and Moore Creek Park trails.  Check out our project support page HERE. Thank you to the private donors who pledged $50,000 to start off our fundraising efforts.  Check our project page as we continue to update more projects we need funding for.

Last but not least, our Redwood Trails Alliance merchandise is on the way! We expect to have merchandise by the end of April.  We'll update our STORE with photos soon.

Thank you for you being outdoor enthusiasts enjoying trails across Napa, Lake and Sonoma counties!  We are grateful for the love and support to bring more trails and better trails!  

We hope to see you on the trails, at one of our trail dig days and/or our events.

Stay stoked and get outside!

Debbie St.Cyr, Executive Director

Redwood Trails Alliance

Greetings Redwood Trails Alliance supporters and partners!

I am excited to announce the launch of our Bring Back Boggs bike giveaway!

Redwood Trails Alliance has teamed up with Trail House Santa Rosa to support more trails and better trails in Boggs and beyond!

Trail House of Santa Rosa donated a Specialized Stumpjumper Expert mountain bike worth $5,900 to raise funds towards reconstructing trails in Boggs Mountain Demonstration State Forest.  

Our trail team is currently working on Bear Bones trail with Boggs Peak trail next in line and an estimated completion of both trails coming up on March 3rd.  Supporting the Bring Back Boggs campaign will support construction of these two trails and more throughout 2022.  Funds will also support community volunteer days with the first one being February 26th.  Event sign up will open soon with limited space.

We are working in partnership with Friends of Boggs Mountain to continue rebuilding the well-loved 22-mile trail system lost during post wildfire cleanup after the 2015 Valley Fire.  We are even more excited to build trails to support bringing back much anticipated events in May of 2022 such as Bike Monkey's Boggs Race and the Norcal Interscholastic Cycling League state championship race and Adventure Day to support the close of their 2022 season.  

We all know the impacts of wildfires across Napa, Lake and Sonoma counties.  We have a lot of work to do to help our partnering land managers bring trails back for our community of users to enjoy, and we have a long way to go to get to the finish line.

I am even more excited to announce support from Lake County District 5 Supervisor, Jessica Pyska, who dedicated $25,000 in funding towards our Bring Back Boggs campaign and a donation of $15,000 from Calpine Corporation.  

You don't have to be an MTB user to support our campaign!  You don't have to ride to be a part of rebuilding trails.  If you are the lucky winner of this exemplary bike and you don't ride you can sell it, donate it to a kid in need or whatever your heart desires.  We will leave those details to you, but will happily help with any questions you have.

For more information on how to donate and support our Bring Back Boggs campaign click BRING BACK BOGGS.

Join us as we begin the 1st launch of many for our 2022 fundraisers to support multiple projects across Napa, Lake and Sonoma counties. 

Thank you for joining us on our journey to bring you more trails and better trails!

Debbie St.Cyr, Executive Director

FRIENDS OF TRIONE-ANNADEL DONATES KUBOTA U17 TO REDWOOD TRAILS ALLIANCE

Working in partnership to improve trails in Trione-Annadel State Park

Friends of Trione-Annadel (FOTA) and Redwood Trails Alliance (Trails Alliance) in partnership, combined resources to improve trails and assist Trione-Annadel State Park (TASP)with  maintenance and trail repairs.  

Friends of Trione-Annadel is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to protecting the health of our treasured local state park, Trione-Annadel. Through donations from the community, FOTA supports the maintenance and development of its trails, structures, and open spaces - ensuring a healthy environment for wildlife and continued accessibility and safety for the public

Redwood Trails Alliance, a 501(c)(3)non-profit is an advocate for our diverse community of trail users. We teach responsible trail stewardship and offer volunteer trail work opportunities along with planning and construction services for trails for all to enjoy.

FOTA donated a Kubota U17 purchased through private donations in an effort to expand capacity to work in Trione-Annadel State Park.  After consulting with State Parks Bay Area District leadership the decision was made to donate both the mini-excavator and trailer to Redwood Trails Alliance who has been working on a partnership with FOTA and State Parks as the trail consultant and construction organization to conduct trail repairs.  

On January 12, 2022 Friends of Trione-Annadel President, Don McCullough and Redwood Trails Alliance Executive Director, Debbie St.Cyr signed a donation agreement between the two organizations. In the agreement Redwood Trails Alliance will take possession of the Kubota U17, endearingly referred to as FOTA Kubota, for use in Trione-Annadel State Park.  Redwood Trails Alliance will add the Kubota to their fleet to be used for maintenance and trail repairs in TASP.

Together, FOTA and Trails Alliance will work towards trail improvements, maintenance and host volunteer trail work days throughout 2022 and 2023. Stay up to date on both organizations and upcoming work they’ll be conducting in the park by becoming a member and supporting future efforts.

Have you been out to explore the newly opened Sky Lupine Trail in Taylor Mountain Regional Park? We worked in partnership with Sonoma County Regional Parks and Sonoma County Regional Parks Foundation to design and construct the Sky Lupine Trail. 

To support more trails in Napa, Lake and Sonoma counties join us www.trailsalliance.org funds go toward #moretrails #bettertrails

Thank you TOPO Collective for the awesome footage.  Sky Lupine Trail

VOLUNTEER:

Trail work has returned for the Redwood Trails Alliance!  We couldn’t be happier to share the joy of getting dirty with our community. Stay tuned for email announcements of future volunteer events in Helen Putnam Regional Park and Foothill Regional Park.  Signup links will be in future email announcements. 

MEMBERSHIP:

Already a member of Sonoma County Trails Council or the Redwood Empire Mountain Bike Alliance?  You can log in to your account HERE to check your membership status.  Your membership has already been transferred to Redwood Trails Alliance.  

REMBA Members: Your login  will be your email you originally signed up with.  You can choose forgot password to do a password reset and login to your account. 

SCTC Members: Login using the email address we use to contact you, then select forgot password and set up your Redwood Trails Alliance member account. 

SCTC Members: We will be transitioning away from Paypal for membership and donations and will use your credit card in the Wild Apricot membership software system going forward.

Are you a current member of SCTC and REMBA?  THANK YOU! And you are automatically a member of Redwood Trails Alliance at your previous membership level.  You can apply your duplicate membership to next year's membership or donate your duplicate membership to support trails in Napa, Lake and Sonoma Counties. 

Our membership software allows you to manage your membership, donations and track volunteer hours and events.

You’ll receive an automatic prompt when it’s time to renew your membership.  Membership fees go towards supporting trails through volunteer support, tools & equipment needs, safety gear etc.  Join the Redwood Trails Alliance to support more trails and better trails.

Have questions?  Reach out to deb at deb@trailsalliance.org

TRAILS:

Have you visited Foothill Regional Park lately?  Our skilled and energetic trail team completed a realignment of the entire Alta Vista Trail (photo below) earlier this year and will be back again to do a realignment of the Ravine Trail in early September.