And no, I’m not talking strictly about the impact this project could have on our business. I’m referring more to the impact it can have on the Alps, and the Eastern Sierra region, as a whole. For more about California’s Alpine Zone though, click here for an overview, courtesy of the USFS.
A little background…
The Eastern Sierra Sustainable Recreation Partnership (ESSRP), an initiative that began in the spring of 2019 due to the largess of the Sierra Nevada Conservancy’s Governing Board, authorized “$618,750 of Proposition 68 funding to go to the Town of Mammoth Lakes (on behalf of the regional partnership) to administer the Sustainable Recreation and Tourism Initiative.”
The partnership could potentially implement the following, depending on the outcome of the review and prioritization that has begun to take place here in the Eastern Sierra:
- New trails and facility planning and construction
- New and existing “hard infrastructure” including bathrooms, pavement maintenance, water, sewer, other buildings
- Maintenance and staffing of visitor centers
- County/Town recreational infrastructure maintenance, rehabilitation, and new project Identification and work program development
- Project planning including environmental review
- Permitting facilitation and clean-up
The Partnership not only includes the town of Mammoth Lakes, but also the counties of Alpine, Inyo and Mono as well as the city of Bishop. Two (2) regions of the United States Forest Service (USFS) are also involved. Click here to learn more.
What’s that mean for the California Alps and California Alps Cycling?
In our mind it means that visitors to the Alps, especially cyclists, gravel riders and mountain bikers (hey, this is a cycling blog after all!) could have more support when they visit. As some of you may know, infrastructure in Alpine County is a bit limited. I’m talking about public bathrooms, showers, and such. Our Chamber of Commerce, as well as other businesses in Alpine Co., do provide some of this but we need more. Other counties in the Alps (think Mono for example) do have better support systems but even they need additional support. As I’ve heard from some fellow attendees at our meetings, some of their infrastructure is a bit dated or limited. So, the idea behind this approximately two (2) year initiative is to vet and prioritize projects for which we can then seek grant money. “We” being the region, not just Alpine, or Mono, or Mammoth, for example. This regional approach will allow for much more comprehensive benefits. E.G. what helps Mammoth Lakes could help Inyo county; what Alpine county does or will do may be scalable to other areas.
Skin in the game…
It’s not just about marketing to get MORE PEOPLE to the region. It’s MORE ABOUT getting people who are already here, or coming here, to be MORE INVOLVED. And having skin in the game is a vital component to that approach. Meaning:
- Are visitors educated on what to do and how to act? For example, are they aware of best practices like where to poop (a big topic at our 12-11 meeting) and how to “leave no trace?”
- Do visitors care about the region?
- Do they want to help improve and maintain it?
- Are they willing to educate their families, peers and friends about it?
More to follow…
As I mentioned earlier in this post, this is a two (2) year initiative so there is definitely more to follow. The next public workshop is on January 16th in Lone Pine. Then, in February, is the 2nd “Connection to the Eastern Sierra Visitor Audience” meeting in Mammoth. I’ll be attending both and will continue to provide updates on our progress. In the meantime, if you have anything to add, please let me know.
Happy New Year!
We wish you all a happy and healthy 2020 and we thank you for being a loyal reader of our blog and if you’re a member of California Alps Cycling, you get an extra THANK YOU! Together we can accomplish a lot. Ride safe and Let’s Kick Some Passes’ Asses! in the coming year. There are oh so many to choose from, right?
