Rusty,
I hope this works!
Both Free and Fee are included.
Dennis
ELEMENT 9 (Free): Permits and Requirements
Overview – A free permit will be required for each motor vehicle and operator using the Rubicon Trail System. This permit entitles a vehicle and operator unlimited access to the Rubicon Trail System within a given calendar year. Any operator failing to obtain and carry a permit will be subject to fines.
The area requiring a permit is bordered by the spillway at Loon Lake, east of the Wentworth Springs campground and the El Dorado County line on the east side of Rubicon Springs. This includes the Ellis Creek Trail across “The Bowl” and any variants along the trail.
El Dorado County requires that operators carry the permit in the vehicle at all times while on the Rubicon Trail System.
Initially there will be no limit as to the number of permits issued each year or allowed each day.
Objectives: (in alphabetical order)
9.1 Accountability:
This permit system places the user accountable for his/her actions while on the trail. An agreement will be signed requiring the operator of the vehicle to promise to Tread Lightly, act responsibly and obey applicable laws.
The agreement will also specify some local laws and associated fines. It will be the operator’s responsibility to know all applicable laws for the area.
Violations of any laws, ordinances or Trail Use Agreement are subject to fines.
9.2 Banning trail/resource abusers:
The County may ban individuals from driving the Trail for any period of time (a month, a year, or for life). Individuals who have been banned from the Trail and attempt to circumvent this system shall be fined (suggested $1500).
9.3 Education:
Each permitted operator shall sign an agreement that details how to Tread Lightly, drive and camp responsibly, and how to prepare for a trip across the Rubicon.
The agreement will summarize local state and federal laws pertaining to the Rubicon Trail. This will not be a complete list. The operator will be responsible for knowing and obeying all applicable laws.
Brochures from the BlueRibbon Coalition and other organizations will be provided that will cover many topics related to driving an OHV.
The permit paperwork will include a list of recommended travel needs. This will not be a complete list of what may be required on your journey but simply a recommendation (e.g. spare tire, first aid kit, jack, fire extinguisher, etc.).
9.4 Feedback:
The application will have a section for the user to give feedback.
The list of trail users will allow the county to send out mailings of questionnaires except for those opting out.
The application paperwork will include information on how to get in touch with the officials responsible for the health and future of the Rubicon Trail.
9.5 Governing Bodies:
(list addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses)
County
El Dorado
Board of Supervisors
Airports, Parks and Grounds
Department of Transportation
Rubicon Oversight Committee
Placer
Board of Supervisors
Department of Transportation
State
California State OHV Commission
CRWQCB Lahontan District
CRWQCB Sacramento Valley District
Federal
Eldorado National Forest
Tahoe National Forest
Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit
9.6 Grant writing information:
The information collected from the application and subsequent questionnaires can be used to document trail use for grant writing.
9.7 Permit Application: see attached
9.8 Pool of possible trail volunteers
The Rubicon Trail relies on volunteers to stay healthy. Historically, local clubs have adopted sections of the trail to maintain. The permit application will provide a list of possible volunteers. This list of volunteers should be generated, maintained and updated by El Dorado County. The County could handle the management of the list of volunteers or may turn that over to FOTR or the Rubicon Trail Foundation (RTF).
9.9 User counts:
The application process will provide a count of permits issued of motor vehicle trail operators each year, but not a real count of actual trail use.
The possibility exists in the future to use bar codes or other technology to count each individual trip to the Rubicon Trail.
9.10 User profiles:
The application will provide a basic data base of the operator and his/her vehicle(s). The permit could provide details of anticipated use, vehicle description and modifications, user information, feedback about trail experiences, club affiliation, etc.
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ELEMENT 9 (Fee): Permits and Requirements
Overview – A permit will be required for each motor vehicle using the Rubicon Trail System. This permit will require a small fee which entitles a vehicle access the Rubicon Trail System an unlimited number of times within a given calendar year. The area in requiring a permit is bordered by the spillway at Loon Lake, east of the Wentworth Springs campground on the original trail and the El Dorado County line on the east side of Rubicon Springs. This includes the Ellis Creek Trail across “The Bowl” and any offshoots along the trail to access camping areas.
Issued by El Dorado County, each sticker will be assigned serial number and possibly a bar code. The permit is issued to a vehicle and its driver. Initially there will be no limit as to the number of permits issued each year or allowed each day. See Element 8 for information on trail capacities and the possibility limiting the number of permits available.
Objectives: (in alphabetical order)
9.1 Accountability:
This permit system places the user accountable for his/her actions while on the trail. An agreement will be signed requiring the operator of the vehicle to promise to Tread Lightly, act responsibly and obey applicable laws.
The agreement will also specify some local laws and associated fines. It will be the operator’s responsibility to know all applicable laws for the area.
Violations of any laws, ordinances or Trail Use Agreement are subject to fines.
9.2 Banning trail/resource abusers:
The County may ban individuals from driving the Trail for any period of time (a month, a year, or for life). Individuals who have been banned from the Trail and attempt to circumvent this system shall be fined (suggested $1500).
9.3 Education:
Each permitted operator shall sign an agreement that details how to Tread Lightly, drive and camp responsibly, and how to prepare for a trip across the Rubicon.
The agreement will summarize local state and federal laws pertaining to the Rubicon Trail. This will not be a complete list. The operator will be responsible for knowing and obeying all applicable laws.
Brochures from the BlueRibbon Coalition and other organizations will be provided that will cover many topics related to driving an OHV.
The permit paperwork will include a list of recommended travel needs. This will not be a complete list of what may be required on your journey but simply a recommendation (e.g. spare tire, first aid kit, jack, fire extinguisher, etc.).
9.4 Feedback:
The application will have a section for the user to give feedback.
The list of trail users will allow the county to send out mailings of questionnaires except for those opting out.
The application paperwork will include information on how to get in touch with the officials responsible for the health and future of the Rubicon Trail.
9.5 Funding:
The intent of the plan is to capture sources of funding related to Trail use such as grant money and tourism funds. The intent of this section is to clarify that the Trail Use Agreement fee (if implemented) would not be the sole source of funding for management of the Trail.
The suggested cost of each permit is $20. Preliminary user polls indicate that this fee would be marketable to most trail users.
Exemptions - El Dorado & Placer County, state and federal vehicles. All vehicles will require a sticker. Exempt vehicles will obtain a permit at no cost, no exceptions. This permitting system applies to motor vehicles only, thus mountain bikers and hikers will not require a permit. Motorcycles and quads will require a permit.
Private land owners need to be provided reasonable access to their property in accordance with this Plan and applicable law.
Commercial enterprises and Limited Time Users: a sticker for each vehicle on the trail still applies; however commercial users and limited time users will be provided a reduced cost fee and group permit system. In-kind service/donations should be attributed to fee reduction for large groups and commercial operations.
Funds collected in the name of the trail or as part of any permit system, will go to the trail. The burden/cost of issuing the permits is on El Dorado County. No more than 33.3% (suggested) of the monies collected will go toward the salaries of trail workers/supervisors. The rest will fund projects on the trail.
9.6 Governing Bodies:
(list addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses)
County
El Dorado
Board of Supervisors
Airports, Parks and Grounds
Department of Transportation
Rubicon Oversight Committee
Placer
Board of Supervisors
Department of Transportation
State
California State OHV Commission
CRWQCB Lahontan District
CRWQCB Sacramento Valley District
Federal
Eldorado National Forest
Tahoe National Forest
Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit
9.7 Grant writing information:
The information collected from the application and subsequent questionnaires can be used to document trail use for grant writing.
9.8 Permit Application: see attached
9.9 Pool of possible trail volunteers
The Rubicon Trail relies on volunteers to stay healthy. Historically, local clubs have adopted sections of the trail to maintain. The permit application will provide a list of possible volunteers. This list of volunteers should be generated, maintained and updated by El Dorado County. The County could handle the management of the list of volunteers or may turn that over to FOTR or the Rubicon Trail Foundation (RTF).
9.10 User counts:
The application process will provide a count of permits issued of motor vehicle trail operators each year, but not a real count of actual trail use.
The possibility exists in the future to use bar codes or other technology to count each individual trip to the Rubicon Trail.
9.11 User profiles:
The application will provide a basic data base of the operator and his/her vehicle(s). The permit could provide details of anticipated use, vehicle description and modifications, user information, feedback about trail experiences, club affiliation, etc.