Money
The Rubioon is loosing most, if not all of the states participation in the funding of the work required to keep the trail open. What does that mean? well, we have all heard of the quota system and law enforcement giving out tickets. It does not take a lot of imagination to predict where they intend to make up the deficit from.
For those who have not yet realized the true impact of what is happening with our Rubicon trail, here are the funding requirements as seen by the RTMP. The trail is no longer in the back seat of local government, but it is now big business, it is becoming a public park much like Prairie City and Hollister.
Phase I (1-2 years)
Provide sanitation diposal bins-------------------$2,000.00
Trail Signage--------------------------------------$8,000.00
Provide parking at Loon Lake kiosk------------$75,000.00
Provide overflow parking at USFS Chalet------$35,000.00
Develop area for vehicle and equip storage---$30,000.00
Design for Ellis Creek Bridge Project-----------$25,000.00
Project start up cost (training, equip,etc.)------$20,000.00
$195,000.00 Total cost
Phase II (3-5 years)
Create 50 campsites------------------------------$60,000.00
Construct toilet facilities--------------------------$150,000.00
Develop parking at Wentworth Springs----------$75,000.00
Construct bunkhouse------------------------------$100,000.00
Vehicle repair pads--------------------------------$15,000.00
Ellis Creek Bridge construction-------------------$250,000.00
$650,000.00 Total cost
Phase III
Develop OHV focused campground--------------$ to be determined
Develop additional facilities and provide
additional service---------------------------------$ to be determined
State funding will be limited in future years.
Trail Use Agrement (TUA) fees will be imposed. Most likely they will have available a one day, a three day, and a seasonal pass available. The fee will be defined by the actual costs of County staff commitments and facility developments.
Fines: The County will establish a system of fines to be levied against violators of various regulations and ordinances. We have all heard of police having quotas for giving out tickets. Well, here it comes.
As long as the ball stayed in the socket, we were doing OK. The county would look at it once in a while, perhaps dust it off, then go away. But now the ball has been pushed out of the socket and it is rolling. And as Newton discovered 'an object at rest, tends to stay at rest. An object in motion, tends to stay in motion'. Well, the ball is rolling now, and the government is chasing it. Since they cannot stop it, they are now builiding a trough to keep it going where they think it should go. All we can do is grab our shovels and help dig that trough, and perhaps divert it a little to preserve some of what WE want.
The Rubioon is loosing most, if not all of the states participation in the funding of the work required to keep the trail open. What does that mean? well, we have all heard of the quota system and law enforcement giving out tickets. It does not take a lot of imagination to predict where they intend to make up the deficit from.
For those who have not yet realized the true impact of what is happening with our Rubicon trail, here are the funding requirements as seen by the RTMP. The trail is no longer in the back seat of local government, but it is now big business, it is becoming a public park much like Prairie City and Hollister.
Phase I (1-2 years)
Provide sanitation diposal bins-------------------$2,000.00
Trail Signage--------------------------------------$8,000.00
Provide parking at Loon Lake kiosk------------$75,000.00
Provide overflow parking at USFS Chalet------$35,000.00
Develop area for vehicle and equip storage---$30,000.00
Design for Ellis Creek Bridge Project-----------$25,000.00
Project start up cost (training, equip,etc.)------$20,000.00
$195,000.00 Total cost
Phase II (3-5 years)
Create 50 campsites------------------------------$60,000.00
Construct toilet facilities--------------------------$150,000.00
Develop parking at Wentworth Springs----------$75,000.00
Construct bunkhouse------------------------------$100,000.00
Vehicle repair pads--------------------------------$15,000.00
Ellis Creek Bridge construction-------------------$250,000.00
$650,000.00 Total cost
Phase III
Develop OHV focused campground--------------$ to be determined
Develop additional facilities and provide
additional service---------------------------------$ to be determined
State funding will be limited in future years.
Trail Use Agrement (TUA) fees will be imposed. Most likely they will have available a one day, a three day, and a seasonal pass available. The fee will be defined by the actual costs of County staff commitments and facility developments.
Fines: The County will establish a system of fines to be levied against violators of various regulations and ordinances. We have all heard of police having quotas for giving out tickets. Well, here it comes.
As long as the ball stayed in the socket, we were doing OK. The county would look at it once in a while, perhaps dust it off, then go away. But now the ball has been pushed out of the socket and it is rolling. And as Newton discovered 'an object at rest, tends to stay at rest. An object in motion, tends to stay in motion'. Well, the ball is rolling now, and the government is chasing it. Since they cannot stop it, they are now builiding a trough to keep it going where they think it should go. All we can do is grab our shovels and help dig that trough, and perhaps divert it a little to preserve some of what WE want.