SLO City Council to decide on permanent night hiking ordinance
San Luis Obispo’s City Council could soon make its controversial nighttime hiking on Cerro San Luis Obispo permanent.
A pilot program to allow after-dark access to the 1,292-foot peak, also known as Madonna Mountain, has existed for the past three years.
The program has traditionally been in place November through March when daylight savings isn’t in effect. It could be adopted permanently as an ordinance in December, if approved.
The council voted 3-2 to support further discussion of the issue at its Tuesday meeting. Council members Jan Marx and Vice Mayor Carlyn Christianson, who both oppose a night hiking program, dissented about moving forward.
The council continued its conversation to Nov. 9 to allow staff further review of public comments around environmental review of the issue.
Pilot program allows access to hiking trails at night
Over the past three years, the pilot program allowed the city to issue up to 65 permits daily for access to about 4.9 miles of trails within city property at the 118-acre Cerro San Luis Natural Reserve “from one hour after sunset until 8:30 p.m. when daylight savings time is not in effect.”
The same time frame and permit process is under consideration for an ongoing permanent program.
During the city’s pilot program, a total of 3,160 permits were issued during the 2018-19 season, 2,747 permits were issued in the 2019-20 season, and 2,702 permits were issued in 2020-21, according to a city staff report.
In total, 826 were for bikers and 6,957 were for hikers based on self-designation at the time of permit reservation, the staff report noted.
“During the holiday season in December, however, permits were typically fully subscribed, and (San Luis Obispo) Ranger Service had to turn away numerous parties interested in accessing the Reserve at the trailhead and instances of non-compliance were tracked,” the staff report added.
An initial study and environmental review prepared by Rincon Consultants with assistance to the city concluded “there is no substantial evidence, in light of the whole of the record before the agency, that the project may have a significant effect on the environment” and thus a full environmental review isn’t necessary.
But the city received extensive written correspondence before its Tuesday meeting to consider the new ordinance — including a report from the California Fish and Wildlife Department that the city hasn’t had a chance to review.
Public weighs in on after-dark activities
The city received several letters both in support and opposition of a night hiking program.
“We need to provide safe outdoor outlets for the community,” San Luis Obispo resident Chris Malloy wrote. “Mental health is an ongoing and growing issue. Providing more access to safe outdoor activities, like evening hours at Cerro San Luis, are simple steps we can take to provide these important outlets. Please keep this going.”
The late Fred Collins, representing the Northern Chumash Tribal Council, wrote an Aug. 18 letter to the city in opposition of the winter program.
“NCTC is opposed to any nighttime hiking with bright lights and noise of human voices,” Collins wrote. “Human voices interrupted the patterns of life for our wild animals. When I hike during the day, I can hear human voices for great distances, and I find that most humans that hike our trails are very noisy.”
“NCTC speaks for the ones that have no voice, our animals and small critters,” wrote Collins, who died Oct. 1 after sending the letter in August.
San Luis Obispo resident Janine Rands said in public comment during Tuesday’s meetings that fire concerns should prohibit after-dark use of the trails.
Rands also cited nocturnal wildlife impacts, saying “we humans have a great need and responsibility to hike during human time.”
SLO Council members react to proposed ordinance
Marx said the average city resident cares deeply about protecting open space, and opposes the proposed ordinance.
“I think this is something that should be taken very seriously,” Marx said at Tuesday’s meeting. “I’m hoping that tonight the council will have the courage to stand up and do the right thing.”
Marx called for the council to let animals such as mountain lions, deer, foxes, skunks and birds “restore and heal from this human intrusion that’s going on for three years after dark.”
Marx said night hiking and biking would violate the city’s promise to protect open space, as well as its general plan, and set a bad precedent for intruding into open space.
She also said it would cause light pollution through use of flashlights of those recreating on trails.
Christianson said a night hiking policy would “tilt the city’s approach to our open space more towards human needs, then the needs of open space, and I don’t agree that this change would be good for our city as a whole going forward into the future.”
City Council member Andy Pease said the night hiking with limited hours in one location represents “balance for us.”
Pease noted several other city trails would be off limits to night hiking.
“We’ve been able to identify that this is perhaps an appropriate spot,” Pease said. “I do I still support, being able to go forward with the program.”
Calling it a “tough issue,” Councilmember Michelle Shoresman said, “We have over 7,000 acres of land that we have conserved, and I don’t think that allowing night hiking for four months out of the year essentially puts us in complete conflict with our with our record on conservation.”
“Looking at the list of of animals that are present ... I don’t see any that are endangered,” Shoresman added.
But she said more data is necessary to assess animal presence on Cerro San Luis Obispo.
“I wish we did have more data and I would support getting more data on that,” Shoresman said.
During Tuesday’s discussion, city natural resources manager Bob Hill said one of the reasons the city chose Cerro San Luis Obispo for its pilot program is that Highway 101 and city lights already impact the mountain more so than other natural areas.
This story was originally published October 19, 2021 at 10:57 PM.
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