Title
Chief Administrative Office, Parks Division, recommending the Board approve and authorize the Chair to sign a Public Trail Easement Agreement and accompanying Certificate of Acceptance, one each with each party, to establish an easement through private property for the purpose of Off-Highway Motor Vehicle access on the Rubicon Trail:
1) Rubicon Trail Partners (APN 010-100-01); and
2) Rubicon Soda Springs, Inc. (APN 010-180-07)
Funding: N/A
Body
Fiscal Impact/Change to Net County Cost
There is no Fiscal Impact or change to Net County Cost associated with this item.
Background
On April 30, 2009, El Dorado County and the El dorado National Forest Service received a Clean Up and Abatement Order from the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board for the Rubicon Trail. One of the requirements in the order is Item 6,"d) Documentation of the actual location of the Rubicon Trail within El Dorado County, including the centerline and an agreed-upon width from each side of that line." The documentation shall be in a form that shall be easily understood by both the public and law enforcement officials. The County has completed a survey and the below easements have been obtained:
-On September 3, 2004, the County obtained an easement from the Forest Service on the Ellis Intertie to the Rubicon Trail (Loon Lake entrance to the main Trail). This route is not the original Rubicon Trail, but it is an access route that is most commonly used.
-On February 12, 2007, the County obtained an easement across private property, also on the Ellis Intertie.
-On August 14, 2012, the County obtained an easement from the United States Forest Service for the portions of the Rubicon Trail that is on Forest Service land.
There are two remaining private property easements needed to complete El Dorado County's easement over the entire Rubicon Trail in El Dorado County:
1) Rubicon Trail Partners (RTP) property identified as Assessor's Parcel Number 010-100-01 located approximately 3.9 trail miles northeast from the Loon Lake Kiosk; from the west boundary of the parcel, the trail traverses the parcel for approximately 1.1 miles before entering the U.S. Forest Service parcel to the southwest. RTP has agreed to grant the County a 50' road easement.
2) Rubicon Soda Springs, Inc., (RSSI) property identified as Assessor's Parcel Number 010-180-07 located approximately 6.4 trail miles east from the Wentworth Springs Campground; from the southern boundary of the parcel, the Trail traverses the parcel for approximately 1.3 miles before entering Placer County. RSSI has agreed to a 30" road easement.
The CEQA document necessary to complete the transaction is a categorical exemption, which will be filed concurrently with this agreement.
On January 23, 2014, the El Dorado County Planning Commission made a finding of consistency with the General Plan for this project.
Reason for Recommendation
With the completion of these two easements, El Dorado County will have acquired all road easements for the Rubicon Trail and the Ellis Intertie.
Clerk of the Board Follow Up Actions
1. CEQA document (notice of exemption) will be filed with the County Recorder
2. Board Chair will sign the Public Trail Easement Agreement and Certificate of Acceptance
3. Board Clerk will forward signed documents to the Recorder/Clerks office for recording.
Contact
Vickie Sanders 621-753