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Department of Transportation recommending that the Board consider recommendations regarding easements on both public and private land for the Rubicon Trail alignment adopted by the Board on January 26, 2010. (Refer 1/26/10, Item 25) (Est. Time: 1 Hr.)
FUNDING: Since the proposed easements satisfy the obligations of both the County and the USFS under the Cleanup and Abatement Order, it is anticipated that the County will absorb the cost of preparing the easement application, and preparing a survey of the Board-adopted preferred route, and the U.S. Forest Service will absorb the cost of processing the County’s easement application, including the environmental analysis.
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Background:
On April 30, 2009, the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (CVRWQCB) issued a Clean Up and Abatement Order (CAO) No. R5-2009-0030, which requires the County and the United States Forest Service (USFS) to take a number of actions on the Rubicon Trail to cleanup and abate some of the problems that vehicular travel has created over the years.
The CAO noted that a legal easement for the Rubicon Trail has not been recorded except for the Ellis Creek Intertie, and the exact location and width of the Rubicon Trail has not been fully defined (CAO page 6, par. 21). The CAO specifically orders the “Responsible Parties” (i.e., both County and the USFS) to document 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 that shall be easily understood by both the public and law enforcement officials (CAO pages 9-10, Order par. 6(d)). The CAO also orders both the County and the USFS to reach a “clear definition of each party’s responsibilities for the Rubicon Trail, including maintenance activities . . .” (CAO page 9, Order par 6(a)). The CAO also orders the County to continue with preliminary engineering and environmental review for the construction of bridges at Gerle Creek an...
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