City Park & Recreation Commission Recognizes David Everett at January Meeting
At each monthly meeting, the Park & Recreation Commission recognizes those who have volunteered their time and talents to help with projects related to the Parks & Recreation Department. On Wednesday, January 26, the Commission recognized Dave Everett for his volunteer service to the Front Country Trails Program.
Located within the front range of the Santa Ynez Mountains, the Santa Barbara Front Country Trails (FCT) include Jesusita, Tunnel, Rattlesnake, West Fork Cold Springs, East Fork Cold Springs, San Ysidro, and Romero Canyon. Largely within the Los Padres National Forest, the FCT provide over 35 miles of trails for equestrians, hikers, trail runners, and mountain bikers. Management of the FCT is a collaborative effort of the Parks and Recreation Department, U.S. Forest Service, and the County Parks Department. Quarterly public meetings are held by the FCT Task Force, which is comprised of appointed officials from the City Parks and Recreation Commission, County Parks Commission, and Forest Service Administrative Officers.
Since funding for the maintenance of the front country trails is very limited, the three agencies rely significantly on volunteers for trail maintenance. Once volunteers complete Forest Service training to become a Trail Leader and receive authorization under a volunteer service agreement, they are able to undertake basic trail maintenance activities without supervision.
The Commission recognized Dave Everett for his extensive volunteer service to the front country trails. Dave became a Trail Leader in March 2009 and has completed 17 days of trail maintenance since then. Dave coordinated multiple “after-work” teams to complete trail maintenance, participated in Forest Service sponsored trail maintenance days, expanded trail volunteer networks to include new volunteers such as Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care, and conducted trail inspections. Most recently, Dave inspected almost all of the FCT after the recent rain events, and used a GPS to document trail maintenance needs on more than 30 miles of trail and 16 miles of fire road. For the past four years, Dave Everett has also been a dedicated participant in the quarterly Task Force meetings and many trails stakeholder meetings.
