The following letter was sent to the Tulare County Board of Supervisors and to the Valley Voice for publication
Dear Chairman Vander Poel III:
I am writing on behalf of the Backcountry Horsemen of California – High Sierra Unit. The Backcountry Horsemen of California is a nonprofit organization dedicated to keeping public lands open and accessible to pack and saddle stock use. The High Sierra Unit is based in Visalia, California and our members live, work and recreate on the public lands primarily in Tulare County.
It has been brought to our attention that the Balch Park Pack Station, located in the Mountain Home Demonstration Forest in Tulare Country, is in jeopardy of continuing their operations based on recent contractual changes being imposed by Cal Fire. Balch Park Pack Station has been providing backcountry access into the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Tulare County for over 50 years. The current owners, Tim and Dianne Shew have operated the pack station since 1982. In addition to providing backcountry equestrian access, the Shew’s have also spent countless hours maintaining access trails to the benefit of all users and assisting with emergency rescues. They serve visitors from across the United States, as well as international visitors from around the world who come to see the Giant Sequoias.
The Shews have been operating under a lease agreement with Cal Fire that has traditionally had a five-year renewal term. The current lease went into effect on July 1st, and it contains a provision that removes their access to the residence that has been part of the lease agreement for all the years the Shews have operated the pack station. It requires them to vacate the cabin by August 31st, and it is not available for their use for the remainder of the contract. Itis virtually impossible to operate a pack station in a remote setting, such as Balch Park, without access to an onsite residence. Health and Safety regulations that pertain to food storage and meal preparation must be met by the Shews, and the enclosed structure with safe storage, sinks, potable water and other sanitation items is critical for them to be in compliance. Our fear is that by removing access to the residence, Cal Fire will cause a de facto failure of the pack station, and with-it critical backcountry access.
The May 28, 2020, Mountain Home Demonstration State Forest (MHDSF) Management Plan states “Recreation is the primary land use on MHDSF, while timber production is subordinate to recreation.” It further states, “Recreation is the legally mandated primary land use at Mountain Home DSF.” And again reinforces the importance of recreation stating, “Provide for recreational opportunities as the primary use of the State Forest.” The document goes further to discuss the improvements associated with the pack station. “The Pack Station located near Shake Camp Campground is operated under a lease agreement with a local packer. This facility consists of a residence, tack room, generator shed, loading dock, feeders, water troughs, one public toilet, two public trash cans, and three corrals.” Again, in the Plan, it is stated that “The State maintains a pack station facility in the Shake Camp area that includes living quarters, a tack room, a public toilet, and corrals. The Pack Station is leased to a private conssionaire to provide a packing service to the public. Horses and pack stock can be rented for hour-long rides or more extended trips into the backcountry.” The Plan is very clear Recreation is the priority use, and the Pack Station includes the use of a residence / living quarters. By removing the residence from the lease agreement Cal Fire appears to be in non-conformance with their Management Plan without the benefit of public input or involvement.
There are numerous state-owned facilities in the nearby area that can accommodate crews for seasonal housing needs. These include bunk houses, cabins, and small houses. They have electricity, running water, showers, restrooms, and kitchen facilities. The cabin at the Pack Station does not have electricity. To rectify this situation, we propose the following steps be taken: 1. Rescind the current lease agreement and replace it with one that reinstates the use of the residence along with the removal of the 30-day cancellation clause. If Cal Fire desires removal of the residence from the lease agreement, then the MHDSF Management Plan needs to be amended through a public process. 2. Resolve this issue prior to the current residence use expiration date of 31 August 25.
If Cal Fire is successful in removing the residence from the Pack Station use, we fear that an important recreation opportunity will be placed in jeopardy of continued operation. The loss of this resource would be in direct contradiction with the purpose of Mountain Home Demonstration State Forest, that of providing recreation opportunities in Tulare County. Thank you for consideration.
Any help you can provide to persuade Cal Fire to change their position would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely, Bob Herrick
Co-Chairman, Public Lands Committee High Sierra Unit,
Backcountry Horsemen of California