Loren Rex clarifies Portuguese Beach access
I wanted to clarify the situation regarding the Portuguese Beach staircase. Due to the winter storms the condition of the staircase became inaccessible to normal foot traffic. I was notified that there had been a rope placed on the cable steps as a makeshift access to the beach. Because this type of access does not meet the State Parks trails guidelines the trail was closed until it can be repaired to allow for safe access to the beach. There is no plan to disallow access once the stairs have been repaired.
Our small crews of Maintenance workers have been tackling many projects related to this year’s heavy winter storms. Some projects include clearing the most popular canyon trails, repairing the access to Ten Mile Beach, and a temporary bypass for vehicles on Mill Creek Rd. to Laguna Point. The Portuguese Beach staircase is on the list of projects to be completed but has not been completed due to other higher priority projects.
For those that are interested I am scheduling a public meeting at the Ford House on August 2nd at 6pm. This meeting will cover the plans to repair the staircase as well as a presentation on the Big River Bridge Project scheduled to start in August. There will be plenty of time for questions about any other Parks related matters.
If you have burning questions or needs that need to be addressed immediately feel free to call me directly or send me an e-mail.
Sincerely,
Loren Rex
California State Parks – Mendocino Sector Superintendent
707-937-3118 – Direct Line
In response to a post on the MCN Announce List
Here are the answers to your questions:
Would the Parks department be willing except volunteer help to deal with the Portuguese Beach staircase?
Yes- depending on the final design of the repair there will most likely be plenty of volunteer opportunities.
Has anyone contacted MAPA to solicit help since you seem to be over whelmed with projects of a higher priority?
Yes I am working with MAPA and have been in constant contact with them on this issue. They are a great resource for getting things done. Parks is the one that needs to design the repair as they own the liability.
Is this sort of thing something that MAPA would even be able to tackle?
Yes…depending on the scope of the final design ….MAPA has undertaken several projects with great success. The key is the partnership of MAPA and Parks. You get double the resources and strengths that either one organization may not have.
I am excited there is so much community interest in getting these steps repaired. Hopefully we will have a mild winter so we aren’t faced with the same situation next spring.
Thanks again for your e-mail.
Sincerely,
Loren
