Picnic to Introduce Foundation for Santa Ana River (SB SUN May 20, 2006) The Event Calls Attention to Inland Efforts to Extend Trail along Santa Ana

Could you Imagine if you were in any Bicycle Shape at all you could ride from San Burnardino County Line, all the way to the Pacific Ocean by way of the Bike Trail that they are talking about making along the Santa Ana River bed. The last time that this was discussed even seriously was back in the late 80's early 1990's Because the Bike train was such a success through Orange County and through to the Ocean and there was a great deal of people that used it every day, to go to the beach. It is such great recreation to ride the bike to the beach. If San Bernardino Plans it like Orange County did then they will have Parks that are Rest areas and nice places for people to have a good rest and stop or turn around before going back. We will see if it happens this time.

BSRancher

Picnic to introduce foundation for river

WATERSHED: The event calls attention to Inland efforts to extend the trail along the Santa Ana.

10:00 PM PDT on Friday, May 19, 2006

By NAOMI KRESGE
The Press-Enterprise

Local mayors and San Bernardino County officials are establishing a nonprofit foundation to work on Santa Ana River conservation projects.

The Upper Santa Ana River Watershed Foundation will focus on parks, educational displays and side trails to complement the planned Santa Ana River trail from the San Bernardino County line to the mountains.

The mayors of East Valley cities along the river and county supervisors will kick off the program in a River Day ceremony today along a stretch of the trail in San Bernardino.

Organizers said the foundation would coordinate projects under way in the individual cities, the county and conservation organizations.

"None of us are really communicating with one another. We're missing the opportunity to support one another," said organizer Susan Lien Longville, interim director of the Water Resources Institute at Cal State San Bernardino. "The first project would be communication."

Longville said planning for the foundation started about six weeks ago when Redlands Mayor Jon Harrison asked to meet with San Bernardino Mayor Pat Morris about the river trail.

"To tell you the truth, I've never seen it," Harrison said, referring to the three-mile stretch built between Waterman Avenue in San Bernardino and La Cadena Drive in Colton.

Talks between Morris and Harrison quickly led to plans for a broader collaboration. The mayors of Colton and Highland, county supervisors Josie Gonzales and Dennis Hansberger, the Water Resources Institute, the University of Redlands, the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District also are foundation members.

"There really was a need for a foundation that would speak for the entire upper watershed," Morris representative D'Ann Lanning said.

Harrison said organizers hope to tap private donors.

The Santa Ana River Trail eventually will stretch 110 miles from the San Bernardino Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. The 30-mile portion completed from the Prado Dam in Corona to the beach in Orange County is popular with cyclists and joggers. Longville said she uses it to train for marathons.

One recent hot, sunny afternoon, laborers on utility bikes joined clusters of women in office attire and tennis shoes on the San Bernardino section of the trail.

Longville pointed out an empty lot owned by the Wildlands Conservancy near the County Records Building. The conservancy and the Water Resources Institute hope to construct wetlands with educational displays there, next to the river trail.

It's these kinds of attractions that are needed, Longville said, and that the foundation could help provide.

The kickoff today will be at the Wildlands Conservancy land. Harrison said organizers hope visitors will walk the trail and look at maps showing where parks and amenities could go.

"Let's get out there and see it," Harrison said.