UPDATE—FRAZIER PARK (March 25, 2011 at 2 p.m.)—Despite this meeting and the suggestions of the MAC, on Friday, March 25, 2011 the Kern County Roads Department  told CHP public information officer Robert Shuck and the U.S. Forest Service to announce that Kern County does not plan to plow the road to Mount Pinos snow play areas until next week. Roads to lower plan areas are open, although substantial melt is occurring with higher temperaturs. See details at Breaking News Story in this issue: Roads to Some Mount Pinos Snow Play Areas Open.

By Gary Meyer

The Mountain Communities Municipal Advisory Council’s (MCMAC) March meeting focused on access for winter snowplay visitors and winter business needs.

Council member Steve Newman presented a slide show explaining that snowplay day visitors present an opportunity for local businesses that can be developed if community businesses market the area’s recreational attractions by using media coverage to convey a positive message.

Newman said he believes the community needs to change the message from “Mount Pinos Recreation Area Closed” to one that says the area is “open and available” to visitors. He offered several ideas for increasing winter access while protecting private property rights, including county funding, grants and more participation from business owners and volunteers (which received the most discussion).

Newman asked county administrators in attendance whether skilled volunteers could assist in opening roads earlier by operating plows at night while the equipment is not in use.

Kern County Roads Department Director Craig Pope responded saying that during a weather event the equipment “is being used 24 hours a day. The liability we would incur by letting non-county personnel operate equipment would be enormous.”

“If the road is closed and a volunteer plows it, what’s the liability?” Newman asked.

“It’s not the liability while the volunteer is plowing, it’s after the plowing is done—and wasn’t done properly—that the real liability exists,” said Chief Deputy County Counsel Bruce Divelbiss.

California Highway Patrol Commander Craig Whitty said he has been working in the Mountain Communities over 10 years and has always believed the snowplay problems would not be solved until campgrounds such as McGill—on the road up to Mount Pinos—are developed to provide parking.

Mt. Pinos District Ranger Erik Van Walden, with the U.S. Forest Service, was asked whether forest lands could be used to develop parking and snowplay areas. He described the complexity and expense of creating such a facility on forest land, including the need for environmental reviews.

“The forest service can partner with an entity to help find funding for developments, but we don’t create and operate” snowplay facilities, he said.

Angel Cottrel of the Small Business Development Center described the commitment of a core group of businesses to explore the feasibility of creating snowplay facilities on private land.

Fourth District Supervisor Ray Watson said he would try to find some funding to set up a communications system to alert the public to road and snow conditions.

Pope said the roads department “will try to keep pressure on getting the roads open earlier.”

This is part of the March 25, 2011 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

Have an opinion on this matter? We'd like to hear from you.