How Did We Get Here? A brief history of MLTPA
Mammoth Lakes Trails and Public Access (MLTPA) was informally initiated in December 2005 by Mammoth resident John Wentworth in response to concerns about skier/snowboarder egress from the Sherwin Range back to town. Building on the knowledge gained from this issue, Wentworth and a handful of volunteers compiled the Mobility Plan Resources Report in the summer of 2006, documenting more than 100 points of trails and public access in Mammoth to raise awareness at the government level of the need for considered and thorough trail system planning. Since that time, MLTPA has worked diligently to bring much-deserved focus and attention to the future of our community and its critical relationship with its unique and bountiful setting. We engage with Town government, federal agencies, other nonprofits, the public, and private businesses to work cooperatively toward the goals identified in our Mission and Vision. See below for a chronology of our major accomplishments.
Highlights:
◘ February 2006: In response to 796 signed petitions, the Town Council of Mammoth Lakes votes unanimously to rescind the vacation of a public road so as to ensure a proper vacating with deeded public access.
◘ July 2006: Presentation of 125-page Mobility Plan Resources Report to a joint meeting of the town’s Tourism and Recreation, Planning, and Public Arts commissions.
◘ August 2006 to January 2007: Completion of an $11,000 GIS Inventory Contract with the Town of Mammoth Lakes to document key points of public access, trailheads, and outdoor recreation amenities for inclusion in the Town’s GIS database as a Staff planning tool.
◘ November 2006: Convening of a Strategic Conference and Public Meeting on the future of trails and public access in Mammoth Lakes, featuring nationally recognized presenters and attracting a standing-room-only crowd of more than 200 people.
◘ February 2007: Production of numerous reports and studies, available on the MLTPA website, including an 18-page Action Plan written in conjunction with Jeff Olson of Alta Planning + Design.
◘ December 2006 to March 2007: Incorporation as public benefit corporation in the state of California (MLTPA Foundation), seating of a seven-member Board of Directors, and formal application to the IRS for 501(c)3 status.
◘ March to April 2007: Facilitation of a joint Task Force, with the Tourism and Recreation Department, including representatives from the development community, the USFS, the Tourism and Recreation Commission, Town of Mammoth Lakes staff, and MLTPA, to prepare the Proposal to the Community for a Trails and Public Access Concept and Master Plan, or MLTPA Planning Proposal.
◘ May 2007: Delivery and presentation of the Planning Proposal to the community of Mammoth Lakes.The MLTPA Foundation is granted official 501(c)(3) status from the IRS.
◘ June 2007: TOML Town Council votes to approve a $100,000 commitment toward MLTPA Concept and Master Planning (MLTPA CAMP), triggering a matching $100,000 commitment from Mammoth Mountain Ski Area and $25,000 from Cardinal Investments via the Developers' Forum.
◘ October 2007: The Mammoth Lakes Town Council and Mammoth Mountain Ski Area sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), to be further co-signed by MLTPA, the United States Forest Service, Mono County, and a number of other partners, that addresses cooperative trails and public access planning efforts.
◘ November 2007: In partnership with Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, the Town of Mammoth Lakes, and the United States Forest Service, MLTPA puts on CAMP: SUMMER, a free, four-day public workshop focused on summer recreation and trails in Mammoth Lakes, to collect public input to complement the planning process.
◘ February 2008: In partnership with Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, the Town of Mammoth Lakes, and the United States Forest Service, MLTPA puts on CAMP: WINTER, a free, week-long public workshop focused on winter recreation and trails in Mammoth Lakes, to collect public input to complement the planning process.
◘ June 2008: The Yes on Mammoth Measure R Committee, with the support of MLTPA, helps pass Measure R with 72% of the community's vote. Measure R increases the local sales tax by half a percent, raising the tax to 7.75%. All funds collected from Measure R are earmarked for parks, trails, and recreation.
◘ August 2008: Alta Planning + Design releases the DRAFT Town of Mammoth Lakes Trail System Master Plan - 2008 for public comment. MLTPA works with the Town to coordinate and host a series of public workshops featuring detailed presentations of the plan by TOML Principal Planner Steve Speidel. The Mammoth Lakes community submits more than 965 individual comments by the end of the comment period.
◘ September 2008: In partnership with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Mammoth Lakes Trails and Public Access (MLTPA), the Town of Mammoth Lakes (TOML) initiates a special study for the Sherwin Area as an attachment to the Draft Trail System Master Plan (TSMP). The Sherwin Area Trails Special Study (SATSS) will identify options for trail alignments within the study area, options for recreational uses and/or activities, and opportunities for public access between the study area and the Town's existing trail system.
◘ February 2009: Alta Planning + Design submits the Trail System Master Plan Final Draft (2009) to the Town of Mammoth Lakes, to be used as a reference document for Measure R application review and other projects, bring the CAMP process to a close. The plan can be officially adopted only after it has undergone environmental analysis per the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). A $180,000 grant from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy to the Town of Mammoth Lakes specifically to fund this analysis was frozen on December 19, 2008, due to California state budget turmoil. With no release of funding foreseen anytime soon, the Town is actively pursuing alternative ways to pay for this critical step.