Fences have been cut. Yards have been trampled. Locals have walked out of their homes to find strangers hiking past, oblivious—maybe even uncaring—to the fact that in their wanderings, they’ve strayed from legitimate public paths and onto someone’s private property.
Rice Ranch boasts miles of trails open to hikers and cyclists, but the open space’s neighbors are facing the down side of that outdoor access—and they’re not happy. They cite invasion of privacy, litter, vandalism, and more in their complaints to Santa Barbara County officials, and some of them feel that Rice Ranch itself—while a valued patch of acreage for the community—is to blame for bringing more trespassers into their lives.
But considering how trails have crisscrossed the region for decades, is the relatively new park really the problem?
The back-story
Rice Ranch has operated as official Santa Barbara County Open Space since May 2012. The expansive 306 acres tucked into the foothills is surrounded by private property, neighborhoods, and working oilfields—all of which have dealt with trespassers over the years.
Development of the Rice Ranch Open Space had been in the works since 1997; the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors approved the Orcutt Community Plan two years back.
According to Santa Maria Valley Open Space, a nonprofit group composed of volunteers who help create and maintain the trail system, the Orcutt Community Plan recognized a need for recreational trails and outlined the implementation of 42 miles of trail at Rice Ranch.
But despite good intentions to establish recreational space for the community, trespassing issues are coming to the forefront like never before, and the success of the system is jeopardized as tensions mount on all fronts.
“We are frustrated and want to find a workable solution,” said Santa Maria Valley Open Space Board Member Luis Escobar. “We all want to create and maintain a healthy trail system.”
In fact, with the Phase 1 portion of the trails completed in May 2012, Santa Maria Valley Open Space and the Orcutt Trail Commission—the advisory board to County Parks for trail planning issues in the 4th and 5th districts—were hoping to move forward with Phase 2.
But when the county came back at this year’s July 11 meeting and denied approval for Phase 2, the decision indicated a more serious problem. According to the Phase 2 proposal, six more miles of trail would be added in addition to moving problem trails away from nearby neighborhoods. Phase 2 also outlined plans for more signage to deter trespassers.
“We proposed Phase 2 to the county 10 months ago; they did an assessment of planning and development and a biological study,” Escobar said. “But they do not want to move forward until there is a better handle on the trespassing.”
Members of Santa Maria Valley Open Space and the trail commission don’t take this issue lightly.
“Trespassing issues have caused tension with neighboring houses and property owners,” Escobar said.
The open space project, a labor of love for the nonprofit organization, fulfills the group’s desire to bring recreational space to the greater Santa Maria Community.
According to Santa Maria Valley Open Space’s website, Santa Barbara has 88 miles of trail space. Santa Maria, with the largest population of the county’s eight cities, has six to eight miles of trails. In comparison, San Luis Obispo boasts 44 miles of trails and a full-time staffer dedicated to acquiring more trails.
“Access to open space improves quality of life, property values, and stimulates the local economy,” Escobar said. “People live in this area for recreation. There is inadequate trail space here for such a large population.”
Even though they want to see more trails added, the trail commission and Santa Maria Valley Open Space know the project can’t move forward if the public continues disregarding fences and signs, and taking liberties on someone else’s property.
How bad is it?
Many people argue that trespassing in the Orcutt area is as old as the community itself. However, Bob Nelson, chief of staff for 4th District Santa Barbara County Supervisor Peter Adam, said he disagrees.
“That’s not the case,” Nelson said. “Trespassing is considerably worse now after opening Rice Ranch.”
Nelson said his department has received a dozen phone calls in regard to trespassing within the last six months. While trespassing has always been an issue, officials agree the prevalence and severity of violations has gotten steadily worse.
“I went out to Pacific Coast Energy property six weeks ago and witnessed eight trespassers within a half hour,” he said.
According to Santa Maria Valley Open Space and Nelson, most of the trespassing takes places near the Oak Hill neighborhood and the Orcutt Hill properties. The organization said the places people are trespassing aren’t county-sanctioned trails, but rather are paths that have been around for decades.
“People are under the impression it’s all open space—and it’s not,” Nelson said.
He’s heard accounts from property owners who have seen trespassers on their property: People walk through yards, cut fences, and create mountain bike paths where they shouldn’t.
For property owners, privacy and safety are at stake—a concern that was made very clear to the county when Phase 2 came to the table.
According to Tom Eldering, president of the Oak Hill Homeowners Board, the 104 properties in the Oak Hill establishment are all private.
“People seem to have no respect for private property,” he said. “Homeowners have dealt with verbal and vulgar assaults, trash, noises, and people using undesignated trails that go through private land.”
Eldering, speaking on behalf of the Oak Hill homeowners, said the neighborhood is concerned about privacy and safety.
On the Orcutt Hill side, trespassing has been an issue for satellite property owners like Penelope Hartnell and Beverly Bonney. Both owners live out of the area but have received numerous calls about vandalism and trespassing violations on their properties.
Yet, despite their concerns with trespassing, property owners aren’t opposed to Rice Ranch Open Space or the trails themselves.
“We don’t dislike the trail system,” Eldering said. “But there are a small number of people ruining the trails for everyone else.”
With these issues in mind, Nelson said it makes the most sense to re-evaluate and address the problem.
“We created this open space, but let’s control what we have before we expand,” he said.
For all involved stakeholders, the biggest question now is how to control trespassing in the long run, and who is responsible for doing so.
“Trespassing is obviously an issue,” trail commission president Rick Corbo said. “All of us have to work together for the open space so we can recreate without impeding the rights of property owners.”
Moving forward
With trespassing still a problem, Santa Maria Valley Open Space and the trail commission reached out to County Parks and the Sheriff’s Department at a July 25 meeting to explain the situation and to ask for suggestions.
For Lt. Ray Vuillemainroy, Rice Ranch Open Space is a community issue. With this in mind, the lieutenant said the department aims to resolve the problem through community policing.
“With community policing, everyone helps identify issues and find solutions,” he explained. “I am strong in community policing.”
Vuillemainroy is new to Northern Santa Barbara County, coming from a three-year post in Isla Vista and laying claim to more than 20 years’ experience in law enforcement. The lieutenant also has a doctorate in education from UC Santa Barbara. In February 2012, he provided training and instruction in community policing to the Egyptian National Police.
Vuillemainroy said he recently met with several stakeholders from Santa Maria Valley Open Space, Pacific Coast Energy Company, and homeowners wishing to provide input on trespassing.
The lieutenant said they’re all asking for the same thing: strong enforcement of trespassing laws. And the Sheriff’s Department is ready to do just that, he said. The most important component needed to deter trespassing is education.
“Many of the people have hiked the trails here for years and may not know [the law],” he noted.
Santa Maria Valley Open Space members echoed this thought; they believe there are two kinds of trespassers: Those who do it unintentionally and, well, those who do it on purpose.
The Sheriff’s Department wants to emphasize and implement a month-long educational program in a couple of weeks.
“We are going to create pamphlets that outline the trails and explain the laws,” Vuillemainroy said. “By doing that, we indicate we are taking the issue seriously.”
At the end of the educational period, Vuillemainroy said, the department will continue with firm enforcement and do its best to apprehend trespassing violators.
According to the Santa Barbara County Rural Crime Unit, a first trespassing offense warrants a $75 fine. There’s a $250 fine for a second offense on the same property. A third offense on the same land is classified as a misdemeanor.
In addition, the lieutenant said he’d be overseeing monthly meetings with Santa Maria Valley Open Space and homeowners. Deputies will also regularly begin patrolling the open space area.
“We are trying to make this as painless as possible for everyone involved,” Vuillemainroy said. “We understand you have been using the trails for years, but you can’t trespass. People need to understand at the end of the educational period we will respond with firm enforcement; we are taking this seriously.”
On the county side, Nelson said the department needs to do its job to educate people and provide more signs—despite the fact that signage is often torn down.
“The county is struggling with finances, but funds will be needed to add more fencing and signs at Rice Ranch—that’s a county responsibility,” he said.
According to Deputy Parks Director Paddy Langlands, the county’s job is to ensure the trails are open, well marked, and well signed. “Phase 2 is not out of the question,” Langlands said. “We are working on a list of things to be done and coming up with an action plan so we can move forward.”
He said a volunteer docent program to help monitor the area is also under consideration.
Homeowners are looking to gain some representation within the trail commission so they have a place to voice their concerns.
“We applaud the county for wanting to address this issue,” Oak Hill Homeowners Board’s Eldering said.
Santa Maria Valley Open Space and the trail commission will help hand out the educational pamphlets and play host to events that will take people into the park and show them where they’re allowed to go.
“The trespassing problem is valid and we don’t take them lightly,” Escobar said. “Once we are able to address these issues, everyone will see the benefit of the trail system.”
Nelson said it’s important to remember this is not a “sides” issue; it’s more about how everyone can work through this so all parties can come out winners.
“We all see it as having a positive public impact if boundaries are respected,” he explained.
The Sheriff’s Department’s Vuillemainroy emphasized that overcoming trespassing will take ongoing support and involvement from the community.
“Property owners need to make sure their fencing is in place and they have the proper signs posted,” he said.
While it remains unclear why certain hikers and bikers are blatantly disrespectful of private property and the law, the public needs to do its part and adhere to existing trails; no trespassing means no visitors are wanted.
“A positive thing is that we are all working together,” Vuillemainroy said, adding that anyone who has been affected by trespassing at Rice Ranch can contact him at 934-6162.
Contact Staff Writer Kristina Sewell at ksewell@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Aug 8-15, 2013.