Lawmakers Respond To Calls To Keep Bump and Grind Trail Open

Several local lawmakers have responded to the call of residents seeking to fight the closure of the upper Bump and Grind trail, which towers above Palm Desert and Rancho Mirage.

Blaine Carian, a longtime user of the popular trail, spurred citizens to call on legislators, gaining the attention of Assemblymen Brian Nestande, R-Palm Desert, and V. Manuel Perez, D-Coachella, as well as Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-Palm Springs.

“A lot of people we know are contacting representatives,’’ Carian said.

Carain and others in the hiking community have questioned the California Department of Fish and Game’s reasoning behind the closure and want the lawmakers to take notice.

But Carian wants more than just a show of support. He wants action.

"I'd like to see our local assemblyman and senator exert some pressure on Fish and Game to have them drop their plans to close it,'' Carian said. "It's been open 35 years and obviously the bighorn sheep population has grown, but how much land do they need? I'd like to see public land go to the public good."

The upper half-mile section of the trail has been closed for some time to protect the Peninsular bighorn sheep, but has not been strictly enforced, according to DFG spokesman Andrew Hughan.

The DFG plans to install a sturdy gate later this month to keep out hikers. Those who venture past the barrier could be cited with a misdemeanor and face fines, Hughan said, adding that other trails have been constructed in the area as an alternative.

To get the trail reopened, residents will have to enlist the help of their state lawmakers, he said.

“They need to enact change through legislation,’’ Hughan said, adding that state lawmakers could work to “designate this as a special recreation area.”

The trail lies in 64th Assembly District, and Nestande publicly announced his opposition to the closure earlier this week in a press release.

Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-Palm Springs, enjoys the trail, which is on state lands in the 1,280-acre Magnesia Falls Wildlife Preserve.

"The Congresswoman has heard from trail users concerned about the closure, and has encouraged state officials, who have jurisdiction over this land, to reach a prompt and fair resolution to the issue,'' according to Cort Bush, a spokesman for Bono Mack's office.

Assemblyman V. Manuel Perez, D-Coachella, recently hiked the trail with staff for an understanding of the closure and expressed interest in the cause, but the trail is not in his district.

“At this juncture, Assemblyman Perez has no plans for a legislative intervention related to the trail,’’ said Amy Wilson, Perez’s director of communications.

State Senator Bill Emmerson’s office did not immediately respond to inquiries about the closure.

The upper portion of the trail has become incorporated into the local fitness culture of the Coachella Valley, according to Carian.

"All this is, is a cardio trail. That’s why this last 1,700 feet is very important. It’s the payoff,'' he said.

The Department of Fish and Game has been working to educate residents about the importance of the closure, Hughan said.

"We’re not out to shut off the culture of California and shut off the fitness culture of Southern California. Our charge and our mission as Fish and Game is to protect the animals,'' Hughan said.