Upper Bump and Grind Trail To Become 'Permanently' Closed

The closure of the upper Bump and Grind trail will become permanent as part of an effort to protect the Peninsular bighorn sheep, state officials said today.

The California Department of Fish and Game had previously closed a half-mile section of the trail, but had not strictly enforced it. A sturdy gate will be installed later this month to keep hikers out.

The gate had been torn down several times before by hikers, according to state officials.

“We have done everything we can to be accommodating by keeping the loop open. We have taken care to protect the sheep while also ensuring that recreational opportunities still exist,” said John McCamman, DFG's director.

With more than 200 people using the trail daily, DFG scientists have grown concerned that the human presence is disturbing groups of ewes that are caring for their young nearby.

The announcement of the permanent closure comes as a small group of local residents have been clamouring for the entire trail to remain open.

Blaine Carian, who uses the trail often, has been skeptical of the reasons the CDFG and local agencies have given for the closure. He and other residents have been calling on state and national lawmakers to step in.

“They are saying they (big horn sheep) need the space. They don’t have the studies to justify they need the space,” Carian said.

Assemblyman Brian Nestande, R-Palm Desert, publicly asked on Monday for the state agency to hold off on the permanent closure, citing the Coachella Valley Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan.

"The Coachella Valley Conservation Commission (CVCC) is supposed to conduct a multi-year study of bighorn sheep and recreational use of the mountains," Nestande said. "It would be prudent for the Department of Fish and Game to hold off on making changes and trail closures until scientific data is available."

The popular trail, also known as the "Mirage Trail," is located in the 1,280-acre Magnesia Falls Wildlife Preserve in the mountains above Palm Desert and Rancho Mirage.

The DFG is moving forward with the closure without studies because the trail is located within the reserve, which is considered critical habitat for the sheep, according to Andrew Hughan, a DFG spokesman.

"We feel as a department that this effort -- this half-mile part of the trail may make a huge difference in their survival,'' Hughan told Patch.

In 2005, the DFG construction parts of the nearby Hopalong Cassidy, Herb Jeffries and Mike Shuler trails in order to move hikers away from the edge of the reserve. The trails create a loop back to an existing trail and to connect to the Palm Desert trail system, Hughan said.

The updated trails have been incorporated into the Coachella Valley Multiple-Species Habitat Conservation Plan. The 19 agencies involved in the plan have been kept updated on the closure, according to Hughan.

Check back later today for more on this story.