VIDEO: Hikers Challenge Reasoning Behind Trail Closure

Hikers upset at the closure of the upper Bump and Grind trail are questioning the science behind the shut down, while state officials contend their actions are needed to protect the endangered Peninsular bighorn sheep.

As many as 65 bighorn sheep roam the slopes of the northern Santa Rosa Mountains, according to the Palm Desert-based Bighorn Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to conservation efforts.

The trail is near a known lambing area in the 1,280-acre Magnesia Falls Wildlife Preserve, and the Magnesia Falls Spring, a water source for the sheep, according to the California Department of Fish and Game.

Yet locals say the spring is not within sight of the popular trail, and that officials have yet to produce any studies to show that outdoor enthusiasts have caused the sheep any harm.

“What better use of public grounds than the public use?’’ said Bruce Rucker, a regular user of the trail, which is often used for exercise.

Fish and Game spokesman Andrew Hughan said the Bump and Grind, which some claim was illegally created decades ago, is not the only trail in the area for hikers to use.

“We’re not closing the whole trail,’’ 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 at Fish and Game is to protect animal species and protect the dwindling resources.”

The Study

Blaine Carian, who has used the trail this year to get back into shape, has led efforts to keep the Bump and Grind open.

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

The Coachella Valley Conservation Commission, which has direct oversight of the trail through the Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan, has yet to conduct a study to show the impact of hikers on the Peninsular bighorn sheep. That’s mainly because of budget concerns, according to Rancho Mirage Councilman Richard Kite, who is also chairman of the CVCC.

“We are hoping we will be able to get some money from the state to do an in-depth evaluation of the area and actually determine the location of the sheep, relative to the trail,’’ Kite said.

He added that the commission is powerless to intervene with Fish and Game’s decision.

“If they feel it is not in the best interest to the various species that are up there, I think they have the right to close it. Are they closing it for the right reasons? That’s what is in dispute,’’ Kite said.

He encouraged fans of the trail to reach out to Coachella Valley lawmakers, which is exactly what hikers have done. (Read more about Assemblyman Brian Nestande and Rep. Mary Bono Mack’s responses here).

Susan Harvey, who has been hiking in the hills above Palm Desert and Rancho Mirage for 13 years, said she is disappointed commissioners have not recognized that the trail is a local treasure.

“They are supporting the 'look but don’t touch' practice, which may make the bighorn sheep people happy, but makes the rest of us who live and play here very unhappy,’’ Harvey said.

With or without a study, Jim DeForge, director of the Bighorn Institute, said there is evidence that the sheep need help in their recovery.

DeForge said that the Bighorn Institute has conducted studies on the sheep for over 25 years.

“If you put a high impact of people, you lose the association with the species. This area has gotten more and more hiking impact over the last decade. It’s going to have a debilitating effect on the sheep,” DeForge said.

He added that the issue has nothing to do with a study or a water source.

“This has to do with very sensitive lambing areas. When you destroy those it puts doom on a herd,’’ DeForge said. (Read more about why sheep avoid humans here.)

The Spring

Hikers are also calling into question Fish and Game claims that the high volume of users on the trail – as many as 200 daily -- are driving bighorn sheep away from an area water source.

A nearby canyon boasts two springs: One that is underground with some vegetation, and a man-made spring that sits just south of Porcupine Creek, the 249-acre golf course owned by Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison.

DFG biologists have estimated the spring is a half-mile from the top of the trail, according to Hughan, who added the watering hole is not within sight of the trail.

Carian and other hikers are concerned that officials are using the estimate as a hard fact in their reasoning for the closure, when topographical maps show the distance is nearly a mile and a half.

But Hughan said the data is just that – an estimate.

“If it is a misestimate, it’s a misestimate,’’ Hughan said. “Even if it is five miles, this is where the water is and this is where the sheep go … The distance is irrelevant.”

He added that Fish and Game could calculate the exact distance from the spring to the trail, but only if the hikers request it.

“We feel that there is no hard number that says human beings need to be ‘x’ number of feet, yards, miles, from an animal species to keep it protected,’’ Hughan said.

He encouraged residents to reach out to their local lawmakers to intercede with legislation.

Hughan also stressed that the Fish and Game officials base their decisions based on “lots of studies and lots and research.”

“We don’t just make these decisions randomly,’’ he said. “There is science behind everything we do.”

As part of an effort to keep people out of the upper Bump and Grind for good, Cal Fire plans to install a sturdy gate near the top of the trail later this month. Officials also hope to enforce the closure by charging trespassers with a misdemeanor, which could mean a year in jail.