Bahia Ridge Fire Road and Trail Improvements

Work has been completed. Spurs Trail, Lucky Aces Trail, and Blue Oak Trail are scheduled to open to the public on Wednesday, March 23, 2022. The Parks naturalist notes that visiting the newly improved trails will offer visitors a chance to see a variety of wildflowers and butterflies, a unique oak woodland with hybrids of valley, Oregon, and blue oaks, raucous acorn woodpeckers, and fabulous views of the Petaluma River wetlands. In spring, you’ll likely be serenaded by a chorus of songbirds. View the Rush Creek map to see location of the these improved trails.

The Open Space Trail Crew is currently working on the project. For your safety, please pay attention to signs and closures.

The purpose of the proposed project is to implement the MCOSD’s Road and Trail Management Plan (RTMP) to provide the public with a safe multi-use trail system to enhance the visitor experience, reduce the environmental impacts on sensitive resources by reducing sedimentation and erosion, and establish a sustainable system of roads and trails that meet design and management standards and would provide safe year-round access along the trail alignment.

The proposed project on the east side of Rush Creek Preserve would upgrade a hiking trail, realign a trail for multiuse, convert a trail segment from road to trail, improve equestrian trail access, and decommission a steep segment of trail to restore habitat. This proposed project was identified in 2017 during the collaborative Region 4 designation process. Features would include:

• Upgrade an existing social trail to sustainable standards and designate it as hiking only;
• Realign Blue Oak Trail for multiuse;
• Decommission the steep road segment of Iron Gate Fire Road and restore habitat;
• Convert the sustainable segment of Iron Gate Fire Road from road to trail;
• Designate new trail for equestrians and hikers.

Implementation of the proposed project would achieve the following project objectives:

• Provide safe and sustainable year-round trail access to the Rush Creek Open Space Preserve;
• Eliminate unsustainable social trails and road segments;
• Enhance habitat quality;
• Improve visitor access;
• Reduce road and trail-related erosion;
• Reduce trail density and habitat fragmentation.

• Novato Fire Department
• Novato Horsemen, Inc.
• Marin County Flood Control District
• Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria
• Marin County Bicycle Coalition
• Open Space District Environmental Roundtable

• 2017: Identified during Region 4 Designation
• 2017–20: Stakeholder engagement 
• 2017–20: Project planning, including vegetation and wildlife assessments 
• 2020–21: Prepare draft CEQA document for public review
• July 2021: Board of Supervisors approves IS/MND so work can move forward
• August–September 2021: Road and trail construction
• Fall–Winter 2021: Trails allowed to naturally settle and cure
• Spring 2022: New roads and trails opened to public

In a public hearing, the Marin County Board of Supervisors received the public comment regarding the proposed Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) for the proposed Bahia Ridge Fire Road and Trail Improvements Project. They adopted a resolution adopting the IS/MND in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act, and directed staff to file a Notice of Determination. They also adopted a resolution approving the project so work can move forward.

• Board Meeting Memo pdf

The Marin Open Space District (MCOSD) reviewed public comments regarding the draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) for the proposed Bahia Ridge Fire Road and Trail Improvements Project. MCOSD received nine comments during the public review and comment period, which closed on May 21, 2021 None of the comments opposed the proposed project or resulted in substantial changes to the proposed project or the IS/MND.

• Responses to Public Comments pdf
• Revised Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration pdf
• Mitigation and Monitoring Plan pdf

The Marin Open Space District (MCOSD) has prepared a draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) for the proposed Bahia Ridge Fire Road and Trail Improvements Project. The IS/MND provides information regarding the setting of the project area, the project description, analysis of potentially significant environmental impacts that could result from implementation of the proposed project, and mitigation measures to reduce potentially significant environmental impacts to a less than significant level.  The Notice of Intent to Adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration and the draft IS/MND can be accessed using the links provided below.

The public comment period closed on May 21, 2021 at 5:30 p.m.  

• Notice of Intent to Adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration pdf
• Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration pdf
• Announcement Flyer pdf

On January 21, 2021, MCOSD staff presented an update on the proposed Rush Creek Open Space Preserve Road and Trail Improvement Project at the Parks and Open Space Commission public hearing. 

• Meeting agenda and video
• Presentation pdf

On November 20, 2020, MCOSD staff and Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria (FIGR) conducted an initial tribal consultation meeting. The Ione Band of Miwok Indians (IBMI) were also provided notification of the project in fall 2020..  

The proposed project was regularly presented at Environmental Round Table meetings through January 2020, after a site visit on March 26, 2018, organized by MCOSD staff.  The Environmental Round Table has expressed general support for the proposed project because the improvements would support the road and trail management objectives.  

• On February 11 and on April 2, 2019, MCOSD staff met with Novato Horsemen, Inc. to discuss concepts to improve trail connectivity.
• On January 21 and 27, 2020, MCOSD staff met again with members of Novato Horsemen, who were generally supported the proposed trail changes.
• On June 20, 2020, MCOSD staff met and collaborated with Novato Horsemen, Inc. to identify and designate safe and sustainable equestrian access, including the Blue Oak Trail realignment, Iron Gate Road to Trail Conversion, and the Horsemen's Spur Trail.

On February 5, 2020, the Novato Fire Department met with MCOSD staff. Fire department staff agreed that the Iron Gate Fire Road does not provide public safety value because emergency access occurs along the Bahia Ridge Fire Road.

On April 13, 2017, MCOSD staff conducted a public meeting to present the proposed conceptual Region 4 designation map, which included a proposal to convert Iron Gate Fire Road to a multiuse trail. The public meeting informed stakeholders about the potential road-to-trail conversion, and collected public comments about potential road and trail improvements. This included feedback from a prior meeting on April 2, 2017 with Novato Horsemen.