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COSF News (July 2009)
Conejo Canyons Management Plan update
The Conejo Canyons Open Space area is located in the northwestern section of the City of Thousand Oaks. Conejo Canyons Open Space is approximately 3,100 acres in size, and includes diverse natural features such as deep canyons with perennial streams, prominent ridgelines, and a variety of natural habitats. The land is owned by three public agencies: the City of Thousand Oaks, Conejo Recreation & Park District, and Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency (COSCA).
COSCA is currently working on the planning phase of the Conejo Canyons Management Plan (CCMP), a comprehensive document to quantify the plan areas’ natural resources and to guide their use and management in a sustainable manner while also planning visitor improvements and facilities. Some of the most important components of the plan are public access, trails and improvements, sensitive habitat preservation, cultural resources and habitat restoration.
Public input is an important aspect of this planning process and is being gathered at public workshops.
- The first public workshop was held October 22, 2008.
The administrative draft of the plan will be posted on COSCA, City and CRPD websites on September 16, 2009.
A second public workshop is scheduled for September 30, 2009 at 6:00 pm.
Public comment period for the administrative draft management plan will be September 30 through October 30, 2009.
COSCA Board of Directors meeting - special presentation
At the July 8, 2009 meeting of the Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency (COSCA) Board of Directors, a commendation was presented to Elayne Haggan by COSCA Board Chairperson Rorie Skei. Elayne is a founding member of the Conejo Open Space Trails Advisory Committee (COSTAC). Appointed in 1989, she was a member for 20 years. Elayne played a lead role in the development and implementation of the Trails Education Days Program in 1992, and served as the program’s coordinator for 17 years. In that time, over 27,000 fifth graders have participated in Trails Education Days. Elayne also actively participates in other COSCA volunteer programs, including Trail Work Day, Trail Watch, Open Space Community Outreach and Resource Stewardship. As a resident of the Wildwood area, Elayne works tirelessly to maintain the beauty of the open space by removing trash from the trails on her daily hikes and by initiating non-native plant eradication projects on Wildwood Mesa.
Trail Patrol and Trail Watch programs welcome new members
Trail Patrol is made up of volunteers, including hikers, bicyclists, and equestrians, who have been certified through a formal training program. They are equipped with communication devices and first aid packs, and they wear uniforms and ID badges. Their purpose is to provide additional safety for those who use the COSCA trails. Our three new Trail Patrol members are: Danusia Taber (biker), Gusie Woodfill (equestrian), and Patti Martins (hiker/biker).
Trail Watch is a less formal program, giving Conejo Open Space trail users an opportunity to report their observations to our rangers while offering a wide variety of volunteer activities. Our newly-registered Trail Watch volunteers are: Nancy Taylor (equestrian), and Suzie Bogeberg (hiker).
COSCA Volunteer Corps has many ways for volunteers to help maintain and preserve the open space that surrounds our beautiful Conejo Valley. Volunteers are helping to ensure that the trails, canyons, and ridgelines will be here for future generations.
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