Off-Road Reimagining Recreation on Mt. Tam

Marin Water (MMWD) recently released findings from the public scoping process for the Watershed Recreation Plan, along with an RFP (Request for Proposals) for the development of the plan. We’ve reviewed the documents released on September 16th and believe they align with our desired outcomes for a more inclusive trail system on Mount Tamalpais.

Here are some highlights from the scoping process:

• Participants expressed a desire to support recreational access without compromising natural resource values.

• Consider all visitors holistically and provide a more diverse network of roads and trails to separate different visitor groups.

• Collaborate with public transit to provide easier access to watershed entry points and recreation.

• Recognize Mt. Tam as the birthplace of mountain biking and reflect this in trail management.

• Conduct future recreation management planning meetings in the evening outside of regular work hours to facilitate participation by more working professionals and students.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the scoping meetings, you ensured a fair and balanced outcome!

The full report can be found HERE.

You can watch the last Marin Water meeting at the link below. The Rec Plan portion starts 30 minutes in:

1:30 p.m. Watershed Committee/Board of Directors (Watershed) Meeting Sept. 16, 2021

We appreciated the comments made by Director Monte Schmitt, who called out the need to hire a consultant with expertise in recreation planning and resolving conflict. If you are a recreation/conservation consultant or you know a good candidate, contact Shaun Horne at shorne@marinwater.org for details.

With the public scoping complete, Marin Water will circulate the RFP and choose a consultant to develop the plan over the next 18 to 24 months. There will be many opportunities for public participation, and we will need to turn out at every meeting in support of a plan that reimagines recreation in the heart of Marin.