A Front Country Trails project led by the U.S. Forest Service involving the city and county of Santa Barbara and various trail volunteer groups including the Santa Barbara Trails Council and Santa Barbara Mountain Trail Volunteers will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
Constructing and upgrading trails is a tradition dating back to the 1930s and the era of the Civilian Conservation Corps. Since 1969, California has been offering opportunities for public land managers and trail users to work together improving hiking, equestrian and mountain biking trails on public lands.
Saturday’s project will consist of clearing debris, cutting back brush and extracting invasive plants along the fire-damaged Tunnel and West Fork of the Cold Springs Trail.
Those interested in participating should meet at the Santa Barbara Mission parking lot at 9 a.m. to carpool to the Tunnel Trailhead. Volunteers are advised to wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts and a hat, and to bring gloves, sunscreen, a water bottle and a light lunch.
After completion of the trails work, meals consisting of chicken, steak, rice and beans will be provided courtesy of the Santa Barbara Chicken Ranch. A drawing for small hiking accessories also will be held.
For more information, contact Front Country Trails coordinator Rebecca Mordini at 805.698.5455 or sbfct1@gmail.com.
— Andrew Madsen represents the Los Padres National Forest.