I Just sent this to my State Senator, Dave Cortese:

SB799 and AB1512 seem to be a hot item right now.

Dave has supported OHV (Off Highway Vehicle) recreation. Specifically he helped with Santa Clara Motorcycle County Park (ie, MCP or Metcalf)

These bills are another in a long and expensive list of attempts of wealthy landowners to close or compromise an important State Park; Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area.

Previous bills were to sell off a piece of property, the ‘expansion area’ that was acquired decades ago to meet the needs of the local OHV community.

As the area has grown, the needs of our communities have changed. Years of study and public outreach has lead to the plan for the expansion area to be largely open space and an interactive experience accessed by OHV.

There is no opportunity at the current park for the largest growing segment of OHV’s, the family oriented UTV or ‘Side x Sides” The expansion are will also allow for remote camping access for the disabled, something that doesn’t exist elsewhere in the bay area.

Despite the fact that as a state park, Carnegie SVRA must meet the highest standards for environmental management, the supporters of the bill have misrepresented this as an area destroyed by OHV and had called for elimination of any OHV activity.

The approved General Plan, when implemented, will continue to conserve this area to this same standard of the existing 1500 acre park. 

Additionally, this latest version leaves the cost of administration the expansion area undefined. Dare I call it an “unfunded mandate”? The legislation seems irresponsible, fiscally and environmentally.

More so, this a veiled give away to Garamendi/ Connolly disguised as a conservation area. Remember, the land is already funded as a state park. In reality the bill would just help their elk hunting business, their grazing opportunities, and their egos.

Please stop these elitist rich folks from trampling on the access of the general public.