The Santa Fe Trail

Santa Fe Trail Notice of Preparation and Scoping Meeting

Presentation of Santa Fe Trail - January 28, 2010

Santa Fe Trail Fact Sheet

The Santa Fe Trail will link Tulare and Visalia with a multi-use commuter and
recreational trail following the historic Santa Fe Railroad corridor.
The City of Tulare has completed their portion of the trail which now terminates at
Prosperity Avenue, and the City of Visalia is currently developing their portion of the
trail which will be built from Tulare Avenue to Avenue 272. This portion of the Santa Fe
Trail, which runs through the unincorporated portion of Tulare County, will close the
gap between Prosperity Avenue and Avenue 272, and is being lead by the Tulare
County Association of Governments (TCAG). Below is "quick list" of Santa Fe Trail facts.

The Santa Fe Trail project will:

• Create a public multi-use trail connection between the Cities of Tulare and Visalia. The Trail will provide a transportation corridor for alternative modes of transportation just under 5 miles long.
  
• Prohibit unauthorized people and motorized vehicles (using physical barriers) from entering the trail and adjacent fields and orchards.
  
• Provide for improved law enforcement patrolling and access.
  
• Create a Trail Management entity as a single point of contact for any trail related issues.
  
• Require adjacent agricultural operators to contact the Trail Manager prior to pesticide application.
  
• Assign responsibility for closing, clearing and opening trail segments to allow for agricultural operations (i.e. pesticide application) to the Trail Manager.
  
• Be posted as a "use at own risk" facility with noticing of ongoing agricultural operations, presence of farm equipment, pesticide application, and agricultural burning.
  
• Extend existing legal protections to adjacent landowners against liability claims by trail users and trespassers on their land.

The Santa Fe Trail project will not:

• Prohibit or interfere with current compliant pesticide application procedures (per the Ag Commissioner Office and the law)
  
• Prohibit or interfere with current agricultural operations
  (i.e. harvesting or agricultural burning).
  
• Be subject to any pesticide re-entry provisions.

Pease contact Christine Chavez, 559-624-7274 or chchavez@co.tulare.ca.us