Foothills Sentry - November 2022

Foothills Sentry Page 16 November 2022 WHAT’S THE VALUE OF WATER? Learn how water works for you. Visit TheValueofWater.org. Presented in cooperation with the Value of Water coalition There are nearly 400,000 house fires in the U.S. each year, and water that flows from hydrants is our best defense. Most of us never think about how water gets to us. Luckily, we don’t have to. Pumps, treatment plants, and pipes bring us clean water and carry away wastewater. All day, every day. But our water systems are aging. They need investment to continue delivering life’s most essential resource. Water—Essential. Reliable. Invaluable. #ValueWater East Orange natural space open by appointment only By Robert Detrano There is a paradise in Orange County that rivals our magnifi- cent national parks. The Irvine Ranch Open Space is a national and state Natural Landmark. It is owned by Orange County and supported by public funds. This land stretches from the 241 Toll Road to the Cleveland Na- tional Forest. It comprises Lime- stone Canyon with its incredible “sinks,” Black Star Canyon with its red rock formations, Fremont Canyon’s endangered Tecate Cy- press trees, the Irvine Mesa, Bak- er and Weir Canyon, and in its southeastern corner, the Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park. The last of these areas, the 2,500-acre Whiting Ranch, is the only section open to the public every day. The remaining areas are open only by appointment for supervised hiking, biking and equestrian activities. Whiting Ranch comprises less than one-eighth of the area of the other Open Space lands. It re- ceives 100,000 guests annually. Limestone Canyon Park, part of the Open Space, borders Whiting and has similar topography, fauna and flora. Limestone is twice the size, and receives less than 5% of the number of guests who visit Whiting. Limited public access During 95% of the year, no public access to Limestone Can- yon Park is permitted. Iron gates, barbed wire and surveillance cameras greet those who pause at the park entrances. No signs on the iron gates explain that a limit- ed program allows public access. The program that allows super- vised admittance to Limestone Canyon and the other closed areas can be accessed at letsgo- outside.org , administered by the Irvine Ranch Conservancy (IRC), a not-for-profit that is funded by a public $5 million yearly grant from Orange County. Letsgoout- side allows people to sign up for hikes, bike and equestrian rides on a first-come, first-served basis. I have trained as a volunteer to lead these activities. Though a resident of Orange County for 40 years, I discovered letsgooutside.org only six months ago. Most of my neighbors in Sil- verado do not know about it. Impact on animals Numerous scientific publications explain the ecological impact of human recreational use. University of Oklahoma Professor Michael Patten executed studies on open space that showed that wild mammals are less likely to frequent specific locations that humans had recently visited, and that deer alter the time of day when they are active, depending on the presence of humans. Specifically, deer in areas of high human use shift their activity time from 6 a.m. to midnight. Such a temporal shift can be lethal for the deer, since midnight is the peak activity time of their major predators, mountain lions. Other studies show that heavy trail use causes destruction of vegetation from trampling. Hik- ers and runners inject non-native species into wild areas. Heavy birdwatcher activity decreases the prevalence of some species, espe- cially raptors and ground nesters. These are the reasons that you see so many “Stay on the trail” signs in parks and nature pre- serves. It is also a reason for the iron gates and barbed wire fenc- es at the entrances of the Irvine Ranch Open Space. However, there is another side. Orange County has over three million residents. A fair portion reside in neighborhoods contigu- ous to the Open Space. A well-kept secret To determine awareness of the letsgooutside program, I polled residents in the Canyons, in Or- ange, and in a section of Irvine bordering on the Open Space land. My results show that less than one-third of about 250 resi- dents in all three county neigh- borhoods know about lestgoout- side, or that there is a way to cross the iron gates and see the paradise that lies beyond. I surmise that residents of more distant Orange County towns are even less aware of this opportunity. Voluminous scientific literature shows how outdoor recreation benefits visitors to natural parks and preserves. One benefit is the promotion of environmentally responsible behavior. Most sci- entists agree that folks who have opportunities to visit wild places and feel their own insignificance compared to the wonders of the forests, deserts, and the sea will respect and protect these resourc- es. Those who lack these experi- ences are likely to favor devel- opment. Lack of knowledge pre- vents most Orange County resi- dents from outdoor experiences that allow them to reflect on their relationship with the natural en- vironment. The people of Orange County are not benefitting from a publicly funded treasure. continues next page Deer in the morning.