Something that's not relevant to the course...

Having to write a blog on our thoughts reminded me of a blog I started a year ago for a natural resource management class. It was pretty interesting to write down my thoughts and my opinions on various articles and topics. Here’s a link if anybody is interested: http://blanchenrm12.blogspot.com/

Perhaps, I could do something similar with this blog. Where as this blog’s focus might be more on policy because that’s what my capstone, GAWR, and potential internship might be involved in.

Let’s talk a bit about trails master plan and management because that’s a potential internship that I got requested for interview and it seems like it would be an interesting niche to go into. Though I don’t know if there are definite policy involved in trails master plan but it is interesting. A trails master plan is to improve connectivity to local destinations, close the gap between trail systems, increases accessibility and friendly usage, support economic, health, and environmental development, and enhance quality of life for users.

There seems to be a urgent need for Toro park trails master plan, “According to the notice, the task force’s goal is to develop a plan for all trails users that incorporates safety, management, maintenance, enforcement, and ecological design” and “The new task force’s objectives include defining trail assessment criteria, developing trail design guidelines and standards, helping recruit and organize volunteer work crews and trail user patrols to help with restoration and enforcement of the trails system” written by Monterey Herald news. But the paper was very focused on letting people know the objectives of this urgent issue and for those who are interested should inquire.

http://www.montereyherald.com/government-and-politics/20180514/county-seeks-toro-parks-trails-task-force-members.

This was published in May 2018, which explains why when I applied early May for a GIS internship, they didn’t reply until now due to a county hiring freeze and it was only recently that the freeze was lifted.

Things to learn about trails master plan objectives are trail assessment criteria, trail design guidelines and standards, volunteer recruitment to help with restoration and enforcement of the trails system.

• My questions for the interview:
  • What is the current state of Toro park trails that made this seem dire?
  • What are the history behind Toro park trails maintenance?
  • Who are the people working on this?