Kern Canyon trail plan is ambitious, but still in its infancy

Jul. 3—Business strategy consultant Jonathan Yates remembers being awestruck the first time he entered the Kern River Canyon about five days after he moved to Bakersfield in 2016.

"I couldn't believe that the Kern River Canyon was so close to urban Bakersfield," he said. "And how dramatic and beautiful it was.

"I've traveled around the U.S. and I've traveled a lot internationally, and I realized right away that it was something very special."

On Saturday, Yates held the first of what is sure to be many introductions to the Lower Kern Canyon Hiking Trail proposal. In a Zoom meeting organized by the local chapter of the Sierra Club, Yates told about 25 remote attendees the project aims to connect sections of existing trails into a larger network of improved trails with safe and well publicized access off of Highway 178.

The trail network would be strictly for hikers, he said, as motorized vehicles and even mountain bikes would make for a dangerous mix with hikers on the narrow mountain paths.

"In order to make a proposal like this happen, it's going to require community engagement," he said.

"To do a project like this takes resources," he added. "To get resources takes pressure on public officials or vision from public officials."

Yates, who works in business strategy consulting for the Wonderful Co., and serves as a volunteer board member with the Kern River Parkway Foundation, cautioned that the proposal is only in its beginning stages — and that there is much more work to do.

Including getting buy-in from the public.

"This trail proposal is something I've been thinking about ever since I moved to Kern County," Yates said.

But he knows he can't do it alone.

Yates also introduced Carlos Flores, a landscape architect and outdoor recreation planner with the National Park Service's Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program.

Flores was scheduled to be co-presenter at Saturday's presentation, but it turned out he was unable to participate. Nevertheless, Yates noted that the planner's addition to the trail team was a good sign.

Earlier this year, the trail team applied for and was awarded a grant from the Park Service's Assistance Program.

"It's a non-cash grant," Yates said. "They're not giving any money. They're giving staff assistance."

As a result, Flores is now working on the trails proposal and using his expertise to help move the project forward, Yates said.

"It also indicates that, while there are still a lot of challenges to be worked through ... there's exciting momentum here in that people outside of our community do think this is a project worth supporting."

Yates used a PowerPoint-style presentation, with maps and photos, to introduce listeners to several partial or informal trails that could conceivably become part of the official network.

One beautiful trail known as the Jar Trail passes through private property. It has been closed to the public due to liability concerns and the tendency among some users to disrespect the beauty around them.

"It is very important that members of the public continue to respect these places, particularly as we try to build a lasting framework for improving and building this recreational amenity," Yates said. "The Jar Trail is closed, so please respect private property, owner wishes, and stay out while we explore ways to reopen access."

Although most of the proposed network is on public lands, some sections are on Southern California Edison trails and much of the land is part of cattle range leases, Yates said.

"If you visit any of these areas, please do so safely and leave no trace."

He spoke of economic benefits, health benefits and improvements to Bakersfield's image as just some of the positive elements of the proposal.

Sierra Club members and other guests of the remote gathering asked some tough questions, all welcomed by Yates, who noted there is one local endangered species to consider, the Kern County slender salamander.

"It is not only endangered species to consider," Vicky Hoover texted in a comment.

One Sierra Club campaign, she said, "calls for expanding wildlife habitat which seeks to prevent more species from becoming endangered — so we constantly need to balance increased human access to nature ... with guarding and enhancing habitat."

Stephen Montgomery brought up concerns about trail security and negative images the river has been saddled with.

"Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who behave badly," he said. "Security is always an issue.

"Now the only thing we hear from the county about the canyon is talk about the 'killer Kern,'" he said. "Not a mention of its positive qualities."

In a quick response, Rosanna Esparza said the trails project has the potential to change those negative connotations.

"We want people to be excited about this proposal," Yates said later in an email.

The trail team wants public feedback to help them refine the concept.

"Spread the word to your friends and family to help the concept build momentum," he said, "and tell city, county and forest service leadership that this is a project you would like to see happen. One concrete way to give that feedback is through the ongoing Bakersfield Parks Master Plan online survey."

In terms of how this will look, it's still very much in flux, Yates said.

"We have an opportunity or a challenge on our hands here," he said.

Or most likely, both.

Reporter Steven Mayer can be reached at 661-395-7353. Follow him on Facebook and on Twitter: @semayerTBC.