Dogs and Bikes

Why the PRESERVE Rules are Important

The two most common ordinance/regulations that are broken on the Preserve are dog and bike related.  Leash laws and other limits on recreational uses on the Preserve are in place to address specific issues that are unique to nature Preserves.  Nature Preserves are different than parks, with parks typically offering more recreation opportunities to the public. Many visitors to the Preserve are not aware of the reasons behind the County of Santa Barbara ordinance requiring dogs to be on leash and rules that prohibit bike riding, plus people and dogs walking off trail on the PRESERVE. Many people feel that their particular pet is well behaved or that they are responsible bike riders/dog owners and that the rules and ordinances are arbitrary.  However, regulations meant to protect wildlife are not arbitrary in a nature Preserve.

Consider Elings Park that offers varied recreation for the public, including the opportunity to walk dogs off-leash, space to ride bikes, fly model airplanes and for paragliders. There is natural habitat at the park, but much of the landscaping is ornamental and not necessarily designed to support wildlife. The San Marcos Foothills Preserve is a nature Preserve and not a park. The original purpose to convey the land to the County was to Preserve its natural resources, which includes the sensitive wildlife that lives there.

The San Marcos Foothills Preserve was saved from development by conservationists with the help of the community. They County’s Long-Term Open Space Management Plan requires that the property be managed to ensure that visitor use does not exceed the carrying capacity of the Preserve. It also requires that recreational activities shall not jeopardize the safety of others and shall not cause damage or harm to environmentally sensitive habitat or species. CIR believes that the PRESERVE is already at its “carrying capacity” regarding impacts that threaten these values, so we need to take extra care to protect wildlife from this impact.

Despite concerted efforts by County staff and volunteers, invasive plants are spreading along trails, erosion gullies are common, and some visitors hike off-trail and/or ignoring leash laws or are ride bikes on the Preserve. The number of nesting birds on the Preserve (which is carefully monitored) have declined over the years. Several species that used to nest there have disappeared completely. Funding to restore habitat is hard to come by, and only a small percentage of the Preserve has undergone restoration so far. Because it is hard enough to manage the number of people currently using the PRESERVE, adding cyclists or equestrians would create even more of an impact of the wildlife and resources of the PRESERVE.

Disappearing Wildlife, Including on the Preserve

Conservationists around the world recognize that we are witnessing a sixth mass extinction in the history of the earth. As part of that, an avian apocalypse has arrived across North America, and bird populations are declining precipitously. According to a 2019 study, 29% of the bird population (three billion birds) have disappeared from the continent since 1970, (Rosenberg et al. 2019). Most of this decline is due to habitat loss, so places like the PRESERVE are established in part to help reverse this trend.

Figure 2. Percentage decline in bird population since the 1970s.
Source: The U.S. North American Bird Conservation Initiative

The PRESERVE contains one of the only two remaining large native grasslands on the Santa Barbara South Coast west of Gaviota (More Mesa is the other). However, much of these formerly native grasslands are dominated by non-native species which greatly reduce the quality of the habitat for species that depend on grasslands to survive. Grassland habitat throughout California has been converted to cropland, developed, or invaded by non-native species. About half of the PRESERVE together with the West Mees is grassland habitat, but it is overwhelmed partially or completely by non-native grasses.

Grassland-dependent birds including white-tailed kite, western meadowlark, burrowing owl and grasshopper sparrow, have all experienced significant population declines in California and Santa Barbara. Grasshopper sparrow stopped breeding on the PRESERVE just over 20 years ago.


Reasons that Dogs Need to Be on Leashes

Dog walking is a popular activity at the Preserve, but many pet owners do not understand the effects that dogs have on wildlife and why there is an ordinance requiring their pet be on a leash.

Section 26-49 of the Santa Barbara County Code of Ordinances states the following about off-leash dogs:

“No person shall bring a dog into or permit a dog to enter or remain within, or maintain a dog within any county recreation area unless the dog is on a leash not more than six feet in length and under the immediate control of a capable and responsible person, or properly confined. It is unlawful to permit any dog to run at large within any county recreation area or to be within any county recreation area without a physical restraint.”

The code does make exceptions to this ordinance in designated off-leash sites, but the San Marcos Foothills Preserve is not one of them. Currently, the West Mesa is not part of the Preserve. It is owned privately by Channel Islands Restoration and the Allemall Foundation. There is currently a deed restriction on the West Mesa property that prohibits visitors from having their dogs off-leash while on the property. As the managing entity of the West Mesa, CIR asks all visitors to have their dogs leashed when visiting the property.

Dangers to Wildlife

As many as 43 rare or threatened species may be found on the San Marcos Foothills.  These include nesting birds and other animals that are vulnerable to disturbance by people and pets. Birds can abandon their nests if disturbed by people or pets that wander off trails.  Also, nesting animals often hide in shrubs or grassy areas very near trail edges.  A curious dog can easily find and disturb these animals.

Most human activities in wildlands can have a detrimental effect on the behavior of wild animals. Our direct presence can cause animals to avoid certain areas causing them to travel further or to less-suited locations looking for food, homes, or mates. Finding food and mates is already an all-consuming task for most animals, and many will struggle if they must move further or if their movements are impaired. Most wild animals live on the edge of survival, and they depend on energy reserves to stay fit and reproduce. Natural disturbance from predators also affects wildlife, but the addition of stress from humans and dogs exasperates the situation considerably.  Particularly, high stress levels and repeated disturbance can reduce wildlife immune system response and promote infectious diseases. The consequences can be profound, leading to reduced fitness and survival, lower reproductive rates, genetic isolation, and local extinction. This happens more often than most of us realize, and the consequences are measurable: the number of birds (particularly grassland species) are in steep decline in many areas, including at the San Marcos Foothills. 

Having dogs (leashed or unleashed) in a nature Preserve is detrimental to wildlife, so extra care should be taken to control dog/wildlife interactions. A literature review of 77 studies on dog and wildlife interactions conducted for Metro Regional Government in Portland, Oregon (Hennings, Lori. 2016) found:

1. Dogs cause physical and temporal displacement in wildlife. The presence of dogs causes wildlife to move away, temporarily or permanently, reducing the amount of available habitat in which to feed, breed and rest. Animals become less active during the day to avoid dog interactions.  Furthermore, the scent of dogs repels wildlife, and the effects remain after the dogs are gone.

2. Dogs cause a disturbance and stress response. Animals are alarmed and cease their routine activities. This increases the amount of energy they use, while simultaneously reducing their opportunities to feed. Repeated stress causes long-term impacts on wildlife including reduced reproduction and growth, suppressed immune system and increased vulnerability to disease and parasites.

3. People do not always take responsibility for their impacts on wildlife. Several studies demonstrate that natural area visitors, including dog owners, often don’t believe they are having much of an effect on wildlife, or assign blame to different user groups rather than accepting responsibility themselves. Some natural area visitors assume that when they see wildlife, it means that they are not disturbing the animals – or worse, that because they didn’t see any wildlife, they didn’t disturb any.

Channel Islands Restoration is working hard to reverse the decline in populations of birds and other animals by restoring habitat at the Preserve. This work is made more difficult when recreational activities disturb the wildlife that struggles to survive there.  The San Marcos Foothills was donated to the County for preservation purposes after countless hours of hard work and advocacy by conservationists. Considering that there are dozens of local parks that allow off-leash recreation for dogs, is it not reasonable for people to keep their pet on a leash in a wildlife Preserve?  CIR asks that visitors please keep their dogs on leashes to help ensure that vulnerable wildlife can survive and thrive at the Preserve. 

Dangers to Dogs

One of the challenges of walking dogs in a nature Preserve includes encountering venomous and/or aggressive wildlife.  The PRESERVE has a thriving rattlesnake population, and the area provides hunting grounds for coyotes, bobcats and even mountain lions.  There are a few simple ways that people can protect their pet while enjoying a walk on the Preserve:

Rattlesnakes
Although rattlesnakes are not aggressive and try to avoid encounters with people and their dogs, these encounters are not always avoidable.  Rattlesnakes often seek out locations along trails. An article on rattlesnakes on Active.com pointed out that:

“A favorite location that snakes enjoy is the shade of a bush located next to a sunny trail. The snake can move itself in and out of the shade to regulate body temperature. Unfortunately, this location is also prime sniffing territory for dogs accompanying their human companions.”

If given enough warning, adult rattlesnakes will often rattle to warn off predators, but they will often strike without warning if surprised by a dog or person.  Also, many (if not most) rattlesnakes do not make a sound on the PRESERVE.  A rattle on a juvenile snake may be too small or a rattle on a larger snake may be too badly damaged to be clearly audible. For all these reasons, rattlesnakes are a clear danger to dogs, especially ones that are off leash. 

The Animal Medical Center of Southern California says the following about dogs and snakebite:

“Dogs are about 20 times more likely to be bitten by venomous snakes than people and are about 25 times more likely to die if bitten. Snake bites are life threatening, extremely painful, expensive to treat, and can cause permanent damage even when the dogs survive. Dogs can encounter a rattlesnake anytime they are in rattlesnake habitat. You and your dog may live in rattlesnake habitat, or perhaps you travel through or frequently visit places where rattlesnakes are found. Maybe rattlesnakes are around when you take your dog hiking, camping or hunting. Like people, dogs may stumble over the location of a snake by accident. Curiosity or a protective instinct can place your dog at risk.”

Although there is a vaccine that helps lessen the severity of snake bite in dogs, “the vaccine does not insure protection against the venom" according to UC Davis Veterinary Medicine.  Perhaps the best advice for preventing snake bite in dogs comes from adoptapet.com: “If you hear a rattle or see a snake on the ground ahead of you, if your dog is on a 6-foot leash, you can avoid it.  Vets say the vast majority of rattlesnake bites occur when a dog is off-leash or on a flexi-lead.”  Dog owners can also take this advice from PETMD on keeping your dog safe from snake bite: “While out walking, controlling your dog with a leash may be your best safety device.”  Keep in mind that medical attention for visitors and their pets may be delayed at the PRESERVE depending on where snakebite occurs.

Dangers to People 

Although it may seem counterintuitive to most of us, some people find dogs to be intimidating and even scary. Many dog owners may not be able to relate to this fear, so it’s helpful for people learn that not all people respond well to dogs approaching them. There have been cases where people have been bitten by dogs on the Preserve, and in at least once instance, a person was bitten by a dog and the owner did not stop to provide their contact information. This is a violation of state law and a county ordinance, which mandate that dog bites be reported to animal control for possible quarantine of the pet.

Coyotes: Dangerous to Dogs, but Beneficial to Ground-Nesting Birds!

Coyotes are a common sight at the San Marcos Foothills, and they are one of the top-level predators on the PRESERVE. Dog walkers often cite the presence of coyotes at the PRESERVE as a reason that leash-laws are not needed. After all, they often say, “Coyotes are not on leashes” and “don’t they disturb birds?” However, coyotes are part of the natural food web, and their presence often increases the number of ground nesting birds in natural areas.

Like other predators, coyotes are adapted to seek prey which provide them with the highest calories and nutrients for the least expenditure of time and energy. Under most circumstances, coyotes will not waste time and energy chasing tiny birds if they can get much larger meals like foxes, raccoons, opossum, domestic cats or sometimes skunks. These latter animals are often referred to as “mesopredators” (midlevel on the food chain) and they prey on adult birds, bird eggs, young nestlings and fledglings just out of the nest. One landmark study shows that where coyotes are present, the incidences of bird predation may decrease, because coyotes will control the population of many of the medium-sized bird predators (Crooks KR, Soulé ME. 1999). Also, near urban areas feral and stray cats feed on bird populations in large numbers. However, cat numbers in parks and open spaces where coyotes are present experience much less predation on birds by cats (Gehrt SD, Wilson EC, Brown JL, Anchor C. 2013).

Coyotes are not normally aggressive to people but reports of coyote attacks on pets and the "mobbing" of dog-walkers on trails are on the rise in our area. A few years after CIR started working on the PRESERVE in 2010, a large dog that was walking off-leash ahead of its owners was attacked by several coyotes on the PRESERVE. The dog-owners were able to drive the coyotes off, but the dog was badly injured and had to be carried out for medical attention.   CIR staff talked with a person whose dog was killed by a coyote attack in Parma Park. This beloved pet was not on a leash and surprised a group of coyotes on a trail. These kinds of attacks can be a particular problem during the mating and pupping season (January through May or August) and when dogs are allowed to run off-leash.  As urban areas expand into coyote habitat and humans spend their recreational time in areas where coyotes hunt, the chances increase that pets and coyotes are going to come into contact. 

There are a few tips that people visiting the Preserve should keep in mind that will help keep themselves and their dogs safe:

  • Keep pets on a short leash.

  • Carry a whistle or large stick when walking on the Preserve.

  • People should not run if you see a coyote.

  • People should make themselves appear large.

  • People should yell, shout, or throw things (not food) toward the coyote.

  • Call 911 if needed. 

Coyotes can be dangerous to dogs, especially ones that are allowed to roam off-leash. On the other hand, the presence of coyotes on the PRESERVE is NOT an excuse to allow dogs to run off leash, since they are part of the natural ecological system and actually benefit bird populations.

Courtsey to Other Trail Users

In addition to protecting dogs, the leash laws are also intended to protect other visitors from unwanted dog interactions. Sometimes high energy dogs can knock over children or elderly people when off-leash or allowed to run up to strangers. Skittish dogs often panic or become aggressive when approached by an off-leash dog. Keeping dogs on-leash greatly reduces the likelihood of this occurring. For many people, a responsible dog owner shows good etiquette when they ask permission for their dog to approach a person or another pet. Most of the time this kind of control can only be accomplished when dogs are on leashes.

Setting an Example

One of the main reasons given by people ignoring the rules against RIDING BIKES on the PRESERVE is that many people are not following the LEASH laws. If dog owners ignore the law, then why should cyclists care about breaking the law? Ironically, bike riders tell CIR that they are scolded by hikers on the PRESERVE who are accompanying unleashed dogs! Docents can suggest that dog owners to set a positive example for everyone, including other dog owners and those who would illegally ride their bikes on the PRESERVE by keeping their dog on a leash. With this simple act, visitors can show their respect for wildlife on the PRESERVE, and their respect for the safety of other visitors and their pets.

My Dog Is Well Behaved

Probably the most common excuse that people use to ignore leash laws is that their dog is well behaved and does not cause problems. Clearly, some dogs are better behaved than others, but all dogs descend from predators, and they are not always predictable. Many people are surprised when their dogs spot a wild animal and instinctually chase it. Even if a dog is well behaved, conflicts and problems can arise when they encounter less behaved dogs. Ultimately, the “my dog is well behaved” excuse is not a valid reason to not follow the law. It’s like a person telling the highway patrol that they were speeding because they never get into accidents! It is not possible to enforce leash laws for people who only have “badly behaved” dogs and excuse those who claim that their dog never causes problems.

Off-Leash Alternatives

There are numerous legal places that the public can walk with their dog off-leash rather than doing it illegally in a nature Preserve. 
As of April 2022, there are FIFTEEN parks and beaches in the South County that offer off-leash options:

 Arroyo Burro Beach Park, Santa Barbara
Patterson Neighborhood Open Space, Goleta
Douglas Family Preserve, Santa Barbara
Sea Lookout Park, Isla Vista
El Carro Off Leash Area, Carpinteria
Shoreline Park Beach to Arroyo Burro in Santa Barbara
Elings Park, Santa Barbara
Tabano Hollow Neighborhood Open Space, Goleta
Girsh Park, City of Goleta
Toro Canyon County Park, Carpinteria
Hale Park, Santa Barbara
Tucker's Grove Park, Goleta
4Lookout Park, Summerland
MacKenzie Park, Santa Barbara
West Ellwood Beach, Goleta

Effects of Bicycles on Preserve Resources

Do bicycles cause problems along trails? Studies differ and people offer various opinions on this issue. The County cites concerns about erosion and weed spread in its management plan from the use of bicycles and horses. It also points out that allowing bikes and horses would create a major safety issue “with skittish horses, fast-moving bicycles, and hikers all sharing the same narrow passageways.” CIR shares this concern. Also, from our long experience removing invasive plants along trails, we know that people spread weeds and impact wildlife whether they are biking, hiking, dog walking or riding horses. Our volunteer trail crew has had to repair trails damaged when cyclists have ridden their bikes on wet trails. We also believe that any increased use along trails at the Preserve will not be manageable and will make the job of restoring the Preserve more difficult.

Representatives of cycling groups point out that they are responsible trail users in the community. After all, they are the ones who often maintain many of the trails they ride on. Of course, if only the most responsible individuals visited the Preserve, then problems associated with their use might be minimized. The fact of the matter is, once you open the Preserve to new forms of recreation, everyone can participate, not just the responsible people. Also, daily visitation to the Preserve will increase greatly and so will the associated impacts on wildlife, Preserve resources, and the need for law enforcement.  

Even if you open the door to one new types of recreation, there will always be another group that feels left out. Why not allow horses? What about motorcycles? How about model airplanes? Flying model airplanes was common along Via Gaitero Road until the County disallowed it because of concerns that it was impacting nesting birds. For example, the CIR Executive Director enjoys flying model airplanes, but he accepts that it is not an appropriate activity in a nature Preserve. Everyone can enjoy the Preserve, and no one has been “banned” from the Preserve as some cyclists have claimed (only riding their bicycles is prohibited). But some of us need to pick other locations to enjoy certain types of recreation if we want to protect the open space and wildlife we love.

Alternative Cycling Parks and Trails

There are at least TWENTY trails and parks in the Santa Barbara area and the south side of the Santa Ynez Mountains that permit cycling (see the list below as of April 2022). These trails cater to people of many skill levels, but those marked “easy” include trails similar to those on the PRESERVE:

Arroyo Burro Trail
McMenemy Trail
Bluff Trail (More Mesa)
Montecito Monster Mash
Cold Spring Trail
Old Pueblo Trail
Cold Spring to Hot springs
Romero Canyon
Cold Spring Trail West Fork
San Antonio Creek Trail
Douglas Family Preserve (easy)
San Ysidro Trail
Elings Park (easy)
Stevens Park (easy)
Honda Valley Trail (easy)
Toro Canyon Park
Jesusita Loop
Tunnel Trail
Lake Los Carneros (easy)
Wiman Trail