By KITTY CONNOLLY
On April 11, Cambria Community Services District Board of Directors unanimously approved construction of an ADA accessible boardwalk on Fiscalini Ranch Preserve. This was the final approval needed for Friends of the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve to move ahead with the project, which we hope will be open by fall.
The boardwalk will replace a portion of the Meander Trail that runs between the Bluff Trial and Marine Terrace Trail (fire road). This portion of the path is steep and often muddy, resulting in dangerous conditions where numerous people have fallen, and some have been hurt. People who currently need an accessible route between these two trails must exit the preserve and travel on Wedgewood Street, which is also steep and lacks sidewalks.
In addition, the existing connector runs through the environmentally sensitive habitat of coastal prairie. Less than one percent of California’s coastal prairie remains intact. After 100 years of ranching, it is remarkable that so many native species remain in this area. As people search for stable footing on this path, they have widened it over the years, impacting more of the remaining grassland. An elevated boardwalk will limit soil compaction and allow for restoration of the abandoned route with native vegetation.
The design of the boardwalk is consistent with the existing Bluff Trail boardwalk, except for innovative footings that minimize soil disturbance. The same footings can be seen on the rebuilt Moonstone Beach boardwalk.
The Friends of the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve is providing all funding for this project from private donors. FFRP’s mission is to protect the beauty of the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve and sustain its diversity of life for everyone to enjoy. Ensuring that everyone, regardless of ability, can explore more of the Ranch honors our donors’ and members’ belief in that mission.
