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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend August 27, 2005 Landowners okay irrigation-trail traffic By VICKIE ALDOUS for the Mail Tribune Gail and Oscar Johnson wanted to do their part to make sure people who walk and jog along the Talent Irrigation District ditch trail in the hills above Ashland will always be able to enjoy the wooded path. As did several other residents, the couple granted a perpetual easement across their property that now allows the public to legally use the TID ditch trail where it crosses their land. "Since we’ve lived here for over 30 years, people have always used it," Gail Johnson said. "It was not a big decision for us. We believe it’s an asset to the community." Earlier this month, the Ashland City Council accepted five trail easements that were brokered by the nonprofit Ashland Woodlands & Trails Association. The association formed in 2001 after housing development and conflicts between landowners and trail users led to the closure of some trail segments on private land that historically had been used by Ashlanders. The association has won state and national grants for trails and hosted trail-work parties in addition to securing the easements. Advertisement Rob Cain, president of the association, said member Rich Vanderwyst and others approached landowners who own trail segments to see if they would voluntarily donate easements. The association conducted land surveys to identify the properties where the ditch trail runs. The trail traverses more than 100 properties in Ashland as it wanders for more than five miles between Tolman Creek Road at the south end of town to Grandview Drive at the north end, according to Vanderwyst. About two miles is protected where the trail crosses public land or is protected by easements, he said. Vanderwyst said he admires the property owners who were willing to grant the easements. "It’s a long-term gift that I think will become more and more valuable as we undergo the strain of development. The community is getting tighter and open space is getting smaller," Vanderwyst said. "It’s allowing us to keep that sense of being a rural community because we can access areas around us." While members of the public now have the right to access the trail segments, Cain urged users to be respectful of property owners by keeping dogs on leashes and cleaning up after pets. Users also should not litter and should never use matches or cigarettes given the wooded setting of most of the trail. "That’s part of the reason why some of the trails were cut off in the past," he said. Some trail segments continue to be closed to the public, Cain said. Property owners Patty and Al Perrin have had some problems with users, especially those who don’t leash their dogs, but Patty Perrin said they wanted to preserve people’s use of the trail by granting an easement. "I think good trails make good neighbors," she said. Cain said Oregon law protects landowners from lawsuits if someone is hurt while on their property when the land is used for recreational purposes and the landowner does not charge for that use. As added protection, the City Council agreed when accepting the easements that if a landowner is sued by a trail user, the city will pay to defend the landowner. Other people who granted easements were Janet Sneider-Brown for the J.L. Sneider-Brown Living Trust and Byron Brown Jr. Family Trust, Thomas and Jean Keevil and Peter Westigard and Betty LaDuke Westigard. Anyone interested in granting a public access easement or learning more about the process can call Cain at 482-4392. Vickie Aldous is a reporter for the Ashland Daily Tidings. Reach her at 482-3456 Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Online Casino Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy Online Casino Reviews Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Discount Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Advertisement s