Connect the dots

Who's job is it anyway, to schedule and meet with CALTRANS to determine matters of public access on private property? About my LAST guess would be the the County Sheriffs Department. But in Santa Barbara County that is exactly what is going on. A certain unnamed lieutenant of the sheriffs department called a meeting with the road people (CALTRANS) "to provide public access to the river through their easement". I would call this a huge WTF moment. Can someone enlighten me as to how this falls on the shoulders of the SB County Sheriff? An organization which up until now, like all local constabulary, had my deepest respect. Under whos orders did this lieutenant undertake this 'assignment'. One may immediately wonder why this would be of any concern to begin with. Read on, gentle readers, and connect the dots for yourselves. From the SYV Journal:

ON THE RANCH
By Nancy Crawford-Hall


Ranch happenings

Life is never boring on a ranch. There is always something happening somewhere; sometimes good, sometimes bad. We had a little of both last week. First, I got a call that we had trespassers down by Lower Windmill Field near our bridge that crosses the river, a bridge that was given to us by CALTRANS when they built the new one a number of years ago. Instead of destroying the old bridge, they gave it to us, which is very helpful in getting cattle across the river bed, which is treacherous even when dry — which it is most of the time. A couple of ranch employees went down to see who these folks were and why they thought it was OK to trespass. It turns out that it was three Audubon Society members doing a winter bird count who left when they were told the sheriff had already been called to cite them.

Before the ranch employees left, however, an odd thing happened. Across Highway 154, at Lower Armour Ranch Road, two CALTRANS vehicles appeared with another unmarked sheriff’s car. Apparently a meeting had been called, and when I inquired of the one CALTRANS official who didn’t speed off upon seeing my car just what the meeting was about, since I was the property owner there, I was told that it had to do with fences and property lines. We had a cordial conversation, introducing ourselves and exchanging pertinent contact information, and we each went on about the rest of our day.

What I found out later that day rocked me to my very soul. Apparently, a lieutenant of the sheriff’s department in Solvang had called the meeting to ask CALTRANS to provide public access to the river through their easement. CALTRANS properly declined, stating that their easement was with a private property owner and that they could not make it public. This officer had also been in contact, from what I hear, with someone in the County Counsel’s office who opined that the river was public property, which it is not. None of these people had ever contacted me or any of my employees on this topic, and I am wondering what this secret effort to open my property to the public is all about.

I cannot for the life of me figure out why this would be happening, although it has been suggested that a possible reason could be the recent citations for Raul Armenta Jr. and two friends for hunter trespass and hunting after hours for ducks which could only be ‘nol-prossed’ – the charges dropped – if it occurred on public property. According to witnesses, the young men protested being cited and said they would talk to Sacramento to see if it was ‘legal’ to cite them. (ed~Sacramento? or perhaps just a favorite uncle with good 'ole buddies at the Sheriff's Dept.??) This could only be deemed public property if the county entered into a condemnation process on the entire Santa Ynez River properties, owned by hundreds of residents, and paid for it, which it can’t begin to afford; it would take many years in court to settle on prices with each owner.

So, be aware, fences keep animals in, but are also meant to keep the public out. You may ask for permission to enter private property from the owner or a representative, but you may not enter until after you have received permission. Otherwise, you risk being cited for trespass and you risk possible injury from objects or animals.

(ed.~ Raul Armenta is the nephew of Vincent Armenta, Chumash Tribal Chairman. Vincent is a longtime NON fan of the Valley Journal and Nancy Crawford-Hall, because the Journal prints the real story of all things casino and it's real effects in the the once lovely SY Valley.)