Ponti Ridge Trail

At its annual conference in 2021, California Trails & Greenways honored the Ponti Ridge Trail with a Merit Award for Development.

Ponti Ridge Trail is open to visitors. Trail work was completed in December 2020. This project successfully converted an unsustainable and steep fire road to a multiuse trail. The Marin County Open Space District (MCOSD) began work on Ponti Ridge, a large scale, long term project, in summer 2019. Work continued through the COVID-19 shelter-in-place during 2020, keeping the project on schedule.

Used year-round as a recreational trail, with a lower segment accessible by emergency vehicles, the upper segment of Ponti Fire Road was geologically unstable. A section of the fire road experienced a major landslide in 2005. this project was identified as a potential road to multiuse trail conversion project during the Region 3 proposed designation process in August 2016. In keeping with the MCOSD Road and Trail Management Plan, Ponti Ridge Trail enhances visitor experience, reduced the environmental impacts on sensitive resources by reducing sedimentation and erosion, and is part of a sustainable system of roads and trails that meet design and management standards that provide year-round visitor access.

This project was developed in coordination with the Marinwood Fire Department, Novato Fire Protection District, Marin County Fire Department, Marinwood Community Services District, open space neighbors, and the Marin County environmental community.

• Reduce environmental impact.
• Reduce risk of landslide potential.
• Maintain emergency access.
• Improve trail safety.
• Improve trail sustainability.
• Improve the visitor experience.

• 2016: Project Identified
• 2016–2018: Project Planning
• Summer–Fall 2018: Project Description
• Fall 2018: Stakeholder Review
• Spring 2019: CEQA Review
• Spring 2019–Fall 2020: Trail Work
• Winter 2020: Trail Open

The MCOSD prepared a draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) on the Ponti Ridge project. The IS/MND provides information regarding the setting of the project area, the project description, analysis of potentially significant environmental impacts that could result from implementation of the proposed project, and mitigation measures to reduce potentially significant environmental impacts to a less than significant level.

The public was invited to submit comments on the draft IS/MND documents during a public comment period from April 29 to May 31, 2019. The MCOSD summarized and provided a response to the public comments received during the public comment period.

• Response to Public Comments on Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration pdf
• Notice of Intent to Adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration pdf
• Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration pdf

The Marin County Open Space District (MCOSD) summarized the public comments received from November 7 to December 7, 2018, during the public comment period for the draft project description. Parks worked to develop the Ponti Fire Road Project Description based on conversations with the Novato Fire Department, Marinwood Fire Department and Marin County Fire Department as well as other community stakeholders.

• Memorandum Summarizing Public Comments 11/7 to 12/7, 2018 pdf
• Ponti Fire Road Project Description pdf

Public engagement opportunities included:

• Meeting with Regency Estates HOA to discuss MCOSD fire road easement for the lower Ponti FR and the road to trail conversion.
• Meeting with Mark Heine and the Pacheco Valle Firewise community to discuss the Ponti road to trail conversion.
• Presented to the Marinwood Park Commission over the course of the planning to keep the commissioners informed on the project .
• Invited stakeholder community members to a site visit to review project details.
• Held stakeholder meetings to gain additional feedback on community interests.
• Published a Ponti Road to Trail conversion draft project description on the Parks website and the Marinwood CSD website for a 30-day administrative comment period.
• Presented to the Marinwood CSD and public to explain project description details, and receive feedback.

In August 2016 the MCOSD presented a draft of the Region 3 road and trail designation for open space preserves, including Lucas Valley, Loma Verde, Pacheco Valle, Ignacio Valley, and Indian Valley. Following a careful evaluation of public comments, the MCOSD approved the Region 3 designation. This included discussion with the public about the Ponti Ridge project.