2006 Park Ranger-community equestrian volunteer patrols start this weekend, Memorial Day weekend

May 24th, 2006

Dear Hansen Dam users and area residents,

All of us are very aware of the large amount of illegal activity that takes place in the Hansen Dam area and down in the washes.

Some of the illegal activity we’ve all seen include: graffiti, camp fires, picnics, parties, swimming, ATVs & minibikes, paintball fights, lewd conduct, drug trafficking, and even shooting guns & rifles or actual hunting. A sad example from last summer was a 12 year-old drowning victim who barely survived. Her family did not heed the "No Swimming" signs and it very nearly cost them the life of their child.

What is allowed in the wash areas and around the lakes? Activities like hiking, dog-walking, and riding are allowed. However, all motorized or wheeled vehicles are illegal. Also, swimming, fishing (in the streams), boating, any alteration of the environment (damming the streams, etc), fires, and picnics in the broadest sense (picnics, parties, sunbathing) are illegal.

Regular patrols by LA City Park Rangers, the LAPD, and the Office of Public Safety to mitigate this activity will continue throughout the summer. Make sure you have their phone numbers programmed into your cell and that you report anything you see while you are enjoying Hansen Dam… (numbers listed below)

However, the problems in hard-to-access areas like the Big Tujunga Wash require special efforts. Our community needs volunteers on horseback to help the LA City Park Rangers with the anticipated illegal activities in these difficult areas. Without volunteers on horseback, the problems down in the wash cannot be controlled – the terrain is too difficult for an SUV and the area too large for someone on foot.

Last summer, we found that one Park Ranger and one volunteer on horseback made a huge difference in reducing the activity in the Wash. This year we will have two full-time Rangers assigned to Hansen Dam, and they need us to be their eyes and ears.

2006 Park Ranger-community equestrian volunteer patrols start this weekend, Memorial Day weekend.

There are two shifts per day, and training will be provided at the start of each shift.

Shifts are: 11:00 am - 2:30 pm and 2:30 pm - 6:00 pm

Volunteers will never be asked to do anything that will make them uncomfortable – that is what the Park Rangers are for. ?

Note that this request for volunteers isn’t supplanting the LVT Neighborhood Watch, it is supplementing it. If you are interested, please contact me via email or cell phone and I will coordinate the volunteer schedule. Two of the six shifts for Memorial Day are covered as of now, so we need people for this big three-day weekend… Also, I personally volunteered for six weekends last summer so I can explain the process in detail.

Thank you for helping to keep Hansen Dam a safe, beautiful place for everyone to enjoy.

Sincerely,

Kristin C. Sabo (LVT resident and equestrian)

(818) 470-1746

ksabo@wildwildwest.org

Important phone numbers:

(323) 913-7390 Office of Public Safety & Park Rangers.

(323) 644-6661 Park Rangers direct line.

(877) ASK-LAPD LAPD Dispatch.