COUNTYWIDE : Hikers, Riders to Be Charged Trail Fee

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has given final approval to charging a fee for using hiking and horse trails in the county despite a last-minute attempt by one supervisor to cancel the plan.

Supervisor Deane Dana said that enforcing the $23 annual trail pass would be impractical and cost more than the $150,000 the fee program is expected to raise.

“We have more than 300 miles of trail with literally thousands of access points from private and public property,” he said before Tuesday’s vote.

Because of the county’s budget problems, the trails and 19 nature parks had been slated for closure for the second time in two years. The board also approved a $3 parking fee for the nature parks. The two fees are expected to raise only about 20% of the $1.2 million cost of the trails and parks, with the remainder of the money coming from other park funds and from cutbacks in staffing and maintenance.