Bicycle Clubs Will Stage Rally In Support of Trails Bill
SB 669 would create 1,000 miles of hiking and biking trails, similar to this trail between Elverta and Sacramento.
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SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, September 27, 2007 --- More than a dozen Sacramento area bicycle clubs and organizations will rally on Tuesday, October 2 for a Ride Around the Capitol in support of legislation that would create 1,000 miles of cycling and hiking trails along the California Delta levee system. Organized by the California State Grange, the rally will begin at 11:30am at Cesar Chavez Park at 10th and J Streets in Sacramento. Supporters of the legislation are invited to participate.
Sponsored by State Senator Tom Torlakson and supported by the California State Grange, SB 669 has passed through the legislature and is on Governor Schwarzenegger desk awaiting his signature.
The establishment of bikeways on the levee system will create a network of pathways linking the San Francisco Bay Trail and the proposed Sacramento River Trail, to be known as the Great California Delta Trail. Open to hikers, cyclists, and horseback riders, the trail will cover more than 1,000 miles of the Delta waterfront in Solano, Contra Costa, Sacramento, and San Joaquin counties.
“The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is one of California’s great natural resources,” said Senator Tom Torlakson. “Creation of this trail system will permit every Californian to appreciate its beauty and will give city residents a chance to visit our farms and fields. The California Grange has been an important ally in turning this idea into a reality,” he concluded.
“The Grange sponsored SB 669 because the trails will provide new opportunities for family farms and rural communities to capitalize on California’s growing agri-tourism industry which allows for those who live in the cities to enjoy a visit to the country for
day or weekend trips,” said Randall Lewis, President of the California State Grange. “We hope all Californians will join us in asking the Governor to sign this bill.”
The California State Grange will celebrate its 135 year history of supporting agriculture and consumers at their annual convention October10 - 13th at the Sacramento North Holiday Inn. Ten thousand members meet regularly at 200 Grange Halls across California.
For more information about the Ride Around the Capitol and SB 669, contact Michael Greene, California State Grange Director of Legislative Affairs at (916) 736-1572