We cover 10-12 miles a day. There's a cost associated with it because we provide transportation and food and also because it is a fund-raiser. This kind of travel, this kind of experience can be a transformation. Nothing changes your idea of what's back there than getting out there yourself. Jim Blakley, a naturalist and historian from the Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties Back Country, said the trail will make the forest more accessible to younger generations.
Young people are our future and the future users of the forest.
If we get them to appreciate it, then they will treat it more respectfully. Jim Mann, a Los Padres Forest Association board member, said the proposal is a way to raise awareness of the forest. I think it will be a major trail for the forest. It will create a lot of attention and get a lot of people interested in it that wouldn't normally be interested. More people will learn about the forest and want to take part in its preservation.