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About Blue Sky
Overview
History
Hikes
Additional Info |
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About Blue Sky
Foundation
Events
Contact Us
History
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~1980 |
Friends of Blue Sky Canyon organize to fight trash dumping in the canyon.
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1988 |
Lake Ramona Dam dedicated in August.
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1989 |
The California Department of Fish & Game purchased the original 410 acres for $2.7 million. Contributions included $500,000 from San Diego County, $65,000 from the City of Poway, and $350,000 from a private developer as mitigation for environmental damage elsewhere in the county (SDUT 6/20/93, B1).
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1993 |
Poway pays $100,000 to keep Blue Sky Ecological Reserve (BSER) open after the California Department of Fish & Game threatened to close it due to budget cuts.
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~1994 |
Over 100 acres purchased by the California Department of Fish & Game and Caltrans as mitigation land.
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1994 |
State regulations prohibiting bicycles in ecological reserves implemented, effective May 1, eliminating about 100-200 bicyclists each weekend. Rival petitions were circulated for (600 signatures) and against (1000 signatures) the bicycle ban.
The Reserve attracts about 3000 visitors per month, mostly teachers and students. 70 volunteers contribute ~6000 hours per year at Blue Sky Ecological Reserve (SDUT 12/4/94, B1).
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1995 |
From February through July 1995, a trial period for mountain bicycle access (except Saturday and Sunday mornings) was implemented to settle a two year debate about the effect of bicycle access on the reserve. A report concluded: "mountain bicyclists were observed to have had more than 10 times the violations per user than hiking or equestrian users." 23% of bicyclists violated the rules, compared to 2% of noncyclists, and there were fewer sightings of animals during this period (SDUT 10/18/95, B1-4).
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1996 |
Purchase of 94.7 acres of wildlife habitat from Prop 117 funds.
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1997 |
Purchase of 16 acres north of the entrance to the Reserve for parking and a future interpretative center, using $305,000 in grants ($200,000 came from the California Transportation Commission's Environmental Enhancement and Mitigation Fund, and $105,000 came from the California Wildlife Conservation Board).
June: Eagle Scout Benjamin Selensky of Poway's Troop 479 created the reserve's information board, an explanation of the area's four habitats -- chaparral (the elfin forest), coastal sage scrub (the scented forest), riparian (a canyon oasis) and oak woodland (the wild woods).
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2000 |
The California Transportation Commission will fund a $250,000 paved parking lot for 75 vehicles, including landscaping with irrigation, a trash enclosure, bicycle parking and an electronic information kiosk. The master development plan eventually will include a bus shelter and turnout on Espola Road, as well as an interpretive center (SDUT 8/5/00, B13).
The State of California contributed $27,000 for BSER in early 2000 (SDUT 12/3/00, NI2).
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