DOGS WON'T RUN FREE ON STUDIO CITY TRAIL.Byline: Steve Getzug Daily News Staff Writer People walking their dogs at Wilacre Park will be kept on a short leash beginning June 1. Their dogs will no longer be able to roam free. Officials with the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority are imposing restrictions at the popular Studio City retreat after one person was bitten bit·ten v. A past participle of bite. bitten Verb the past participle of bite and other trail users complained about, well, obstacles. ``The problems have been increasing in terms of dog bites dog bite Public health The clamping of skin and subjacent soft tissues between the upper and lower mandible of a canine, which may cause infections, acting as a disease vector or even death. See Dog. , as well as the whole issue of people picking up after their dogs,'' said John Diaz, chief of land acquisition for the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy is an agency of the state of California in the United States founded in 1979 and dedicated to the acquisition of land in the Santa Susana and Santa Monica Mountains and the Simi Hills, north and west of Los Angeles, for preservation as open . For years, dog owners have been allowed to let their pets run free on the popular Betty B. Dearing Trail, which winds through Wilacre Park - off Laurel Canyon Boulevard Laurel Canyon Boulevard is a major street in the city of Los Angeles, California. It starts off at Polk Street in Sylmar in the northern San Fernando Valley near the junction of the San Diego (Interstate 405) and the Golden State Freeways (Interstate 5). and Fryman Road - and into the 63-acre Fryman Canyon. The trail maintained by the conservancy sees heavy use. A recent survey found that 80 to 120 people use the trail on a daily basis, twice that on weekends. Diaz said an experimental policy at Wilacre allowed dogs off-leash as long as they were under control and their owners cleaned up after them. Under the new restrictions, dogs must be kept on a leash no longer than six feet in length. First offenders first offender n. One convicted of a legal offense for the first time. first offender Noun a person convicted of a criminal offence for the first time Noun 1. will get warnings. Repeat offenders could be fined by rangers Rapidly deployable airborne light infantry organized and trained to conduct highly complex joint direct action operations in coordination with or in support of other special operations units of all Services. , Diaz said. Some dog walkers are angry, complaining that the conservancy made the change without seeking more public input. Critics also fear that the decision might be fueled by pressure from homeowners near the trail head who are angry about noise, crime and increasing trail traffic. ``I think this decision was made, in reality, because they have not had rangers up there,'' said Martin Morris, a dog walker from Studio City. ``The conservancy is using this as an excuse to get a ranger up there.'' The conservancy is investigating posting a ranger in a mobile home at the trail head to police the trail and monitor parking on residential streets abutting the park area. Diaz said the move is being considered to avert any potential city effort to ban public parking on side streets. Still, Morris said dog walkers opposed to the new leash law leash law n. An ordinance requiring that dogs be kept on a leash when not restricted to their owners' property. will begin circulating cir·cu·late v. cir·cu·lat·ed, cir·cu·lat·ing, cir·cu·lates v.intr. 1. To move in or flow through a circle or circuit: blood circulating through the body. 2. a petition on the trail today to try to force the conservancy to reconsider. Diaz was sympathetic but unwavering. ``My perception is that the dogs-off-leash problem is a really small group of people who have abused the policy,'' Diaz said this week, ``but unfortunately it's created a public safety issue.'' CAPTION(S): 2 Photos, Map Photo: (1) Dogs and dog owners saunter along BettyB. Dearing Trail in Wilacre Park. (2) no caption (dog) Bob Halverson/Daily News Map: Wilacre Park |
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