March 30: Community collaboration brings monumental recreation improvements to Fort Ord National Monument

MARINA, Calif. – The Bureau of Land Management, Monterey Off-Road Cycling Association, and California State University (CSU)

Monterey Bay Habitat Stewardship Program (HSP) invite the public to a ribbon cutting ceremony for new recreation and habitat improvements on Saturday, March, 30 at 9 a.m. along Trail 31 on the Fort Ord National Monument.

Parking is available for the ribbon cutting ceremony at the Creekside Terrace Trailhead, then participants may hike or bike one-half mile up Trail 31 to the intersection with Trail 72 for the festivities.

Community partners worked with the BLM to develop the new trail and restore the old trail. Most of the trail work and habitat restoration was done by volunteers. The habitat restoration was completed using seedlings grown from native seed collected during National Public Lands Day in October 2023. These improvements provide greater public access and help restore and enhance sensitive habitats.

Since 1996, CSU Monterey’s Bay’s HSP has worked with the BLM to restore more than 250 separate scars on the Monument, totalling 160 acres into beautiful, flowering landscapes. The University maintains a greenhouse where seeds are sown and grown into seedlings for out planting. 

For more information, or for special media access to the venue, please contact Fort Ord National Monument Manager Eric Morgan at 831-582-2212, or call the Central Coast Field Office at 831-582-2200.