Gone to the Dogs
March 24th, 2008 categories: Around Town
This beautiful Chico weekend had me… and most everyone else… outdoors and enjoying the sun with friends, family, and dogs. On Friday my wife and I took our mini-wiener to one of Chico’s “best kept secrets”, the Tree Farm (aka, Chico Tree Improvement Center and, most formally, Genetic Resource and Conservation Center) to let the dog run and to take a break from the hustle and bustle. It was a visit that I haven’t made for quite a while and what I discovered is that this place is no longer the “secret spot” I remembered. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. I had heard that it had become a popular place for people to take their dogs for off-leash walks. But, seeing just how popular it has become was a real eye-opener.
Back in the day (am I really saying that?), I spent many, many days during the Spring, Summer and Fall months stationed at the “Tree Farm” doing all sorts of odd jobs in between fire calls. Yep. In a previous life, I was a firefighter. At that time, I worked on a crew called, Chico Max (a Hotshot or, wanna be Hotshot hand crew-depending who you asked). I had some of the best times of my life back then, starting in 1988, and much of it was spent at the Tree Farm, which was like a second home to many of us. We ran its’ trails, swam in its’ creek, worked, slept, complained a lot, and had lots of fun. And, apart from the folks who worked for the Forest Service full time, working the orchards and seeding trees, hardly anyone used the 209 acres of various plants, trees, and fields.
But, for better or worse, it seems like everyone and their dog knows about this special place now. Cramer Ln., once a quiet country lane, is now lined with cars belonging to dogs and their people using the Tree Farm. Dogs run free as people cruise the grounds. And, I suppose, that this is a good thing (it certainly speaks to the need for a dog park in Chico). People should be able to use and enjoy their local resources.
The problem is that the use and enjoyment of those resources has to be fitting the purpose of the resource and not damaging to it. I suppose that it’s not my place to decide if that is the reality for the Tree Farm, but some others who are more closely connected to it, are expressing concern that it is. In fact, a friend and past co-worker, currently employed at the Center, explained that he had just “repaired 50 sprinklers” that had been damaged by people and dogs, barely scratching the surface of those still in need of repair. He also said that vandalism and theft, in a variety forms, has been a problem recently.
So, my suggestion is, visit the Tree Farm. Enjoy its’ beauty and quiet. But, be respectful and tread lightly. You never know, if we don’t take care if it, it may not be available to us forever.
