As you probably guessed, this short space is inadequate to cover what you need to know about roads—it’s a huge and complex subject—but we can help you find the information you need.

Roads are an important stewardship concern because unsurfaced roads have been identified as one of the main sources of sediment and water quality impairment. Poor road placement and design cause excess runoff, and erosion can lead to many kinds of problems including polluted water supplies, increased flooding, landslides, destruction of fish habitat, and loss of vegetation and soil. This can be costly, leading to expensive repairs. On the other hand, proper road planning, construction, and maintenance can avoid many of these impacts.

Private landowners and landowner associations own thousands of miles of rural roads, ranging from driveways to major access routes. Some are maintained adequately but many are unmanaged, managed sporadically, or even mismanaged. To protect the quality of your land and watershed, it is important that you know how to evaluate the condition of roads on your property and what to do about any problems that occur.

The definitive book on managing forest roads is the Handbook for Forest and Ranch Roads: A Guide for planning, designing, constructing, reconstructing, maintaining and closing wildland roads by William Weaver and Danny Hagans. As the name implies, it covers much of what a landowner needs to know. This book is available for $10 from the Mendocino County Resource Conservation District by calling (707) 468-9223. It belongs on every forest landowner’s bookshelf.

In addition to the practical aspects of construction and maintenance, there are also numerous legal rights and obligations regarding roads and access issues. Understanding various types of easements, deeds, what constitutes trespass and adverse possession, and who is responsible for maintenance of your roads can be valuable information, saving you from considerable headaches and expense. In extreme cases, without proper knowledge, landowners can even find themselves in the difficult and costly position of defending their property ownership in court. A good resource for background on easement and access laws is Finding and Buying Your Place in the Country by Les and Carol Scher.

And, lastly, University of California Extension is offering a series of workshops on roads (see sidebar on right) that will answer many of your questions. This is an opportunity to talk to specialists as well as get some hands-on experience in the field. The workshops will cover a wide range of topics from road legalities and responsibilities to construction and maintenance. There will also be information on how to fund your road projects.

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More road workshops planned

Another series of road workshops, sponsored by UC Cooperative Extension in cooperation with local Resource Conservation Districts, will be held this year. These 2-day hands-on workshops will include lectures, demonstrations, and field work. Topics include:

• Landowner needs, rights, and responsibilities related to property access
• Access in the context of landowner management objectives
• Environmental impacts of rural roads
• Rural road design standards: the good, the bad and the ugly
• Road surfacing and drainage alternatives
• Stream crossing alternatives
• Making a bad road or crossing into a good one
• Doing it yourself
• Getting professional help
• Costs and funding your road project

The excellent Handbook for Forest and Ranch Roads by Weaver and Hagens will be used as a resource guide and handout. Other resource materials will be provided to participants. Currently, workshops are scheduled for the following dates:

May ?—Sonoma County
June 8—Amador County
August 24—Plumas County

For more information, contact Richard Harris at 510-642-2360 or rrharris@nature.berkeley.edu

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