Byrne-Milliron Forest in Santa Cruz County Closing Indefinitely

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA — The 400-acre Byrne-Milliron Forest in Santa Cruz County will close indefinitely beginning Jan. 2.

Ongoing maintenance costs have prompted the public park's closure. The Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, which oversees the forest, made the announcement shortly before Christmas:

"I am sorry to tell you that, effective January 2nd, the Land Trust is closing Byrne-Milliron Forest to public access at least until April.

"Maintaining access at the forest has always been challenging. The road needs constant repair just to keep it open, especially during wet winters. More and more people visit the forest every year – and that delights us! But it also adds to the challenges.

"Our Board of Trustees has decided to close the forest to look at how to address the challenges ahead. As I said, this saddens me. Byrne-Milliron has been our calling card as we advocate for sustainable timber harvests and public access. It is the first big property we protected, a milestone in our 40-year history.

"I wish I could tell you that this closure is temporary, but I cannot say that for certain. I can assure you that it does not reflect any turning away of access. We are, in fact, jumping into access with both feet – building more than 50 miles of trails at San Vicente Redwoods, Glenwood Preserve, and on our Watsonville Slough Farm.

"And, I hope, we’ll be able to add the trails at Byrne-Milliron back to that list."

Land Trust Executive Director Stephen Slade told the Santa Cruz Sentinel that he feels like “a Scrooge at Christmastime” for making the announcement so close to the holiday, but said the winter season is “definitely the time to do it,” with plans to have engineering assessment conducted on the narrow access roadway.

Read the full Santa Cruz Sentinel report.