A proposed rule change that many feared would ban access to popular parts of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park was all a big “misunderstanding,” officials in Sacramento are now saying.

Managers of individual state parks will be allowed to decide how to implement the new rules, meaning off-trail access in eight cultural preserves within the huge Anza-Borrego park will remain open to the public, local park officials said this week.

When the proposed regulations were first made public last month, it appeared visitors would be banned from venturing off the beaten path in any cultural preserves and natural preserves within California’s entire state park system.

Anza-Borrego supporters in particular screamed foul, saying the rule change was unnecessary, would diminish the experience and enjoyment of the park, and would likely curtail visitation all together.


Cultural preserves account for only about 10 percent of the 600,000-acre-plus park, but include some very popular hiking areas including Sheep Canyon, Little Blair Valley, Cougar Canyon, Indian Canyon, Box Canyon, Jackass Flat, Mortero Palms to Goat Canyon, Indian Hill, Smuggler Canyon and rock-climbing in Culp Valley.

Sacramento was inundated with letters of opposition about the changes, and a public meeting is set for Wednesday in San Diego to discuss the proposal.

State park leaders this week tried to put the controversy to rest.

“It was all a big misunderstanding,” said Alexandra Stehl, the roads and trails manager for the state agency. She said the word “department” in the proposed regulations can be confusing because people incorrectly interpret it to mean the state is delivering a system-wide mandate.


“We understand there can’t be a ‘one size fits all’ regulation when operating such diverse parks throughout the state,” Stehl said. “That’s why the standard department practice is to delegate to the local districts. They will decide how to best implement the regulation depending on their current management practices and resource preservation needs.”

Anza-Borrego is part of the state park department’s Colorado Desert District, which apparently has no intention of implementing further restrictions.

“The district is the department — so it will be up to the district superintendents to manage the districts,” Stehl said. “They would be responsible. It’s a common misconception. Unfortunately it got blown out of proportion in San Diego.”

Kathy Dice, superintendent of Anza-Borrego, said the clarification from Sacramento is a pleasant change from what was being said until just recently.


Still, Dice is encouraging people to attend the Wednesday meeting to reiterate why the proposed changes aren’t needed in Anza-Borrego and to try to get more precise language inserted in the new regulations.

Dice said the eight cultural preserves in Anza-Borrego are already covered by a management plan that works. She said culturally sensitive items haven’t been disturbed and if such problems were to come up, the tools are already in place to deal with them.

“In this district we don’t have any desire to create more restrictions,” Dice said. “We want people to come and explore their park and to learn to appreciate what their natural resources are. We certainly don’t want to be more restrictive if we don’t have to be.”

The meeting will take place at 6 p.m. Wednesday in a hearing room at the San Diego County Operations Center, 5520 Overland Ave., San Diego. It will end by 8 p.m., Stehl said.