Discover the Trails Council
The Santa Barbara Trails Council was created in 1967 by George and Vie Obern for one simple reason: the trails community needed an advocate for their interests at the County level both to support trail access and ensure that our trails would be maintained.
For many years Vie (with George's wholehearted support) dogged the heels of County Supervisors, to promote trails, including backcountry trails in the San Rafael Wilderness, equestrian trails throught the county as well as bikeways in the South Coast area. Among Vie and George's many achievements are:
- CRAHTAC, the County Riding and Hiking Trails Advisory Committee. CRAHTAC serves as the Couty's watchdog for trail concerns and has been instrumental in the development of new access and protection of our trails.
- Addition of the Trails Element to the County's Master Plan in 1980. Through the Trails Element and community planning process, Park Recreational Trails (or PRTs) have been added to the master plan to be considered for future development. As a resul,t trails such as the Franklin Trail in Carpitneria and sections of the Coastal Trail along the Gaviota Coast may be opened to the public soon.
- Creation of the Atascadero Creek Bikeway. First proposed by Vie and George in 1967, it became the first of many local Santa Barbara bikeways. The Atascadero bikeway was renamed the Obern Trail in 2004 to honor their efforts.
Today, SBTC both honors our founding members' achievements and commit ourselves to building upon the foundation they worked so hard to create.
1% for the Planet is about coming together, and they believe that forging connections between businesses and nonprofits is a critical aspect of solving the global environmental challenges we face. The nonprofit sector fills a unique and critical role, and the 1% for the Planet model and mission are focused on unleashing the incredible power that is possible when businesses support and engage with these impactful nonprofits.