Who We Are

FootPeople is an association of Marin residents working to conserve Marin’s public lands and their natural resources’ biological diversity and ecosystems for present and future generations.  We are committed to ensuring the continued enjoyment and safety of all open space visitors. We believe that recreational uses should be subordinate to, and effectively managed for, the protection of natural resources.  We also believe that no user group should be displaced from roads and trails because of a perception of lack of safety. Public lands belong to all people, and  their ongoing conservation is a responsibility of all who use them.  This general management policy must be supported by meaningful enforcement of regulations.

The core group of the FootPeople is involved in many other organizations including: the Audubon Society, Friends of Corte Madera Creek, Marin Conservation League, The Marin Horse Council, the San Geronimo Valley Planning Group, the Sierra Club, the Tamalpais Conservation Club, and others. Several of our group served on the Marin County Parks and Open Space Commission.

Our group came together early in 2012 when the Marin County Open Space District began to develop its Road and Trail Management Plan.  At that time, as members of the organizations mentioned above, we recognized that the interests of the hiking and equestrian communities, as well as the environment, were not being adequately represented. That need has grown in its urgency as some members of the  mountain bike community continue to disregard the law and ride where they want, when they want, and as fast as they want. This behavior is damaging the environment, endangering other users, and depriving visitors of a safe and serene trail experience.

FootPeople supports the recreational use of our public lands when it complies with land management regulations, demonstrates concern for the safety and serenity of other road and trail visitors and, most importantly, strives to be “light on the land” and protect Marin’s natural resources.

We have been, and continue to be, active in representing foot peoples’ interests at Marin County Board of Supervisors meetings, Board of Directors and Parks and Open Space Commission meetings of Marin County Open Space District (MCOSD), Marin Municipal Water District Board and Watershed Committee meetings, State Parks, National Parks, GGNRA and other public land agencies.  We send out “Alerts” to notify those on our mailing list of important issues that affect public lands and foot people.  We prepared an analysis of enforcement on Marin County Open Space Lands in 2015, an analysis of the MCOSD Road and Trails Management Plan Region 2, a DVD presentation about trail damage from mountain bikes, and most recently, participated in a conversational debate with a mountain biking lobbying group hosted by the Marin I-J.

What can you do?
We invite you to join our mailing list to receive our Alerts, get active in any or several of the organizations noted above, and speak out for the rights of foot people. On our web site, there is a list of public land management contacts – we encourage you to report any public land incident that you have observed or experienced where the environment or your safety was affected.  To be on FootPeople’s email list, send your request to: footpeople@footpeople.org

Thank you!