Conejo Open Space Trails Closed Immediately Until Further Notice (Order Given Friday Night, March 27th)

Although Ventura County Public Health has not ordered the closure of public trails in Thousand Oaks, the SMMC/MRCA and County of Los Angeles have closed their parks, trails and beaches. Friday evening, State Parks has also determined to close its parks and beaches in the Angeles District. The Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency (COSCA) indicates it cannot handle the anticipated tidal wave of trail users from our own community combined with the millions of neighbors in west LA County who no longer have trails, parks and beaches available to them.

Therefore, COSCA trails in Thousand Oaks are closed effective immediately in order to protect the health of the public and our beloved open spaces during this unprecedented pandemic.

A Plea to Reduce Crowding at Popular Trails in the Conejo Open Space Due to COVID-19 Concerns

Conejo Valley Open Space trails are anticipated to re-open (closed due to muddy conditions) on Wednesday but most parking lots will be closed to help reduce foot traffic.

If appropriate 6 foot social distance protocols on the trails continues to be an issue, we risk losing access to these trails.

Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency (COSCA) encourage use of less crowded trails in the area. "Crowding or loitering at trailheads will result in trail closures." Please avoid Wildwood Park, Hill Canyon and Los Robles trailheads as crowding in these popular areas will determine the fate of all open space areas during this COVID-19 crisis.

More details on the COSCA Facebook page at THIS LINK.

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area to Temporarily Close Parking Areas Due to COVID-19

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA), in collaboration with a state parks order issued by the Governor of the State of California on March 24, 2020, is announcing additional modifications to operations to support federal, state and local efforts to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

As of Tuesday, March 24, SMMNRA will offer very limited services outside those that support visitor or resource protection. The following visitor services and operations will be suspended in order to comply with coronavirus protective guidelines.

• All SMMNRA parking areas will be closed to vehicles.

• Previously announced closures are still in effect. This includes Solstice Canyon in Malibu, the Santa Monica Mountains Visitor Center at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas and Satwiwa Native American Culture Center in Newbury Park.

• The park will not issue permits nor conduct on-site public or educational programs.

The park remains open to day-use walkers, hikers and bicyclists. The NPS urges visitors to continue to practice Leave No Trace principles, including pack-in and pack-out, to keep outdoor spaces safe and healthy.

Park rangers at SMMNRA are available to answer questions at 805-370-2301 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

When the park resumes full operations, the public will be notified at www.nps.gov/samo and our social media channels (Twitter, Instagram and Facebook).

California State Parks Closed Parking Lots at 36 Parks in the State to Flatten the COVID-19 Curve

Effective immediately today, Monday, March 23rd, California State Parks has temporarily closed vehicular traffic to 36 parks in the state experiencing high visitation.

For those wishing to take a break in the outdoors, public health officials are advising them to walk, run, hike and bike in their local neighborhoods and walk to parks. Most importantly, the public is being asked not to congregate in the outdoors. Everyone has the responsibility to “Flatten the COVID-19 Curve at Parks” by maintaining a social distance of 6 ft. or more when recreating in the outdoors, and staying home if they are sick. If visitors cannot maintain social distancing, they need to leave the park.

Parking lots are closed at parks listed at www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=30355, the closest of which to us in Ventura County are El Matador State Beach, Leo Carrillo State Park, Malibu Creek State Park, Malibu Lagoon State Beach, Point Dume State Beach and RH Meyer State Beach. There are parking lots closed at 36 parks in Los Angeles, Marin, San Mateo, Sonoma and San Diego counties.

All state campgrounds across the state have been closed until further notice.

This really sucks, but let’s hope it truly flattens the coronavirus curve.

Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority Parks and Trails Closed Due to COVID-19

The Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) announced this afternoon that in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, all parks, trails, and facilities that it owns or operates will be closed to the public until further notice. This includes all parkland that is owned by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.

A list of the MRCA’s most popular parks can be found at this link on its website: mrca.ca.gov/parks/parklisting. However, all parks and open space operated by the MRCA, even those that are not listed online are CLOSED to the public in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. All parking lots and park access roads will also be closed.

Local area trails closest to the Conejo Valley managed by MRCA include:

Happy Camp Canyon Regional Park in Moorpark
Las Virgenes View Park
Zev Yaroslavsky Las Virgenes Highlands Park in Calabasas
Triunfo Creek Park in WLV
Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (formerly Ahmanson Ranch) in Calabasas

mrca.ca.gov/notifications

Solstice Canyon to Close on Monday, March 23rd, Due to Overcrowding

Solstice Canyon, a National Park Service site, will close Monday, March 23, according to officials at Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA). All other sites, which include hiking, biking, equestrian trails, parking lots and restrooms, will remain open for now.

David Szymanski, the park superintendent for SMMNRA, says he does not want to limit access to trails, but public safety is critical and overcrowding at the popular site had become a concern because the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and public health department guidance could not be met. Park and public health officials are closely monitoring public use and may close other locations if social distancing cannot be maintained.

“The health and safety of visitors, employees, volunteers and partners is our number one priority as we work to limit the threat of exposure to the virus,” said Syzmanski. “There are more than 300 points of entry into the Recreation Area and this may be the ideal opportunity for visitors to explore less visited trails while we battle the COVID-19 pandemic. Hiking and being outside is healthy, but we must follow the local, state and national guidelines that have been set by maintaining a safe distance of six feet from others who are also out enjoying nature.”

NPS is strongly urging visitors to avoid crowded areas and seek out lesser visited places at less busy times. Trail hiking apps, like https://trails.lacounty.gov/, can offer ideas for hikes in Los Angeles County.

Szymanski also recommends that visitors wash their hands before coming to a park, avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth; covering their mouths and noses when coughing or sneezing, and most importantly, to stay home if they are sick.

“If visitors show up and it’s really busy, please consider returning at another time or day,” he urged. “The ability to maintain social distancing is key to keeping these places open so please do your part.”

Law enforcement park rangers are working seven days a week monitoring activities in the park. As services are limited, the NPS urges visitors to continue to practice Leave No Trace principles, including pack-in and pack-out, to keep outdoor spaces safe and healthy.

The Santa Monica Mountains Visitor Center at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas and Satwiwa Native American Culture Center in Newbury Park are also closed until further notice. Rangers at SMMNRA are available to answer questions at 805-370-2301 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

When the park resumes full operations, the public will be notified via the website www.nps.gov/samo and our social media channels (Twitter, Instagram and Facebook). For updates regarding general NPS operations, visit www.nps.gov/coronavirus.

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) is the largest urban national park in the country, encompassing more than 150,000 acres of mountains and coastline in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. A unit of the National Park Service, it comprises a seamless network of local, state, and federal parks interwoven with private lands and communities. As one of only five Mediterranean ecosystems in the world, SMMNRA preserves the rich biological diversity of more than 450 animal species and 26 distinct plant communities. For more information, visit nps.gov/samo.

Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control Allows Temporary Sales of Alcoholic Beverages To Go During COVID-19 Virus Emergency

Well this is an interesting update. The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control is temporarily allowing restaurants that serve beer, wine and cocktails with meals to allow them to sell them “to go” when sold in conjunction with meals prepared for pick-up or delivery.

In other words, during the statewide “Stay at Home” order, you may purchase say, a margarita, to take home with your meal.

The alcoholic beverage must be packaged in a container with a secure lid or cap. No sipping holes or openings for straws allowed. In other words, ya can’t be selling that whisky sour in a Starbucks style sippy cup.

Additionally, any restaurant that does partake in this practice must prominently post the following warning:

Alcoholic beverages that are packaged by this establishment are open containers and may not be transported in a motor vehicle except in the vehicle’s trunk; or, if there is no trunk, the container may be kept in some other area of the vehicle that is not normally occupied by the driver or passengers (which does not include a utility compartment or glove compartment (Vehicle Code Section 23225)). Further, such beverages may not be consumed in public or in any other area where open containers are prohibited by law.

In other words, don’t be placing that Mojito in the drink holder next to your automatic transmission lever. Too tempting. And still illegal.

This exception may be withdrawn at anytime, the the Department indicates it plans to give 10-day notice before doing so.

www.abc.ca.gov/notice-of-regulatory-relief

Tax Day Now July 15, 2020; Treasury and IRS Extend Filing and Payment Deadlines

Yesterday, March 20th, via a “Tweet,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced that the April 15 IRS tax deadline will be moved to July 15. So now, both the federal and state returns are automatically pushed to July 15 for both filing and payments.

Here is a press release issued today, March 21st, from the IRS:

The Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service announced today that the federal income tax filing due date is automatically extended from April 15, 2020, to July 15, 2020.

Taxpayers can also defer federal income tax payments due on April 15, 2020, to July 15, 2020, without penalties and interest, regardless of the amount owed. This deferment applies to all taxpayers, including individuals, trusts and estates, corporations and other non-corporate tax filers as well as those who pay self-employment tax.

Taxpayers do not need to file any additional forms or call the IRS to qualify for this automatic federal tax filing and payment relief. Individual taxpayers who need additional time to file beyond the July 15 deadline, can request a filing extension by filing Form 4868 through their tax professional, tax software or using the Free File link on IRS.gov. Businesses who need additional time must file Form 7004.

The IRS urges taxpayers who are due a refund to file as soon as possible. Most tax refunds are still being issued within 21 days.

The IRS will continue to monitor issues related to the COVID-19 virus, and updated information will be posted on a special coronavirus page on IRS.gov.

This announcement comes following the President's emergency declaration last week pursuant to the Stafford Act. The Stafford Act is a federal law designed to bring an orderly and systematic means of federal natural disaster and emergency assistance for state and local governments in carrying out their responsibilities to aid citizens. It was enacted in 1988.

Treasury and IRS will issue additional guidance as needed and continue working with Congress, on a bipartisan basis, on legislation to provide further relief to the American people.

Ventura County Public Health Officer Issues "Stay Well at Home" Emergency Order March 20 at 11:59PM through April 20 11:50PM

Stay Well At Home: In effect Friday, March 20, 11:59 pm

Public Health Officer Issues local Order to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19

To further combat the spread of COVID-19, Ventura County Public Health Officer Doctor Robert Levin, has issued a “Stay Well at Home” emergency order – ordering all residents of the County of Ventura to stay inside their residences, and immediately limit all movement outside of their homes beyond what is absolutely necessary to take care of essential needs. The order is effective March 20, 2020, at 11:59 pm through April 20, 2020, 11:59 pm. The Order was prepared and signed before the Governor of California issued a state “Stay at Home Order”. We have since modified our Order.

Community members are encouraged to learn more about the Order and read frequently asked questions at the following website: www.vcemergency.com/staywellvc.

“I think it’s very important to have our own Order issued here in Ventura County. Our Order speaks to the communities we serve and provides more details for our region. We could see a doubling of the number of cases in our county every week. Places that are not responding aggressively are seeing a tenfold increase in weekly cases. Our response in our County is an aggressive one. We are going to ask you to stay inside for your health and the County’s health. We believe, and experience tells us, that this will result in a lower peak in the number of cases in our County,” said Ventura County Public Health Officer Doctor Robert Levin.

“We are at a pivotal moment in this public health threat. We are on the verge of seeing the number of COVID cases spiking, we have to take powerful, decisive actions in order to defeat this threat and save lives,” said County of Ventura CEO, Mike Powers. “In listening to our Public Health Leadership, we believe it is essential for us to act swiftly to prevent the spike in cases we have seen in other countries. We felt it was important to tailor the Order to our local community.”

The Order attempts to strike the right balance. While prioritizing the health of the community, it also recognizes the importance of essential services such as health care, safety, social services, education, food services, grocery stores, agriculture, community organizations, the press, construction, hotels and motels and business that support these essential businesses, banks and plumbers and sanitation workers and restaurants which provided take out and delivered meals.

During this time various businesses will still be open. You will still be able to go to grocery stores. You will still be able to go to your local coffee shop to take your coffee to go, there will be no gathering at coffee shops. You will still be able to go to farmers markets where you will find that they have implemented social distancing. You will also be able to go to restaurants, wine shops and breweries where you can pick up items to go.

You will be able to leave your home to exercise. This includes running, walking, biking and hiking by yourself or with members of your household. You will be able to go to and from your doctor’s office. You will be able to work and garden around the house and leave the house to pick up products for your pets. Essential businesses will remain open. Those businesses will be asked to have their employees work from home as much as possible. Working from home distances a person from others and creates more space for social distancing at the workplace. Workplaces will be maintaining 6 feet between employees and will encourage frequent hand washing. Discourage shaking hands. All aspects of agricultural production will remain open as well. If you are sick do not go to work in those essential jobs. If you encounter someone when running an errand to the grocery store or other location maintain a six-foot distance from that person especially distance yourself from those that appear to be ill.

“Our top priority is, protecting the health of our community, especially the most vulnerable - seniors and those with compromised immune systems. But we also owe it to protect our brave and compassionate health care workers, our first responders, fire, sheriff, as well as our social workers and public health nurses who are out in the community caring for some of the most vulnerable members of our community,” said Powers.

“We know this will have devasting impacts for many individuals and businesses in our County. We must all – local state, federal governments, community organizations – come together to support those businesses and employees impacted. Unemployment payments, paid leave, small business loans. Our recovery efforts must start now,” said Powers.

“Our County has faced so much, and here is one more challenge. But what makes us special is the strength and compassion of our community, how deeply we care about each other. Because of that resilience and spirit of community, I know Ventura County will get through this and emerge stronger than ever,” he added.

Residents of the County of Ventura are required to stay inside their homes unless they are engaged in certain “essential activities.” These activities include:

• Engaging in essential activities such as grocery shopping, obtaining medical care, walking, running, bicycling or gardening.

• Providing or obtaining essential governmental functions or services.

• Operating or working at essential businesses such as healthcare operations and essential Infrastructure, grocery stores, pet supply stores, agricultural production and processing operations, and gas stations.

• Operating or working at non-public-serving small businesses.

All businesses within the County – except essential businesses and non-public-serving small businesses – are required to cease all activities except minimum basic operations, such as payroll processing. However, businesses may continue operations consisting exclusively of work performed at employees’ or contractors’ own places of residence.

All travel is prohibited, except essential travel such as travel for work authorized under this order; to engage in essential activities; to care for elderly persons, minors, dependents, persons with disabilities or other vulnerable persons; and to return to a place of residence from outside Ventura County.

When outside their places of residence, all persons must maintain, as reasonably possible, a physical distance of at least six feet from any other person and comply with all other Social Distancing Requirements.

“There are people around you who are in greater need than you. Be generous with those things you have that you can share and can drop off at their place. We will all come through this together. Ventura County is a County that cares,” said Doctor Levin.

Moving forward daily positive cases, the age range of the patient and their locations will be reported on www.vcemergency.com. The new order requires all private labs to report the number of tests they have completed each day. The total number of private and public tests will also be reported on the website.