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By Grace Leung, Newport Beach City Manager
This month the City is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Upper Buck Gully trail renovations, which created an accessible, habitat-friendly hiking and biking trail within a protected canyon.
In the past decade, the Buck Gully trail has become one of the City’s most popular recreational destinations, enjoyed by more than 20,000 hikers and cyclists a year.
The 300-acre Buck Gully reserve is a protected wildlife area owned and operated by the City under an agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Department of Fish and Game.
The 2012 renovations, which included construction of the 3.32-mile trail system and the installation of four bridges by helicopter, were made possible by a State grant to the City and our non-profit partner, the Irvine Ranch Conservancy.
I’d like to thank the many volunteer conservancy members for their excellent work over the past decade to educate visitors through guiding tours and activities, monitoring the natural resources in the area, removing invasive species, maintaining the infrastructure of the trails and bridges, and more.
Residents who live in the hills surrounding the canyon have also played an important role in its preservation by choosing native plants, limiting water runoff, and reducing fire hazards.
Buck Gully is open daily from dawn to dusk, and during scheduled programs. To maintain the sensitive wildlife habitats, dogs are not allowed.
I encourage you to visit the Irvine Ranch Conservancy’s website at https://letsgooutside.org/explore/buck-gully-reserve/ for more information on Buck Gully, including trail maps, docent-led programs, volunteer opportunities and more.
Additional information on Buck Gully: https://www.newportbeachca.gov/government/departments/recreation-senior-services/parks-and-facilities/buck-gully.
Regular Lap Swim Schedule Resumes Aug. 5 at Marian Bergeson Aquatic Center
Beginning August 5, lap swimming at the Marian Bergeson Aquatic Center will return to the standard, year-round schedule of Monday through Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Lap swim memberships are sold in bundles of visits or as an annual pass. Please visit www.newportbeachca.gov/aquatics for pricing and the monthly calendar.
New Step-by-Step Guides Available for Virtual Connect Online Permitting Portal
New step-by-step guides for the recently launched City Virtual Connect Online Permitting portal (CiViC) are now available at https://www.newportbeachca.gov/civic.
The guides will assist users with registering for a CiViC account, reviewing plan check status and written corrections, scheduling a building inspection, and understanding how to navigate around the new user dashboard.
Mayor’s Youth Council Accepting Applications For 2022-23 School Year Through Sept. 5
The Mayor’s Youth Council is now accepting applications for the 2022/23 school year. This educational program gives high school students an in-depth look at careers offered in local government and provides a forum to express opinions, creativity, and civic mindedness.
The Mayor’s Youth Council is comprised of three different functions: education, service and outreach. In addition to one-on-one mentoring with City staff, Youth Council members will also be involved in the planning and implementation of community events and engagement with their peers. High-school aged residents are invited to apply by Monday, September 5. Click here for more information or to apply: https://newportbeachca.gov/government/departments/recreation-senior-services/youth-teen-programs.
Be Well Mobile Crisis Response Update
The Be Well mobile crisis response team operates in Newport Beach 12 hours a day, 7 days a week to respond to mental and behavioral health crises. The mobile unit is staffed with mental health specialists and EMTs, and works closely with the City’s police and fire departments.
This week the Be Well team:
- Located a person experiencing homelessness who lost contact with his family in Wisconsin. The team took initial steps to reconnect him with family.
- Transported one person to the Be Well sobering station for treatment.
- Transported one person to a crisis stabilization unit for treatment.
- Transported five people to services, shelter intakes, and appointments.
Homelessness Update
The City of Newport Beach provides a comprehensive response to address homelessness through a coordinated effort by City staff, contractors, partner agencies, and nonprofit groups.
This week, the City’s homeless outreach and response teams:
- Participated in the Newport Beach National Night Out event to provide education and resources to the community.
- Continued to shelter people. Eighteen people who had been experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach are sheltered in the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter.
- Filed reports with the County’s Adult Protective Services for two older adults living in vehicles. This will enroll them in case management.
- Completed housing assessments for four people in the County’s Coordinated Entry System.
- Transported one person to a Social Security appointment.
- Enrolled an older adult into services and completed a housing assessment.
- Completed paperwork with an older veteran awarded an Emergency Housing Voucher program.
- Sheltered a client in a motel while he waits for his new apartment.
To donate to those experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach, please visit our Good Giving Program web page at https://www.newportbeachca.gov/trending/community-issues/homelessness/how-you-can-help.
