For nearly a century, people visited swimming holes and unique cliffs on their way to Matilija Falls near Ojai. But in 2009, an adjacent landowner began discouraging the public from using the area. ForestWatch formed an association of several local organizations and trail users and began negotiations with the landowner. After years of little progress, the groups asked a judge to declare a permanent public easement through the property so that the public could continue to access the falls in perpetuity.
Based on longstanding California law dating back to the 1850s and affirmed several times by the California Supreme Court, a public right-of-way exists if five or more years of continuous public use can be shown predating 1972. Our legal efforts spurred the landowner to establish a permanent public easement across his property so that current and future generations can continue to enjoy this corner of the Los Padres National Forest.
