Reader questions the prudence of ‘Hip Camps’

EDITOR: Are Hip Camps the new equivalent of illegal cannabis cultivation sites? Will one of these camps be the source of a fire that devastates our County?

There has been a significant increase in the presence of “Hip Camps” in our County. Hip Camps are like an Air BNB for tourists who want to camp. Private citizens set up campsites on their property that are then advertised and accessed through the Hip C. These camps can be located in residential areas and in areas that may be heavily wooded. Visit Hip Camp. com to read about sites that are in your neighborhood. Locations include reviews by visitors, which are revealing. Some hosts are responsible and support the vision of Hip Camp, which is to connect people with nature. Some are not, and by the reviewer’s description, violations are apparent.

Hip Camp Hosts are supposed to be “good neighbors” to their surrounding community. My neighbor had the sad experience of having a Hip Camp next to them that resulted in trespassing on their land, increased car parking on their road, and tourists being lost and needing help because the site had been overbooked. Additionally, the host illegally bulldozed a trail and campsites through protected streambeds. Despite numerous calls to enforcement and reporting the individual to Hip Camp, it was almost two months before action was taken to stop this site.

The larger concern affecting the entire County is that these camps can allow campfires. I was able to obtain a permit for campfires through the Cal Fire web page. I watched a two-and-a-half-minute video, took an eight-question quiz, and within 10 minutes printed out my permit. If I were a Hip Camp host, I would now have a permit. Also, the state allows small fires to be used for “heating and cooking.” This slippery slope enables these camps to offer naïve city visitors the option to build campfires in our drought dry woods. The danger is obvious.

County Code Enforcement is already overwhelmed with trying to cover the illegal cannabis grows. Who will monitor these camps and respond to complaints? I am a part-time resident of Covelo and watched the failure of a complaintdriven enforcement system to curtail what is now an overwhelming amount of illegal cannabis grows. Code Enforcement cannot keep up. What will the impact be if these camps continue to increase?

The County has an opportunity to learn from past mistakes and proactively address the fire danger these camps pose. They can consider the overall impact these camps will have on our County concerning water and land resources. Emergency ordinances, banning fires, fines for illegal cutting of trees, and enforcement of the Bed Tax the hosts are supposed to pay are some possible options. Educating Hip Camp Hosts that they would be legally responsible if a fire on their property spread to neighboring properties (Health and Safety code 13007) might also deter hosts from allowing fires at their camps. Do they want to risk losing their property because of having to pay for damages one of their campers caused? While people have a “right” to do what they want on their land they do not have the right to put their neighbors at risk or undue strain on our limited water.