Metallica front man and Marin resident James Hetfield has installed a barbed-wire fence that now obstructs community access to a fire trail entrance on his property. He has done so in response to vandalism. Bikers, hikers, and equestrians who have used this trail are infuriated, stating that a 100-year tradition of property owners giving access to the open space Marin County offers is now compromised. Treasured hiking trails with scenic views are now off-limits to community residents, an indication that with increased real estate values, a different homeowner has moved into the county with a potentially different sensibility about property rights. Finding the balance between new homeowners and a community's traditional and historical use of land may be one of the issues confronted by such desirable communities.
In Marin County, nearly every town, ranging from Sausalito to Novato, historical uses of land exist, and many people consider them public. Until recently, the tradition has garnered respect from both the community and land owner, a sign of the times. County supervisors have typically negotiated agreements with property owners that will allow for public access, an agreement struck between the county and Hetfiel’s neighbor, George Lucas, for example. Part of Hetfield's land is the ranch formerly owned by the Luiz family that contains the fire road in question. The Luiz' had a long relationship with the community and even installed gates that latched closed behind users of the road, a compromise to contain their own livestock within the property. The relationship was informal.
In some instances, the county will offer to buy the land requiring access, while in others an easement is negotiated to build fences, install signage, and do some monitoring. There have even been cases with particularly concerned land owners when the county pays the land owner a fee (under $10,000 per year) for the public to access that section of the land as a walkthrough. If there is a widely-documented history of the use of the trail that can be proven as continuous public access since before the year 1972, the public can file suit in an effort to reinstate access to the trail, but an aggressive approach is certainly discouraged, even if as a last resort. Marin County currently intends to request a meeting with James Hetfield in an effort to find a solution.