This archive is being published at a time when questions remain about the legal operation and expansion of public programming at Bear Creek Stables while Midpen’s application for a County Use Permit remains under review.

The records collected here provide historical context for those questions by documenting more than a decade of decisions, communications, and events involving Bear Creek Stables and Midpen’s oversight of the facility.

The initial focus was horse welfare and the safety of children participating in riding lessons at Bear Creek Stables. Concerns were raised about animal welfare, liability, and operational practices through the channels Midpen encourages members of the public to use.

By 2024, those concerns had expanded to include the nesting bird community at Bear Creek. Multiple projects were undertaken during nesting season despite Midpen’s public commitment to wildlife protection and ecologically sensitive land management. The same agency that had repeatedly assured the public there were no significant problems with horse care and that the concessionaire remained in compliance with its contract was also facing questions about the impacts of nesting-season activities on protected wildlife.

As additional issues came to light, the scope of concern continued to grow. Reports included a teenager living in a trailer with water leaking through electrical fixtures, children participating in lessons under unsafe conditions, stable operations managed by inexperienced individuals while boarders reported an absence of concessionaire oversight, additional neglected horses arriving at the facility, eviction notices issued to boarders after they raised concerns, dogs running loose for extended periods, and numerous other operational and safety issues.

Over time, directors, former nonprofit leaders, an Ombud, boarders, volunteers, former employees, and members of the public contributed records, emails, photographs, text messages, meeting notes, and firsthand accounts. Together, these materials document a broader history of decisions, communications, and events related to Bear Creek Stables.

The records also reveal recurring questions about agency oversight and accountability. They include documentation concerning horse welfare, responses to boarder complaints, implementation of Ombud commitments, concessionaire oversight, public expenditures, procurement, land use, environmental compliance, and wildlife protection.

One recurring theme found throughout the collected materials is the fear of retaliation expressed by individuals who raised concerns. Boarders, volunteers, former employees, and others frequently described reluctance to speak publicly because they believed doing so could result in adverse consequences.

The records further document instances in which public criticism was met with personal attacks rather than substantive responses to the underlying issues. They also show that multiple outside entities, including journalists, the District Attorney’s Office, and the Board of Supervisors, became involved in aspects of the matters documented here.

Over the years, individuals connected to Bear Creek Stables entrusted this archive with emails, correspondence, photographs, text messages, meeting recordings, reports, and other documents spanning more than a decade of the facility’s history and Midpen’s oversight of it.

This archive exists to make those records publicly available so that readers can examine the documentary record for themselves.