California State Parks to Host Public Open House to Review Auburn State Recreation Area’s Future
Contacts:
Cheryl Essex I (916) 445-8814
Jim Micheaels I (916) 988-0513
plan.general@parks.ca.gov
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California State Parks invites the public to attend its upcoming open house and help shape the future of Auburn State Recreation Area (Auburn SRA).The open house will be heldTuesday, June 26, 2018at the Gold Country Fairgrounds Sierra Building, 209 Fairgate Road in Auburn (95603). Members of the public may visit anytime from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. to study the exhibits, ask questions and leave their written comments. There will not be a scheduled presentation. Children are welcome.
Auburn SRA is located in the Sierra Nevada foothills, northeast of Sacramento. It includes about 30,000 acres of public land that is situated along nearly 40 linear miles of the north and middle forks of the American River. California State Parks manages the state recreation area through a managing partner agreement with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation). The department is collaborating with the Reclamation to prepare a joint Auburn SRA General Plan/Auburn Public Lands Resource Management Plan (Plan). The Plan alternatives include resource preservation and land use strategies that will serve the communities and recreating public in the long term.
Highlights of the proposed action would allow or facilitate:
- Parking capacity to be increased by up to 25 percent.
- Camping capacity to be increased by up to 245 individual campsites and five group sites.
- River access improvements to trails, roads and boat landings.
- Trail bridges over the North Fork American River between Auburn and Cool and over the Middle Fork American River at the former Greenwood Bridge site.
- Increased natural and cultural resources management, including fire prevention strategies.
- Increased opportunities for visitors to engage in stewardship and education opportunities.
Public feedback on how to best provide high-quality recreation while preserving the park for future generations is an important step in ensuring successful Plan development. The planning process has involved the public, scientists, technical experts and land managers in documenting and understanding the park’s important natural, cultural and recreational resources, existing uses and visitor needs. A public workshop held on Dec. 7, 2017,asked Californians to review Plan alternatives to enhance and improve camping, picnicking, boating, hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, rock climbing, nature exploration and more. California State Parks also asked for input on the important natural and cultural resources within the state recreation area, and ways to protect and preserve them for future generations to enjoy.
The department is appreciative of the feedback it has received thus far. More than 150 people attended the December public workshop and provided feedback. Online, more than 800 people participated in a questionnaire, and more than a dozen public agencies have provided comments. Information from this feedback was used to prepare the California State Parks proposed action to allow development of additional facilities and management actions.
Once California State Parks finalizes the proposed action, an analysis of the potential environmental impacts of all the alternativeswill be conducted. Finally, the Plan will be presented to the California State Park and Recreation Commission and the Bureau of Reclamationfor review and adoption. The entire process is expected to be completed by October 2019.
More information about the Plan, the public outreach and the schedule is available at www.parks.ca.gov/PLANASRA.Materials for the June 26, 2018 open house and the online questionnaire are also available on the webpage through July 24, 2018. If you would like to be added to the contact list to receive email notifications of public outreach opportunities, please contact Project Lead Cheryl Essex at plan.general@parks.ca.gov.
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California State Parks provides for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high quality outdoor recreation.