For Immediate Release: 7/19/2019
Preliminary Plan and Draft Environmental Documents on Future of Auburn State Recreation Area Now Available
Contacts:
Jim Micheaels I CA State Parks I (916) 988-0513
Jeff Hawk I Reclamation I (916) 978-5100
Plan.General@parks.ca.gov
COOL, Calif.— California State Parks and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation invite the public to attend its upcoming open house to get the latest update on the future of Auburn State Recreation Area (Auburn SRA). The public will be able to study exhibits, ask questions and leave written comments on the joint Auburn SRA Preliminary General Plan/Auburn Project Lands Resource Management Plan (Plan) and a Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS).
The open house will be held on:
- Thursday, August 15, 2019 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- Northside Elementary School Cafeteria
860 Cave Valley Road
Cool, CA 95614 - No 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 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.
The draft environmental documents were prepared in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act and National Environmental Policy Act which are can be found at www.parks.ca.gov/PlanASRA and Reclamation’s web page.
Written comments during the 45-day comment period on the environmental documents may be submitted at the open house or emailed by close of business Tuesday, September 3, 2019, to plan.general@parks.ca.gov; regular mail to Bonnie Van Pelt, Bureau of Reclamation, 7794 Folsom Dam Road, Folsom, CA 95630; or faxed to (916) 537-7035. Hard copies of the documents can be reviewed at the Auburn SRA Sector Office, 501 El Dorado Street in Auburn.
This is the fourth open house being held on the future of Auburn SRA. The last open house was held in Auburn in June 2018 where the public had an opportunity to provide their feedback in person and online to help draft the preliminary plan and environmental documents. Once the plan and documents are finalized, the State Park and Recreation Commission will schedule a hearing to approve the plan. The public will have another opportunity to comment at this hearing. The date has yet to be determined.
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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.