Help Shape the Future of Riding in AuburnJim Haagen-Smit reminds us:
"Please plan on attending a workshop on May 30, 6:30 pm in Auburn - Canyon View Community Center, 471 Maidu Drive, Auburn.
The Management Plan for the Auburn State Recreation is being updated. This includes our favorite trails from Auburn-to-Cool, to the Foresthill Divide Loop."
I agree; this is a very important process and we need to work with State Parks to improve and optimize mountain biking opportunities at ASRA. These management plans are where important issues are decided, such as implementing or improving new trails, resolving user conflicts and establishing cooperation between user groups and State Parks.
Learn more.
1 comment:
Bikers need to attend the meeting in Auburn tonight, to SUPPORT keeping the Auburn-Cool Trail we have and a river crossing that will go away with the new pump station at the Auburn Dam site.
Build a bridge, and hold Placer County Water Agency responsible for its promise to spend up to $1 million for it (made by Lowell Jarvis at the planning meeting for the pump station project on 9-12-2001). The federal Bureau of Reclamation and PCWA water district should pay for this as required mitigation for the removal of the only crossing of the river between No Hands Bridge and Folsom Dam. The pump project costs about $50 million, the bridge is the least we can do for mitigation. And it does not have to cost a lot, just design it for bikes not trucks.
See the public notice at: http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=24568
See the ACT description at: http://act.netwiz.net/index.html
Here is the text of the notice:
California State Parks (DPR) is preparing a feasibility study to examine potential options to provide a trail crossing of the North Fork of the American River for all trail users between Auburn and Cool.
Background
The Auburn to Cool Trail (ACT) is a multi-use recreation trail route between Auburn and Cool within Auburn State Recreation Area. The trail crosses the reach of the North Fork American River that has been dewatered by the diversion tunnel for the construction of the Auburn Dam. The ACT has likely been used by various trail users since construction of Auburn Dam halted in the late 1970’s. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) gave State Parks approval to open the trail to the public as an official trail route in 1996 when the “No Hands” Bridge was closed for repairs. In granting this approval Reclamation noted that the trail could be closed at any time to meet the needs and purposes of the Auburn Dam Project. The trail is a multi-use route used by hikers, runners, mountain bikers and equestrians. The ACT is the only trail route that mountain bikes have to cross the river canyon from Auburn to Cool below Highway 49. Equestrians and pedestrians can utilize the Western States Trail and cross the Canyon at the historic Mountain Quarry Railroad Bridge (“No Hands”) just downstream of Highway 49
The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) and the Placer County Water Agency (PCWA) are working together to build a new Pump Station just upstream of the Auburn Dam site and as part of the project will restore the North Fork of the American River to its historic channel. The work on this project is ongoing and the Pump Station Project is expected to be completed in late 2007 or early 2008. Returning the river to its historic channel will restore river recreation opportunities, but the restored river will divide the Auburn to Cool Trail. In the EIR/EIS (completed in 2002) for the American River Pump Station Project, the loss of the trail was determined to be a significant but unavoidable impact. As part of the mitigation for the loss of the trail crossing, California State Parks committed to studying the feasibility of various crossing options.
The ACT Crossing Feasibility Study
California State Parks is in the process of completing the feasibility study for various crossing options including a new permanent trail bridge; temporary seasonal bridge options; and construction of a new multi-use trail across the canyon which would utilize one of the existing bridges, Highway 49 or “No Hands”. State Parks has contracted with a consultant team which includes structural bridge engineers, architects, engineering geologists, hydrologists and other expertise to help develop and analyze the feasibility of these crossing options. Some of the factors that will be considered in the feasibility study include geotechnical considerations, access and construction impacts, conflict with potential Auburn Dam site, bridge length and constructability, cost, maintenance considerations, length of trail connections, aesthetics and visual impacts, user function and safety, and other public input considerations. For the permanent and temporary seasonal bridge options, a variety of bridge types will be examined including stress ribbon, suspension, truss and cable-stayed bridge types. Several potential bridge locations will be considered between the diversion tunnel outlet and Oregon Bar.
The ACT Crossing Feasibility Study is not a decision document or an environmental document. The feasibility study will provide information for State Parks to consider in assessing the cost, constructability and desirability of various crossing options. Any decision regarding a particular crossing option would need to be made in the General Plan/Interim Resource Management Plan (GP/IRMP) for the Auburn SRA. California State Parks and Reclamation are currently in the process of developing a new GP/IRMP. It is anticipated that this GP/IRMP planning process will be completed in late 2008. In addition to providing broad direction for a crossing option in the GP/IRMP, once a decision is made on a particular crossing option, project specific environmental analysis would need to be completed in compliance with CEQA and NEPA.
Public Workshop Held Regarding ACT Feasibility Study
California State Parks held a public workshop on Tuesday March 27, 2007 in auburn to discuss the feasibility study and to gather public input regarding various preliminary crossing options. Below are links to some of the displays and information which were presented at the public meeting. If you have questions or comments regarding the ACT crossing Feasibility Study, please contact Jim Micheaels at (916) 988-0205 (ext 202) or jmiche@parks.ca.gov.
1-Over of Existing Trails
2-Alternative Crossing Sites
3-Potential Site Simulations
4-New Trail Connections
5-Permanent Bridge Types
6-Seasonal Bridge Types
7-New Multi-UseTrail
8-Selection Considerations
Directions to the Canyon View Community Center,
471 Maidu Dr, Auburn 95603, ph (530) 885-0611
From Sacramento: Take I-80 East toward Reno. Take Exit 115 at Indian Hill/Newcastle Rd and proceed straight through the intersection on to Indian Hill Rd passing the Flyers Gas Station on your right. Take Indian Hill Road to the end. At the traffic signal, turn left onto Auburn-Folsom Rd. At the next traffic light on Auburn-Folsom Road, turn right on Maidu Drive, follow Maidu until it dead-ends. Turn left on Riverside. Canyon View Community Center immediately up a small hill on the right side.
From Reno: Take Hwy. 80 West to Hwy. 49 exit. At the light turn right onto Hwy. 49 (south) take that to Lincoln way and turn right. Follow to Auburn-Folsom Road. Follow to Maidu Drive. Turn left to Maidu Drive follow Maidu until it dead-ends. Turn left on Riverside. Canyon View Community Center immediately up a small hill on the right side.
From Grass Valley: Take Hwy 49 South to Auburn. After Hwy 49 goes under -80 and meets Lincoln Way turn right onto Lincoln Way. At first signal turn left onto Auburn-Folsom Road. Follow Auburn-Folsom Road to Maidu Drive make a left onto Maidu Drive. Follow Maidu until it dead-ends. Turn left on Riverside. Canyon View Community Center immediately up a small hill on the right side.
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