News Items

Several items of noteworthy news:


1. Tomorrow, Tuesday, the Placer County BOS will convene at the Domes on Fulweiler, to consider (at 10:00 a.m.), and probably appove, the Mitigated Negative Declaration (of environmental impact) for the proposed 12.6-mile multi-use trail from the Confluence to Ponderosa Bridge. I oppose this trail, and, with several others, hope to force the County into a full EIR. We have retained the services of an attorney.


2. District Ranger Rich Johnson of TNF's Foresthill Ranger District informs me that purchase has been made of one of the last large parcels along the North Fork American Wild & Scenic River. He quotes another FS employee as follows:

"As of July 21, 2004, the USA (Tahoe NF) has acquired the 578.28 acre
Government Springs parcel of the phased NFAR--SPI/TPL purchase! This
parcel is located on the North Fork American River and contains approx. 160
acres of the North Fork American River Wild and Scenic River corridor.
Only one of the original 12 parcels contained in this NFAR--SPI/TPL
purchase now remains to be acquired--and hopefully funding will come to
support that in fy05!"


3. I hope Tahoe National Forest will *vastly expand the scope of land acquisitions* in the North Fork basin to include lands outside the narrow Wild & Scenic River corridor. For instance, Lost Camp; the Rawhide Mine; and, for sale at this moment, a 320-acre parcel on Sawtooth Ridge, which includes a half-mile of the North Fork of the North Fork American, and is listed for $195,000. Add to these lands other parcels and entire sections, such as Section 31 on Wildcat Point--one of the premier scenic overlooks of the entire canyon--and lands up on Snow Mountain, Four Horse Flat and Pelham Flat, lands in Big Valley, other lands on Sawtooth Ridge, etc. etc.



At any rate, such is some news.