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Over 500 trees are in danger of being bulldozed for a bank erosion project along the American River Parkway!

AMERICAN RIVER TREES

TAKE ACTION

ESSENTIALLY ALL THE TREES VISIBLE ON THE LEFT (ALL THE WAY TO WATT AVE IN THE DISTANCE) WOULD BE REMOVED FOR THE ARMY CORPS PROJECT 3B

THERE IS A BETTER WAY!

June 2024 maps for parts of 3B (adapted from USACE maps), and what we stand to lose:

(Older 2023 maps, kept for comparison):

KEEP WRITING YOUR REPRESENTATIVES.  Check back soon for further actions.

URGENT!  

Another stretch of our beautiful Wild and Scenic American River is at huge risk!

  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has multiple “bank erosion” projects in progress (photos below show their current work near Sac State). 

  • Contract “3B” is coming to the pristine areas east (further upstream) of Howe Ave, continuing beyond Watt Ave and all the way to Rio Bravo and Mayhew area.

  • Over 500 trees are planned to be bulldozed (potentially including beloved heritage oaks).

  • Massive damage will be done to the American River Parkway and wildlife habitat.

  • More destruction will occur with this project than occurred with the actual levee upgrades completed over the last decade.

  • This new project would bring the total damaged area of the wildlife corridor to 11 miles out of the 26 miles of parkway below Nimbus Dam.

  • Despite the American River being a national and state Wild and Scenic River and portions designated as a “Protected Area” in the American River Parkway Plan, the USACE plans to move forward with the project unless the public can convince them to consider less damaging options.

  • With more than 5 million visits annually to the American River Parkway, which is more than Yosemite, the USACE project 3B will significantly diminish our parkway’s beauty and recreational values.

TV News! See these TV news clips:

WATCH THESE SHORT VIDEOS ABOUT THE BEAUTY AT STAKE AND THE ISSUES WITH CONTRACT 3B:

River Walk, and Proposed Erosion Project Concerns

See Prior Key Points Used for Army Corps Letters 

YOUR ACTION NEEDED

Thank you for continuing your support!  Your voices are being heard!

How You Can Help

  1. Sign the PETITION for a better way to protect the river banks than destroying vital parkway.

  2. DONATE to the AmericanRiverTrees.org

  3. Questions/Concerns remain after April 8 zoom co-hosted by Army Corps and Congressman Ami Bera.
    (Click for info)

  4. Also contact representatives to raise awareness.  Check out our sample emails.

  5. Sign up for updates:  sign up here!

  6. Volunteer: help us spread the word with our weekend pop-ups.  Sign up here.

  7. For some tips to find the USACE reports on the USACE website, click here.

CHECK OUT OUR “LATEST ACTIONS” PAGE (CLICK HERE)

AND SEE PRIOR KEY POINTS ON BUTTON BELOW.

OTHER LETTERS TO RAISE AWARENESS:

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Please click one (or all) of the links below to send an email to a representative requesting a MORE TARGETED and LESS DESTRUCTIVE approach to this U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) project .

  • SAMPLE LETTER To County Supervisors Rich Desmond and Patrick Hume

    To: RichDesmond@saccounty.gov

    Cc: PatHume@saccounty.gov

    Bcc: AmRivTrees@gmail.com

    Subject: Please Insist on a Better USACE Proposal for American River 3B Project

    Dear Supervisor Desmond and Supervisor Hume:

    I am writing to ask that you and other Sacramento County officials persuade the US Army Corp of Engineers to perform a MORE TARGETED and LESS DESTRUCTIVE approach to Erosion Control Projects 3B and 4.

    The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Contract 3B, extends east from Howe Ave, to the Mayhew Drain. USACE plans to bulldoze over 500 trees on the American River Parkway for “bank erosion protection”. The USACE claim that this protection is “needed” is based on minimal, overgeneralized “data”. I strongly question whether this work is necessary along this section of the American River.

    Further, I believe the USACE approach to leave denuded, bare dirt banks for a minimum of 2 years during construction (and immature, isolated plantings for many more years to come) is just as likely to put us at risk in high water flows as no work at all. I strongly oppose the “brute force” bulldozing methods the Army Corps proposes along 4 more miles of the Wild and Scenic American River. We have yet to see how the bulldozed areas around Sacramento State University and Paradise Beach (parts of prior Erosion Control Projects), will fare in high water flows.

    This new project, Contract 3B, would bring the total length of American River Banks damaged by the USACE erosion control projects to 11 miles. Almost half of the lower 26 miles of Parkway! I object to the extreme destruction of trees (including potentially 200-300 year-old heritage oaks); loss of rare, wild vistas and aesthetics in this pristine area of the Parkway; and the long-term loss of quality and access for recreation (hiking, biking, dog walking, fishing, picnics, kayak and paddle board access, bird and wildlife viewing, photography, and many other uses) for miles along the river’s edge, including the loss of dozens of unofficial, but much loved access trails, equestrian and rare shaded trails. These miles of habitat destruction threaten the wildlife corridor that is vital to sustain our astonishing urban wildlife (otters, owls, beavers, bald eagles, deer, migratory birds, and more) valued by recreational Parkway users. If erosion “spot fixes” are needed at some locations, then less destructive alternative methods should be used (such as in-place use of stabilizing vegetation, and bio-technical techniques, encouraged by the National Park Service), and the use of smaller equipment.

    This and ALL future erosion control projects must be required to have a more targeted analysis and approach.

    As you know, the American River is often called the “Crown Jewel of Sacramento”. Please do not let our “jewel” be stolen from us!

    Sacramento Regional Parks officially manages the American River Parkway Wild and Scenic River status, and in turn answers to YOU in your role as county supervisors, as well as members of the SAFCA Board. I do not support the USACE claim that this extension and the methods planned are “needed” for flood safety in this zone; and it would destroy a vital stretch of the Parkway. I urge you to stand up for this special stretch of the American River Parkway, and to urge Sacramento Regional Parks to make a determination of “inconsistency” with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, and impose strong conditions that require the Army Corps to find more targeted and less destructive alternatives, rather than the devastation that is being proposed for Contract 3B.

    Thank you.

More Info

  • Heavy equipment staging in Larchmont Park (may destroy some of its trees), trails will be blocked, and haul trucks will go through neighborhoods and levees.

  • The huge heritage oak behind Rio Bravo is still not marked for saving!   Irreparable losses of heritage trees will permanently affect our beloved American River Parkway, unless we speak up.   

  • Continuous lengths of riverbank will be bulldozed for construction.  Access requirements for large equipment to reach the water’s edge will destroy all trees in the way.

  • Help support the effort of re-evaluating the actual need for the project and evaluation of targeted methods like “spot fixes” and maintenance, use of smaller equipment, and especially the use of “natural armoring” by stabilizing vegetation and bio-technical techniques, an approach the National Park Service supports, but they need Sac Regional Parks to initiate the imposing of such a condition. 

  • We need to insist that Sacramento Regional Parks impose that “condition” on USACE’s approach on our Wild and Scenic River.   

  • Much of this stretch of the river is relatively straight, with modeling showing relatively low velocity at the levee even during high flow.

  • Concerns exist that these denuded, bare dirt banks for 2 years during construction (and with immature, isolated plantings for many years) are just as likely to put us at risk in high water flows as no work at all.

  • There is strong opposition to the “brute force” bulldozing methods that the Army Corps proposes to continue into this special stretch of the Wild and Scenic American River. 

  • This and ALL future erosion control projects should be required to have a more targeted analysis and approach.

Help us support both trees AND flood protection. 

SOME BEFORE & AFTER PHOTOS

TV News! See these TV news clips:

WATCH A SHORT VIDEO ABOUT THE BEAUTY AT STAKE AND THE ISSUES WITH CONTRACT 3B:

Please help us protect and preserve one of the most pristine, wild and scenic sections of the Lower American River.

PRINT YOUR OWN FLYERS FOR DISTRIBUTION

CLICK ON THE 1-PAGE FLYER -->     
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<--CLICK ON THE DETAILED 2-SIDED FLYER
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Handout of Contacts and Key Points (2-sided):