For Release: October 27, 2005
Contact: John Scull, 916-985-4474
CCal-06-06

Cronan Ranch Planning Meeting Scheduled

The Folsom Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management will hold a public meeting in the multipurpose room at Sutter's Mill School, 4801 Luneman Road, in Lotus, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 2 to continue work on a management plan for the recently acquired 1,400-acre Cronan Ranch parcel along the South Fork American River. Everyone interested in using public lands along the South Fork American River is invited to attend.

Trails will be the major agenda item. Participants will be asked to make recommendations on trail-related issues such as trail use, trail maintenance, and trail design. If time allows, visual resources and overnight use will be considered.

At the last meeting, several recommendations were made on special use permits for commercial use and large group use. Meeting participants also voted to allow recreational gold dredging on a case-by-case basis.

The Cronan Ranch parcel contains varied terrain which ranges from relatively flat to quite steep. Vegetation includes blue oak savannah, foothill woodland, and riparian areas. There are 12 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, fishing, bird watching, and other recreation activities. The parcel borders on State Highway 49 and the South Fork American River.

The planning project is part of the implementation of the South Fork American River Management Plan which mandated community-based planning for all newly acquired parcels of land along the river. That plan, adopted by the BLM in 2004, was written in a series of 40 public meetings with local residents and river users.

For more information, contact the Folsom Field Office, 63 Natoma Street, Folsom, CA 95630, or call (916) 985-4474.

-BLM-

Folsom Field Office - 63 Natoma Street, Folsom, CA 95630
www.ca.blm.gov