BLM Announces Second Planning Meeting for Kanaka Valley

The Bureau of Land Management’s Mother Lode Field Office will hold a public meeting July 8 in Rescue for the community-based management plan of the Kanaka Valley area near the Pine Hill Preserve. The meeting will run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Rescue Community Center, 4180 Green Valley Road.

“The meeting will provide an opportunity for public to envision uses of the area,” said Lauren Fety, biological science technician for the BLM. Additional meetings will be scheduled as needed based on public interest. Information will be available through the Mother Lode Field Office website.

In February, BLM added nearly 700 acres of habitat for wildland species, including rare plants, in western El Dorado County near the town of Rescue. The 695-acre purchase was a cooperative effort by BLM, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the American River Conservancy. 

The Kanaka Valley is a low-elevation wet meadow system that naturally stores rain water and moderates the release of seasonal flood waters to Folsom Reservoir. It was named for the Native Hawaiians known as Kanakans who came to California just before the gold rush. They settled in the valley and said it reminded them of their native land. 

The Kanaka Valley purchase provides 343 acres of blue oak woodland, valley oak woodland, blue oak foothill pine, and montane hardwood, as well as 100 acres of riparian habitat along Jill’s Creek and Crocker Creek, both of which flow into Folsom Reservoir and support native fish populations. The parcels also contain 167 acres of chaparral, which provides habitat for seven rare plants, and includes known and potential habitat for four federally listed plant species. 

For more information, contact Fety at (916) 941-3133 LFety@blm.gov

Central California District   2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825