Американская река Консервасьи приобрела землю Бёрка и получила разрешение на строительство входа в новую дикую природную зону

The 26-acre Burke Property was one of only two remaining private inholdings within the boundary of the future El Dorado Wildlife Area. Photo courtesy of ARC The 26-acre Burke Property was one of only two remaining private inholdings within the boundary of the future El Dorado Wildlife Area. Photo courtesy of ARC American River Conservancy achieved two major milestones in its 15-year effort to establish the first State Wildlife Area in El Dorado County. The first is the final approval to begin construction on the El Dorado Wildlife Area trailhead and parking lot, which will become the first designated public access point along the Cosumnes River in the foothills. The second is the acquisition of the 26-acre Burke property, one of the last remaining private inholdings within the future Wildlife Area. The Cosumnes River is the only major river on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada without a hydroelectric dam in the Sierra foothills. Together, the two actions permanently protect riparian and oak woodland habitat while delivering on ARC’s long-standing commitment in the region. "Fifteen years ago, we set out to permanently protect this stretch of the Cosumnes River and connect people to this place. Closing the gap on the Burke property and breaking ground on our first public trailhead in the same year just gets us that much closer," said Elena DeLacy, executive director of ARC. "We're grateful to the California Natural Resources Agency, Impact100 of Greater Sacramento, The Latrobe Fund and every partner who believes in this project. We can't wait to welcome the community to this land.” After more than a decade of planning, ARC has received approval from both El Dorado County and Caltrans to move forward with construction of the El Dorado Wildlife Area trailhead and parking lot. This trailhead will finally give visitors a safe, designated way to reach the river corridor and surrounding oak woodlands once the Wildlife Area is opened to the public. ARC will issue a request for proposals in August, with the goal of breaking ground this fall. Once complete, the trailhead will serve as the gateway to the future El Dorado Wildlife Area, anchoring 15 years of conservation work into a lasting public resource for the community. The 26-acre Burke Property was one of only two remaining private inholdings within the boundary of the future El Dorado Wildlife Area. ARC’s acquisition of the property permanently protects a quarter mile of Cosumnes River frontage, becoming part of one of the largest remaining blocks of protected oak woodland in west El Dorado County, including 16.6 acres of blue oak woodland and foothill pine habitat; habitat connectivity for 19 of 26 focal wildlife species tracked by CDFW, including black bear, mountain lion, mule deer and western pond turtle; protection along the upper Cosumnes River corridor, one of eight missing linkages identified statewide within El Dorado County. The Burke family has a long history of ownership on the property. "The land has been in the care of our family since President Garfield in the 18th century,” explained Burke family members. “We always had a strong attachment to the pristine condition of the original land grant from the president, which was on and included the Cosumnes River. The family is happy to entrust the land for preservation rather than development for generations to come. We express our gratitude to ARC for making this wish a reality." ARC invites the community, partners, and press to learn more about these milestones and ongoing efforts to protect the Cosumnes River watershed. For more information or to schedule an interview, contact Marshall Gorham, ARC land protection specialist, at [email protected], or visit ARConservancy.org.