- by Stacey Adams, Auburn Journal
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife and Placer County Parks and Open Space hosted a town hall Monday to provide the public with an update on a possible memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the Bear River Campground.
Discussions regarding the campground’s future began after the county advised at the July 20 Weimar Applegate Colfax Municipal Advisory Council meeting it was considering not renewing the contract with Fish and Wildlife in order to focus resources on county-owned properties. The previous contract, which authorized the county to manage the campground, expired Nov. 12.
According to Placer County Parks Administrator Andy Fisher, the proposed MOU would be a one-year agreement - with a possible extension for a second year - for management of day use at the property, as the “loudest and clearest” comment received about the future of the campground was to not let service drop off at the contract’s end.
“What we wanted to do, not knowing the answer to a lot of the long-term questions about this property, we put together an MOU that will continue patrol, will continue restroom cleaning, will continue trash pickup, it’ll continue the ranger patrol service we’ve had over the past years with the intent that over the next two years, there will not be camping but day use only,” Fisher said.
Fisher confirmed patrols conducted by the Placer County Sheriff’s Office should remain unaffected, rangers onsite will have radio and cell contact with the Sheriff’s Office and wardens will have a presence to the extent of Fish and Wildlife availability. The MOU also includes Fish and Wildlife assuming responsibility in land and vegetation management, which Fisher said has begun.
Following the contract expiration, the county removed signage related to camping, picnic tables, fire pits and barbecues from the campground. Fisher and Kevin Thomas, regional manager for the Fish and Wildlife Region 2 office, confirmed the removals were conditions included in the prior agreement in the event Placer did not renew the contract.
“Whatever the future long-term decision about camping is, is not predetermined and it’s not going to be determined by our actions taking those things out,” Fisher said. “That was a compliance issue. If somebody comes along and there is camping in the future, they can be put back. Just want to emphasize that was not a statement of predetermination of what’s going to happen on that property going into the future.”
Thomas confirmed that while camping is “not in the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s wheelhouse for how we operate,” it will continue to work over the next couple of years with groups who may be able to host that function due to the public’s desire for camping, as well as general management of the property.
The town hall allowed the public to ask questions about what has taken place at the property and the MOU, as well as provide input.
Questions included whether the trails would be maintained and remain open, what area of the property will be open to the public for day use and if in-stream mining practices will be upheld or revert to “hands and pans only” requirements. Fisher confirmed trails are user-maintained and would remain open for day use, and mining would continue under current rules and regulations. Fisher also confirmed the only current change is the implementation of no camping.
Public input included returning the picnic tables for groups who utilized the tables for home study and looking into having a host live on the property to deter potential problems.
Fisher said the MOU will be presented to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, Nov. 29, and included in the meeting agenda, once posted, for the public to review. According to the calendar details for the meeting, the agenda is typically posted by 5 p.m. on the Wednesday before a board meeting.
The public can email placercountyparks@placer.ca.gov to be placed on the notification list for information or to submit comments and questions, Fisher said.
To see original article and photos in Gold Country Media:
https://goldcountrymedia.com/news/260470/short-term-plan-for-bear-river-campground-outlined-at-town-hall/
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife and Placer County Parks and Open Space hosted a town hall Monday to provide the public with an update on a possible memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the Bear River Campground.
Discussions regarding the campground’s future began after the county advised at the July 20 Weimar Applegate Colfax Municipal Advisory Council meeting it was considering not renewing the contract with Fish and Wildlife in order to focus resources on county-owned properties. The previous contract, which authorized the county to manage the campground, expired Nov. 12.
According to Placer County Parks Administrator Andy Fisher, the proposed MOU would be a one-year agreement - with a possible extension for a second year - for management of day use at the property, as the “loudest and clearest” comment received about the future of the campground was to not let service drop off at the contract’s end.
“What we wanted to do, not knowing the answer to a lot of the long-term questions about this property, we put together an MOU that will continue patrol, will continue restroom cleaning, will continue trash pickup, it’ll continue the ranger patrol service we’ve had over the past years with the intent that over the next two years, there will not be camping but day use only,” Fisher said.
Fisher confirmed patrols conducted by the Placer County Sheriff’s Office should remain unaffected, rangers onsite will have radio and cell contact with the Sheriff’s Office and wardens will have a presence to the extent of Fish and Wildlife availability. The MOU also includes Fish and Wildlife assuming responsibility in land and vegetation management, which Fisher said has begun.
Following the contract expiration, the county removed signage related to camping, picnic tables, fire pits and barbecues from the campground. Fisher and Kevin Thomas, regional manager for the Fish and Wildlife Region 2 office, confirmed the removals were conditions included in the prior agreement in the event Placer did not renew the contract.
“Whatever the future long-term decision about camping is, is not predetermined and it’s not going to be determined by our actions taking those things out,” Fisher said. “That was a compliance issue. If somebody comes along and there is camping in the future, they can be put back. Just want to emphasize that was not a statement of predetermination of what’s going to happen on that property going into the future.”
Thomas confirmed that while camping is “not in the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s wheelhouse for how we operate,” it will continue to work over the next couple of years with groups who may be able to host that function due to the public’s desire for camping, as well as general management of the property.
The town hall allowed the public to ask questions about what has taken place at the property and the MOU, as well as provide input.
Questions included whether the trails would be maintained and remain open, what area of the property will be open to the public for day use and if in-stream mining practices will be upheld or revert to “hands and pans only” requirements. Fisher confirmed trails are user-maintained and would remain open for day use, and mining would continue under current rules and regulations. Fisher also confirmed the only current change is the implementation of no camping.
Public input included returning the picnic tables for groups who utilized the tables for home study and looking into having a host live on the property to deter potential problems.
Fisher said the MOU will be presented to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, Nov. 29, and included in the meeting agenda, once posted, for the public to review. According to the calendar details for the meeting, the agenda is typically posted by 5 p.m. on the Wednesday before a board meeting.
The public can email placercountyparks@placer.ca.gov to be placed on the notification list for information or to submit comments and questions, Fisher said.
To see original article and photos in Gold Country Media:
https://goldcountrymedia.com/news/260470/short-term-plan-for-bear-river-campground-outlined-at-town-hall/
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