Pack Out Your Trash
With limited staff and services likely in many parks and protected areas, trash and recycling receptacles may not be emptied as often as normal or at all. This can result in trash overflowing from receptacles which becomes litter and can harm wildlife. Instead, pack all your trash and recyclables out with you all the way home and utilize your own receptacles.

Avoid Times and Places of High Use
Absolutely avoid crowded parks, trails and beaches. Social distancing applies in the outdoors just as it does anywhere else. To avoid being part of the creation of large crowds and groups at popular outdoor areas, spread out to less popular spots, and avoid times of highest use if possible. 

You and your outdoor worldYou may be asking: Can I go for a hike or walk on the beach right now? Your personal vulnerability, access to local and uncrowded spaces and more play into this decision. Then there are communities and states with either lockdown or “shelter in place” mandates. Where COVID-19 is spiking, it may not be possible to get out at all, so pay close attention to guidance in your community before heading outside. Then follow social distancing guidance, meaning staying at least six-feet away from anyone you aren’t living with.

Expect Closures
As businesses limit services or direct their staff to work remotely, closures should be expected. The result could be a lack of water, restrooms, campgrounds, or other facilities—or even entire areas closed to the public. Many experts are recommending that you refrain from using public restrooms and other open facilities at all right now. Take necessary precautions like bringing extra food and water, learning how to go to the bathroom outdoors, and being ready to pack all your trash out with you.

Proceed With Caution
Keep in mind that as our healthcare system becomes more overwhelmed, it’s important to reduce potential accidents that would add to the stress on first responders and medical professionals. As much as possible, stick to activities and areas that are within your regular routine and take it easy.

Don’t Forget the Leave No Trace 7 Principles
Just because times are tough, doesn’t mean the Leave No Trace 7 Principles fly out the window. Our outdoor spaces will likely be receiving less attention from staff and volunteers right now. This means our shared spaces need us to act as stewards more than ever.  Remember, it is still just as important to prepare for spring weather conditions, stick to trails, dispose of our waste properly, minimize fire impacts, leave what we find, keep a safe distance from wildlife, and…

Be Considerate and Kind to Other Visitors 
We are all in this together. Be considerate of others in the outdoors by ensuring that you practice social distancing. Be particularly kind to park staff during these challenging times. Help them do their job by doing your part to take care of each other and our beloved outdoors.

We will see you out there on the other side of this crisis!

To see more about Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics CLICK HERE.

A tragic fallout from the COVID-19 infections is that it's straining our medical and emergency facilities to its maximum. There may be no room for you in your local ER. When air transportation or emergency personnel are grounded, there may be no helicopter to transport you from the back country.

• PLEASE take extreme care to not get hurt on the trails.
• Don't ride that bike on the bleeding edge.
• Don't ride that young, green horse.
• Wear your helmet.
• Don't get lost.
• Don't go any farther into the forest or back country than you can walk out.
• Run carefully.
• Hike with your eyes on the trail.
• Don't let your dog off leash.

DON'T DO ANYTHING THAT COULD GET YOU OR SOMEONE ELSE HURT.
There may not be medical personnel to help you.

With the new event guidelines announced by the CDC, TBF Racing has the following event updates:

• The Mighty Dog 5K & 10K will become a virtual race. All entrants are encouraged to run 5K or 10K with their dogs and send in their pictures to be included in our Mighty Dog Facebook Race Album. Each runner will be mailed a Mighty Dog Finisher Medal and a Mighty Dog Bandana for their dog – plus a $20 Voucher good towards the Good Dog-Dirty Dog 5K &10K Race on August 23rd. We will also post your pictures to an online Facebook Album.
• The Happy Kids Duathlon #5 will be rescheduled to May 10th as part of the Mother’s Day Triathlon/Duathlon event.
• The MTB Championship race will be cancelled. All entrants will receive a Free entry into the September 19th Gold Rush Growler MTB Race, or race credit towards the 2021 Spring MTB Series. The Spring MTB Series will be calculated based upon the first 5 races.
• Triathletes entered in the April 18th REAL MTB Triathlon & April 19th ICE Breaker Triathlon will receive a full credit of their entry fee towards a future TBF Racing event.
• Normally TBF Racing has a no refund policy on all of our events. A refund requested prior to race week is given a TBF Race credit for the amount of the entry fee minus a $25 processing fee. Credits are not given during race week. Transfers are allowed from one TBF Racing event to another within a one-year time frame. There is a $25 transfer fee. Transfers are not allowed during race week.
• Due to the extraordinary situation we are waiving processing fees and transfer fees for the ICE Breaker Triathlon, REAL MTB Triathlon, MTB Championship Race, and the Happy Kids Duathlon #5 if unable to race on Mother’s Day and giving full race credit towards a future TBF Racing event.

To see the latest news from TBF Racing events, CLICK HERE.

SECOND AMENDED NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF A DRAFT SEIR FOR PUBLIC REVIEW
*** Amended to change the Public Meeting from March 26, 2020 to May 14, 2020 at 5:00 p.m.,
and to extend the Public Review and Comment Period to May 20, 2020. ***
Here a copy of our new Notice of Availability for the Hidden Falls Draft SEIR and details on the change of public meeting due to the virus and resulting closures.

Andy Fisher, Parks Administrator
Placer County | Department of Public Works | Parks and Grounds Division
Address 3091 County Center Drive, Suite 220
(530) 889-6819 office | (530) 613-5568 cell |
<http://www.placer.ca.gov/>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT / RESOURCE AGENCY Environmental Coordination Services Division
SECOND AMENDED NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF A DRAFT SEIR FOR PUBLIC REVIEW
*** Amended to change the Public Meeting from March 26, 2020 to May 14, 2020 at 5:00 p.m., and to extend the Public Review and Comment Period to May 20, 2020. ***
Monitor the County’s website at https://www.placer.ca.gov/2537/Hidden-Falls-Regional-Park-Trail-Network for future updates as further notices will be sent by email and updated on the website, but will not be sent via USPS.
PROPOSED PROJECT: Hidden Falls Regional Park Trails Expansion Project (PLN19-00187) (State Clearinghouse No. 2007062084)
PUBLIC REVIEW AND COMMENT PERIOD: February 20, 2020 through May 20, 2020
PROJECT LOCATION: The proposed trail expansion areas are located northeast, east and west of the existing Hidden Falls Regional Park (HFRP), and south of the Bear River in Placer County, approximately 40 miles northeast of Sacramento.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The County is proposing to expand the HFRP natural-surface, multi-use trail network onto approximately 2,765 additional acres of land owned by the Placer Land Trust (where the County holds trail easement rights), or owned by the County or where the County owns easements. Approximately 30 miles of trails (including existing and proposed trails) within the expansion areas would be added to the 30+/-miles of existing trails within the existing park boundary. Three new parking areas and an additional overflow area within the existing HFRP parking area are also proposed, as well as other amenities such as bridges, overlooks, picnic benches and tables, restrooms, drinking fountains and equestrian amenities.
SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS: The Draft SEIR identified potentially significant project impacts with respect to Visual Impacts to Garden Bar Road and increases in Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) in the Existing Plus Project and Cumulative Plus Project scenarios. These impacts were found to be significant and unavoidable.
PUBLIC MEETINGS: A public meeting to receive comments on the Draft SEIR is scheduled for:
 May14,2020 – 5:00PM.
Placer County Planning Commission
3091 County Center Drive
Auburn, CA 
The meeting agenda will be available at the following link up to 1 week prior to the meeting for updated information:
https://www.placer.ca.gov/AgendaCenter/Planning-Commission-53
WHERE DRAFT SEIR MAY BE REVIEWED: The Draft SEIR is available for review during normal business hours at the Auburn Library (350 Nevada Street), Lincoln Library (485 Twelve Bridges Drive), the Placer County Community Development Resource Agency offices in Auburn (3091 County Center Drive) and the County Clerk-Recorder’s Office (2954 Richardson Drive, Auburn). The Draft SEIR is also available online at:
https://www.placer.ca.gov/2537/Hidden-Falls-Regional-Park-Trail-Network
SEND WRITTEN COMMENTS TO: Placer County Community Development Resource Agency, Environmental Coordination Services, 3091 County Center Drive, Suite 190, Auburn, CA 95603; or fax (530) 745-3080; or email [email protected] no later than 5:00 p.m. on May 20, 2020.
Comments received during the public review period (February 20, 2020 through May 20, 2020) will be responded to in the Final SEIR.
For more information on the project, please contact Parks Administrator Andy Fisher at (530) 889-6819

Placer Land Trust is $1 million closer to securing a 185-acre parcel of land in North Auburn thanks to a grant from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy. The property provides connectivity with 8,300 acres of conserved land along the Bear River. 
The grant would go toward the approximately $1.5 million purchase price of the privately owned piece of land. The Laursen South Preserve Expansion and Trail Connection Project will allow Placer Land Trust to expand on its 361 acres of Laursen Ranch it purchased in 2017.
Included in the sale is a donation of a one-half mile long trail easement across property that is not a part of the acquisition to provide connectivity between this property and the Laursen Ranch Bear River Preserve.
“This acquisition will protect the watershed and wildlife habitats, continue managed grazing on the property and expand the available landscape for docent-led recreational hiking,” the grant application stated.
The application stated the purchase of land was a “now or never” acquisition because the owners are “willing and able” to sell the property for residential development. The owners are actively engaged with Placer Land Trust, the application stated, awaiting confirmation of funds from Sierra Nevada Conservancy and the Wildlife Conservation Board.
The property, which is owned by the Laursen Family Trust, has been managed as a working landscape for cattle grazing, and Placer Land Trust plans to continue grazing operations on the property through ecologically based, adaptive land management.
“With this and other properties they hold, Placer Land Trust seeks to strike a balance with public use by providing managed outdoor recreation opportunities in beautiful areas where open public access may not be feasible under the land management plan,” the application stated.
The property provides Placer Land Trust to expand its docent-led hikes, clinics and other recreation events.
The property provides connectivity with 8,300 acres of conserved land along the Bear River. The donated easement will connect the preserved land to the Bear River. The application also states this acquisition will protect one of the last remaining blocks of blue oak woodland in this region of the foothills.
“There is limited remaining undeveloped land available for conservation in the foothills,” the application stated. “This acquisition will add to the county’s ability to provide recreational opportunities, balanced with watershed and wildlife conservation and the maintenance of working landscapes.”
The $1 million Sierra Nevada Conservancy grant is one of 27 projects the group funded for regional projects. The Sierra Nevada Conservancy Governing Board approved spending $13.5 million in grants focused on forest health, land conservation and community resilience.

The property provides Placer Land Trust to expand its docent-led hikes, clinics and other recreation events.
The property provides connectivity with 8,300 acres of conserved land along the Bear River. The donated easement will connect the preserved land to the Bear River. The application also states this acquisition will protect one of the last remaining blocks of blue oak woodland in this region of the foothills.

For more information on the Laursen South Preserve Expansion and Trail Connection Project and additional Sierra Nevada Conservancy grants, visit sierranevada.ca.gov.


CLICK HERE to see original article in the Auburn Journal newspaper.

FROM THE AR 50 WEBSITE:
American River 25 and 50 - CANCELLED - Due to the rapidly developing Coronavirus COVID-19 situation, we have just been mandated to Cancel the American River 25- and 50-Mile Endurance Run. Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Department of Public Health have updated their policy to counter the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and have recommend that non-essential events be postponed or cancelled.

We know all of you have been training for months in preparation for our event. All of us at NorCalUltras were looking forward to a great event and are saddened to inform you of the news. We are looking to postpone the event to a later date and will be in touch with more information. We encourage everyone to continue to practice the safety measures provided by the CDC. Thank you for understanding. For more information please refer to the Governor’s website https://gov.ca.gov and the California State Parks’ website https://www.parks.ca.gov/ for more information.

FOR UPDATES 
http://www.ar50mile.com/
​

Chanoko 50K, 31K and 5-Mile Trail Runs
Saturday, March 7, 2020 | Granite Beach, Folsom Lake SRA

Start Times

• Start of the Chanoko 50K and 31K runs (at Auburn Overlook): 8:00 am
• Start of the Chanoko 5 Miler (at Granite Beach): 8:00 am

Trails impacted - Pioneer Express:

• Chanoko 50K runs from Auburn Overlook Park to Beals Point and back to Granite Beach, Folsom Lake.
• Chanoko 31K point-to-point course from Auburn Overlook Park to Granite Beach, Folsom Lake.
• Chanoko 5 Miler starts and finishes at Granite Beach, Folsom Lake.

For complete information CLICK HERE.

The Nevada Irrigation District (NID) Lower Scotts Flat Trail Connector will result in more trail access on NID-owned land for public enjoyment. The approximately 1-mile trail below Scotts Flat Reservoir will initially terminate at Deer Creek, then eventually connect the southern Cascade Shores area with the northern campgrounds prior to the spillway repair project. NID looks to once again partner with the Bear Yuba Land Trust (BYLT) to facilitate and coordinate local community groups and volunteers in the construction of both sides of the trail this summer and fall.
“NID recognizes the importance of trail access and embraces the work of community collaboration to create healthy opportunities for people of all ages to enjoy the outdoors,” said NID General Manager Remleh Scherzinger. “We are proud to work with the Bear Yuba Land Trust to provide land and access for the public.”
“Creating permanent public access to recreational lands and connections between neighborhoods is a core part of our mission. Working with NID to expand these trail systems will benefit locals and visitors for generations to come,” said Erin Tarr, Co-Executive Director of the BYLT.
A final design for the Lower Scotts Flat Trail Connector on either side of Deer Creek has been developed. Nevada City Engineering has begun the environmental and cultural mapping to determine what areas may need to be protected. The crossing over Deer Creek will likely require further environmental permitting, additional funding and collaboration with the spillway repair in the final phase.
NID is pleased to partner with local and regional community organizations that support public trails and recreational use. NID, a provider of both drinking and irrigation water in Nevada and Placer counties, owns reservoirs and adjacent lands which offer recreational opportunities to the community including hiking, camping, fishing, swimming, sailing, water skiing, and other activities. At Rollins and Scotts Flat reservoirs NID provides public parks, campgrounds and beaches for enjoyment. Higher up in the mountains, NID maintains and operates campgrounds and recreational facilities in the Jackson Meadows and Bowman Lake areas.
The Bear Yuba Land Trust is a private, non-profit organization that works to promote voluntary conservation of the region’s natural, historical and agricultural legacy for more than 27 years. BYLT’s professional trails team has worked with community volunteers to build and maintain more than 30 miles of local trails.

NID Press Release Feb. 25, 2020

To see the original, CLICK HERE.