--Patricia Gibbs/ Guest Column in the Auburn Journal newspaper, Jan. 31. 2017
"How do you lose a 50-mile national recreation trail of such high regional and national value that in 1975 the Placer County Board of  Supervisors passed a resolution acknowledging the trail’s national significance and endorsed the proposed federal designation? How do you lose a trail that the Bureau of Reclamation, even during its headlong rush to build the Auburn dam, made provisions to preserve the continuous trail in the proposed dam area by supporting the federal recognition and making the extra effort to locate the trail around the dam construction site? How do you lose a trail route that has been in use for the past 45 years and is heavily used to this day?
   How can a 50-mile continuous national recreation trail be lost? By failure of our public land managers to place any value in it, by cryptically referring to it in bits and pieces in official documents, general plans and maps so that it lapses into bureaucratic obscurity and thus information generated for public review is incomplete, by changes in land manager personnel who have no record to draw from, by deciding that it is inconvenient and claiming it has no recognized status and thus doesn’t exist so that new projects may be imposed on it.    What was once a continuous trail now becomes broken and lost.  That is what is happening to the 50 mile “Western States Pioneer Express National Recreation Trail” (WSPE NRT) from Beal’s Point to Foresthill.
   This issue came up for me when it was stated that there was a gap in the trail system between the north end of the 20-mile Pioneer Express Trail (PET) (a California historic landmark No. 585 designated in 1954) in Folsom State Recreation Area and the south end of the Western States Trail (WST) located at the Auburn Staging Area in Auburn State Recreation Area. This gap is essentially the Auburn dam site area. Auburn Recreation District’s (ARD) proposed bike park is located in this gap and thus it was claimed the well-used trail that goes through the bike park had no official recognition.  
   This came a quite a surprise to those of us who had been enjoying the trail for many years. Especially so once the record for the trail was researched and reviewed. Thankfully, after much effort, ARD and State Parks did not cut this important section of the trail off but preserved it by shifting it away from bike park features. 
   The “Western States Pioneer Express National Recreation Trail” (WSPE NRT) was designated in October 1975. It is a 50-mile trail from Beal’s Point in Folsom SRA and continues through the so called gap to Auburn SRA and on to Foresthill. The Auburn Journal covered the ceremony on Dec. 12, 1975. This rare continuous trail is being lost due to bureaucratic omissions that have continued for years. It only takes small cuts to a major artery to cause significant destruction. I don’t want the potential loss of this continuous trail to happen again. 
   I am requesting that as part of the proposed Auburn State Recreation Area General Plan process, the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) land managers for our public lands do the following:
   • Identify the existence of the Western States Pioneer Express National Recreation Trail, its full name, mileage and start and stop locations in any maps, brochures and/or environmental documents and upcoming management plans.
   • State Parks update the national recreation trail website, with volunteer help
   • State Parks work with volunteers to further ID/decal the whole trail, and reroute it where necessary.
   Right now these Bureau of Reclamation dam project lands are in limbo. If the dam gets de-authorized, the area around Auburn will be subject to numerous new uses. While the trail and new uses may not necessarily be mutually exclusive, site evaluations must honor the existence of this national recreation trail. 
   We can’t let planning for these new uses ignore this trail otherwise the integrity of the 50-mile Western States Pioneer Express National Recreation Trail portion of our fabulous 100-plus-mile trail system in the area will get cut up, dismissed and destroyed. 
   So, calling all trail enthusiasts! Please take pictures of all the WSPE NRT decals you can find and let ASRA and Bureau of Reclamation know that the proposed Auburn State Recreation General Plan must recognize the existence this trail and review it fully so it can be preserved, relocated as necessary, respected and valued once again."

 Patricia Gibbs is a Loomis resident.

To see the original article and photos in the Auburn Journal, CLICK HERE.

Placer County’s Bear River Campground is moving to an online reservation system. Campers will be able to go online and reserve group campsites beginning Jan. 2, and family campsites beginning March 1, a press release said.

While the 2018 camping season isn’t set to begin until April 1, future campers can start claiming their campsites just after the beginning of the new year.

The park’s prior method of reserving a campsite over the phone has been discontinued and walk-in reservations will not be available.

The new reservation system will help the county better monitor who’s staying at the campground and ensure camper accountability.

County park rangers will continue to patrol the park and campground to help keep the area family friendly.
Located in Colfax on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada, Bear River Park and Campground also offers many hiking trails and fishing along the Bear River.
The park’s day-use area is open to the public at no charge and available every day, from a half hour before sunrise to a half hour after sunset.

The new online reservation system will be available on the Bear River Park and Campground website HERE.

To see the original article in the Auburn Journal, CLICK HERE.

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About Bear River Campground
Reservations
Reservations for group campgrounds will be taken beginning @ 8 am the first working day of January each year.
Campers are required to register online @ http://www.placer.ca.gov/parks
No phone or walk-in reservations accepted.

Amenities
Day-Use area, 23 family campsites & 2 group campsites.
Facilities include; four pit restrooms, picnic tables, fire pit rings and barbeques. 
No Potable Water is available, bring your own water. 

Capacity

• Group Camp Sites
  Guests, maximum of 50 in each group campsite.
  Vehicles, maximum of 18 in each group campsite.
  Dogs, maximum of 4 in each group campsite.

• Family Camp Sites
  Guests, Maximum of 8 people in each family camp site.
  Vehicles, maximum of 2 vehicles in each family camp site.
  Dogs, maximum of 2 in each family campsite.

Length Of Stay
Maximum 7 consecutive days, with a limit of 14 days in any one calendar year.
RVs and Tents Allowed with no guarantee spaces are large enough to accommodate RVs. 
No hook-ups available.
Narrow Road Access Motor homes and travel trailers over 30' are not recommended due to narrow and steep road conditions.
Day Use Area
The Day-Use area is open year round free of charge; hours are ½ hour before sunrise to ½ hour after sunset.
 
Camp Site Fees

• Family Site Rates
  $10 per night
  Additional Vehicle (maximum 2 vehicles) $2 per night
  Dog Charge $1 per night for each dog – maximum two dogs per Family Site

• Group Site Rates
  $5 Application Fee plus:
  Upper Group Site $40 per night
  Lower Group Site $40 per night
  Both Group Sites $75 per night
  Dog Charge $1 per night for each dog – maximum four dogs per Group Site
  Deposit for Cleaning/Damage/Security $250

Insurance
The following insurance requirements apply to group campsite reservations only:
Minimum $1,000,000 Certificate of Insurance and Additional Insured Endorsement naming “Placer County” as additional insured is required if the following conditions exist:
When renting Bear River Group Campsites;
Alcohol may be present however; the Applicant must include liquor liability on their insurance coverage.
Alcohol may be sold however; a one-day Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) liquor license must be obtained from the State of California and attached to the Application.
A Host Liquor License must be attached to the Application if the alcohol is being sold by a Licensed Business.
Please review our website for more details on insurance requirements, or call Placer County Risk Management at 530-886-2600.
Arrival/Departure
Check in after 2:00 PM the first day of your reservation.
Check out by 12:00 PM the last day of your stay.
Public Safety
For emergencies call 911. 
Routine patrols of the Bear River Park & Campground by Placer County Sheriff Deputies and Park Rangers who can assist guests.
Fires are only allowed in County established fire ring/barbeque structures, provided the land around such camp or cooking fire, cooking grill or barbecue device is cleared of all flammable material within a radius of at least ten (10) feet.  There shall be at least one able-bodied person in actual attendance of such fire at all times.  All fires and open flames must be fully extinguished prior to departing the campsite.  Burning wood pallets or trash is prohibited.
From July 1 through October, no open fires are permitted including camp fires within designated fire rings and bar-b-q’s.  Cooking food with cook type propane stoves and use of lanterns is allowed during the high fire danger periods.  The beginning date for no open fires is subject to change depending on fire risk.  For information on permissible fires during your stay, contact http://www.placer.ca.gov/parks
Sound Amplification & Quiet Hours.  Bear River Campground observes Quiet Hours between 10:00 PM and 7:00 AM, during which time no amplified sound is permitted.  No person shall operate any sound amplification device in such manner that the volume is unreasonably loud, raucous, jarring, disturbing, or a nuisance to persons or domestic animals within any area of audibility.  Generators are not allowed to operate during quiet hours.
No Lifeguard On Duty, Swim At Your Own Risk.  A responsible adult must supervise children while around the water.  River levels can change quickly without notice due to water releases upstream.
Dogs must be on a leash no longer than six feet at all times, or on a retractable leash secured to a position no longer than six feet when in the presence of other users.  Dog feces must be cleaned up and properly disposed into a trash receptacle.  Service dogs are exempted from leash requirements if a leash would interfere with the animal’s work or the individual’s disability prevents use of a leash; however, off-leash service dogs must be controlled at all times through voice, signal, or other effective controls. 
Littering Prohibited No person shall leave or deposit rubbish, litter or trash of any kind, except in receptacles provided for said purposes.
Weapons No person shall possess a weapon unless possession is authorized under the California Penal Code.  No person may or shoot, discharge, or fire any bullet, arrow, or other projectile into, over, or on any PRA
Mining No person shall operate any motorized mining equipment.  Excavating or removing soil from above the waterline (high-banking) is prohibited.
Fishing is permitted pursuant to relevant regulations of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Damage No person shall damage or remove any artifacts or items from the premises or cultivate, remove, damage or kill vegetation.  No person shall willfully destroy, damage, vandalize, steal, or misuse any improvements or natural features.
Wildlife No person shall feed, disturb, harm, or kill any wildlife.
Motorized Vehicles No person shall operate a motorized vehicle of any type outside designated roadways or parking areas.  No motorized vehicles allowed on the beaches or in the water.
Designated Travelways and Access Visitors or users of any designated Public Recreation Area (PRA) may only travel upon areas that are open to the public.  No person shall create unauthorized trails, enter trails that have been closed, cut switchbacks, damage vegetation, or cause erosion by traveling on foot, horseback or bicycle in areas outside of established trails in any PRA.
Group Campsite Gate Access Gate shall remain locked at all times using the County’s combination lock only.  Gate code will be provided to you by email or phone a maximum of 5 days prior to your reservation.  If you have a large group arriving at different times you may wish to give the combination to your group, and remind them to keep the gate closed and locked. 
RESERVATION POLICIES, DEPOSIT AND CANCELLATION:
Family Sites: A completed reservation application may be made up to the first day of your stay for any available sites.
Cancellation requests for a family camp site must be received no later than 7 days prior to the first day of your reservation.  Refunds are not available for inclement weather, smoke, or open fire restrictions.  Cancellation request must be sent to PlacerCountyParks@placer.ca.gov.  Please include your reservation number.
If the reservation request is canceled and the Applicant requests to reinstate the application, providing the date is still available, there will be a $10 reactivation fee added to the Application Fee.
The Placer County Parks Division reserves the right to cancel any reservation if unsafe conditions exist.
Group Sites: A completed reservation application must be received no less than 10 working days prior to the first requested date of your stay.
Once an application is requested, the requested date(s) will be placed as a Hold in the reservation system with the Applicant’s last name and/or the name of the User Group.  If insurance has not been received within 10 working days of the application request, the Hold will be removed and the reservation request canceled.  Reservation Holds are not a confirmed reservation until insurance certificates are received and approved.
The Applicant’s acknowledgment on the Reservation Application is an agreement with Placer County that all guests are aware of the rules and will abide by them.
A $250 deposit for Cleaning/Damage/Security is required for each reservation.  Deposit fees are designed to cover additional costs associated with leftover trash, damage, repairs, and security issues.  Any interest accrued from Use Fees or Deposits will be retained by the County.  Placer County reserves the right to bill the Applicant to recover expenses that exceeded the initial deposit.  Following a review of the condition of the group camp site and the correction of any repairs, any remaining portions of your deposit will be returned approximately 4 to 6 weeks after the last day of your camping stay.
Cancellation requests for a group camp site must be received no later than 30 days prior to the first day of your reservation.  Refunds are not available for inclement weather, smoke, or open fire restrictions.  Cancellation request must be sent to PlacerCountyParks@placer.ca.gov.  Please include your reservation number.
If the reservation request is canceled and the Applicant requests to reinstate the application, providing the date is still available and complies with the Ten-Working-Day Policy, there will be a $10 reactivation fee added to the Application Fee.
The Placer County Parks Division reserves the right to cancel any reservation if unsafe conditions exist.
RULES The Bear River Campground is governed by the Placer County Public Recreation Area (PRA) Ordinance that may be found in Section 12.24 of the Placer County Code
THANK YOU FOR VISITING
The Bear River Park and Campground is owned and operated by the County of Placer, Parks Division; 2855 2nd Street, Auburn CA, 95603. Contact number (530) 886-4901.

This sign was posted at the top of the trail and photo sent to us this morning by a Gold Country Trails Council member. Bicyclists of Nevada County has scheduled a work day on the Hoot Trail in Tahoe National Forest, Sunday, Dec. 10 from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. CLICK HERE for more information.

Please be aware of the workers (and then a group bike ride) on the trail. Other trail users may wish to use another trail tomorrow.