The Sacramento County Regional Parks Department is currently preparing an update of the American River Parkway Natural Resources Management Plan. The County states that the plan will provide information for managing, maintaining, and enhancing Parkway resources. It will describe existing Parkway resources, the effects of disturbances such as flood, fire, invasive species, and human impacts, and resource protection and enhancement opportunities. It will advise resource management to promote healthy ecosystems and resource protections, while balancing other Parkway goals of flood control, recreation, and public safety.

The public draft of the NRMP was released March 15, 2021 and will be open for public review and comment for a 60-day period.  The Department will be hosting four virtual workshops to receive public comments on the plan over March 19-26.

A group of local ornithologists, ecologists, and scientists, including SAS’ Chris Conard, Jeri Langham, Ed Pandolfino, Dan Airola, and others provided extensive input on the plan.  Comments recommended protection for key parkway resources, including open aquatic pond habitats. We advocated restoration of areas dominated by invasive nonnative species to grassland, riparian, and woodland habitats, and for maintaining certain areas of nonnative species, such as black locust trees, where they provide high wildlife value. 

The letter also recommended maintaining island habitats that are protected from human disturbance, some of which support heron rookeries and Swainson’s Hawk nest sites, and nesting and foraging areas for Yellow-billed Magpies. We advocated for broader enactment of humane and effective measures addressing homelessness to reduce damage to Parkway resources, as well as control of feral cat feeding stations and unauthorized mountain bike use. Finally, we advocated for robust funding needed to implement effective resource protection and management programs.

Many of you have probably seen that Parkway use has increased dramatically during the pandemic, with associated damage from trampling, creations of unauthorized trails, and human disturbance of key wildlife habitats. The plan offers an opportunity to use increased public use and support for the Parkway to garner more resources for resource protection and enhancement.

Our team has not reviewed the plan yet. We encourage all Sacramento Audubon members to review the plan and offer support for a plan that protects and enhances the Parkway’s habitats for birds, other wildlife, and natural resources.

Information on the plan and public input sessions is available at the Sacramento County Regional Parks website.  Comments can be sent to Liz Bellas at County Parks (bellase@saccounty.net)

-Dan Airola