Southern Cross Preserve Locks in Wild and Scenic Frontage on the North Fork
A 46-acre parcel above the North Fork American River is now permanently protected, safeguarding Wild and Scenic river frontage and a stretch of the public Euchre Bar Trail near Foresthill.
American River Canyon Alliance
Good news carries downstream from our neighbors on the North Fork. The North Fork American River Alliance reports that a stretch of the canyon is now protected for good.
The Placer Land Trust purchased and permanently protected the 46-acre Southern Cross Preserve. The land sits on the North Fork American River, north of Foresthill. The Placer Land Trust announced the acquisition in a press release dated June 28, 2019.
The parcel is small in acreage but large in value. It holds several hundred feet of frontage on a federally designated Wild and Scenic stretch of the river. It also contains a section of the public Euchre Bar Trail, a route that hikers and anglers use to reach the water below. The preserve adjoins Tahoe National Forest land, extending a larger block of protected country in the canyon.
Frontage like this rarely comes up for permanent protection. When a private parcel touches a Wild and Scenic reach and carries a public trail across it, the stakes are real. Protecting it keeps the river corridor intact and keeps trail access open for the people who love this ground.
We watch these efforts closely because the American River canyons are one connected system. What holds firm on the North Fork strengthens the whole watershed. Our thanks to the Placer Land Trust for the work, and to the North Fork American River Alliance for sharing the news.