|
The American River Conservancy protects land with a wide variety of values, but the common thread uniting all of our projects is the habitat value they provide to local wildlife.
Featured Projects
Salmon Falls Ranch Project
 Nestled along the South Fork of the American River’s mouth to Folsom Lake, the 604 acre Salmon Falls Ranch, is a stunning and easily accessible environmental wonder. Home to wildlife, beautiful riparian corridors, green woodland pastures and a popular, yet small trail system (Salmon Falls trail), the Salmon Falls Ranch acquisition and restoration will have tremendous benefit for people, wildlife and the environment. Your support is needed to develop this unique buffer and recreational resource, separating the lush, rural mountains to the East, from the fast-paced, urban environments to the West.
The acquisition will provide ground for new trails above Folsom Lake, a parking area along the East side of Salmon Falls Rd., and a connector to the South Fork American River trail system, running upstream to Highway 49 near Coloma.
The expanded trail network will benefit hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians through longer trails, new access points and more varied terrain. Equally important, the gentle topography of the property accommodates all levels of outdoor recreation and represents an ‘entry-point’ for a new generation of outdoor enthusiasts.
By protecting the riparian corridors and restoring the property’s environmental integrity, we create sustainable habitats for wildlife and native plants, and protect the quality of water that flows through the river and into the Lake - ultimately reaching over 22 million Californians.
We need your help to improve the health of our community through increased outdoor recreation, to restore sensitive habitat for native wildlife, and preserve the quality of water flowing out of our mountains and into our homes.
Make a donation to support the Salmon Falls Ranch
View a map of the Salmon Falls Ranch
On November 1, 2010, the American River Conservancy ("ARC") purchased the 272 acre site of the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Colony Farm. The farm, located one mile south of Coloma and the Marshall Gold State Historic Park, is, to the best of our knowledge, the first Japanese colony in North America.
The farm contains the gravesite of Okei Ito, the first Japanese woman buried on American soil, and is the birthplace of the first naturalized Japanese-American. This ranch is an interesting mosaic of springs, streams, wetlands, blue and live oak forest, sweeping vistas and prime agricultural soil. Ranch ponds and the small lake is a draw for wildlife, particularly migratory waterfowl during the winter and early spring.
The ranch is open to the public through organized tours only. View the activities calendar for scheduled tour dates. With advance notice, we will endeavor to honor special tour requests. To request a special tour, please call 530-621-1224.
ARC purchased this ranch with grant funding from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, private donations, and with bridge loans. The bridge loans must be paid off within two years (October 2012). Now we need your help to pay off the bridge loan that is required to protect this unique site forever.
Make a donation to help protect the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Colony Farm site.
Attend the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Colony Farm Festival on May 19
Learn more about the unique history of the site.
View the List of Key Partners
Other Conservation Projects
Kanaka Valley
Located southeast of Folsom Lake and north of Green Valley road, Kanaka Valley provides habitat for seven rare plants, and includes potential habitat for four federally listed plant species. The property contains 343 acres of blue oak woodland, valley oak woodland, blue oak foothill pine and montane hardwood, 167 acres of chaparral habitat, as well as 100 acres of riparian habitat along Jill’s Creek and Crocker Creek, tributaries to the South Fork American River. The most recent cooperative effort between the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and American River Conservancy (ARC) has purchased 695 acres that represents the third and final phase of the Kanaka Valley habitat acquisition project. The Kanaka Valley purchase protects an important low-elevation wet meadow system that links federal and state public lands in the Pine Hill Preserve, while also protecting populations of federally listed plant species. The area was also home to Hawaiian settlers prior to the Gold Rush, demonstrating the region’s rich cultural history and giving the valley its unique name. The Pine Hill Preserve was established to protect rare native plants in El Dorado County that occur on a unique soil type known as gabbro soils. Since 1991, the American River Conservancy, Pine Hill Preserve Management Group and various funding partners have protected over 2,600 acres of rare plant habitat in the Preserve. The Pine Hill Preserve contains more than 4,000 acres of publicly-managed lands stretching from Folsom Lake in the north to Highway 50 in the south.
Help us protect the lands you love
Make a tax-deductible donation to help ARC protect the land and rivers that are at the heart of California’s Gold Country. Every dollar donated to the Conservancy goes directly to the program where it is needed most.
|
