SILLER PRESERVE, GOLD RUN
135 ACRES ALONG THE WILD & SCENIC
NORTH FORK AMERICAN RIVER
In October 2007, Placer Land Trust partnered with the American River Conservancy and a corporate landowner to preserve 94 acres of beautiful scenic land on the North Fork American River southeast of Interstate 80 at Gold Run.
The land was purchased from Siller Brothers, Inc., a timber firm, as part of the "Giant Gap Project" – a cooperative effort by PLT, American River Conservancy, and federal land management agencies. ARC took title to the Siller Preserve and will transfer title to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) for inclusion in the North Fork American River Wild & Scenic Area, thus ensuring consistent and efficient management and protection by USFS for the public benefit.
The Siller Preserve is within the Tahoe National Forest right on the banks of the North Fork American River within the Wild & Scenic River corridor, and the USFS will manage the land in accordance with its Wild & Scenic designation.
The purchase of Siller Preserve was made possible through private grants including the United Auburn Indian Community's Community Giving Program.
The primary purpose of the Giant Gap project is to work with willing sellers to protect lands within the North Fork American River Wild & Scenic corridor. Acquisition of these lands will result in the protection of the American River Canyon's scenic beauty and wildlife habitat, the protection of water quality, and the enhancement of public recreational access to the river canyon.
The American River Canyon, particularly the Wild & Scenic corridor of the North Fork American River near Giant Gap, rivals Yosemite and Lake Tahoe for dramatic Sierra Nevada landscapes. Although the area is threatened by habitat fragmentation and incompatible land use, much of it is still relatively wild and pristine, providing diverse habitat for a number of important species.
"This is a spectacularly rugged and steep section of the river canyon," said Alan Ehrgott, Executive Director of the American River Conservancy. "The Wild & Scenic corridor is relatively bereft of roads and other human incursions, and as a result it appears today much as it must have appeared 150 years ago to the first wave of immigrants coming to California for the Gold Rush."
Preservation of privately held lands such as the Siller Preserve will eliminate the haphazard pattern of private inholdings within the Wild & Scenic Area, permanently restrict harmful activities, and result in more cohesive and effective ecosystem management by federal agencies such as the USFS and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. In addition, the project will protect public recreation opportunities that exist on scenic trails on the canyon rim and along the river's course.
The goals of the Giant Gap project also include preservation
of Native American and Gold Rush history and culture, and plans to protect
water quality by cleaning up damage from hydraulic mining.
To return to the list of Placer Land Trust lands preserved, click here.
 Placer Land Trust 11521 Blocker Drive, Suite 100 Auburn, CA 95603 (530) 887-9222 info@placerlandtrust.org |