Over time, isolated preserves, such as this one, could be connected by trails and other methods of easement-provided access that could allow the public to truly benefit from their acquisition, and also be able to traverse large swaths of the region through a preserved natural environment.
An excerpt.
Carlos Alcala: Rough ride and a hike leads to Placer Land Trust's preserve
By Carlos Alcalá -- Bee ColumnistPublished 12:01 am PDT Sunday, August 20, 2006
Take the easel way out: It's a bone-jarring experience getting to the Placer Land Trust's latest acquisition. To reach the 40-acre Shutamul Bear River Preserve, you have to go north out of Auburn on Highway 49 to one of the county's most notoriously dangerous intersections. Then there's a segment of intermittently paved road with Beirut-sized potholes. "This is only a precursor to the bad road," warned Jeff Darlington, PLT's director. (At least we think that's what he said. The four-wheel-drive truck bounced so much that our notes are messier and even harder to read than usual.) Before getting to the "bad road," we passed a truck with a broken axle. Ominous. Got to the dirt road and then went through four or five gates, with and without locks. Serious ups, downs, ruts and rocks. Finally, a downed oak across the road ended the drive and started a hike down to a spectacular bit of the Bear River that the Land Trust has saved forever. Someday, Darlington hopes, the land will be a bit more accessible.
