Information about it and a map have been posted to our website.
An excerpt, with links at the jump.
“The Golden Necklace Trail, (as written about in our 2007 research report, on report page) is envisioned as beginning in Coloma, running southwest along the South Fork of the American River over the Salmon Falls Bridge, southwest along Folsom Lake to connect with the American River Parkway, continuing southwest along the Parkway Trail to the confluence with the Sacramento River, turning south along the Sacramento River to the historic Chinese town of Locke, and then turning northeast up the Cosumnes River Preserve, to—either the Folsom South Canal Trail or the Deer Creek Hills Preserve Oak Woodland—both of which would then turn northeast to connect back to the American River Parkway at Lake Natoma.”
Showing posts with label Golden Necklace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Golden Necklace. Show all posts
Monday, October 24, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Sacramento River Trail
As part of a regional trail system expanding upon that already existing along the American River, we envision in our 2007 report, The American River Parkway, Governance, Ecoregionalism, & Heritage, A Vision & Policy Primer (pp.17-29), the trail extending north up along the Sacramento River from Locke to the confluence with the American River, then east up the American, eventually to Coloma (where gold was discovered in 1848) and west down through the Cosumnes River Preserve back to Locke as the Golden Necklace.
This story in the Sacramento Press reports on the Sacramento River Parkway, which could be part of the Golden Necklace.
An excerpt.
“The Sacramento River Parkway is a 13-mile stretch of trail measured from Discovery Park to the south end of the Pocket, though the last six miles that run through the Pocket area are currently closed to the public.
“The Parkway currently is open to the public from Discovery Park, where a connection can be made to the American River Trail, travels south along the Sacramento River, and is cut off once the levee reaches the Pocket area.
“The trail then leads out to a network of trails throughout the southern end of the Pocket where the trail can be accessed again at Garcia Bend Park and taken to the end of the Freeport Water Intake Facility.
“If access is acquired to all parts of the levee, including those behind riverfront properties in the Pocket, the 13-mile stretch of trail would serve as a commuting corridor for those traveling from one end of the city to the other.
“It’s something we have worked toward for a long time,” said Anne Rudin, former mayor of Sacramento and founder of the Friends of Sacramento River Greenway.
“Friends of the Sacramento River Greenway is a volunteer, community-based organization that has been working with city officials to ensure continuous public access to the river and its levee’s since 1991.
“The plan was made decades ago to turn the American River trail at Old Sacramento and follow the Sacramento river to the south,” Rudin described. The organization has been working in collaboration with city officials since bike trails were adopted by the city.”
This story in the Sacramento Press reports on the Sacramento River Parkway, which could be part of the Golden Necklace.
An excerpt.
“The Sacramento River Parkway is a 13-mile stretch of trail measured from Discovery Park to the south end of the Pocket, though the last six miles that run through the Pocket area are currently closed to the public.
“The Parkway currently is open to the public from Discovery Park, where a connection can be made to the American River Trail, travels south along the Sacramento River, and is cut off once the levee reaches the Pocket area.
“The trail then leads out to a network of trails throughout the southern end of the Pocket where the trail can be accessed again at Garcia Bend Park and taken to the end of the Freeport Water Intake Facility.
“If access is acquired to all parts of the levee, including those behind riverfront properties in the Pocket, the 13-mile stretch of trail would serve as a commuting corridor for those traveling from one end of the city to the other.
“It’s something we have worked toward for a long time,” said Anne Rudin, former mayor of Sacramento and founder of the Friends of Sacramento River Greenway.
“Friends of the Sacramento River Greenway is a volunteer, community-based organization that has been working with city officials to ensure continuous public access to the river and its levee’s since 1991.
“The plan was made decades ago to turn the American River trail at Old Sacramento and follow the Sacramento river to the south,” Rudin described. The organization has been working in collaboration with city officials since bike trails were adopted by the city.”
Friday, August 26, 2011
Golden Necklace Connection
One of the projects our organization supports is the eventual construction of a trail system connecting the site of the birth of the gold rush at Coloma to Sacramento, the gateway to the gold fields.
We call this trail project The Golden Necklace, and have written about it in our 2007 research report Governance, Ecoregionalism, & Heritage: A Policy Primer, (pp. 17-27)
The trail is envisioned as beginning in Coloma, running southwest along the South Fork of the American River over the Salmon Falls Bridge, southwest along Folsom Lake to connect with the American River Parkway, then running southwest to the confluence with the Sacramento River, and then running south along the Sacramento River to the historic Chinese town of Locke, and then running northeast up the Cosumnes River Preserve, then turning north on the Folsom South Canal Trail, connecting back to the American River Parkway at Lake Natoma.
A recent story in The Sacramento Press about the El Dorado Trail being considered as part of the rails to trails effort connecting Lake Tahoe to Sacramento is a welcome addition.
An excerpt.
“The El Dorado Trail stretches from South Lake Tahoe to the western El Dorado county line and runs along the Sacramento Placerville Train Corridor (SPTC) from Placerville West. This trail is partially developed (witness the newest, very heavily used, section from Forni Road to Missouri Flat Road) and could eventually be a hiking, biking, equestrian connection of South Lake Tahoe to Folsom. From Folsom the American River Parkway connects to Davis and eventually to San Francisco.
“The people of El Dorado County purchased the rights to the El Dorado county portion of the SPTC in 1995 under the auspices of the 1983 National Trail System act (better known as the “Rails to Trails” act). This act recognized that the national system of rail corridors was in danger of being abandoned and lost due to a change in transportation efficiencies, and Congress set out to save the corridors by “railbanking” them. The thrust of “railbanking” is simple:
• It allows local jurisdictions to preserve the rail corridors by establishing trails until, and if, active commercial rail use is needed again.
• If commercial rail use becomes viable again, in the future, then the commercial rail companies have the absolute right to lay new track, at their expense, and re-take the corridor.
• It allows the commercial rail companies to leave their existing assets in place (such as trestles and cuts and fills) and not have to return the land to prior status.
• It preempts trail development on the corridors from environmental processes as rails are simply being replaced by trails.
• It maintains the integrity of the corridor land use and prevents adjacent land owners from attempting to take railbanked land (this land use issue was settled in the Preseault case before the US Supreme Court in 1990).
“Whether existing track is removed or stays is inconsequential to the National Trail System Act or the right of a rail company to re-take the corridor in the future, as long as the interim use is for trails.”
We call this trail project The Golden Necklace, and have written about it in our 2007 research report Governance, Ecoregionalism, & Heritage: A Policy Primer, (pp. 17-27)
The trail is envisioned as beginning in Coloma, running southwest along the South Fork of the American River over the Salmon Falls Bridge, southwest along Folsom Lake to connect with the American River Parkway, then running southwest to the confluence with the Sacramento River, and then running south along the Sacramento River to the historic Chinese town of Locke, and then running northeast up the Cosumnes River Preserve, then turning north on the Folsom South Canal Trail, connecting back to the American River Parkway at Lake Natoma.
A recent story in The Sacramento Press about the El Dorado Trail being considered as part of the rails to trails effort connecting Lake Tahoe to Sacramento is a welcome addition.
An excerpt.
“The El Dorado Trail stretches from South Lake Tahoe to the western El Dorado county line and runs along the Sacramento Placerville Train Corridor (SPTC) from Placerville West. This trail is partially developed (witness the newest, very heavily used, section from Forni Road to Missouri Flat Road) and could eventually be a hiking, biking, equestrian connection of South Lake Tahoe to Folsom. From Folsom the American River Parkway connects to Davis and eventually to San Francisco.
“The people of El Dorado County purchased the rights to the El Dorado county portion of the SPTC in 1995 under the auspices of the 1983 National Trail System act (better known as the “Rails to Trails” act). This act recognized that the national system of rail corridors was in danger of being abandoned and lost due to a change in transportation efficiencies, and Congress set out to save the corridors by “railbanking” them. The thrust of “railbanking” is simple:
• It allows local jurisdictions to preserve the rail corridors by establishing trails until, and if, active commercial rail use is needed again.
• If commercial rail use becomes viable again, in the future, then the commercial rail companies have the absolute right to lay new track, at their expense, and re-take the corridor.
• It allows the commercial rail companies to leave their existing assets in place (such as trestles and cuts and fills) and not have to return the land to prior status.
• It preempts trail development on the corridors from environmental processes as rails are simply being replaced by trails.
• It maintains the integrity of the corridor land use and prevents adjacent land owners from attempting to take railbanked land (this land use issue was settled in the Preseault case before the US Supreme Court in 1990).
“Whether existing track is removed or stays is inconsequential to the National Trail System Act or the right of a rail company to re-take the corridor in the future, as long as the interim use is for trails.”
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