2024

Thursday, December 12, 2024 — 6-8 PM
Clunie Clubhouse at McKinley Park (Alhambra Blvd at F Street)
Sacramento, California

The City of Sacramento is updating its Master Plan for Sutter’s Landing Park, which sits adjacent to the American River Parkway.

Sutter’s Landing Park provides tremendous opportunities to connect Sacramento area residents with nature and protect vital habitat for imperiled wildlife species including Swainson’s hawks, Peregrine falcons, Red-tailed hawks, Meadowlarks, Northern Harriers, and many others.

The Master Plan will help determine the fate of nearly 200 acres of existing wildlife areas that are an important part of the upland habitat along the American River and improvements to other portions of the park that currently provide active recreation.

“The Mound” portion of the Park (pictured in the foreground) is the largest habitat area along the southern portion of the American River within the City of Sacramento and could be a Nature Preserve.
The recently acquired “West Sutter’s Landing Park” properties (just west of Blue Diamond) could also be a Nature Preserve and restored.

The Park could also include additional compatible trails to further connect residents to nature and river-themed play areas and environmental education programs for kids.

Please attend the December 12th meeting and speak out for protecting nature at Sutter’s Landing.
You can also email written comments to DRepan[at]cityofsacramento[dot]org.

For more information, email: cibrownci[at]icloud[dot]com.

Click here for this action alert in PDF.

Sutter’s Landing Regional Park Site Plan Update Survey

The City of Sacramento’s Youth, Parks & Community Enrichment Department would like to gather public input from our neighbors of Sutter’s Landing Regional Park. The survey information will be used to help the city develop a Site Plan Update and Guidebook for the development of the site.

The survey is open June 10 through July 12. This survey is estimated to take 10 to 15 minutes to complete.

ENGLISH: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SLP_2024

SPANISH: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SLP_2024?lang=es

American River Watershed Forest Management – Presentation 05/29/2024

Mega Fires, Water Supply, and the Environment

Join us Wednesday, May 29, 2024 at 6:00 pm on Zoom
(ECOS Board Meeting will begin at 7:00 pm)

Link to join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6656164155
To phone in: 669-900-6833, Meeting ID: 665 616 4155

The forest lands of the American River Watershed are an integral component of our Region’s ecosystem, providing habitat for wildlife and residents, recreational opportunities for all, carbon sequestration and timber harvesting, and a critical source for the capture, storage and release of water resources for us, the delta, and downstream beneficial water uses.

Join ECOS and a panel of experts on May 29 from 6 pm until 7 pm to learn about how Placer County Water Agency (PCWA) has become involved in ecological forest management and the science behind implementing this work. Learn how the last century of forest management has degraded ecological sustainability and contributed to the megafires that threaten the future of forests. Discuss what is being done to correct these mistakes and what we all can do to sustainably manage our watershed and others throughout the west.

Tony Firenzi, Director of Strategic Affairs with PCWA, will provide an overview of how his agency interfaces with the forest environment and the business case for their leadership in managing forest lands. Tony will closeout the discussion with critical policy matters that need collaborative resolution to continue on a trajectory of progress.
Marie Davis, Registered Geologist and consultant to PCWA, will expand on the case for ecological forest management and present the partnerships and collaboration that are necessary to advance these projects. She will use PCWA’s French Meadows Forest Restoration Project as an example and discuss the collaboration with federal, state, and local government, NGOs, and UC Merced to bring this project to success. She will present efforts to respond to both wildfire damage and what work needs to be carried out to protect the forests from the ravages of future wildfires.

The survival of our forest lands is critical to all our lives and environment, both regionally and globally, so it is essential that ECOS consider these and other perspectives. Bring your issues, questions, and ideas on the 29th and join the conversation.

Click here to view the agenda.

ECOS comments on AKT Development request for LAFCo hearings

On March 29, 2024, ECOS submitted a letter to Folsom City Council regarding the request they’ve received from AKT development to initiate hearings before Sacramento LAFCO to approve sphere of influence designation for a substantial area of land south of the city’s current city limits (and extending well into El Dorado County).

Below is an excerpt from our letter.

…initiation of this process has significant implications for City residents as well as county,
regional and state policies and programs. Of particular interest is how a supply of water to accommodate the proposed development might be made available. Place of use restrictions on Folsom’s water rights will limit the availability of surface water use in the proposed development area.

…We also have concerns regarding the project’s traffic impacts and increases in emissions resulting from the project’s buildout. Under California state law the Sacramento Region must meet mandated targets for greenhouse gas reduction and air quality by 2030. The approval of a very large greenfield most certainly does not advance the long-term ability to meet these targets.

Click here to read the letter in full.

Public Meeting – Lower American River Erosion Construction Update (H St to Howe Ave)

The US Army Corps of Engineers is having a virtual public meeting Thursday, May 4 from 5-6 p.m. In this meeting they’ll discuss why the Lower American River Erosion project is needed, how they chose the design, environmental impacts, what to expect during construction, and future work they’ll be doing in the parkway.

They will post the meeting link here on the day of the event or you can sign up for their mailing list by sending an email titled “American River Levee Upgrades email list” to spk-pao[at]usace[dot]army[dot]mil.

Sacramento Region’s Water Future 3/29

At the ECOS MTG/Board on March 29, 2023, join us for a presentation, Sacramento Region’s Water Future.

Jessica Law, Executive Director of the Sacramento Water Forum and Ashlee Casey, the Forum’s Senior Engineer are joining the ECOS membership and guests on March 29 at 6:00 pm to present and discuss the results of a Water Forum Ad Hoc Technical Team GAP Analysis Report. This Report is an important step in the Water Forum’s efforts to revise the current Water Forum Agreement to accommodate the Region’s anticipated water demand growth and potential impacts from a changing climate. Ashlee managed the staff and consultant effort to develop the Report. Jessica and Ashlee will describe the findings of the report including the significant changes in Northern California hydrology brought about by the increasing temperatures that are projected to occur over the next decades. These warmer temperatures and shifting global conditions will cause longer and more frequent droughts and will shift the region’s runoff pattern earlier in the season. Coupled with planned increases in water use, our region will likely experience significant water management and environmental challenges.

Some of the Report’s findings indicate that the greater Sacramento area’s future water supply reliability will be reduced as the result of both planned growth and increasing temperatures caused by climate change. These rising temperatures will reduce the “snowpack reservoir” and increase the probability that in some years Folsom Reservoir will be at or near deadpool conditions. Surface water modeling of these impacts indicates lower flows in the Lower American River that will affect our ability to preserve the fishery, wildlife, recreational, and aesthetic values of the lower American River causing the region’s salmonid species to encounter near‐fatal or fatal conditions in many years primarily due to higher water temperatures.

Completion of the GAP Analysis Report is a significant step in the Water Forum 2 negotiation process. Water Forum members are beginning work on discussions and proposed actions for a new Water Forum Agreement to address the issues described in the Report. Jessica will provide insights into some of the areas the Water Forum members are discussing, and the process being used by the Forum to reach agreement on a new Water Forum Agreement 2. One that provides a roadmap for the region’s water future.

Join us on March 29 at 6:00 pm to learn about the GAP Analysis Report findings. Bring your questions and suggestions on what we should do to provide a reliable and safe water supply for the region’s economic health and planned development through 2040 and beyond; and preserve the fishery, wildlife, recreational, and aesthetic values of the lower American River.

Link to join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6656164155
To phone in: 669-900-6833, Meeting ID: 665 616 4155