Great journeys are frequently undertaken by that proverbial small group of thoughtful committed citizens who come together, take action and literally change the face of the world. There is one such local community that should be recognized for accomplishing just that. Faced with the destruction of a spectacular river canyon, home to black bear and mountain lion, river otter and osprey; faced with the development of roads and homes that would impact the river's fisheries, the Coloma-Lotus community decided to organize, raise money, acquire the river front lands, and snatch the river canyon from the jaws of development.

This journey began in the mid-1980s when large employers landed in eastern Sacramento County fueled an explosive increase in land speculation and development in western El Dorado County. In 1988, bulldozers were found grading ill-conceived roads down and across the steep canyon slopes of the lower South Fork American River. With the first heavy rains of winter, hundreds of yards of soil washed off the newly constructed roads and a long plume of red silt was seen running down the American River into Folsom Lake. The event was witnessed, photos were taken and within the week a group of local Coloma-Lotus Valley residents agreed to organize and seek out the partnerships necessary to save the river canyon, and the American River Conservancy was officially born April 1989.

Sixteen years later, with the most recent acquisition of the 1,400 acre Cronan Ranch, a protected and wild American River parkway is finally becoming a reality. In those 16 years, the American River Conservancy, with steady support from the community, raised over $17 million dollars to acquire 3,165 acres of river front lands between Folsom Lake and Highway 49 just outside Coloma.

Trail construction in now being undertaken to create a regional trails network linking Folsom Lake with Coloma. Alan Ehrgott, executive director of the American River Conservancy, recently stated, "The investment of public and private funding will soon pay off with the phased opening of a 17-mile trail network open to hikers, equestrians and mountain bikers. These trails will link together an extraordinary number of rich habitats including riparian, oak and mixed conifer woodlands, chaparral and grassland that support six native fish species, 131 bird species and frequently seen wildlife, including black bear, mountain lion, bobcat, fox and coyote, blacktail deer, river otter, beaver, muskrat, bald and gold eagle and osprey. Opening this wildlife corridor to non-motorized recreation is completely compatible and will offer hikers, equestrians, fisherman, bird watchers and river enthusiasts with wonderful outdoor experiences for decades to come."

The first phase of the trail system, the Cronan Ranch Regional Trails Park, off Pedro Hill Road and Highway 49, is expected to open at the end of May 2005. The American River Conservancy is still accepting donations towards the final $750,000 fundraising goal to acquire several smaller trailside properties and complete trail construction.

For more information, contact the American River Conservancy at (530) 621-1224 or www.arconservancy.org. You may also visit the American River Nature Center inside Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park at 348 Highway 49.