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HomeMy WebLinkAbout5.9.22 Board Correspondence - FW_ Cherokee Road_North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve From:Paulsen, Shaina To:Valencia, Shyanne Subject:Board Correspondence - FW: Cherokee Road/North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve Date:Monday, May 9, 2022 7:52:44 AM Attachments:5_4_22_Butte_Co_letter.docx.pdf RE Cherokee RoadNorth Table Mountain Ecological Reserve.msg Please log as BOS Correspondence. Shaina Paulsen Associate Clerk of The Board Butte County Administration 25 County Center Drive, Suite 200, Oroville, CA 95965 T: 530.552.3304 | F: 530.538.7120 From: Bennett, Robin <RBennett@buttecounty.net> Sent: Thursday, May 5, 2022 3:45 PM To: Pickett, Andy <APickett@buttecounty.net> Cc: Reaster, Kayla <kreaster@buttecounty.net>; Paulsen, Shaina <SPaulsen@buttecounty.net> Subject: FW: Cherokee Road/North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve Please see the attached BOS correspondence for your record. Thanks, Executive Assistant Office: 530-762-2186 Supervisor Doug Teeter, District 5 Butte County Board of Supervisors 747 Elliott Road, Suite B Paradise, CA 95969 Email: rbennett@buttecounty.net From: Drath, Laura@Wildlife <Laura.Drath@wildlife.ca.gov> Sent: Thursday, May 5, 2022 3:10 PM To: Connelly, Bill <BConnelly@buttecounty.net>; Lucero, Debra <DLucero@buttecounty.net>; Ritter, Tami <TRitter@buttecounty.net>; Kimmelshue, Tod <TKimmelshue@buttecounty.net>; Teeter, Doug <DTeeter@buttecounty.net> Cc: Erica Smith <Erica@syaslpartners.com> Subject: RE: Cherokee Road/North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve ATTENTION: This message originated from outside Butte County. Please exercise judgment before opening .. attachments, clicking on links, or replying. Good afternoon; thank you for your March 30, 2022 letter to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Please find attached a response from Kevin Thomas, CDFW North Central Region Manager. Thank you, Laura Laura Drath Interpretive Services Supervisor CDFW North Central Region 1701 Nimbus Road Rancho Cordova, CA 95670 (916) 591-1161 State of California -The Natural Resources Agency GAVIN NEWSOM, Governor DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE CHARLTON H. BONHAM, Director 1701 Nimbus Road, Suite A Rancho Cordova, CA 95670 www.wildlife.ca.gov (916) 358-2900 May 4, 2022 Bill Connelly, Chair Butte County Board of Supervisors 25 County Center Drive, Suite 200 Oroville, CA 95965 Dear Chair Connelly and Members of the Butte County Board of Supervisors: Thank you for your recent letter from the Butte County Board of Supervisors (BOS) informing the CA Department of Fish and Wildlife (Department) of the ordinance adopted by the BOS in relation to parking along Cherokee Road near the North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve (NTMER). The Department recognizes that visitation to the NTMER has increased over the years and that this increase has raised safety concerns related to parking congestion and pedestrian traffic for the BOS. We appreciate the efforts of the BOS to address these issues for both residents and visitors to Butte County. While the Department recognizes the positive impact of tourism on the local economy and the importance of connecting visitors to the outdoors through access to public lands, this rise in public visitation has unfortunately had significant negative impacts on the natural resources that NTMER was established to protect. Ecological Reserves are established by the Department primarily for protection and conservation of natural resources with all other uses being secondary to that purpose. The recently renovated parking lot at NTMER was designed to accommodate the volume of vehicles that is consistent with the amount of visitation envisioned in the NTMER Management Plan (Plan). Additional parking would allow for use that goes beyond that which was envisioned in the Plan to protect the natural resources at NTMER. To provide visitors with an enjoyable experience the Department has installed restrooms and has partnered with Explore Butte County to bring in waste collection services during the wildflower season to reduce litter and pollutants. The Department is concerned that any effort to increase capacity for parking at the site, thus facilitating additional visitation, may exacerbate the impacts to natural resources at the NTMER and further degrade the habitat for sensitive species. The current impacts from increased visitation have led to trespass issues and the creation of multiple unauthorized trails which have trampled wildflowers and destroyed some natural resources at the NTMER. As an alternative to providing additional parking and exceeding envisioned visitation numbers, the Department supports the county pursuing acquisition of parcels in the area with similar natural resources that could be administered as a county park and provide additional areas for visitation. Pursuing additional parcels would provide visitors an alternative to NTMER which could ease the pressure on the natural resources and facilities at NTMER and provide additional recreation opportunities for residents and visitors to Butte County. We look forward to working with the BOS and all interested parties to achieve the best possible outcomes for the people and natural resources of Butte County. Sincerely, Kevin Thomas North Central Region Manager California Department of Fish and Wildlife Since 1870 From:Drath, Laura@Wildlife To:Connelly, Bill; Lucero, Debra; Ritter, Tami; Kimmelshue, Tod; Teeter, Doug Cc:Erica Smith Subject:RE: Cherokee Road/North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve Date:Thursday, May 5, 2022 3:13:21 PM Attachments:5_4_22_Butte_Co_letter.docx.pdf ATTENTION: This message originated from outside Butte County. Please exercise judgment before opening .. attachments, clicking on links, or replying. Good afternoon; thank you for your March 30, 2022 letter to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Please find attached a response from Kevin Thomas, CDFW North Central Region Manager. Thank you, Laura Laura Drath Interpretive Services Supervisor CDFW North Central Region 1701 Nimbus Road Rancho Cordova, CA 95670 (916) 591-1161