Proposed Gun Range Update
At the recommendation of the Shasta County Planning Department, a decision on the High Plains Shooting Range proposed by Supervisor Patrick Jones in the eastern Millville Plains area was postponed by a 4 to 0 vote by the Board of Supervisors at their May 16 meeting. This meeting had a standing-room-only crowd, and all of the speakers except three were opposed to the project. Speakers noted defects in the Initial Study relative to traffic, noise, and archeology, as well as concerns about safety due to the high-powered rifles that would be used at the outdoor shooting range.
The project included technical studies, as required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), but they were not as thorough as required by the regulations. Shasta Chapter CNPS submitted a letter of opposition focused on the botanical survey, and SEA submitted a three-page letter opposing the project based solely on the biological survey, both of which were inadequate. The proposed gun range site has a number of vernal pools and an extensive survey is warranted for rare plants and animals that can live only in vernal pool habitats. Rather than surveying for plants during the blooming period, the survey was conducted in January and February, before the blooming period of most vernal pool plants. A supplemental survey was also required by the Planning Department, which was not completed until the end of May, after several days of 100-degree heat and 29 days without rain. This made sensitive plants difficult to identify, as it was past their blooming period.
In a phone call with the Planning Department, staff indicated it could be some time before this proposal will be brought back to the Board of Supervisors. Before this can happen, County staff must review all of the comments that were submitted, and have a discussion with the applicant, Patrick Jones. Should Planning Department staff find legal questions that need clarification, both county counsel and outside legal counsel with a CEQA law firm must be consulted. We were told that the public would be given ample notice to comment should the applicant decide to go forward with the project. We will keep you updated!
4th Annual Upper Sulphur Creek Cleanup
Saturday, June 10, 8 AM
SEA will hold its 4th Annual Upper Sulphur Creek Cleanup on Saturday, June 10. We will start near Quartz Hill Road and work on the main stream of the creek and on a feeder stream. This is a fairly easy creek cleanup, but it does involve hiking down a ¼-mile trail to the creek and back. Help SEA clean up this creek to stop debris from reaching the Sacramento River, and eventually the ocean. Bring gloves, water, and hat. For directions and more information, please contact David Ledger at david@ecoshasta.org
Oregon Gulch Trail Development Proposal
The City of Redding Parks and Recreation Department is seeking comments on trail development in Oregon Gulch via a survey that they are conducting. Would you like to see trails in this area developed as a center of activity for mountain bikes, with jump ramps and high-tech downhill trails? Would you like Oregon Gulch to be an area with trails similar to the Swasey Recreation Area, where some trails are not safe for hikers? Or would you prefer an area with an emphasis on hiking trails, a limited number of trails for combined hiking and biking, and trails without jump ramps or high-tech trails downhills to make it safer for hikers and dog walkers?
Shasta Chapter CNPS was instrumental in getting the City to set the 380-acre Oregon Gulch aside as a natural area. While we envisioned that it would be made a part of the Redding trail system, we did not want it to turn out like the Swasey Recreation Area, where there are too many mountain bikes. Years ago, Shasta Chapter CNPS led many field trips in this area; now, however, there are so many mountain bikers on the trails that field trips there are no longer fun as one must always keep a watch out for bikes. Two of the trails are now simply not safe for hiking at any time, especially for families with children, as the trails have been modified for downhill racing, and one has many jumps.
Whatever your views, we urge you to take part in the survey and let the City know your concerns. The link to the survey is https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QRRNSRD. The mountain bike community will be very active in promoting bike-friendly trails at Oregon Gulch; those of us who enjoy nature and want to protect our local wildlife need to make our voices heard, too. Shasta Chapter CNPS, and later SEA, were instrumental in getting the City to preserve this area, with little to no help from the mountain bike community.
For further conservation issue news, please see Shasta Environmental Alliance’s June 2023 Newsletter. ~David Ledger, Conservation Chair