Our American River Parkway is a gem, a world-class recreation and open space facility that provides critical habtat for a wide range of flora and fauna and significant flood protection. The oaks and other trees that line the Parkway are crucial to the livability of the area. Besides their importance to wildlife, the trees sequester carbon and soak up floodwater, and their shade reduces the ambient temperature. It would not be a good thing if hundreds of them were chopped down, right?

Wrong! At least as far as the Army Corps of Engineers is concerned. The Corps (or COE) has jurisdiction over dams like Folsom and Nimbus, along with the "waters of the United States" like the American River. It makes life easier for the COE when rivers look like the Los Angeles River, a concrete-lined waterway that Hollywood uses for car stunts. So, when the COE sees the big, awesome trees in the American River Parkway, its instincts are to cut them down. And that is what the COE is planning to do. Unfortunately for the COE, there are people in our community and nearby unincorporated areas and cities that cherish the trees. They have so far been successful at getting the rush to cut the trees down slowed a little bit so the rest of the public can learn about the project. An effort to inform the public about the project - led by American River Trees in partnership with other groups like Save the American River Association and the American River Parkway Foundation - is underway, including site visits, hikes, socaial media posts, and attendance at public meetings.

Do you want a bike trail that looks like this?

Or do you want one that looks like this?

South side of the project

North side of the project

According to American River Trees, the current status of the project includes cutting down 600-700 trees along the banks of the river upstream from Howe Avenue. And that's weird, because the levees that provide the actual flood protection are generally far away from the banks of the river. Aside from making the bike trail truly unpleasant during our famous hot summers and hideously ugly all year round due to replacing trees with riparian bushes, it seems odd that anyone would take on the project. Ah, but don't forget the US Army Corps of Engineers, which never met a concrete-lined waterway it did not like. If you have a problem with that, American River Trees has a request. They say:

• "The project decision-makers, Central Valley Flood Protection Board (CVFPB), have scheduled a Board meeting on Friday, May 23rd for technical discussion regarding the project. The Army Corps will be presenting and the public can offer comment.
• At the meeting, ART has 20 minutes to present to the Board our concerns about the final documents, CEQA non-compliance, and present feasible, less destructive alternative designs and proposals for the project.
• Your attendance is vital to show the Board that the community does not approve of the project as currently proposed!"

American River Trees would like people to show up at the CVFPB meeting on the morning of May 23rd and just stand up during their testimony, so the CVPFB board members will understand that there is widespread community concern about the project. For more information, go to the American River Trees website.

Would it help if Arden Arcade and Carmichael were a city instead of just being part of Sacramento County's vast UnCity? Yes, if there was a city here (which there isn't), because there would be a Mayor and City Council to confront the project. As it is, the County Board of Supervisors is so busy frying other fish it typically cannot find the energy and enthusiasm to be a responsible steward of the parkway. So here's the deal: show up and there's a reasonable chance the issue will get some sunlight and be considered outside the COE's bubble of "tree removal is a step in the right direction of concrete-lined". Or don't, and be prepared to keep your mouth closed once the damage is done.

Along with a list of people to contact and key points to make to them,

a summary of the proect is available from American River Trees: