Proposed Campground Expansion At Auburn State Recreation Area Draws Concern Over Wildfire Risk

2 years ago 249

AUBURN (CBS13) — Controversy is brewing astatine the Auburn State Recreation Area arsenic the authorities volition see adding much than 1 100 caller campgrounds to the area.

People who unrecorded adjacent accidental that volition summation the menace of wildfires and enactment lives astatine risk.

The projected enlargement of the campgrounds—from 36 to much than 250—has radical sounding the alarm.

“The interaction of much radical is much hazard of wildfire,” said John Mikelini, president of the committee of directors of the Foresthill Fire Protection District.

The territory is opposed to the added campgrounds and says it volition enactment radical who unrecorded successful the assemblage astatine risk, not lone from accrued hazard of wildfires but by overcrowding evacuation routes.

“There’s 7,000 radical that unrecorded successful the Foresthill country on the Foresthill disagreement and truly person lone 1 existent means of accessing and leaving the community,” Mikelini said. “The Foresthill Bridge, wherever the Bridge Fire occurred this year, was blocked arsenic a effect of the fire.”

Even without the added campgrounds, much visitors to the fashionable country person caused problems during the pandemic, with postulation backups and amerciable parking.

“You’re restricting the lane radical tin use,” said Stephanie Holloway, elder technologist with Placer County Public Works.

The Bridge Fire was conscionable 1 of 7 wildfires to person deed the Auburn State Recreation Area successful the past 12 years.

Now the caller interest is giving much radical much entree could make much wildfire danger.

“More radical equals much risk,” Mikelini said. “Fires are caused chiefly by humans, and that is our concern.”

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The State Park and Recreation Commission votes connected the campground enlargement Thursday. If passed, determination is nary timeline for however soon the campgrounds could beryllium added.