Auburn SRA General Plan/Resource Management Plan

waterfall

equestrian

ridge

 

On September 30, 2021, the California State Park and Recreation Commission approved the Auburn State Recreation Area (SRA) General Plan (GP) and Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR).

The General Plan has been split into four sections for easier download:

Part 1: Executive Summary / Table of Contents / Chapter 1 Introduction (6.91 MB)
Part 2: Chapter 2 Existing Conditions / Chapter 3 Issues and Analysis (21.2 MB)
Part 3: Chapter 4 The Plans (21.3 MB)
Part 4: Chapter 5 References / Chapter 6 Acknowledgements (1.33 MB)

Why Is A General Plan Important?

A General Plan (GP) is a broad-based policy document that establishes a long-range vision, goals, and guidelines for park management. It also provides direction on future recreation opportunities, resource management, historic sites, visitor facilities, park improvements, services, and programs. An Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is also prepared as part of the planning process, as required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The EIR evaluates potential environmental effects associated with implementation of General Plan proposals.

California State Parks welcomes ideas and suggestions about the future of state park resources and the planning process includes multiple opportunities for public comment. To learn more about planning at California State Parks, visit the Strategic Planning and Recreation Services Division homepage. From there, you can learn about other planning efforts, both completed and in progess.

Auburn State Recreation Area Planning

California State Parks collaborated with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) on the joint Auburn SRA General Plan/Resource Management Plan (GP/RMP). This joint planning document prepared in partnership with Reclamation meets both State Park’s General Plan (GP) requirements and Reclamation’s Resource Management Plan (RMP) requirements. The combined Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) meets the requirements of both California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The core team working on the GP/RMP was comprised of staff from State Parks, Reclamation, and Ascent Environmental, Inc. See the Auburn SRA Planning History page to learn about planning activities leading up to the final approved Auburn SRA General Plan.

Brief History of Auburn State Recreation Area

Auburn State Recreation Area (SRA) is comprised of about 30,000 acres with forty miles of river canyon along the North and Middle Forks of the American River. California State Parks manages Auburn SRA through a Managing Partner Agreement (MPA) with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation). All but approximately 800 acres of the 30,000 acres of Auburn SRA are federal lands administered by Reclamation. These federal lands were acquired or withdrawn by Reclamation following the Auburn Dam authorization by Congress in 1965. Since 1977, California State Parks has managed the Auburn SRA lands for Reclamation through a series of management agreements. In 2012, State Parks and Reclamation entered into a 25-year MPA for the federal lands at Auburn SRA, Folsom Lake SRA, and the Folsom Powerhouse SHP. The MPA specifies management roles and responsibilities for each agency and a cost-share agreement.

regional map

 

auburn sra park border map