Central Valley recreation game plan in works

From the major highways of California's midsection, it's hard to miss the wide expanses of earthy brown, the land, terra firma, solid ground.

So what do the people in the Central Valley seek for recreation?

"They like water," said Ruth Coleman, director of California Department of Parks and Recreation. "People are drawn to water."

Whether people live on the cattle ranches of Fresno County or in housing tracts along Interstate 5 in Glenn County, they want to fish, swim, boat, camp near or just plain gaze at water for recreation, the department has found.

After a series of 2005 meetings in the Central Valley, the department has created the Central Valley Vision, a checklist of priorities and needs for shaping the future of public recreation opportunities in the state's heartland.

Now home to a sliver of state parks -- only 7 percent are in the Central Valley -- the expanse of California from Bakersfield to Redding is one of the fastest-growing population belts, Coleman said. As rooftops mushroom quickly, land prices could eventually prevent public acquisition, which is why the department needs a game plan now, Coleman said.

"There just won't be enough places for kids to get outdoors," she said.

There is no real money on the horizon to buy or build, which is the ideal time to choose locations, Coleman said, because politics won't figure into the choices.

One possibility is a proposed initiative for the November ballot that would raise $5.4 billion for clean water and resource protection, which would include $400 million for parks and recreation. The money could be used for expansion and acquisitions, but signatures for the proposed initiative are still undergoing verification by the state.

Topping the list of priorities is increased access to the rivers that lace through the Valley and preserving land for trails along rivers -- particularly land with oak woodlands or other cherished natural assets.

River access could mean providing nothing more than a parking lot, a boat ramp and a bathroom, Coleman said.

Camping and day spots for large gatherings, some less rugged camping facilities for neophyte recreation enthusiasts and trails for everything from horses to off-highway vehicles rounded the wish list.

Changing demographics, particularly more Latinos, in the Valley are driving demand for easily accessible locations for group picnics or multi-family camping facilities, Coleman said.

The department will begin the search for likely locations and willing property owners to expand recreation opportunities -- a more likely option than creating new parks, she said.

Fishing expert Sep Hendrickson, host of California Sportsman, a Sacramento radio show, said river access varies throughout the Valley.

More public access to rivers would be great, he said, particularly those that don't have public points near urban centers.

About a third of the 300-mile-long Sacramento River is privately owned. Most of the public stretches are north of Red Bluff.

"That's a long way to go," he said.

The whole idea of buying land to preserve it and the nonprofits that meet that end have long histories along the coast and in the mountains, Coleman said, but those kinds of groups are gaining momentum through the Central Valley.

"The development pattern has accelerated in the past few years," said Aimee Rutledge, executive director of the Sacramento Valley Conservancy.

"Before, I think people took open space in the Central Valley for granted. I think people are becoming aware that we need to make an investment."

The 15-year-old conservancy has preserved 5,500 acres in Sacramento County, including Deer Creek Hills, a 4,000-acre working cattle ranch in the eastern part of the county with public access.

State parks' plan will be a catalyst for further collaboration -- and check writing -- to preserve land close to home, Rutledge said.

Sacramento County Supervisor Illa Collin said the spirit of the Central Valley Vision is timely and warranted in a booming region.

"It is exciting that people up and down the Central Valley care about the unique resources of this great valley," she said.

"A state-county partnership could work to support each other's efforts in saving great resources for future generations," she said. "With the incredible natural resources this county has, it would be a great opportunity to plan together and mutually meet the needs of people to recreate as well as save habitats."

About the writer:

• The Bee's M.S. Enkoji can be reached at (916) 321-1106 or menkoji@sacbee.com.