Partners: Michigan California Timber Company Shasta-Trinity National Forest Pacific Crest Trail Association The Trust for Public Land

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1 Partners: Michigan California Timber Company Shasta-Trinity National Forest Pacific Crest Trail Association The Trust for Public Land

2 Describe the project location, size, opportunities, and timing. Provide update on recent acquisitions and future planning proposals Update on Parks Eddy Watershed activities and recreation enhancements Solicit support for the project Identify next steps

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4 Proposed Forest Service purchase of 10,589 acres of Michigan-California Timber Company land and 17 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail Parcels are located between Gumboot Summit (40N26) and Scott Mtn. Summit (Highway 3) across a 30 mile trail segment Includes 16 private parcels with Pacific Crest Trail easement (10 wide) 71% or 7,501 acres located in Trinity County (remaining 3,087 acres in Siskiyou County) Proposed as a three phase acquisition with a mix of funds, including Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), private grants, Tri-partite and State recreation funds

5 Over 4,400 PCT permits were issued in Use and interest has been increasing steadily and has more than doubled since In 2015, all 50 states and 34 countries were represented by hikers along the trail Existing easement is only 10-feet wide which limits legal access to camping and water along the private land Lands to be acquired include maintained road system for ease of access for use and maintenance Proposal is adjacent to recent 2014 Mt. Eddy Acquisition (3,000 acres)

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7 Headwaters of the Klamath, Shasta, Scott and Sacramento River basins Ten mountain lakes, numerous natural springs and wet meadows Northern spotted owl connecting corridor between California and Oregon Four USFS botanical Special Interest Areas and nationally known for the variety of unique and endemic plant species associated with the serpentine soils. Watershed provides habitat for fisher, northern spotted owls and goshawks

8 Originally railroad land grant lands; acquired by Michigan-California in 1994 from Sierra Pacific Industries Actively managed for industrial timber production including plantations, old growth, uneven aged stands and maintained road system. Highest and best use for recreation, esthetics and water production Certified by PricewaterhouseCoopers under the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Standard for over 10 years Top of the Tap watershed and snowpack for Trinity and Siskiyou Counties and two major river basins (Klamath and Sacramento) Michigan-California has accommodated numerous requests for organized events (recreational and scientific) on these parcels Increasing demand from recreational users for access to lakes, meadows and trails. Have provided PCT trail crew access and camping sites

9 17 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail with access to camping locations, water sources and road access points Two additional PCT trailhead access points (Deadfall and Cabin Meadows) Access to 10 mountain lakes, numerous natural springs, creeks, meadows and sweeping vistas of the Trinity Alps and Mt. Shasta Additional historic trails (Sisson-Callahan and Cabin Meadows Trail) Concurrent with Forest Service project to improve PCT trailhead facilities at the Parks Creek Summit (Parks Creek Watershed Restoration Project)

10 Consolidate ownership along the PCT (includes 12% of the remaining PCT trail across private land in CA) and provides legal public access to lakes and springs beyond the 10 wide trail easement Reduce checkerboard ownership, and improves ease of watershed management. Increase public access to the trail and surrounding lands for hiking, horseback riding, camping, hunting, fishing

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12 140 million Americans recreate outdoors Nationally, the recreation economy grew 5% annually between 2005 and 2011, consistent with Trinity County $525 billion annually in travel related spending nationally Federal lands in N. Cal host over 10 million visitor days annually

13 Rural western counties with >30% federal land increased jobs four times faster than those without. Travel and recreation provide 12% of jobs in Trinity County; California average is 10% $607 million direct expenditures for trip related recreation on federal land in N. Cal (2008) 2015 State Property Tax on selected parcels was approximately $3,000 Michigan-California Timber is processed at the Timber Products mill in Yreka.

14 Forest Service has requested Land and Water Conservation Funds (LWCF) for 2016 and 2017 for parcels along this segment as part of larger collaborative efforts with federal, state and non-profit partners. National Scenic Trail acquisitions are competing well nationally for this funding Forest Service has requested State Recreation Trails Program (RTP) funds to implement the Parks Creek Trailhead improvements (parking, restroom, signing) at the PCT trailhead Forest Service has requested State RTP funds to purchase Bull Lake parcel if not selected in LWCF request

15 Improvement and rehabilitation of additional Trail segments: Sisson Callahan Cabin Meadows Chilcoot Additional camping opportunities: Bear Creek Cabin Meadows Masterson Meadows Other Opportunities?

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