Friday, 17 August 2007 01:44
Acorn Planting Project to Begin
Amador County will soon be the home to 176 acres of new oak
woodlands- courtesy Caltrans. According to Caltrans
Public Information Officer Chantal Miller, the state transportation agency is
in the process of planting 176 acres of oak woodlands beginning at the acorn stage.This
replanting is part of the Environmental Impact Report mitigation requirements
for the new Hwy 49 Bypass. Miller explains that when the bypass construction
occurred Caltrans, and its contractors, destroyed about 20 acres of established
oak woodlands.
As part of the environmental mitigations for the
bypass plans, Caltrans proposed planting the 176 acres as a way to reestablish
what had been destroyed. Miller says that includes the habitat of the valley
elderberry horned beetle. The beetle is considered an endangered species
particularly susceptible to development. Also, of importance to the Caltrans,
is the reestablishment of wetlands which were destroyed in the construction of
the bypass project. Caltrans is administrating the project and will continue to
oversee the planting establishment period estimated to take 3 years. At that
time, the management of the project will be handled by another agency- at this
point the likely candidate will be the City of Sutter Creek, which has already
received an endowment for the project from Caltrans, says Miller.
