Thursday May 8, 2025
ABC 10 —
American River Trees (ART), a grassroots organization based in Sacramento, arranged a walk Sunday morning to protest a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) erosion project.
The USACE project, which aims to alleviate flood risk, threatens the destruction of nearly 700 trees and miles of habitat in the American River Parkway, according to ART. The group walked during its protest a two-mile stretch of trail from the Kadema Drive River Access to Larchmont Community Park.
ART says many trails, beaches and access to the river’s edge will be lost, and USACE hasn’t sufficiently looked into or incorporated less destructive alternatives.
“Existing plant and tree root systems offer outstanding, natural bank-stabilizing protection; and the above-ground vegetation slows the velocity during high-flow events,” ART wrote on its website. “This project could make nearby residents less safe.”