arpf, Author at American River Parkway Foundation

Bringing Local Leaders Together for the Good of the Community

Local leaders joined ARPF volunteers, board members and staff on March 12 for a clean-up near the Northgate River Access that allowed them to get a firsthand perspective at the destruction that’s taking place on the Parkway and discuss solutions. This was an opportunity for our local leaders to hear from ARPF volunteers, board members and staff as well as interact with illegal campers on the Parkway. We appreciated the exchange of ideas while the City, County and ARPF worked together to make a difference in our community. We look forward to continued collaboration. Thank you to all of our local leaders who joined us: Assemblymember Kevin McCarty Supervisor Don Nottoli Supervisor Rich Desmond Supervisor Patrick Kennedy Mayor Darrell Steinberg Councilmember Katie Valenzuela Sacramento County Recreation and Park Commissioner Claudia Goss Sacramento County Recreation and Park Commissioner Dan Gonzales Sacramento County Regional Parks Director Liz Bellas Sacramento Fire Department Fire Marshall Jason Lee Thank you also to the media that came out to tell the story. If you haven’t yet, check out the coverage: KCRA 3 ABC10 FOX 40 Inside Publications (Coming Soon!)

Letter/Email Template and Call Script for Contacting Our Local Leaders

Thank you for learning more about getting involved. Click here for the Email/Letter and Call templates CONTACT INFORMATION FOR LOCAL LEADERS Mayor Darrell Steinberg, City of Sacramento Vice Mayor Angelique Ashby, City of Sacramento District 1 Councilmember Sean Loloee, City of Sacramento District 2 Councilmember Jeff Harris, City of Sacramento District 3 Councilmember Katie Valenzuela, City of Sacramento District 4 Councilmember Jay Schenirer, City of Sacramento District 5 Councilmember Eric Guerra, City of Sacramento District 6 Councilmember Rick Jennings II, City of Sacramento District 7 Councilmember Mai Vang, City of Sacramento District 8 Supervisor Don Notolli, Sacramento County District 5 – Chair Supervisor Richard Desmond, Sacramento County District 3 – Vice Chair Supervisor Phil Serna, Sacramento County District 1 Supervisor Patrick Kennedy, Sacramento County District 2 Supervisor Sue Frost, Sacramento County District 4 ALSO SEND TO: Liz Bellas, Sacramento County Regional Parks Director Leonard Orman, Chief Ranger

Parkway Partners is Back!

We are bringing back our Parkway Partners program. This is a tool for local businesses along or near the American River Parkway to show their community that they support the efforts made to conserve and protect our Sacramento treasure. There are three levels of financial investments in which a businesses can chose to participate, with each level offering multiple benefits, including features on our website, ARPF promotional videos, social media shares and features in our monthly newsletter sent to over 16,000 subscribers. We’re looking to pair with new partners for 2022. For more information about the program and to discuss how your business fits with the Parkway, contact April Potter at (916) 486-2773 or apotter@arpf.org. An investment in the Parkway is a valuable investment in our community.

Changes to Sacramento County’s Annual Park Passes

At the January 25 meeting, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors approved changes to the Regional Parks Department Fee Schedule, which included an increase in park pass fees. Starting March 1, prices for annual passes will increase to: Vehicle — $60.00 For standard motor vehicles. Motorized Vessel/RV — $120.00 For RVs and motorized watercraft 22 feet and larger and other oversized vehicles or trailers. May also be used for the vehicle alone. *Reminder that the County of Sacramento discontinued the passes for horse trailers and non-motorized watercraft this year. Another change to the park passes is the addition of a Senior Discount, which will be $30. An ID will need to be shown at time of purchase. The discounted Low Income Pass and free passes for Distinguished veterans will continue. We will provide more information on our website and social media once it becomes available.

Demand Letter: Progress Being Made

In January, the American River Parkway Foundation (ARPF) submitted a letter to the County of Sacramento and City of Sacramento demanding they take action to alleviate the amount of illegal camping on the Parkway and provide funding for restoration efforts. Park rangers estimate 2,000 people are spending the night/living along the 23-mile stretch of the Parkway. This is having an impact on the wildlife, the environment, critical infrastructure and visitors by diminishing water quality, increasing fire danger and introducing contaminants. Read the full demand letter here For years, local leaders have developed plans to provide resources and housing for the unhoused throughout the County. With record amounts of funding available, it’s now time for the County and City to work together to implement solutions and get as many of these individuals as possible into housing where they can receive the services they need. Since the submission of the letter, ARPF has been in contact with two Sacramento County Supervisors and four Sacramento City Councilmember as well as a number of organizations and individuals focused on helping the unhoused. Our outreach is continuing with the goal to connect with more of our local leaders and advocates. Media also had an interest in our story. We provided comments to The Sacramento Bee and conducted interviews with CBS 13, ABC10, KFBK, Capital Public Radio and The Carmichael Times explaining why we submitted this letter and what we are hoping to see from our local leaders. You can find links in our social media. Please stay tuned for updates as our efforts continue.