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Sacramento River Proposed National Conservation Area
Managing agency: Bureau of Land Management (Redding Field Office)
Size: Approximately 40,000 acres of potential National Conservation Area, and 31.7 miles of potential Wild & Scenic Rivers.
Location: Three miles north of Red Bluff, 15 miles south of Redding, primarily in Tehama County with some acreage in Shasta County.
Description: In its long journey between Mt. Shasta and the San Francisco Bay, the Sacramento River flows through a low range of oak-studded hills in the northern Sacramento Valley. Here, the river has cut a scenic canyon capped with lava rim-rock. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages extensive recreation lands and wildlife habitat along this segment of river and along two tributaries -- lower Battle Creek and Paynes Creek. Designation of these public lands as a National Conservation Area would ensure continued multiple uses, as well as protect nationally significant resource values.
The Sacramento River and Battle Creek support threatened and endangered runs of chinook salmon and steelhead, as well as a healthy population of trophy-sized rainbow trout. The area's exceptional riparian habitat is home for bald eagle, osprey, wild turkey, and river otter. The waterways are popular for recreation, including angling, canoeing, rafting, motor-boating, sightseeing, and hunting. Hikers are treated to a spectacular spring wildflower display. Vernal pools provide habitat for rare plant species, as well as important wetlands for Canada geese and the greater sandhill crane. The area is rich in Native American cultural history.
The BLM has determined that 25 miles of the Sacramento River and 6.7 miles of Paynes Creek are eligible for National Wild & Scenic River status. Wild & Scenic status prohibits new dams and ensures that public lands are managed to protect their outstanding scenic, recreational, cultural, fish, wildlife, and ecological values.
For additional information, please contact:
California Wilderness Coalition
(510) 451-1450
info@calwild.org
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Just three miles off of Interstate 80, 
