Major Trails Efforts

Below, in reverse order, is a history of key steps taken since 2015 for developing the Concept Plan for a Regional Trails System both around the Lake Almanor Basin and from Lassen County's Bizz Johnson Trail to the Pacific Crest Trial in Lassen National Park.

14 ARPD is pleased to announce that it submitted a grant application to California State Department of Parks and Recreation for their Rural Recreation and Tourism Grant on January 19, 2022.

The grant allows funds for both acquisition of fee-simple parcels and for development of improvements. ARPD felt that this unique combination of opportunities in one grant was worthy of a formal application and that although the grant will be highly competitive Statewide, it is limited to "Rural" counties, cities, and census designated places, which reduces the competition somewhat. ARPD's…

13. Online electronic survey was made available from July 3 to December 31, 2021, togive input on a Grant Opportunity for the Almanor Rail Trail.

ARPD thanks everyone for their input. Over 200 responses were recorded and used for evaluation of community responses. An available grant offered by the California Department of State Parks, called the Rural Recreation and Tourism Grant, was considered by ARPD and Almanor Basin Trails Coalition members as an excellent potential grant to both finalize the acquisition of the entire 12-mile,t 100-…

12. The Almanor Basin Trails Coalition has been working for 4 years to compile their concepts for a trails system "around the lake" and from the PCT to the Bizz Johnson.

Click below to view

11. In November 2020, the Lassen County Resource Advisory Committee granted $80,000 to Trails Coalition member, Lassen County, to complete due diligence for a 4-mile trail connector from Mason Station to Westwood (Bizz Johnson Trail to Westwood R-5). This work includes completion of ground surveys, engineering inspections, and environmental planning prior to obtaining an easement from the private property owners to construct this connector.

10. September 10, 2020, Trails Committee presents a PowerPoint presentation on "The Role of Active Transportation in Growing Community Vitality" for the "State of the Lake" webinar series offered by Sierra Institute.

The presentation included a preview of the "look" and content of the upcoming Concept Plan for the "Lassen/Lake Almanor Basin Trails System". It also gives recommendation on including "Hiking and Biking" on Chester Main Street to create continuity with regional trails and to create an ideal vision of active transportation throughout the Basin with coordinated wayfinding, exhibit signage, and trail…

9. May 13, 2020, Trails Committee works with Caltrans District 2 and Plumas County to add a 4-mile, future north extension to the Lake Almanor Recreation Trail (LART) near the shoreline of Lake Almanor.

Caltrans District 2 is progressing with their State Highway Operation and Protection Program (SHOPP) activities to resurface Highway 89 from the Dam to Highway 36. Caltrans calls this their "West Almanor Project" which will take from 2020 to 2025 to complete. During several discussions between the Trails Committee and Caltrans District 2 staff, the Committee's plan to position a multi-use, non-…

8. December 12, 2019, ARPD was awarded a $75,000 grant from Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC) to perform Due Diligence studies on the Almanor Railroad right of way (ROW).

The Collins Pine Company has expressed interest in donating their 12 mile, 100-foot wide Almanor Railroad ROW to ARPD. The railroad is an identified trail segment (R-3) in the Concept Plan. The ROW includes a scenic, gently sloping, cleared railbed path that begins in Chester, crosses the Chester Causeway, continues along the north shore of Lake Almanor, and then continues in forested lands to…

7. July 19 and 20, 2019, NPS landscape architects visited Chester and Westwood. They planned and created graphics of Conceptual trail heads, shoreline access, and trail features for the planned Trail Segments.

The Almanor Basin Coalition for Trails who is creating a Conceptual Plan for the Lassen/Lake Almanor Basin Regional Trails System has had the guidance of the National Parks Service's Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance program's planners for the past 3 years. The Conceptual Plan is moving towards its last stage of draft writing. Easily viewed graphic representations of some of the planned…

6. You are asked to participate in a poll on the Regional Trail features that you desire in the Lassen/Lake Almanor Trails System.

Community input is important for the development of new trail segments and trail heads within our communities and in our region.. Please take a moment to complete a short, (click) 10-minute trail survey. Together, we can design a system of interconnected trails that will pass through two counties and offer numerous opportunities for exercise, good health and lots of fun!

5. Community Outreach Meetings Held October 2018 in Westwood and Chester

On October 23 in Chester and on October 24 in Westwood a draft conceptual trails plan for our region was presented to interested community members. A regional recreational trails map, as well as individual maps of proposed conceptual trail segments, were shown to solicit community participant ideas about the plans, and to generate questions of the Almanor Basin Trails Collaborative which…

4. Almanor Basin Recreation Trails System Concept Plan Development (2018-2020 ongoing)

A National Park Service Grant has been obtained by the Almanor Basin Coalition for Trails group for the planning of a trail system. The coming Plan will form the basis of future additions to walking and biking trails in our Basin. The ARPD Trails Committee is an active part of the Coalition Group and has been proposing regional trails to form "Trails Around Lake Almanor" (Imagine a Trail Around…

3. "Adopt a Trail" Program for Trail Enhancement and Community Involvement (ongoing)

Major landholders in the area have trails in our area that are in need of upgrading, on-going maintenance, and promotion of their availability to community members as well as tourists. Our ARPD Trails Committee is in the process of contacting major landholders and corridor owners about "adopting" some of their trails. The goal is to enhance what exists, promote its availability to community…

2. Trail Clean Up for Promotion of Community and Tourist Use of Area Trails (ongoing)

Area trails are covered with debris after the winter storms and become difficult to follow and sometimes are blocked by fallen trees. Fall and spring cleanup efforts improve the attractiveness and accessibility to area trails and improve the overall image to both community members and tourists visiting our area.

1. Plumas County's Active Transportation Plan (completed January 2018)

The committee actively worked with the County from 2016 to 1018 to input on future walking and bicycling trail goals, objectives and strategies, as well as evaluation criteria, for the Almanor Basin. The overall objective is for new conceptual trails to be formally listed as part of the County Transportation Commission's Active Transportation Plan. Such a formality is needed to actively pursue…

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