05-05-2025
Hundreds protest razing trees on Sacramento's American River. ‘This affects all'
An orchestra performed by birds, rippling water and swaying trees alongside the American River Parkway was accompanied Sunday by hundreds chanting to protest a plan ripping up vegetation for erosion protection measures.
'The river is my family,' said Rylen Wiseman, 6, who marched alongside his mother from Larchmont Park to just under the Watt Avenue Bridge. Another group walked from Kadema Drive River Access point also to the Watt Avenue Bridge.
Organizations such as the American River Trees, Save the American River Association and others have been raising alarm for months following the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' proposed plan to remove at least 500 trees and fortify riverbanks for a possible levee failure.
These community-based groups contend more targeted measures can be pursued rather than destroying trees — some of which the groups said are hundreds of years old — and cutting off access to the river as construction commences. Mark Berry, an attorney who is with the Save the American River Association, said there is not clear understanding of what trees could be removed.
Sunday's civic action took place as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is scheduled to release a final environmental impact review by late spring.
'We do not take lightly the removal of trees, and always work to ensure that we are taking only vegetation that would prevent us from safely building the project,' the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has said previously in a statement.
Sylvia Pritchett, who chose to live near the American River Parkway for access to water, meanders through the area about three times a day while she works from home. She said her thoughts scatter as she surrounds herself with animals and trees. Her muscles relax and a smile inches across her face while surrounded by nature, she said.
'The river is my therapy,' said Pritchett, 62.
'It takes your mind away,' she added.
She was among hundreds who marched along the sunny river, attracting the attention of parkgoers and homeowners lining the area. They chanted 'There is a better way' and 'Trees protect us, slow the flow.' Organizers said residents' access to the river could be cut off for about two years.
Charlotte Ponder, 18, said she began visiting the parkway to clean her grandfather's memorial bench. Erosion control is important, but she said she disagrees with the prospect of razing trees. She thinks about her younger sister, who will not get to attend science classes put on by Jesuit or Rio Americana high schools in the parkway.
'This affects all of us,' said Ponder, who will be attending UC Berkeley in the fall and majoring in ecosystem management.
For Wiseman, the river represents peace and silence. He goes almost everyday to the river, and rides his bike or plays tennis or soccer at nearby Larchmont Park.
'It cut my heart into four pieces,' the 6-year-old said of hearing the plan to stem river access.
