Placer Land Trust permanently protects Southern Cross Preserve

Placer Land Trust has purchased and permanently protected the 46-acre Southern Cross Preserve on the North Fork American River north of Foresthill. The purchase was funded by Placer Land Trust members through the 2017 Placer Conservator Auction, the Emigrant Trails Greenway Trust, and a 50 percent discounted price from the landowner, a press release from the land trust said. The wooded canyon land preserve includes several hundred feet of federally-designated Wild and Scenic river frontage, and a section of the public Euchre Bar Trail. The property is nestled within the Tahoe National Forest, connecting federal U.S. Forest Service lands and other nearby Placer Land Trust Preserves to create a larger area of protected wilderness. "The acquisition of the property is a great addition to the Placer Land Trust portfolio," said Ron Gould, representative of the North Fork American River Alliance, member of Placer Land Trust, and North Fork American River aficionado. "The Southern Cross Preserve is located in one of the most scenic sections of the North Fork canyon, where the river drops from pool to pool, providing many recreational opportunities. The acquisition of the property not only provides protection for the North Fork American River Wild and Scenic River, but also helps to preserve the rich mining artifacts and history of the property and surrounding area for future generations to enjoy." The property was purchased in 1992 by Lanny Malfar and cousin Mark Emalfarb, under the company Southern Cross Natural Resources Inc. Their hope was to re-open the Southern Cross Gold Mine, a historic mine that was operated from the early 1900s likely through the 1940s. But it never happened, likely due to economic and physical infeasibility, Placer Land Trust said. Lanny died in 2017. His daughter, Julie Roberts, contacted Placer Land Trust to help protect the property in perpetuity, given the importance of it to her father and the family. Cousin Mark Emalfarb came into ownership of the property and generously discounted the price and will afford Mark a tax deduction on the balance. "The generosity of landowners like this, and their desire to see family land protected, is critical to our success," said Placer Land Trust Conservation Director Lynnette Batt. "I have strong memories of visiting this former gold mine with my father and watching him swim in water so clear that I could see all the way to the bottom of the river," Roberts said. "It feels good to know that Placer Land Trust will be protecting this beautiful property and working to transfer it to become part of the Tahoe National Forest. I'm glad our family can be a part of the history of bringing this land back into public management and to connecting and restoring natural habitat." The public Euchre Bar Trail runs through the property and provides views of the river. Recreation activities possible from the Euchre Bar Trail include trout fishing, swimming, and floating the river. Although the Southern Cross Preserve is crossed by a public trail, the rest of the preserve is not open to the public at this time. Cart tracks are still visible between the mine openings, and the remnants of a 5-acre millsite are located nearby on forestry land. An environmental site assessment at the mine and millsite concluded there was no contamination from heavy metals, or environmental issues of concern. However, the land trust cautions safety due to instability and lack of ventilation, and entry to the mine is prohibited.