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Oroville council weighs a Feather River 'wildlife preserve' designation to boost habitat protection and grant eligibility
Summary
Council discussed exploring designation of the Feather River corridor as a city park or wildlife preserve to reduce illegal dumping and camping, improve habitat protection for salmon spawning, expand patrol ability and pursue grant funding; staff will pursue stakeholder outreach and study legal/ownership boundaries with the State Land Commission and partners.
The Oroville City Council discussed a proposal to study whether to designate the Feather River corridor — from the fish hatchery/Green Bridge downstream to the Highway 70 Bridge — as a city park or wildlife preserve. Council and staff said such a designation could allow restricted hours, clearer enforcement tools, and improved eligibility for environmental and restoration grant funding, while also opening opportunities to coordinate with partner agencies.
Mayor and councilmembers described recurring problems in the corridor including illegal dumping, human waste, and impacts on salmon spawning habitat that drive frequent cleanup and law-enforcement activity. Staff said the State Land Commission owns the land from the high-water mark down and that there are private slivers within the corridor; those ownership and jurisdictional issues would need to be examined. City Attorney Belser suggested the term "wildlife preserve" could afford better grant and enforcement opportunities than a generic park designation.
Councilmembers urged public outreach and conversations with Feather River Parks & Recreation, Department of Water Resources, CHP and other stakeholders. Council expressed broad interest in pursuing the concept and asked staff to return with next steps, including public meetings and legal review of ownership and grant opportunities.
