As Fresno politicians celebrate more river access in one spot, others quietly close | Opinion

On a dirt road alongside the San Joaquin River, backed by a faint outline of the Sierra Nevada mountains, Fresno-area politicians and dignitaries gathered Monday morning to celebrate more public access to one of the region’s greatest natural features.

To be specific: Sycamore Island Park, located on the Madera County side of the river near Valley Children’s Hospital, will now be open daily, rather than Friday through Sunday. With no car entrance or trailer fees charged on weekdays.

“I think the vision is coming to fruition, and the effort to provide access to the people is coming on line,” said Congressman Jim Costa, pontificating (as he does) about the 22-mile recreation and riparian corridor between Friant Dam and Highway 99 known as the San Joaquin River Parkway that he helped establish three decades ago.

Besides Costa, speakers included Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula, whose 2021 legislation provided the funding for Sycamore Island’s daily operations, California State Parks Director Armando Quintero and Madera County Supervisor Bobby Macaulay.

Also present were officials with the San Joaquin River Conservancy, the state agency responsible for assembling the parkway, and the San Joaquin River Parkway and Conservation Trust, the nonprofit that manages Sycamore Island under a state contract.

Opinion

“The seven-day-a-week operations at Sycamore Island is a testament to our commitment to making the parkway accessible to all,” said Karen Buhr, the conservancy’s interim executive officer.

Sycamore Island Park (formerly the Moen Ranch) is a 600-acre open space area with boat access to the San Joaquin River, multiple fishing ponds and about 6 miles of dirt roads and trails. Like all parkway properties, it has seen increased use since the pandemic.

While everyone at the press conference was happy to wax poetic about Sycamore Island’s new days of operations — which is indeed excellent news — not a word was uttered about other parkway lands that have recently (and quietly) closed. Per orders of the San Joaquin River Conservancy’s Board of Directors.

One step of progress, followed by one step of retreat. Which rather well sums up this 30-year effort.

Private property? Don’t insult us

Since 2020, visitors to Ball Ranch along Friant Road north of Fresno could count on a side gate being open — wide enough to walk or ride a bike through. Those 360 acres are linked (via an old bridge) to 162-acre Ledger Island on the Madera County side, which can also be reached through Tesoro Viejo.

Head out there on any Saturday or Sunday, and you’d see dozens of people and families walking dogs, fishing, picnicking and cycling.

But as of last week, the Ball Ranch gate is sealed shut. Visitors are instead greeted with a sign saying public access is not allowed and warning trespassers of private property.

Private property? Ball Ranch was purchased in 2000 with $6.8 million of taxpayer dollars. Don’t insult us.

Similarly, Wildwood Native Park near the old Highway 41 bridge is closed after being open three days a week in recent years. Meanwhile, nonprofit organizations such as the Boy Scouts and RiverTree Volunteers that were given keys and gate codes to certain areas (mainly for conservation projects and river cleanup efforts) were informed in May via letter to stay out pending a formal review by the conservancy board.

What is going on? Why is the San Joaquin River Conservancy curtailing access in places that were previously open?

The short answer, conservancy board members insist, is safety. Properties such as Ball Ranch and Ledger Island will remain closed until they are deemed safe for public use.

“We want the public to enjoy these areas,” said Fresno City Councilmember Mike Karbassi, who chairs the conservancy board. “We just need to make sure it’s safe for them to do so.”

Disagreement behind the scenes

Why were Ball Ranch and Ledger Island open if board members had safety concerns about these properties? The answer helps illuminate why they voted to terminate executive officer John Shelton in April. He was a little too active and aggressive for their tastes.

For a long time, progress on the San Joaquin River Parkway was stuck in neutral. The only public access was from the Madera County side — necessitating a freeway drive for Fresno and Clovis residents — or at Lost Lake Park. In Fresno, access was either nonexistent or mired in a decade-long squabble (i.e. River West below Palm and Nees avenues).

Shelton helped change that narrative. He unlocked the gates and began allowing the public to enjoy parkway properties such as Ball Ranch/Ledger Island and River Vista — even before these areas lacked contracted management or services.

While great for the parkway’s public reputation, this didn’t sit well with certain board members who fretted about liability. A massive log deck made up of trees that died in the bark beetle event or the Creek Fire, transported to Ball Ranch without their knowledge or approval a couple years ago, remains a sticking point.

“I’m honestly surprised we haven’t gotten sued,” Karbassi told me.

How long will it take before access is restored? That remains to be seen. I was under the impression the Parkway Trust had the conservancy board’s approval to manage Ball Ranch/Ledger Island in addition to Sycamore Island. However, executive director Sharon Weaver said the contract remains unsigned.

For those who wish to express their happiness over Sycamore Island, or frustration over the closures of other parkway properties, the next river conservancy board meeting is scheduled for July 5 at 10 a.m.