Those of us who have enjoyed the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park (MGDSHP) know that there are lots of good reasons to keep the Park open. To name just a few reasons, consider that:
Sutter’s Mill is where gold was discovered in California in 1848, triggering one of the largest migrations in human history. This fact continues to draw visitors from all over California and the world. On any given day foreign visitors speaking dozens of languages are heard in the Park. It is a point of local, state, national and international significance.
As the California State Park System’s most heavily visited “historic” park with over 250,000 visitors per year, Marshall Gold hosts over 70,000 school children per year who enjoy its exhibits and unique living history programs.
The Park serves as a reminder of both the importance and result of proper environmental stewardship. As a direct result of the Gold Rush, by the 1860s the Coloma Valley’s forests were logged out, the riverbed destroyed, and over 20,000 tons of the mercury used to recover gold was left littered in the hills, rivers and streams of the Mother Lode. Yet today, the valley is beautiful and scenic, and the river clean and unpolluted. Due to stewardship by the Park and such organizations as the American River Conservancy, great strides have been taken to protect and restore the watershed of the South Fork of the American River for fish, wildlife, recreation and the supply of clean water.
The Park’s exhibits emphasizing the traditional culture of the Nisenan, one of the over 300 indigenous tribes that once occupied California, are another vital reason to keep the Park open. The Nisenan occupied the Coloma Valley in a low impact, sustainable manner for thousands of years prior to the arrival of the gold miners. Tragically, by the end of the Gold Rush, the Nisenan were essentially extinct. Few Californians know that our State’s treatment of its indigenous peoples was among the worst of any state in the Union. The Park helps us understand all aspects of our history, both good and bad, and hopefully learn from it.
So, with so much to teach us, why was the MGDSHP placed high on the list as a target for closure to help solve the State’s budget woes? One reason was that when the Park was chartered as a “historic” park, it was felt to be so important educationally it was mandated to be visited free of charge. Therefore, it did not have the revenue stream that other “recreational” parks do. Ironically, the boat ramp at Folsom Lake would remain open, yet the MGDSHP would be closed!
It was into this political maelstrom that the MaLode participants ventured at the end of the 2009 season. Once they became aware of the proposed closure of the MGDSHP they were outraged and wrote letters by the hundreds. These were sent to Gov. Schwarzenegger, our local State Senator and Assemblyman, the Speaker of the Assembly, the President Pro Tem of the Senate, the State Park Director and our local District IV Supervisor, Ron Briggs. The local community held meetings and demonstrations of support for the Park.
The bottom line, Marshall Gold is to remain open for now. There will be staffing and other cutbacks. Nevertheless, this was a great victory for a just cause and it is our hope that once the interest in the closure issue wanes, the Park will still remain open. If you are interested in the issue you can get updated information from the Gold Rush Discovery State Park Association’s website or from Penny, Mother Lode’s Reservations Manager.
A huge Thank You to all the hundreds of MaLode participants who wrote letters. If you get a reply, let us know, we are always interested.
Happy Holidays to the Marshall Gold Discovery State Park and its employees, docents, volunteers and fellow supporters.
Scott the RiverDoc and the MaLode Crew