COMMUNITY INPUT SOUGHT FOR PARKS ALONG FORESTER CREEK IN EL CAJON AT WORKSHOP FEB. 26

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The San Diego River Park Foundation is seeking feedback about future improvement on Forester Creek

Source: San Diego River Park Foundation

February 20, 2019 (El Cajon) -- Ever heard of Forester Creek?  For many in El Cajon, the answer is no!  But Forester Creek, which feeds into the San Diego River, was once a major natural feature of El Cajon.  Today, much of it is channelized, lined with concrete, and hidden.  Community input is needed to help plan for future improvements and connections to the Creek. The public is invited to a community parks workshop on Tuesday, Feb. 26 from 4 to 7 p.m at the Ronald Reagan Community Center (195 E. Douglas St.) in El Cajon.

Local nonprofit The San Diego River Park Foundation believes the Creek has potential to provide opportunities for recreation, nature, and environmental education in El Cajon.  The organization has partnered with the City of El Cajon and received a $320,000 grant from the State of California to complete planning to develop a Recreation Access Plan for Forester Creek, as part of a larger effort to improve the health of Forester Creek.  They have hired Cal Poly Pomona’s Studio 606 Landscape Architecture program to facilitate the planning.

“We truly believe that people’s lives are improved through access to nature, outdoor exploration, and parks.  Forester Creek could be part of the puzzle to increase this access in El Cajon,” says Sarah Hutmacher, Associate Director of the San Diego River Park Foundation.  “It is our hope that through this process, the community will share their needs and concerns for recreation in their neighborhoods.  This plan could be an important step to a Forester Creek that better serves everyone in El Cajon!”

The San Diego River Park Foundation has been a leading advocate for projects to improve the San Diego River in neighboring communities.  This planning project would expand that work into El Cajon.  The organization has convened a Stakeholder Committee of diverse community organizations from El Cajon to advise on the project, and now is soliciting feedback from the community at large. 

Community members are invited to join the upcoming workshop, which will be an open house format.  Stop by anytime during the event to share your ideas and provide feedback on parks and recreation along the Creek.

TITLE:  Community Parks Workshop

WHEN:  Tuesday, February 26 from 4 pm – 7 pm

LOCATION:  Ronald Reagan Community Center, located at 195 E. Douglas Ave, El Cajon, CA 92020

RSVP and INFO:  www.sandiegoriver.org/elcajonworkshop.html

For those that can’t attend the workshop, community members can also complete an online survey, available her in English, Spanish and Arabic:  http://sandiegoriver.org/survey.html.  Feedback from El Cajon residents is essential to ensure that the Recreation Access Plan reflected needs identified by community members.

Partners on this project include the City of El Cajon and Earth Discovery Institute.  This project was funded under the Water Quality, Supply and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014, administered by the State of California, Department of Water Resources.  This planning project also includes a trash capture study and youth education program.  To learn more, visit http://sandiegoriver.org/forester_creek.html, or call (619) 297-7380.

About The San Diego River Park Foundation

The San Diego River Park Foundation’s mission is to engage people to work toward a better future for the historic San Diego River and the creation of a 52-mile river parkway from the mountains to the ocean. The River Park Foundation is a non-profit community-based organization founded in 2001.  Visit www.sandiegoriver.org for more information.


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