On Friday, July 3rd a huge Alder tree fell at Camp Pollock causing damage to the caretaker trailer. Tim and his two yellow labs (Philbin and Luther) were inside the trailer when the tree came down, and while very shook up, thankfully they were all able to walk away. The tree pierced the roof and side of the trailer and caused damage to the inside. While we haven’t yet received an official assessment, the trailer is likely totaled.
Tim and his pups have lived on-site and managed this beautiful hidden jewel for the last 5+ years. If you’ve ever met Tim, you know he’s a kind and caring person with a HUGE heart. He works hard to manage the entire 11 acres and is always willing to lend a hand to visitors. Sacramento Valley Conservancy owns the trailer and manages the site without any dedicated funding. With COVID-19, SVC has lost nearly all rental income and does not have the funds to purchase a new caretaker unit. This is where we are asking the community for help.
Having a 24-7 caretaker presence is a critical component to keeping Camp Pollock open to the public.
SVC board and staff is scrambling to secure a safe unit (trailer or tiny house) for Tim to continue living on site and fulfilling the essential role of taking care of and looking after the site. It’s critical that we have eyes on the property at all times and the unit has to be moveable since the property has flooding most years.
Can you help keep Camp Pollock a safe and free location to access the American River?
Any donation you can give will help make an impact. We are raising money to help SVC purchase a safe trailer or tiny house for Tim to stay in, so he can continue caring for the space 24-7. Thank you in advance for your contribution.
What about insurance?
SVC is fully insured for the trailer which is valued at $6,000. We want to be fully transparent about our efforts as we raise funds for a Camp Pollock Caretaker unit. The trailer was never a long-term solution for the Camp Pollock Caretaker, but was purchased with the funds we had available when we took over Camp Pollock.
Over the past 5 years we’ve worked with Cosumnes River College design and construction departments, applied for grants and had a few fundraising events to help raise funds for a new caretaker unit. In addition to the construction of a portable unit, SVC costs from the incident which insurance does not cover, include removal of the tree ($1,500) and replacement of damaged fence, as well as secure a temporary unit while a suitable tiny house is constructed.
Unlike easements which typically have dedicated and restricted funding for long term maintenance and monitoring, Camp Pollock is kept open to the public with no fee to park and managed without any dedicated funding. In a typical year, SVC’s outreach events and rentals of Camp Pollock help to offset about half of the costs to manage and maintain the space. However, with the COVID 19 pandemic almost all organized gatherings including educational and outreach events, rentals, and service projects have been canceled. Despite this hardship, we are committed to keeping Camp Pollock open and providing our community with free access to nature.
