A unofficial swimming and recreation area along the North Fork of the American River outside Auburn is going to be become official, with 417 acres acquired for permanent conservation by the Placer Land Trust and the Trust for Public Land.

The acreage, called the Big Bend North Fork Preserve, includes the riverside land around Ponderosa Way, which links the small towns of Weimar and Foresthill.

“It’s already open to access, but it’s not guaranteed,” said Jeff Darlington, Placer Land Trust’s executive director. “This just removes the threat that this is going to be developed.”

Darlington said there’s never been a formal application to develop the property, though it’s zoned for housing. The previous property owner, Foresthill Land Co., does have plans to develop some land nearby, he added.

Using grant funds from the California Natural Resources Agency, the two land trust nonprofits bought the land for $1.368 million. Consisting mostly of pine covered hillsides and cliffs along the river canyon, the property is also popular for river swimming, with more daring sorts jumping off the Ponderosa Bridge crossing the river.

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