CHEROKEE, Calif. — The Cherokee community in southern Butte County is famous for its gold rush history, wildlife, and the wildflowers that bloom on Table Mountain in the spring. But he also became known among local residents for something else.

“The roads are in really bad shape,” said Larry Tracy, who lives nearby. “One day I got hit by a guy in a trailer who couldn’t swerve, so a situation like we have here is dangerous. Someone is going to get hurt.”

Locals said they urgently needed the roads repaired. Most of the damage is from bulldozers and heavy equipment moving debris from the Camp Fire burn scar. Additionally, neighbors told KRCR the road from Highway 70 to the area is very narrow, making it difficult for two cars to drive at the same time; Concerns are growing that people will not be able to get out safely during a potential bushfire evacuation. Conditions can also be dangerous due to the lack of speed signs, according to local residents.

“The county did a few patches here after it hit them in the face a few months ago. But they didn’t … and if you hit it from the wrong angle” , you’re going to fly into the rocks,” he said, pointing to a badly cracked section of road.

Tracy had numerous correspondences with county public works officials, who told him little could be done about the condition of roads in the area due to funding.

“We have a lot of visitors here for the wildflower festival, so you get a lot of traffic this time of year, and as you saw before, they go through here really fast,” he said.

In addition to wildflower-enthusiastic tourists, cyclists also flock to the region for the annual event. Chico Wildflower TourA bikepacking event featuring routes through Cherokee.

Public Works Director Joshua Pack said he was aware of the concerns and noted recent efforts to reduce the impacts of Table Mountain traffic, such as installing “no parking” signs on parts of the road near wildflower blooms at the request of residents.

“We did some actions there, but it’s definitely not enough,” he said.

Pack added that Cherokee Road, in addition to a number of other roads, has been identified in the county’s long-term paving master plan for potential improvement. Over the next five years, the county is expected to have $22 million in funding for 1,300 miles of roads, but Pack said that’s not enough either.

“Our calculation is that if we wanted to take every road that was bad or at risk like Cherokee and restore it, it would cost about $350 million,” he said.

Pack said the Cherokee Trail will likely be repaired in the future if resources are available, but widening them is a different story.

“Even repaving a road these days costs a million dollars a mile,” he said. “The cost of widening a road like Cherokee would be several times that. That’s not minimizing the interests of the community, we just have limited resources.”

Neighbors like Tracy question why the community hasn’t taken advantage of the county’s $30 million disaster recovery fund. Pack said the county has explored grant opportunities for areas that serve as entrances and exits during fires, but has not been successful. Most of the community is outside the fire area, Pack said.

When asked what kind of message the county could offer to voters who think the conditions are dire enough to warrant immediate action, Pack said it’s a difficult situation.

“There are a lot of communities like the Cherokee who have the same concerns and are saying the same things,” he said. “You have so many needs and your resources are so limited. This does not minimize the frustration on behalf of residents. As someone who lives on roads with similar conditions, I understand this strongly and expect to get taxpayer dollars when I pay them to get it fixed… plenty to go around there is little money and so many needs… I can’t express more how much I empathize and how frustrating it is.”

County supervisors are expected to consider the long-term paving master plan, which includes Cherokee Road, on Nov. 12. The plan outlines high-priority projects that will receive attention when funds become available.

Pack also said that if county supervisors approve, the county will also conduct an assessment of speeds in the area where there are no posted speed limits.

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