WCB 8/2010: Calif. Wildlife Board to save 11,159 acres in August...

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Critters Will Be Safe in 13 new State Land Preservation Deals

SUMMARY: The State will buy 2440 acres outright and will also purchase development rights on another 8719 acres in Napa, Mono, Riverside, Plumas, Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Orange Counties

NOTICE OF MEETING
WILDLIFE CONSERVATION BOARD

http://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=22554

August 26, 2010


MAPS: https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=25150

AGENDA ITEMS

Quail Ridge Preserve--$310,000--Napa County
--grant to the Regents of the University of California (UC) to acquire approximately 120± acres at the south end of Lake Berryessa, 14 miles west of the City of Winters, in Napa County.

Wheeler Ridge, Expansion 2--$2,000--Mono County
--a private donation of land to the Department of Fish and Game, of 2± acres of fee title property near Crowley Lake, approximately 20 miles northwest of the City of Bishop in Mono County.

Western Riverside County MSHCP (2006)--$35,000 Expansion 2-6 --Riverside County
--acquisition of five properties, totaling 820± acres, south of the City of Murrieta, in Riverside County.

Whitewater Floodplain, Expansion 1--$5,000 Riverside County
--acquire a total of 142± acres located west of the City of Palm Springs, in Riverside County.

Goodwin Red Clover Valley Ranches--$1,993,500 Plumas County
--acquire a conservation easement over 3,904± acres of rangeland for the protection of rangeland, riparian and wet meadow habitat, and conservation of critical wildlife migration corridors. The property is located approximately 45 miles north of the Town of Truckee in the Red Clover Valley area of Plumas County.

Wildlake Ranch Conservation Easement--$6,020,000--Napa County
--acquire a conservation easement over 3,029± acres of land to protect oak woodland, conifer forest, chaparral, and riparian habitats located 20 miles northeast of the City of Napa, in Napa County.

Marks Ranch--$2,195,000--Monterey County
--acquire 624± acres of coastal range habitat with native grasslands, oak woodlands, riparian habitat and seasonal wetlands which serve as an important wildlife corridor, located adjacent to the Toro Regional Park, near the City of Salinas, in Monterey County.

Alamo Creek Conservation Easement--$2,220,000--San Luis Obispo County
--acquire a conservation easement over 1,767± acres for the protection of oak woodlands, riparian habitat, and conservation of critical wildlife migration corridors, located approximately 10 miles northeast of the City of Santa Maria in San Luis Obispo County.

Los Cerritos Wetlands--$5,180,000--Orange County
--acquire 100± acres of land in the City of Seal Beach

Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve,--$145,000.00 Tenaja Corridor, Expansions 1 -10 in Riverside County
--accept a donation of fee title to seven properties totaling 73± acres, conservation easements over two properties totaling 19± acres, and the acceptance of a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Habitat Conservation Planning Land Acquisition grant to acquire 39± acres

Vail Lake--$965,000--Riverside County
--acquire 520± acres of native upland and wetland habitat to support threatened and endangered species, 20 miles east of the City of Temecula, in the unincorporated area of Aguanga, in Riverside County.

Facts about California's Mountain Lion Protection law...

Big Cat Protection saves habitat for all critters

http://mountainlion.org/blog_article.asp?news_id=1197

6/29/2010
Fact: In addition to banning the trophy hunting of mountain lions, Proposition117 directs the California State legislature to allocate a minimum of $30million annually for thirty years towards the acquisition of critical habitat
for all of the state's wildlife. Since the Mountain Lion Foundation is not in the land acquisition business, none of these funds benefit our organization.

Fact:
To date, Proposition 117 has helped acquire and protect over 2 million acres of critical habitat. Below is a breakdown of those acquisitions:

305,183 acres for the protection of mountain lion and deer habitat.
337,744 acres for the protection of special status species and significant habitat areas.
267,261 acres for protection and restoration of wetlands habitat.
1,170,649 acres for protection and restoration of fisheries and riparian habitat.
143,221 acres of corridors, trails, and for interpretive programs.

TOTAL:
2,224,058 Total Acres Protected

or are the taxpayers the ones who deserve credit?

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Taking Credit: Arnold Schwarzenegger is the great savior of California's environment (??)

--so says his press office:

(Curiously, his office gives no thanks to the land trusts, the taxpayers who've paid for the land either directly or with giving tax write-offs to landowners, to the groups filing lawsuits to halt sprawl, and everyone else who has worked tirelessly for the cause.) ---the editor
-----------------------------
Here is the Governor's press release:

2/6/2010

http://gov.ca.gov/fact-sheet/14280

"How much land has been protected, conserved, acquired in each of the years
Governor Schwarzenegger has held office?

2003: 50,084 Acres
2004: 167,758 Acres
2005: 30,986 Acres
2006: 59,580 Acres
2007: 57,757 Acres
2008: 38,389 Acres
Total: 404,555 Acres

Note: Hearst Ranch (2004-2005) is included in the above figures (82,000
Acres); Tejon Ranch (2008) is not included (240,000 Acres), which would bring
the total under Gov. Schwarzenegger to 644,555 Acres.

How much land has been protected, conserved, acquired in total since the
Governor took office? (Simple math using the answer to the previous questions
gets this answer)

Gov. Schwarzenegger: 11/03-Present
Total: 404,555 Acres (with Tejon; 644,555 Acres)

-----------------------------

How much land was protected, conserved, acquired by each of the previous
Governor's going back to Jerry Brown?

Gov. Brown: 1/75-12/82
1975: 5,873 Acres
1976: 17,300 Acres
1977: 5,396 Acres
1978: 30,324 Acres
1979: 7,073 Acres
1980: 16,299 Acres
1981: 11,346 Acres
1982: 5,051 Acres
Total: 98,663 Acres

---------------


Gov. Deukmejian: 1/83-12/90
1983: 4,502 Acres
1984: 4,689 Acres
1985: 22,098 Acres
1986: 13,748 Acres
1987: 8,648 Acres
1988: 22,880 Acres
1989: 13,803 Acres
1990: 24,031 Acres
Total: 114,400 Acres

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Gov. Wilson: 1/91-12/98
1991: 15,663 Acres
1992: 7,581 Acres
1993: 12,950 Acres
1994: 18,288 Acres
1995: 11,493 Acres
1996: 7,836 Acres
1997: 26,050 Acres
1998: 9,120 Acres
Total: 108,951 Acres

----------------


Gov. Davis: 1/99-11/03
1999: 24,518 Acres
2000: 60,166 Acres
2001: 146,848 Acres
2002: 63,103 Acres
2003: 88,368 Acres
Total: 383,004 Acres


Has Governor Schwarzenegger protected, conserved or acquired more land than
any other Governor? (Simple math using the answer to the previous questions gets
this answer) Yes. In land acquisitions alone, the administration has conserved
more than 400K acres. Add Hearst Ranch (82,000), Tejon Ranch (240,000) and
Wildlife Conservation Board since 2004 (125,000) and this is more than any other
governor.


If we use Sierra Nevada Conservancy at 25 million acres, this number
increases dramatically. However, Sierra Nevada is a special treatment. The acres
cover all or part of 22 counties. Roughly 60 percent of the land area is already
in the public domain. It is driven by many economic factors including business
development, sustainable forestry, (reduce the risk of natural disasters, such
as wildfire), improved water quality, working landscapes, support of the
regional economy, enhanced public use of public lands, etc. Promotes recreation
in the region; protect, conserve and restore the physical, cultural,
archaeological, historic and living resources."

-

$30 Million in New Federal Stimulus Bill Goes to Calif. Wetland Restoration Projects through the Coastal Conservancy

excerpted from http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/center/articles/2009/san-jose-mercury-news-02-12-2009.html

2/12/2009--The conservancy's wish list included five major ongoing wetlands restoration projects totaling nearly 4,000 acres, said civil engineer Steve Ritchie, a Coastal Conservancy staff member who helped draw it up. And the federal Army Corps of Engineers included all five projects on its own list of possible ways to spend stimulus money.

The projects, which range from Napa County to Silicon Valley, involve moving levees, creating islands and converting former industrial salt ponds back to marshes. Each could begin by year's end and would benefit dozens of species, including salmon, steelhead trout, ducks, egrets, and yes, the endangered mouse, Ritchie said...

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At Least 90,000 acres were Preserved in 2008

Our 2008 Update to our California Conservation Lands Inventory

Previous editions are at http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/04/over-130000-acres-of-wildlife-habitat.html and http://connectingcalifornia.org/

Point Mugu State Park, December 2008

NORTH COAST:

Del Norte county, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/search/label/Del%20Norte

650 acres and298 acres

Humboldt county:

39 acres at Freshwater Lagoon, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/12/save-redwoods-league-2007-8-land.html

216 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/09/redwoods-league-buys-mattole-land-for.html

15 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/09/preservation-of-223-acres-of-coastline.html

44 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/09/preservation-of-223-acres-of-coastline.html

Mendocino county:

401 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/12/save-redwoods-league-2007-8-land.html

5.8 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/09/land-purchases-on-september-25th.html

64 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/04/feds-actually-give-almost-18-million-to.html

----------------------------------------

SF BAY AREA:

Alameda County:

74 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/11/258-acres-in-sonoma-and-east-s.html

Contra Costa county:

17 acres and 35 acres in Marsh Creek, and 153 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/10/measure-w-in-east-sf-bay-will-help.html

333 acres at Chaparral Springs, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/09/land-purchases-on-september-25th.html

423 acres in Franklin Canyon, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/09/picturesque-franklin-canyon-in-east-sf.html

2000 acres funded by the feds, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/04/feds-actually-give-almost-18-million-to.html

Marin county:

2094 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/11/year-end-message-from-marin-county.html

Napa county:

113 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/12/save-redwoods-league-2007-8-land.html

800 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/11/another-800-acres-opened-to-public.html

673 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/09/land-purchases-on-september-25th.html

1000 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/04/coastal-conservancy-votes-on-crucial.html

San Mateo County:

1047 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/04/coastal-conservancy-votes-on-crucial.html

Santa Clara County:

28,359 acre conservation easement, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/02/protecting-heart-of-mount-hamilton.html

Sonoma county:

283 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/11/258-acres-in-sonoma-and-east-s.html

5630 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/10/public-and-private-to-save-5630-acre.html

-------------------------------------------------

CENTRAL VALLEY/SIERRAS:

Butte County:

582 acre conservation easement, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/10/another-9511-acres-of-wildlife-habitat.html

Calaveras County:

413 acre conservation easement, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/06/413-acres-saved-in-sierra-foothills-by.html

El Dorado County:

45 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/10/another-9511-acres-of-wildlife-habitat.html

558 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/12/558-acres-are-saved-on-american-river.html

Madera county:

1080 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/10/1080-acre-madera-county-ranch-conserved.html

Merced county:

2912 acre conservation easement, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/10/another-9511-acres-of-wildlife-habitat.html

Placer county:

912 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/06/912-acre-oak-preserve-completed-in.html

21 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/04/feds-actually-give-almost-18-million-to.html

Sierra County:

982 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/10/another-9511-acres-of-wildlife-habitat.html

Tehama county:

1440 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/12/spectacular-1440-acre-childs-meadow.html

Tulare county:

11 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/12/save-redwoods-league-2007-8-land.html

Yolo county:

685 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/10/another-9511-acres-of-wildlife-habitat.html

3450 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/01/fresno-area-water-district-buys-large.html

Yuba county:

180 acre conservation easement, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/10/western-aggregates-and-group-announce.html

529 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/10/another-9511-acres-of-wildlife-habitat.html

--------------------------------------------

CENTRAL COAST:

Monterey county:

4300 acre conservation easement, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/03/iconic-mt-toro-vista-protected-dorrance.html

San Luis Obispo county:

5500 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/12/pumping-up-slos-montana-de-oro-plan.html

838 acre conservation easement, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/12/slo-is-poised-to-add-to-greenbelt-most.html

180 acre conservation easement, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/10/san-luis-obispo-land-trust-saves-over.html

Santa Cruz county:

486 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/11/3016-acres-on-coastline-purchased-at.html

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/10/another-9511-acres-of-wildlife-habitat.html

64 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/09/preservation-of-223-acres-of-coastline.html

100 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/12/save-redwoods-league-2007-8-land.html

Santa Barbara county:

20 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/10/another-9511-acres-of-wildlife-habitat.html

2725 acre conservation easement, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/10/another-9511-acres-of-wildlife-habitat.html

143 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/04/143-acres-of-pristine-san-luis-obispo.html

3900 acre PXP land deal, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/04/oil-firm-foes-strike-major-deal-on.html

23 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/02/santa-barbara-county-ranch-is-saved.html

Ventura county:

53 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/11/3016-acres-on-coastline-purchased-at.html

-------------------------------------

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA:

Los Angeles:

Lots of properties, the biggest are:

825 acres in Corral canyon, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/04/long-sought-corral-canyon-addition-to.html

320 acres in Soledad canyon, [Map] [Staff Report] [Map] [Staff Report]

220 acres in Palos Verdes, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/09/land-purchases-on-september-25th.html

175 acres in the Verdugo Mountains, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/01/developers-donate-175-hillside-acres-in.html

175 acre Los Cerritos wetlands, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/11/land-swap-saves-last-unprotected-large.html

Mono county:

1460 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/12/eastern-sierra-land-trust-lots-of-local.html

80 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/01/blm-opens-donated-land-near-granite.html

Orange county:

4.5 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/09/land-purchases-on-september-25th.html

140 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/09/county-to-fund-restoration-of-140-acres.html

10 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/04/coastal-conservancy-votes-on-crucial.html

Riverside county:

Coachella preserve completed

80 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/10/another-9511-acres-of-wildlife-habitat.html

260 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/10/another-9511-acres-of-wildlife-habitat.html

422 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/10/another-9511-acres-of-wildlife-habitat.html

2869 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/04/feds-actually-give-almost-18-million-to.html

San Diego:

1100 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/11/1100-acres-added-to-anza-borrego-park.html

29 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/10/another-9511-acres-of-wildlife-habitat.html

481 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/10/back-country-land-trust-donates-481.html

230 acres, 1080 acres, 1020 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/04/feds-actually-give-almost-18-million-to.html

1000 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/01/nature-conservancy-buys-1000-acres-so.html

385 acres, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/12/deal-reached-to-save-el-cajon-mountain.html

Here's a website we stumbled across which is working on a similar goal as our http://ConnectingCalifornia.org project, ie. summarizing land preservation work all around the USA:

http://www.landscope.org/preview/ImageGalleries?galleryId=73d49c38-7ed4-48c0-b658-d5d12af91293&imageIndex=1

Nature Conservancy USA map

----------------------

http://www.landscope.org/preview/wallmap/natural_states.html
USA national conservation wall map—untouched areas
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http://www.landscope.org/preview/wallmap/featured_places/garcia_river_forest.html
Garcia River forest in Mendocino County

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http://www.landscope.org/preview/wallmap/natural_states/land_protection

In the past decade protection of open space and natural areas by state and local government has dramatically increased, thanks primarily to voters who approved nearly 1,300 state and local ballot initiatives since 1998 (at a 76% success rate). Florida, California, and Colorado have been leaders at the state level. Localities use an array of methods to fund conservation—bonds, sales taxes, lottery funds, development fees, and more. State conservation spending per capita varies widely across the nation. Source: The Trust for Public Land

------------------

http://www.landscope.org/preview/wallmap/at_risk.html
open spaces at risk
--------------------

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Over 130,000 acres of Wildlife Habitat Were Saved in California Land Acquisitions by State and Federal Agencies and Local Land Trusts As Reported between the beginning of September 2007 to the end of April 2008:

Summary:

Southern California:
San Diego County: 6266 acres
Orange County: 27 acres
Riverside County: 4578 acres
Los Angeles County: 2172 acres


Central Coast:
Ventura County: 2638 acres
Santa Barbara County: 4066 acres
San Luis Obispo County: 230 acres
Monterey County: 4443 acres
San Benito County: 1967 acres
Santa Cruz County: 253 acres

San Francisco Bay Area:
Contra Costa County: 2000 acres
Sonoma County: 2892 acres
Marin County: 993 acres
San Mateo County: 2215 acres
Santa Clara County: 29,227 acres
Napa County: 1277 acres


Central Valley and Sierra Nevadas:
Shasta County: 141 acres
Lassen and Modoc Counties: 2180 acres
Placer County: 21 acres
El Dorado County: 440 acres
Nevada County: 1343 acres
Sierra County: 725-Acres
Glenn County: 259 acres
Fresno County: 681 acres
Madera County: 1799 acres
Kern County: 236 acres
Mono County: 4341 acres

North Coast:
Mendocino County: 50,224 acres
Humboldt County: 4673 acres
Del Norte County: 9.5 acres

--------------------------------------------------------------------

DETAILED SUMMARY OF LAND PURCHASES:

Abbreviations:

WCB is Wildlife Conservation Board

CC is the Coastal Conservancy

State Parks Dept. was checked and no purchases were announced in this period.

Also, see the Land Trust Alliance’s page on recent purchases:

http://www.lta.org/yourregion/pacific.htm

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA:

San Diego County:

--950 acres by WCB 2-20-2008, Ramona Grasslands, Expansion 2, $25,000

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/01/4259-acres-of-california-wildlife.html

--Over 100 Acres Saved at San Diego River, Eagle Peak Preserve, 5-8-07 http://www.sandiegoriver.org/

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2007/09/over-100-acres-saved-at-san-diego-river.html

--204 Acres Added to San Diego River Park Within National Forest Boundary

9/10/2007

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2007/09/204-acres-added-to-san-diego-river-park.html

--1206 acres, North San Diego County’s Margarita Peak, 8/2007 by WCB and Fallbrook Land Conservancy and is part of the Marine Corps Camp Pendleton buffer and open space connectivity program.

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2007/10/north-san-diego-countys-margarita-peak.html

--1,000 acres expansion of Anza-Borrego Desert park by Nature Conservancy

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/01/nature-conservancy-buys-1000-acres-so.html

--476 acres by WCB 5-22-2008, Ramona Grasslands, Expansion 3, $5,000, located west of the community of Ramona, in San Diego County.

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/04/state-wildlife-board-to-buy-5035-acres.html

--230 acres by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for $4.9 million for land in the East Elliot and Otay Mesa areas
--1080 acres by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for $600,000 for land in the Jacumba area for the Quino's checkerspot butterfly
--1020 acres by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for $1 million in the La Posta area

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/04/feds-actually-give-almost-18-million-to.html

-----------------------------------

Orange County:

--16.6 acres CC 11-2007: disburse an amount up to $860,000 to the Huntington Beach Wetlands Conservancy to acquire the 16.6-acre University of California Riverside property at Brookhurst Marsh in Huntington Beach, Orange County.

(--100 acres by WCB 2-20-2008: Hellman Wetlands in Seal Beach, $6,100,000; item was pulled from agenda for ???? reason)

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/01/4259-acres-of-california-wildlife.html

--10.38-acre SBD Property near the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park by CC 4-24-2008

------------------------------------------

Riverside County:

--998 acres total by WCB 11-15-2007 to be Purchased in Riverside County:

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2007/10/8403-acres-of-california-wildlife.html

--18+ acres at Wilson Creek, located south of Hemet;

--352 acres at Wilson Creek;

--172+ acres located along the Interstate 15 corridor;

--100 acres located in the Santa Rosa Mountains area south of the city of La Quinta, in Riverside County;

--30 acres Santa Rosa Plateau, Tenaja Corridor;

--6 acres north of the city of Murrieta;

--320 acre addition to Coachella Valley Ecological Reserve, Edom Hill Unit, located southeast of the city of Desert Hot Springs.

--321 acres of land was dedicated Tuesday to the Coachella Valley Fringe-toed Lizard Preserve. The 321-acre parcel is part of an 8,880-acre acquisition that serves as a wildlife movement corridor between the preserve and Joshua Tree National Park.

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2007/09/feds-cough-up-for-coachella-valley-land.html

All of the following are by the WCB on 5-22-2008:

--80 acres at Coachella Valley Ecological Reserve (Edom Hill Unit) $5,000.00 Expansion 31, a cooperative project with the Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy to acquire fee title to 80± acres located southeast of the City of Desert Hot Springs, in Riverside County.
--91 acres at San Jacinto Wildlife Area, Expansion 30, $400,000, acquisition of a conservation easement over 91± acres as an addition to the Department of Fish and Game's San Jacinto Wildlife Area located southwest of Mystic Lake, near Lakeview.

--10 acres at Santa Rosa Mountains Wildlife Area, Expansions 9 and 10, $280,000 as additions to the Department of Fish and Game’s Santa Rosa Mountains Wildlife Area; located west of Jefferson Street and south of Avenue 62, in the City of La Quinta, in Riverside County.
--36 acres at Triple Creeks Conservation Area, Expansion 3, $5,000 to acquire fee title to 36± acres located west of State Highway 79, south of Scott Road in Murrieta, in Riverside County.
--102 acres south of Hemet, Western Riverside County MSHCP, Expansion 3, $5,000 to acquire fee title to 102± acres located approximately eight miles south of Hemet, in Riverside County.

--71 acres at El Sobrante, $2,504,700 to acquire fee title to 71± acres located within the Department of Fish and Game’s Natural Community Conservation Plan area, northeast of the City of Wildomar, south of Lake Elsinore, in Riverside County.

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/04/state-wildlife-board-to-buy-5035-acres.html

--2869 acres by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for $466,000 at the Santa Rosa Mountains

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/04/feds-actually-give-almost-18-million-to.html

--------------------------------------------

LOS ANGELES COUNTY:

Santa Monica Mountains:

-total of 825 acres at Corral Canyon in Malibu, by CC and WCB:

Rancho Corral

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2007/10/parks-agency-to-buy-850-acres-that.html

--10 acres Saddle Peak, by MRCA, by donation

--29-acre conservation easement donation adjacent to Liberty Canyon, Agoura Hills.

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2007/11/l.html

L.A. County Funds Major Land Purchases in Santa Monica Mountains
5/18/07

The projects, funded by a combination of sources, are:

--18 acres Lindero Creek

--8 acres Upper Topanga Canyon Trail between Summit to Summit at Henry Ridge Motorway

--266 acres Cold Creek Trail

--99 acres Cold Creek High Trail

--80 acres Upper Solstice Canyon

-199 acres Corral Canyon

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2007/09/la-county-funds-land-buys-in-santa.html

San Gabriel Mountains:

--262+ acres by WCB 11-15-2007 in the city of Glendora,

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2007/10/8403-acres-of-california-wildlife.html

--400 acres in Elsmere Canyon, adjacent to Angeles National Forest. This property connects the thousands of acres of parks in the Santa Monica Mountains, Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains with the Angeles National Forest and parks in the east half of L.A. County! This pinch point is just north of Sylmar and Granada Hills and south of Santa Clarita.

http://mrca.ca.gov/pdf/attachment598_Map.pdf

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2007/09/connector-between-las-angeles-forest.html

--175 acres in Verdugo Mountains and San Rafael Hills in Glendale, donated by developer

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/01/developers-donate-175-hillside-acres-in.html

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CENTRAL COAST COUNTIES:

VENTURA COUNTY:

--10 acre Santa Monica Mountains Backbone Trail land connector purchased

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/01/backbone-trail-land-connector-purchased.html

--2400 acre Simi Hills Rocketdyne site will be donated to public after cleanup of toxics; Parcel is Vital Link in Parks Corridor Connecting Santa Monica Mountains and Open Spaces in North L.A. and Ventura Counties

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2007/10/saved-parcel-is-in-red-outline.html

--228 acres at Santa Clara River by CC 4-24-2008

http://www.scc.ca.gov/sccbb/0804bb/0804Board03_Santa_Clara_River_Parkway.pdf

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/04/coastal-conservancy-votes-on-crucial.html

-------------------

Santa Barbara County:

--143 acres by CC 1-2008: Paradise Beach for conservation of open space and dunes habitat, Point Sal, northern Santa Barbara County.

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/04/143-acres-of-pristine-san-luis-obispo.html

--23 acre Carpinteria Ranch is Saved with Conservation Easement

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/02/santa-barbara-county-ranch-is-saved.html

--3900 acres north of Lompoc and on Gaviota coast-- Oil firm, Plains Exploration and foes strike major deal on Santa Barbara Coast; to donate land for preservation if they can tap offshore oil from existing platform. http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/04/oil-firm-foes-strike-major-deal-on.html

San Luis Obispo County:

-8 acres by CC 1-2008 and WCB 5-22-2008: for East Sweet Springs property on the south Morro Bay shoreline

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/04/state-wildlife-board-to-buy-5035-acres.html

--222 acres added to Carrizo Plain National Monument by the federal Bureau of Land Management for $118,500.

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2007/09/carrizo-plain-national-monument-gets.html

--143 acres by CC 1/2008 at Paradise Beach near the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/04/143-acres-of-pristine-san-luis-obispo.html

----------------

Monterey County:

Big Sur Area:

--12 acres by CC 1-2008: disburse up to $500,000 to the Big Sur Land Trust for acquisition of the McWhorter Property for the Carmel River Parkway in Monterey County.

--3200 acre conservation easement at Carmel River’s Violini Ranch funded by the Big Sur Land Trust and The Nature Conservancy. Read full story. http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/02/salinas-valley-farmers-act-to-protect.html

--860 acre Glen Deven Ranch, located above Highway 1 in the hills of Big Sur, is a striking example of the beauty, simplicity and raw power of the area. Land was donated to the Big Sur Land Trust in 2001 More

--160 acres Horse Pasture Preserved by Wilderness Land Trust and donated to U.S. Forest Service (3/2007)

Monterey Peninsula Herald Article

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/02/several-key-wildlife-area-tracts-are.html

Elkhorn Slough:

--7.47 acres of land by WCB 11-15-2007 as an addition to the Elkhorn Slough Ecological Reserve, located in the town of Castroville in Monterey County,

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2007/10/8403-acres-of-california-wildlife.html

--204 acres by WCB 2-20-2008, Elkhorn Slough Ecological Reserve, Expansion 17 $3,483,377

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/01/4259-acres-of-california-wildlife.html

SAN BENITO COUNTY:

--1967 acres given by Nature Conservancy at “Pinnacles Gateway” to National Park Service (4/2006) http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2007/10/nature-conservancy-transfers-pinnacles.html

----------------------

Santa Cruz County:

--189 acres by WCB 2-20-2008: Santa Cruz Sandhills $1,510,000.00, located near town of Scotts Valley

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/01/4259-acres-of-california-wildlife.html

--64 acres in Willow Canyon by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/04/feds-actually-give-almost-18-million-to.html

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SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA COUNTIES:

Sonoma County:

--1235 acres by CC 9-2007: Poff Property for addition to Sonoma Coast State Beach in western Sonoma County.

--1,657+ acres by CC and WCB 11-15-2007 of land located west of Highway 121, south of the city of Sonoma, in Sonoma County; Napa-Sonoma Marshes Wildlife Area, Tolay Creek Unit known as Roche Ranch

Contra Costa County:

--2000 acres by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to save red-legged frog habitat

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/04/feds-actually-give-almost-18-million-to.html

Marin County:

--750 acres by CC 9-2007: acquire a conservation easement over the 750-acre Poncia Ranch south of the town of Tomales, in western Marin County.

--243 acres by CC 11/2007; buy conservation easement at the Tomales Farm and Dairy in west Marin County.

San Mateo County:

--206 acres bought by POST at Wavecrest Property in Half Moon Bay
Read full story. (posted 2/1/2008)

--3.67 acre Pillar Point Bluff: The $495,000 acquisition will be added to POST’s Pillar Point Bluff property, 119 acres that surround the new purchase on two sides. Read full story. (posted 1/8/2008)

--1047 acre Mindego Hill bought by POST, located Along Skyline Ridge

Read full story. (posted 10/12/07)

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/02/open-spaces-on-west-side-of-san.html

http://www.scc.ca.gov/sccbb/0804bb/0804Board12_Mindego_Hill_Acquisition.pdf

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/04/coastal-conservancy-votes-on-crucial.html

--952 acres conservation easement south of Half Moon Bay donated 4/2/2008

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/04/san-mateo-county-coastside-landowner.html

--6.4 acres at Brisbane Acres by CC 4/24/2008

http://www.scc.ca.gov/sccbb/0804bb/0804Board22B_Brisbane_Acres.pdf

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/04/coastal-conservancy-votes-on-crucial.html

Santa Clara County:

--28,359 acre conservation easement near San Jose – A huge stretch of land near Mount Hamilton that is nearly the size of San Francisco has been donated as a conservation easement by the Hewlett and Packard families to protect the property from development, the Nature Conservancy said Sunday. The protection of the 28,359-acre San Felipe Ranch from development will complete a 70-mile long corridor of protected natural lands that extends from Pacheco Pass to Livermore Valley, according to the conservancy.

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/02/big-south-san-francisco-bay-ranch.html

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/02/protecting-heart-of-mount-hamilton.html

--868 acres by CC 1-2008: acquire the Blair Ranch in Morgan Hill for habitat preservation, open space protection, public access and incidental agricultural use. Purchase made in conjunction with POST Read full story

Napa County:

--1000 acres at the Duff Ranch by CC 4/24/2008, located northeast of Calistoga

--120 acres by CC 1-2008: acquisition of property interests in the 120-acre Smith-Madrone Property adjacent to Bothe-Napa Valley State Park in Napa County, for the protection of natural resources and public access.

--157 acres by CC 1-2008: disburse up to $485,000 to the Regents of the University of California for the acquisition of approximately 157 acres for inclusion in the Quail Ridge Reserve located on the south shore of Lake Berryessa in Napa County.

------------------------

CENTRAL VALLEY /SIERRA NEVADA COUNTIES:

Shasta County:

--141 acres by WCB 5-22-2008, Mouth of Cottonwood Creek Wildlife Area $1,745,000, Balls Ferry Unit, Expansion 2, as an addition to the Department of Fish and Game's Mouth of Cottonwood Creek Wildlife Area located east of the community of Cottonwood, in Shasta County.

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/04/state-wildlife-board-to-buy-5035-acres.html

Lassen and Modoc Counties:

--2180 acres including 86 miles of railroad track by WCB 5-22-2008. Rails to Trails, Modoc Line $420,000, a grant to the Lassen Land and Trails Trust for a cooperative acquisition with the Department of Fish and Game, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Sierra Nevada Conservancy to buy the rail line running north from the town of Wendel, in Lassen County and ending south of Alturas, in Modoc County.

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/04/state-wildlife-board-to-buy-5035-acres.html

Placer County:

--21 acres at the Big Gun property, by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to save red-legged frog habitat

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/04/feds-actually-give-almost-18-million-to.html

El Dorado County:

--80+ acres by WCB 11-15-2007 of vacant land in El Dorado County, Pine Hill Ecological Reserve, Salmon Falls Unit

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2007/10/8403-acres-of-california-wildlife.html

--40 acres by WCB 2-20-2008: South Fork American River, Lower Canyon Unit near the community of Pilot Hill, Expansion 2, $360,000

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/01/4259-acres-of-california-wildlife.html

--320 acres by WCB 2-20-2008,Upper Cosumnes River Basin (north fork), Expansion 2 $1,465,000, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/01/4259-acres-of-california-wildlife.html

Nevada County:

--1343 acres donated at the Truckee River (WCB 11-15-2007): by the Truckee Donner Land Trust to the Department of Fish and Game; Truckee River Wildlife Area, Gray Creek Canyon Unit, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2007/10/8403-acres-of-california-wildlife.html

Sierra County:

--725-Acre Working Forest Conservation Easement Nears Completion; 1-2008: Turner Creek Ranch Project Helps Safeguard the southwest Sierra Valley
http://www.pacificforest.org/news/pdf/TurnerCreek-PR-1-10-08.pdf
PFT is pleased to announce our latest working forest conservation easement - the Turner Creek Ranch Project - is set to close by year's end. Turner Creek Ranch is a 725-acre working landscape that supports cattle grazing, hay farming and sustainable timber harvests. The Ranch has been owned by the Turner family for more than 150 years and is currently stewarded by Russell and Elva Turner. http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2007/10/turner-creek-ranch-project-helps.html

Glenn County:

--259 acre conservation easement by WCB 2-20-2008 at Bird Haven Ranch, $440,000,

located off of County Road 67, east of Afton, adjacent to the Department of Fish and Game's Upper Butte Basin Wildlife Area.

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/01/4259-acres-of-california-wildlife.html

Madera County:

--719 acres at Fine Gold Creek Saved (7-27-07) by Sierra Foothills Conservancy and the Trust for Public Land http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2007/09/fine-gold-creek-saved-in-madera-county.html

--1080 acres by WCB 5-22-2008, Millerton Preserve (Ecker Ranch) $3,015,000, a grant to the California Rangeland Trust to acquire a conservation easement over 1,080± acres located 25 miles northeast of the City of Madera, near the community of Coarsegold, in Madera County.

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/04/state-wildlife-board-to-buy-5035-acres.html

Fresno County:

358 acres by WCB 5-22-2008 at Black Mountain Preserve, Expansion 3, $1,150,000, a grant to the Sierra Foothill Conservancy to acquire fee title to land located off of Tollhouse Road, in the Sierra Nevada Foothills, in Fresno County.

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/04/state-wildlife-board-to-buy-5035-acres.html

--323 acres by WCB 2-20-2008: San Joaquin River Riparian Habitat, Expansion 14 $6,435,500, as an addition to the San Joaquin River Parkway, located northeast

of the City of Fresno, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/01/4259-acres-of-california-wildlife.html

Kern County:

--40 acres by WCB 2-20-2008 at Canebrake Ecological Reserve, Cap Canyon Unit, Expansion 2, $100,000, http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/01/4259-acres-of-california-wildlife.html

--196 acres by WCB 5-22-2008 at Canebrake Ecological Reserve, Canebrake Creek Unit $404,500, Expansion 3, as an addition to the Department of Fish and Game's Canebrake Ecological Reserve located near the community of Canebrake, northwest of State Highway 178, in eastern Kern County.

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/04/state-wildlife-board-to-buy-5035-acres.html

----------------------

NORTH COAST COUNTIES:

Mendocino County:

--160 acres by WCB 2-20-2008: Montgomery Woods, Expansion 1, $255,000, Mendocino County, ten miles northwest of Ukiah.

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/01/4259-acres-of-california-wildlife.html

--50,000 acre Usal forest: Redwood Forests Foundation Now Owns 50,000 Acres in Mendocino County Between Coast and 101 Freeway; Bought from Timber Company with Help from Bank of America

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/02/redwood-forests-foundation-now-owns.html

--64 acres of coastal dunes at Mackerricher State Park by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/04/feds-actually-give-almost-18-million-to.html

Humboldt County:

--4500 acres upstream of Redwood National Park bought by BLM in 2006: Last year another major part of the Lacks Creek drainage was bought by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management with help from private conservation groups. In a $5.5 million deal including $2.5 million from the Save-the-Redwoods League and money from the Resource Legacy Foundation Fund, 4,500 acres was procured from the Barnum Timber Co., Eel River Sawmills and landowner Veena Menda.

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2007/09/redwood-national-park-grows.html

--53 acres by WCB 5-22-2008:. Humboldt Bay Coastal Reserve, Expansions 2 and 3, $495,000, located west of State Highway 255, southwest of Arcata, in Humboldt County.
http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/04/state-wildlife-board-to-buy-5035-acres.html

--120 acres by WCB 5-22-2008 at Jacoby Creek Forest, Expansion 4, $509,000, a grant to the City of Arcata for land approximately seven miles southeast of the City of Arcata, in Humboldt County.

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/04/state-wildlife-board-to-buy-5035-acres.html

Del Norte County:

--9.5 acres by CC 9-2007: disburse up to $20,000 to the City of Crescent City to complete the Battery Point and Brown Property Feasibility Study for potential acquisition, restoration and public access on 9.5-acres of property on the waterfront in Crescent City, Del Norte County.

----------------

EASTERN SIERRA:

Mono County:

--480 acres saved by Eastern Sierra Land trust adjacent to the Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area.

http://easternsierralandtrust.org/

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/02/eastern-sierra-land-trust-adds-480.html

--80 acres Donated to BLM Near Granite Mountain, Near Mono Lake

http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2008/january/CCNews0822_granitemtn_donation.html
1/18/2008:An 80-acre parcel in the eastern Sierras is open for public access following a donation to the Bureau of Land Management Bishop Field Office. The parcel is located in the Granite Mountain Wilderness Study Area, east of Mono Lake. The Wilderness Land Trust recently acquired the land from a willing seller and donated it to the BLM to be managed as public lands.

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/01/blm-opens-donated-land-near-granite.html

--3748 acre Former Island in Mono Lake Now Public Land

http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2007/july/CCNews0758_cedarhi%20lls_acquisition.html

July 27, 2007. The Wilderness Land Trust acquired the 3,748-acre property from Mel Arthur in 2006 and recently donated it to the BLM

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2007/09/former-island-in-mono-lake-now-public.html

--33 acres by WCB 5-22-2008 at Wheeler Ridge Wildlife Area, Expansion 1, $840,000; a grant to the Eastern Sierra Land Trust to acquire fee title to 33± acres located west of State Highway 395, south of Crowley Lake, in southern Mono County.

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2008/04/state-wildlife-board-to-buy-5035-acres.html