Even More New Parks to Explore....

In the Sierra Nevadas and Central Valley:

IN SHASTA COUNTY:

Hathaway ranch 6630 acre conservation easement
http://www.pclfoundation.org/publications/sierranevada/shasta.html
http://www.shastalandtrust.org/content/view/19/1/

JS ranch 5940 ac conservation easement
http://www.alcnet.org/PR_JS_Ranch

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IN TEHAMA COUNTY:

(NOT FINALIZED) 5545 ac Pine Creek CE—Rose Ranch, seeking $1 million of total $1.5 mil cost of CE from SNC
http://grants.sierranevada.ca.gov/Easygrants_WS_SNC/applicationpdf.aspx?id=385

80 acres—near Lassen NP—saved 4/2011
http://www.wildernesslandtrust.org/news/eighty-acre-added-to-the-lassen-volcanic-wilderness/

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IN PLUMAS COUNTY:

BY THE FEATHER RIVER LAND TRUST:

Heart-K ranch 884 acres
http://www.frlt.org/docs/hk_directions.pdf
http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Come-Celebrate--Heart-K---Signed--Sealed--Delivered-.html?soid=1102283092745&aid=3XGHZYiLLRU

Maddalena ranch—575 acres
http://frlt.org/oursuccesses.html
http://www.frlt.org/docs/madd-directions.pdf

Leonhardt Learning Landscape—42 acres,
http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs092/1102283092745/archive/1105007767955.html

318 acre conservation easement at Pierce Family ranch, completed 12/2010
http://www.flickr.com/photos/frlt/sets/72157625403168342/

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IN SIERRA COUNTY:

Sierra County Land Trust Protects Volcano and Young America Lakes
5/19/11 from High Sierra Rural Alliance
http://sierracountylandtrust.org/index.shtml
http://www.sierrafund.org/news/495-sclt

Thanks to the herculean efforts of Laurie Oberholtzer of the Sierra County Land Trust and Carl Somers of The Trust for Public Land, three more parcels totaling 835 acres surrounding the Sierra Buttes will be kept in trust for the public. One parcel contains Young America Lake. Another parcel includes Volcano Lake. The acquisition also includes a large portion of the craggy face of the Sierra Buttes.
Previous purchases by the SCLT have included two parcels bordering the eastern edges of Volcano Lake and four parcels on Upper and Lower Sardine Lakes. Their land holdings now total over 1500 acres. The public will now be able to enjoy un-gated access to these jewels in the Lakes Basin area which will be managed by SCLT for hiking and back country camping.
The most recent 835 acre purchase was made possible by a grant funded through Prop 50 in 2007 to the High Sierra Rural Alliance as sponsor for SCLT from the Sierra Nevada-Cascade Grant Program. HSRA is thrilled to have played a part in the acquisition of this unparalleled landscape for public use. We wish to thank everyone who helped make the purchase possible and wish the SCLT much good luck and further successes in protecting the treasures of Sierra County.

MAP OF Young America lake
http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=39.59960,-120.65091&z=15&t=T

map of Volcano lake
http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=39.60668,-120.62521&z=15&t=T

http://sierracountylandtrust.org/whatwedo.shtml
While much of the Lakes Basin is in the Tahoe National Forest, almost 3,000 acres are still privately owned, mostly old mining claims.

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IN NEVADA COUNTY:

Sugarloaf Mtn-- 30 acres bought by city of Nevada City, 12/10/10
http://www.nevadacityadvocate.com/nevada-city/3498.html
http://sierrafoothillsreport.com/2011/01/31/nevada-city-gains-title-to-sugarloaf/

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IN PLACER COUNTY:

1800 acre Bruin ranch, (WCB 11/2010 gave half the purchase price)
http://www.tpl.org/what-we-do/where-we-work/california/northern-sierra-nevada/harvego-bear-river.html
http://auburnjournal.com/detail/144340.html

MAP: http://geocommons.com/overlays/68765

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TDLT buys 122 ac in Martis Valley,

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/05/12/3623207/preservation-trust-buys-martis.html#ixzz1MoxyPCwl
Approx. location: http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=39.29957,-120.10657&z=14&t=T

52 acre Big Gun preserve
http://www.placerlandtrust.org/news-detail.aspx?title=Big+Gun+Preserve+Protects+Endangered+Species&newsID=49

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IN EL DORADO COUNTY:

1/18/2011
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/01/18/3330966/talks-begin-on-public-uses-for.html
The Bureau of Land Management acquired the 695-acre property near Rescue just beyond Folsom Lake in 2010.
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/folsom/kanaka_valley.html

land ownership map: http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/ca/pdf/folsom/kanaka_valley.Par.75978.File.dat/ownership.pdf

topo map: http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/ca/pdf/folsom/kanaka_valley.Par.29358.File.dat/topo.pdf

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IN THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY

IN ALPINE COUNTY:

20 acres from Wilderness Land Trust to USFS
http://www.wildernesslandtrust.org/news/ilderness_land_trust_acquires_20_acres_to_add_to_the_mokelumne_wilderness/

http://www.wildernesslandtrust.org/news/wilderness-land-trust-permanently-protects-20-acre-private-inholding-as-part-of-the-mokelumne-wilderness/

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IN MADERA COUNTY:

Topping ranch conservation easement—1362 acres
http://yubanet.com/regional/Sierra-Nevada-Conservancy-Board-Approves-10-Million-in-Bond-Funded-Watershed-Protection-Projects-in-the-Sierra.php

2990 acre conservation easement, by Sierra Foothill Conservancy
http://www.californiaoaks.org/html/current_issues.html

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IN TULARE COUNTY:

152 acre Dry Creek and 1819 acre Homer ranch preserves,
http://www.thesungazette.com/articles/2011/05/18/news/news04.txt
http://www.sequoiariverlands.org/map/nature-preserve-map.html

50 acres added to US BLM's Atwell Island preserve in 2010
http://www.alcnet.org/projects/overview/california/atwell_1
Atwell Island Land Retirement Demonstration Project,

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IN KERN COUNTY:

434 acres donated by National Audubon Society to feds, 3/10/11
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsbytes/2011/471xtra_wild_adds.html

WCB 5/2010: State finds cash to buy more land and development rights

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Almost 20,000 acres to be preserved by State this month

NOTICE OF MEETING--WILDLIFE CONSERVATION BOARD
May 27, 2010--10:00 AM--State Capitol, Room 112--Sacramento, California 95814

http://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=19402

MAPS: https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=25147

HIGHLIGHTS:

MONTEREY COUNTY—1 acre
RIVERSIDE COUNTY—404 acres
SISKIYOU COUNTY—10,500 acres
SIERRA COUNTY—1455 ACRES
SANTA CLARA COUNTY—1557 acres
MADERA COUNTY—2990 acres
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY—2355 acres--Avila Beach
LOS ANGELES COUNTY—139 acres—Cahuenga Peak
ORANGE COUNTY—100 acres—Los Cerritos wetlands
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PRELIMINARY AGENDA ITEMS

Elkhorn Slough Ecological Reserve, $220,000.00 Expansion 18 Monterey County
To consider the acquisition of 1± acre of land to protect critical tidal wetlands and grasslands as an expansion of the Department of Fish and Game's Elkhorn Slough Ecological Reserve located within the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, near the town of Moss Landing, in Monterey County.

Whitewater Floodplain Conservation Area $5,000.00 Riverside County
To consider the acceptance of two U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service grants and the approval to subgrant the federal funds to the Coachella Valley Conservation Commission to acquire six properties, totaling 404± acres, to protect and enhance existing regional wildlife linkages and aeolian and fluvial sand transport areas within one of four priority areas of the Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Preserve located west of the City of Palm Springs, in Riverside County.

Shasta Big Springs Ranch $10,330,000.00 Siskiyou County
To consider a cooperative project with The Nature Conservancy and the Department of Fish and Game wherein the State proposes to acquire a conservation easement over 5,834± acres of land to protect critical wildlife and fish habitat located near the community of Big Springs, in Siskiyou County.

Scott Valley $3,237,700.00 Siskiyou County
To consider the allocation for a grant to the Siskiyou Land Trust for a cooperative project with the Department of Conservation to acquire Conservation Easements over five ownerships totaling 4,735± acres to protect rangeland, grazing land and grassland in Scott Valley, near the City of Etna, in Siskiyou County.

Lemon Canyon Ranch $1,057,000.00 Sierra County
To consider the allocation for a grant to the Pacific Forest Trust for a cooperative project with the Sierra Nevada Conservancy to acquire a conservation easement over 1,455± acres to protect rangeland, grazing land and grassland located east of Sierraville, in Sierra County.

Canada de los Osos Ecological Reserve, $1,908,200.00 Expansion 1 Santa Clara County
To consider the acquisition of two contiguous parcels of land totaling 1,557± acres to protect valuable grassland, oak woodland and riparian habitat and to expand connectivity to other public lands located east of the City of Gilroy, in Santa Clara County.

Millar Ranch Oak Woodlands $1,860,000.00 Madera County
To consider the allocation for a grant to the Sierra Foothill Conservancy to acquire a conservation easement over 2,990± acres to protect and preserve oak woodland habitat located south of the community of Oakhurst, in Madera County.

Wild Cherry Canyon $6,735,000.00 San Luis Obispo County
To consider the allocation for a grant and acceptance of a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant from the National Park Service as a reimbursement for a cooperative project with the American Land Conservancy, CA State Parks, State Coastal Conservancy, the Board and others to acquire a leasehold interest in 2,355± acres near the community of Avila Beach, in San Luis Obispo County.

Cahuenga Peak $705,000.00 Los Angeles County
To consider the allocation for a grant for a cooperative project with the Trust for Public Land, Department of Fish and Game, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, the City of Los Angeles and private donors to acquire 138± acres to protect plant, wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities located adjacent to Griffith Park in the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County.

Los Cerritos Wetlands $6,180,000.00 Orange County
To consider the allocation for a grant to the Los Cerritos Wetland Authority for a cooperative project with the State Coastal Conservancy and the Rivers and Mountains Conservancy, to acquire 100± acres of land to protect critical coastal wetland habitat, scenic features and vanishing remnants of California's wetland landscape located in the City of Seal Beach, in Orange County.

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Madera County OKs 8,200 homes in the Rio Mesa area

Monday, Dec. 08, 2008, By Chris Collins / The Fresno Bee

excerpted from http://www.fresnobee.com/local/story/1062482.html

Despite concerns about potential negative environmental effects, increased traffic congestion and inadequate school funding, the Madera County Board of Supervisors on Monday approved two large developments in southeast Madera County's Rio Mesa area.

Supervisors unanimously OK'd a 3,000-home development that will border the northwest portion of Millerton Lake and also voted 5-0 in favor of a 5,200-home urban center that would be mostly east of Highway 41 and south of Avenue 15.

The approval of the two developments marks a step toward completing a long-planned community in the area that eventually will be home to 100,000 people.

A number of other potential developments in the area are seeking approval.

The Millerton Lake project, which will cover more than 2,100 acres of land, was approved after receiving an endorsement from the Chawanakee Unified School District, which negotiated a last-minute deal with developers that will ensure that $60 million from the project will be committed to building future schools.

But the district was vehemently opposed to the second development, called the Tesoro Viejo project, which will cover 1,600 acres and eventually be home to 13,000 people.

School district consultant Marshall Krupp said the district will need $170 million to build future schools in that community, but will be $100 million short after state funds and developer fees.

The tab will be picked up by current and future residents of the entire school district, he said

"In essence, this developer is burdening this project on the backs of others," Krupp said...

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Halfway isn't Enough...for the San Joaquin River Parkway

Since the inception of the San Joaquin River Parkway and Conservation Trust 20 years ago, 3,500 acres of land along the San Joaquin River have been acquired and are protected under public ownership.

But the River Parkway is only halfway complete...

We need your help to ensure that all 6,000 acres of precious land planned for the Parkway are available to the public so that everyone can experience the natural wonders of our Valley. We need your help to create more safe outdoor places for families, with new trails, picnic areas and river access points.

Join in the effort to complete the Parkway.

http://riverparkway.org/

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L.A. energy firm closes purchase of 68,000 acre Onyx Ranch, Located on north end of Tehachapi/Tejon Wildlife Corridor

The Bakersfield Californian--Friday, Oct 10 2008

http://www.bakersfield.com/hourly_news/story/576613.html

Escrow on the historic Onyx Ranch in the Sierra Nevada mountains between Isabella Lake and Jawbone Canyon has closed. Cole Frates of Renewable Resource Group said the Los Angeles renewable energy company has purchased the 68,000 acre ranch from the Rudnick family, which has owned and operated the ranch for years. Frates did not disclose the price paid for the ranch. But he said the company will spend the next several years working with neighbors, the military, environmentalists and the Kern County Planning Department to develop a wind-energy farm on the eastern ridgelines of the ranch.

The farm could be capable of generating between 300 and 500 megawatts of power, Frates said.

(click on map to enlarge)

The Onyx Ranch is interspersed with federal lands that are well-used by off-roaders. The ranch also contains a portion of the Pacific Crest hiking trail.

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BACKGROUND ON THE BUYER:

http://www.maderaid.com/

Madera irrigation district and Enron dirty deals, Cole Frates involved in Madera-Enron deal; controls company that bought Onyx ranch

http://www.maderaid.com/docs/RRG.JPG

on Renewable Resources Group buying 13,646 acres from Enron-Azurix for $10 million, then selling the land to Madera County as the Madera Ranch Water Bank for $37.5 million in September of 2005.

http://www.sanjoaquinvalley.com/main_frame.php?url=http://www.sanjoaquinvalley.com/media/Articles/MaderaTaxpayersRuling.pdf

Lawsuit was over public review of EIR being too short. Water bank project involves diverting water from the Fresno and San Joaquin rivers and storing the water underneath the Madera Ranch. Plaintiffs are concerned that water will be shipped out of the county to serve development interests further south.

http://www.calwater.ca.gov/Admin_Record/F-001898.pdf

1998-Madera County opposes water bank that is proposed by the feds, state and Trust for Public Land.

http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/deadinthewater/california.html

http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:4IY-gKr6uHAJ:gifi.stat.ucla.edu/projects/antelope/+madera+water+bank%27&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=19&gl=us

on Azurix selling project to Layne Christenson

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1080 ACRE MADERA COUNTY RANCH CONSERVED FOREVER

Sacramento, Calif. (August 26, 2008) — Today, the California Rangeland Trust announced the permanent protection of the Ecker Ranch in Madera County, owned by J.B Overstreet. The landowner voluntarily conveyed an agricultural conservation easement over the 1,080-acre ranch. Funding for the project came from the California Wildlife Conservation Board’s Rangeland, Grazing Land and Grassland Protection Program. The Rangeland Trust received over 100 letters from the Madera County community in support of the conservation of this historical and resource-rich property.

“The Ecker Ranch is an especially symbolic project for the Rangeland Trust and the Madera County community. Here is a property that embodies the essence of what the land represents to so many: California’s heritage, a long history of land stewardship, and the resources and bounty of the land. This is why the Rangeland Trust is here, to conserve these treasured landscapes and all they hold for the benefit of future generations,” Steve McDonald, California Rangeland Trust board member in Madera County.

The Ecker Ranch is a privately-owned cattle ranch in the San Joaquin River watershed in the foothills of the central Sierra Nevada Mountains. The rangeland resources will be preserved through managed grazing, prohibiting subdivision and preventing conflicting uses. The landowner will continue the recreational uses on the ranch such as the annual Covey Kids Program.

to see rest of story, go to http://www.rangelandtrust.org/Ecker_Ranch_Easement_PR_Final.doc

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Oak Woodlands Threatened by Sierra Foothills Development Proposals

February 2007, www.californiaoaks.org

http://www.californiaoaks.org/html/oak_report_02-07.html

California Oak Report

Sierra Counties Seek Habitat Conservation Plans

Increasingly, Sierra counties are preparing habitat conservation plans (HCP) to address development impacts to oak woodlands and other natural resources. For example, Placer County has completed its HCP and will be submitting the proposal to state and federal wildlife agencies for review. Calaveras County, with financial support from local developers and the grudging acquiescence of ranchers, recently initiated an HCP process.

Oak woodlands are a key component of Sierra foothill HCPs due to the dozens of special status wildlife using these oak habitats. By covering oak woodlands in an HCP, a county gains immunity from the future listing of endangered and threatened species that are associated with oak woodlands. HCPs charge specified mitigation fees for every developed acre, with those monies spent to acquire local wildlife preserves in designated areas. Developers like HCPs because the plans allow them to know the exact cost for habitat loss, and a detailed habitat mitigation plan for each project isn’t required.

As the specifics of Sierra foothill HCPs come before the public, COF will pay particular attention to the maintenance of high-quality oak habitat corridors for all migratory wildlife species. Connectivity between foothill oak woodlands and higher elevation black oak habitats is of paramount importance.

Sierra Big Foots
Below is a list of larger Sierra foothill projects in process, or have draft environmental impact reports pending, that may significantly impact oak woodlands. From Nevada County to Tulare County, these big development footprints are joined by hundreds of smaller projects under 200 acres that are having direct and cumulative impacts to foothill oak habitat, often with little or no meaningful mitigation:

Amador County
Gold Rush Ranch and Golf Resort, Sutter Creek, with 936 homes, 300 units of vacation housing, 60 room resort hotel and championship golf course on 945 acres.

Golden Vale subdivision, Martell, 383 acres and 607 residential units.

Howard Ranch, Ione, 16,000 acres. A couple of hundred acres lie within city limits, while the majority of the property surrounds Ione but is within Amador County's jurisdiction.

Wicklow Way subdivision, Jackson, 201 acres and 750 residential units.

Zinfandel and Shenandoah Ridge developments, Plymouth, about 500 luxury homes on 500 acres.

Calaveras County
Spring Valley project, Valley Springs, 455 acres and 1,000 homes.

Copper Valley Ranch development, 1,500 new homes, marina, hotel and shopping center on 4,350 acres bordering Tulloch Reservoir.

Sawmill Lake development, Copperopolis, 600 new homes and a resort complex on oak woodland bordering the Town Square project.

Madera County
Al Miki Ranch subdivision, 650 homes on 900 acres.

Placer County
Clover Valley project, Rocklin, 622 acres and 558 homes, resulting in 7,500 oaks removed (draft EIR released).

Tulare County
Sequoia Ranch development, Springville, 1,385 acres and 600 homes.

Yokohl Ranch project, 36,000 acres (60% to be developed) for 9,500 homes, two golf courses and a resort/country club.

Tuolumne County
Mountain Springs project, Valley Springs, 1,063 acres with 897 units planned.

Peaceful Oaks Estates, Standard, more than 300 homes on 600 acres.

Yosemite Grand National Golf and Wetland Preserve, on 557 acres, that would allow a large hotel, 300 time-share units and 50 residential lots.

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Fine Gold Creek Saved in Madera County

7-27-07

On June 8th, Sierra Foothills Conservancy and the Trust for Public Land (TPL) celebrated the protection of 719 acres in Madera County which is now the Austin and Mary Ewell Memorial Preserve on Fine Gold Creek. The Fine Gold Creek project took several years to complete and its success was the result of partnerships between SFC, TPL, Mr. Ben Ewell and his family, the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), the Bureau of Reclamation, the Wildlife Conservation Board, CA Department of Fish and Game, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The luncheon celebration, which was held at the Coke Hallowell Center for River Studies, included a formal recognition of the various partnerships. PG&E's VELB Habitat Conservation Team was recognized for their leadership role in the project. PG&E also presented the San Joaquin River Parkway Trust and SFC with Charitable Contribution checks to support conservation activities. For more information on the Austin and Mary Ewell Memorial Preserve on Fine Gold Creek visit the SFC website. http://www.sierrafoothill.org/fine_gold_preserve.htm