Central Valley and Sierra Nevadas:

Assorted Lands Saved in 2016

SHASTA COUNTY:

http://www.redding.com/news/local/open-space-plans-for-oregon-gulch-get-a-boost-33d6b24d-6b59-6926-e053-0100007f1dc5-381169071.html
5/27/2016: State parks may fund 165 acre purchase in Redding


GLENN COUNTY:

@Conserve_CA Feb 12, 2016
By matching fed funds with 1800 acres of land, we've helped protect small Hamilton City and river shore from floods http://www.chicoer.com/general-news/20160211/imperilled-j-levee-in-hamilton-city-gets-another-burst-of-funding


CALAVERAS COUNTY:



http://www.calaverasenterprise.com/opinion/article_26ab681a-3f16-11e6-a99f-1ff494a375fb.html
3257 acre agricultural conservation easement at Airola's Oak Canyon Ranch may be bought by Rangeland Trust (located in Copperopolis)


TUOLUMNE COUNTY:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvfsp30UQW0&feature=youtu.be
400 acres added to Yosemite National Park, Ackerson Meadow



NEVADA AND PLACER COUNTIES:

@BearYuba 7 Dec 2015
A new era of land conservation is dawning for Bear Yuba Land Trust http://www.bylt.org/sierra-nevada-protected-forever/
12,000 acres owned by PG&E will have conservation easements owned by BYLT


NEVADA COUNTY:

26 Dec 2015: 35 acre Clover Valley Preserve was given to BYLT, now removing garbage, mattresses & tires. More: http://www.bylt.org/land/clover-valley-preserve

http://www.capradio.org/69828
412 acres bought by Truckee Donner Land Trust and sold to USFS; at Castle Valley trailhead of PCT
http://blogs.usda.gov/2016/04/19/partnership-protects-public-access-in-a-landscape-fit-for-a-king/


PlacerLandTrust ‏@PlacerLandTrust Nov 2
3 yrs ago (2014), 7.5 acres of the Aeolia Preserve was permanently protected. Read more at:
http://www.placerlandtrust.org/project/aeolia-preserve/




TULARE COUNTY:

66 acre Craig ranch in Tulare County @savetheredwoods 4/4/16
Land donation by Save the Redwoods League and Sequoia Riverlands Trustto the federal Bureau of Land Management improves access to giant sequoia grove near Visalia: http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article61161792.html
https://www.savetheredwoods.org/league-announcement/save-redwoods-league-sequoia-riverlands-trust-donate-land-tulare-county-blm/
http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article61161792.html
MAP: https://www.savetheredwoods.org/protect/you-secured-a-new-gateway-to-giants/
http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/sports/outdoors/pathstopeaks/2016/03/04/nonprofits-donate-land-tulare-county/81337038/


KERN COUNTY:

https://kernvalleysun.com/kv_life/for-hot-springs-valley-acquisition#.V5EA0DLpL7E.twitter
CA SNC gives $500k for 189 acres near Lake Isabella

WCB 5/2015: State $$ Saves 6718 Acres from Bulldozers

WILDLIFE CONSERVATION BOARD FUNDS LAND PURCHASES

Development Rights purchased (also known as “conservation easements”): 4951 acres

Land purchased in full: 1767 acres

Taken from the May 21, 2015 Meeting Agenda

https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=99693

MAPS and PHOTOS OF ALL PURCHASES: https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=100450

IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY AND SIERRA NEVADAS:

Placer County OEST Ranch Oak Woodlands Conservation Easement, $189,000

grant to the Placer Land Trust to acquire a conservation easement over 36± acres of land located west of Highway 49, north of the City of Auburn in Placer County. WCB 5/21/2015

Allensworth Ecological Reserve, Expansion 58, Tulare County, $0.00

acquisition of three separate parcels of land totaling 4± acres. WCB 5/21/2015

Butte Creek Meadows Working Forest, Siskiyou County, $1,679,500

grant to Pacific Forest Trust to acquire a conservation easement over 3,468± acres of land for the protection of a mixed conifer working forest habitat linkages located near the community of Montague in Siskiyou County. WCB 5/21/2015

Spenceville Wildlife Area, Conservation Easement (Robinson Ranch) Nevada County, $2,135,000

acquisition of a conservation easement over 1,447± acres of land by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for a cooperative project with The Trust for Public Land, for the protection of native oak woodlands habitat near Penn Valley in Nevada County. WCB 5/21/2015

Daugherty Hill Wildlife Area, Expansion 14, Yuba County, $2,630,000

acquisition in fee of 732± acres of land by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. WCB 5/21/2015

Long Gulch Ranch,Tuolumne County, $876,000

grant to the Mother Lode Land Trust to acquire in fee 576± acres. WCB 5/21/2015

IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA:

Western Riverside MSHCP (2013) – Kaelin, Riverside County, $880,675

grant to the Western Riverside County Regional Conservation Authority to acquire 25± acres . WCB 5/21/2015

Western Riverside MSHCP (2014) – Lloyd, $118,750

grant to the Western Riverside County Regional Conservation Authority to acquire 162± acres. WCB 5/21/2015

Metcalf Bay – 2014 RLA Grant, San Bernardino County, $731,200

grant to the San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust (SBMLT)to acquire in fee 17± acres of land to promote recovery of rare and endangered plant and wildlife species, located within the City of Big Bear. WCB 5/21/2015

San Diego County Water Authority (Rancho Cielo) San Diego County, $1,520,000

grant to The Escondido Creek Conservancy (TECC)to assist with the acquisition of 251± acres. WCB 5/21/2015

WCB 6/2013: State $ saves another 10,000 acres

WILDLIFE CONSERVATION BOARD Purchases

From meeting on June 4, 2013

SUMMARY:

4649 acres purchased in full

5048 acres of development rights retired

COST: $13.8 million

http://cdfgnews.wordpress.com/2013/06/06/wildlife-conservation-board-funds-environmental-improvement-and-acquisition-projects-8/

FULL AGENDA: https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=67524

MAPS: https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=68101

(BELOW: Royal Gorge)

Royal Gorge $3,010,000, Placer and Nevada Counties

grant to Truckee Donner Land Trust to acquire two parcels totaling 2,520± acres for the purposes of protecting alpine forests and meadows, … approximately 10 miles west of the City of Truckee, in the Donner Summit area

MORE INFO: http://www.tpl.org/news/press-releases/2012-press-releases/royal-gorge-protected.html

http://www.tdlandtrust.org/

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

MORE PURCHASES:

Sardella Ranch Conservation Easement, $520,000, Tuolumne County

grant to the California Rangeland Trust to assist with the acquisition of a conservation easement over 523± acres located 7 miles southeast of the town of Sonora

San Diego County MSCP/HCPLA 2009 $578,750,  (Kemerko)

acquire 132± acres of land to protect core areas of habitat that will benefit threatened and endangered species, and secure key regional wildlife linkages located near the communities of Crest and Harbison Canyon in an unincorporated area of San Diego County.

Ten Mile River (Perry-Smith Ranch) $3,510,000, Mendocino County

grant to The Nature Conservancy to acquire a working forest conservation easement over 872± acres of native forest lands located adjacent to, and along the Ten Mile River, north of Inglenook on the Mendocino Coast.

Garden Bar Preserve $1,452,000, Nevada County

grant to the Bear Yuba Land Trust to acquire 652± acres along the Bear River, approximately 10 miles northwest of the City of Auburn

El Dorado Ranch $3,000,000, El Dorado and Amador Counties

grant to the American River Conservancy (ARC) to acquire in fee 1,059± acres fronting the Cosumnes River, located approximately 15 miles south of the City of Placerville

Wilmar Ranch, Diablo Range Oak Woodland $275,000, Conservation Easement

Monterey County

grant to California Rangeland Trust to acquire a conservation easement over 2,114± acres

Rancho Vierra Oak Woodland $660,000, Conservation Easement

Monterey County

grant to Big Sur Land Trust to assist with the acquisition of a conservation easement over 964± acres 6 miles northeast of the City of Salinas

Bufford Ranch Conservation Easement $570,000, Kern County

grant to the California Rangeland Trust to assist with the acquisition of a conservation easement over 575± acres located approximately 12 miles south of Lake Isabella

Arrastre Canyon $260,000, Los Angeles County

grant to The Nature Conservancy (TNC), acceptance of settlement funds from the U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration Fund (aka ARCO funds), and a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Recovery Land Acquisition grant and the approval to subgrant the ARCO funds and grant funds to TNC to acquire 286± acres of land to protect habitat for threatened and endangered species, and maintain habitat connectivity within the upper Santa Clara River floodplain and watershed in Arrastre Canyon, a tributary to the Santa Clara River located just south of community of Acton

Tax $$ to save 6296 riverfront acres in Calif.

State Hands out $34 million for New 

River Parks and Trails

2012 PROPOSITION 84, ROUND 2, RIVER PARKWAYS GRANT RECIPIENTS

11/26/2012--The California Natural Resources Agency today announced over $34 million in funding for 33 proposed river parkway projects statewide. These projects will create recreation opportunities for families, restore fish and wildlife habitat, provide flood management, and enhance California’s river parkways.

…In total, the grants will fund more than 31 miles of trails and more than 7,500 acres of wildlife habitat restoration and land acquisition.

For full info release:

http://resources.ca.gov/bond/RP_Awards_2012.Final.pdf

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

LIST OF LAND PURCHASES TO BE FUNDED:

Alpine County parks dept.:  6 acres--Markleeville Creek Acquisition - $136,000

El Dorado County:  American River Conservancy –2,566 acres-- Cosumnes River Parkway - $1,800,000

Yuba and Nevada Counties: Bear Yuba Land Trust – Rice’s Crossing: Yuba River Acquisition - $1,900,000

Acquire the 2,706-acre Rice’s Crossing property immediately below New Bullards Bar Dam adjacent to Yuba River State Park to provide trails for public use and improve river health for salmon fisheries.

http://www.appeal-democrat.com/articles/yuba-121413-river-land.html

The Rice's Crossing property spans both sides of the Middle Yuba River and is bounded by Bullards Bar Reservoir to the north and South Yuba River State Park to the south.

… "This property knits together more than 8,500 acres of protected open space and contains six miles of the Yuba River," said Markley Bavinger, project manager for the Trust for Public Land.

(BELOW: RICE'S CROSSING LOCATION)

L.A./San Bernardino County line: The Conservation Fund – Mount Baldy Ranch Land Acquisition - $868,000. Acquire 237 acres along San Antonio Creek in the San Gabriel Mountains

Humboldt County: Redwood Forest Foundation, Inc. – Ryan Creek Community Forest Project - $1,000,000. Acquire approximately 1,200 acres of timberland adjacent to Ryan Creek, establishing a Community Forest for the city of Eureka, which will practice sustainable timber management.

Tulare County: Sequoia Riverlands Trust – Kaweah Oaks Preserve Acquisition $410,181

Acquire approximately 22 acres of riparian habitat adding approximately one-half mile of creek frontage along Deep Creek to the Kaweah Oaks Preserve.

Nevada County:  The Sierra Fund – Deer Creek Tribute Trail & Restoration Project (Acquisition) $739,111. Acquire approximately 32 acres of riparian habitat for the purpose of habitat restoration/enhancement and public access.

Sonoma County parks dept:  Mark West Creek Regional Park and Open Space Preserve - $1,000,000

Acquire 297 acres in the Mark West Creek watershed creating a 1,100-acre regional park and open space preserve providing hikers, cyclists and equestrians access to 20 miles of developed trails crossing grasslands, woodlands and creeks.

Placer County: Trust for Public Land – North Fork American River – Big Bend Acquisition - $1,368,000. Acquire 460 acres known as the Big Bend Property which is bisected by the North Fork American River to protect habitat and wildlife corridors and improve public access to the river.

WCB 8/2012: State to buy more wildlife habitat August 30th...

Almost 15,000 acres will be Saved from Development across the state with our Tax Dollars this month

SUMMARY:

4337 ACRES FULL(FEE) OWNERSHIP

10,466 ACRES IN DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS (CONSERVATION EASEMENTS)

NOTICE OF MEETING

WILDLIFE CONSERVATION BOARD

August 30, 2012

10:00 AM 1/ State Capitol, Room 112

Sacramento, California 95814

FULL PRELIMINARY AGENDA:

https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=48432&inline=1

MAPS: https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=57726

Lower Yuba River – Excelsior – Phase II, $549,600 (Black Swan Ranch) Nevada County

acquisition in fee of 108± acres

Thomas North, Contra Costa County, $393,755, to acquire 135± acres

Allensworth Ecological Reserve, Salo, Expansion 27,  $17,500, Tulare County, 10 acres in fee title

Millard Canyon $480,200, Los Angeles County

a grant to Arroyos and Foothills Conservancy (AFC) to acquire 13± acres

Santa Rosa Mountains (Desert Ranch II) $5,000, Expansion 17, Riverside County, acquire 763± acres

Jacumba Peak (Change of Scope) $0.00 San Diego County, acquire 1,081± acres

San Diego River (Walker) $94,000, San Diego County, acquire in fee 107± acres

Daugherty Hill Wildlife Area, Expansion 13, $2,740,000, Yuba County, acquisition in fee of 679± acres

Yuba Highlands Conservation Easement – Phase II, $1,104,000, Yuba County, over 1,620± acres

Conaway Ranch Conservation Easement $7,835,000, Yolo County, totaling 6,224± acres

Campstool Ranch $2,761,055.00 Calaveras County

a grant to the Pacific Forest Trust to acquire a conservation easement over 2,175± acres of mixed conifer forest, oak woodlands and wildlife habitat corridors, located near the town of Railroad Flat in Calaveras County. DECISION POSTPONED TO 11/2012 MEETING

Oak Woodlands Conservation Easement (Barboni) $610,000, over 447± acres, Marin County

Ocean Meadows $910,000, Santa Barbara County, acquire in fee 63± acres of coastal wetland and watershed habitat between the upper and lower reaches of Devereux Slough in Goleta Valley

Santa Clara River Watershed (Teyton) $1.01 million, Ventura County, acquire fee title on 34± acres

Indio Trails, $1.01 million, Riverside County, acquire in fee 495± acres

Carlsbad/Northwest San Diego County $4,629,750 (Cielo del Norte) acquire in fee 240± acres

Sycuan Tribal – Sloan Canyon $1,165,000, San Diego County

grant to the Kumeyaay-Diegueño Land Conservancy to acquire in fee 609± acres

Mountain North of Tahoe is Saved from condos

Royal Gorge. We're Buying It!
8/6/2012--The Truckee Donner Land Trust and The Trust for Public Land have reached an agreement to purchase the 3,000-acre Royal Gorge property at Donner Summit after a proposed 950-home development at the site went into foreclosure. The Land Trust has been looking forward to this day for the last 20 years. We now have our best shot in a generation to protect all of Royal Gorge’s remarkable meadows, peaks, forests, streams, and lakes. We now face a Dec. 20, 2012 deadline to raise $13.5 million to complete the project. With your help, we can do this! Please donate now and help us protect this remarkable property.

http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/Donner-Summit-deal-by-land-trusts-3764910.php
The land trusts agreed to buy the property for $13.5 million seven years after a developer bought it for $30 million in hopes of building homes, lodges and other resort amenities at the 7,230-foot-elevation property just south of Interstate 80 near Donner Pass Road.

http://www.tdlandtrust.org/

http://www.sierrasun.com/article/20120806/NEWS/120809952/1066&ParentProfile=1051

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48540737/ns/local_news-sacramento_ca/t/donner-summit-land-be-preserved-open-space/
The land has old-growth red fir forests, lakes and the lush Van Norden Meadow, which is home to more than 150 species of butterflies, 16 amphibians, 100 birds, plus several endangered species, according to John Cobourn, a hydrologist at University of Nevada-Reno. It is also has the headwaters for three major rivers.

FOR BIG VERSION OF THIS MAP: http://www.tdlandtrust.org/sites/default/files/Royal%20Gorge%20Acquisition%20Map.pdf

WCB 12/2011: more CA land saved...

State $$ to Save over 20,000 acres in December

from the agenda of the 12/8/2011 meeting of the California Wildlife Conservation Board

The WCB is buying conservation easements on 16,033 acres and full ownership of 4218 acres of California wildlife habitat.

SUMMARY:

LASSEN COUNTY: 535 ACRES

TEHAMA COUNTY: 2910 ACRES

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY: 436 ACRES

RIVERSIDE COUNTY: 188 ACRES

SISKIYOU AND SHASTA COUNTIES: 8230 ACRES

PLUMAS COUNTY: 2946 ACRES

SIERRA AND NEVADA COUNTIES: 2995 ACRES

FRESNO COUNTY: 2011 ACRES

FOR THE MEETING AGENDA:

http://www.nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=39028

FOR MAPS: https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=40356

SPECIFICS:

Bass Hill/Lassen Creek Conservation Easement (Hulsman) in Lassen County

acquire a conservation easement over 535± acres located adjacent to the Department of Fish and Game’s Bass Hill Wildlife Area

grant to The Nature Conservancy for a conservation easement over 2,311± acres, Lassen Foothills expansion 7, (Kerstiens Ranch) in Tehama county

Lassen Foothills, Expansion 8 (Lower Deer Creek Falls, Tehama County

a grant to the Northern California Regional Land Trust for a cooperative project with Western Rivers Conservancy and the Department of Fish and Game to acquire fee title to 599± acres of land for the expansion of the Lassen Foothills Conservation Area, located northeast of Chico along a State Highway 32 in Tehama County. The project will protect approximately 1.4 miles of riparian corridor along Deer Creek

San Joaquin Multi-Species Conservation Plan 2008 Vaquero Farm Central  in Contra Costa County, acquire 320± acres

San Joaquin Multi-Species Conservation Plan 2008 (Affinito) in Contra Costa County

acquire 116± acres  in the City of Pittsburg.

Santa Rosa Mountains, Expansions 11—13 in Riverside County

acquisition in fee of 50± acres of land

Western Riverside County MSHCP, Expansion 6 

Grant to the Jurupa Area Recreation and Park District, for a cooperative project with the Redevelopment Agency of the County of Riverside and the Riverside Land Conservancy, to acquire in fee 138± acres

Bear Creek Working Forest in Siskiyou and Shasta Counties

a grant to the Pacific Forest Trust to acquire a conservation easement over 8,230± acres of working forest lands allowing for continued forest management, passive public use and enhancing the protection of forest, meadow, riparian, fisheries and water resources. The property is located north and south of Highway 89 in a rural area of the southern Cascade Mountain Range in Shasta and Siskiyou Counties near the communities of McCloud, Pondosa and Bartle.

Goodwin Sierra Valley Ranch Conservation Easement in Plumas County

a grant to the California Rangeland Trust to acquire a conservation easement over 2,946± acres of working ranch land allowing for continued livestock grazing and other permitted agricultural uses while enhancing the protection of meadow, watershed, riparian, fisheries and wetland resources. The property is located north and south of Highway 70, just east of the town of Beckworth in Sierra Valley.

Webber Lake/Lacey Meadows in Sierra and Nevada Counties

a grant to the Truckee Donner Land Trust to acquire 2,995± acres of land for the protection of significant alpine and wet-meadow habitat, north of the town of Truckee.

Black Mountain Preserve, Expansion 4 (Kimbler) in Fresno County

a grant to the Sierra Foothill Conservancy to acquire conservation easements over 2,011± acres of land for the protection of grazing lands, grasslands, and blue oak woodlands located between Prather and Tollhouse in Fresno County.

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

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

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/

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

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/

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

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.

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

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/

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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/

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

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

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

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,

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

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 11/2010: Calif. Wildlife board to save 84,000 acres in November...

State Plans Big End of Year Land Purchases—over 84,000 acres of land and development rights

Deals include $15 million paid to the Tejon Ranch Company

NOTICE OF MEETING --WILDLIFE CONSERVATION BOARD
November 18, 2010

http://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=24287

MAPS: https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=25149

HIGHLIGHTS:

Heart K Ranch, 880 acre conservation easement, Plumas County

Lower Yuba River, Excelsior, 527± acres, Nevada and Yuba Counties

Bruin Ranch, 1,773± acres, Placer County

Oak Hills Ranch, conservation easement over 3,316 ± acres, Yolo County

Los Vaqueros Ranch Conservation Easement, 800± acres, Monterey County

Santa Clara River Watershed, 123± acres, Ventura County

Tejon Ranch -- conservation easements over 62,003± acres--$15.8 million Kern/Los Angeles Counties

Bottle Peak 418± acres $3.5 million San Diego County

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SPECIFICS ON AGENDA ITEMS


20. Heart K Ranch $1,090,000 Plumas County
To consider the acquisition of a conservation easement for the Department of Fish and Game over approximately 880± acres for protection of critical habitat for the Sloat Deer herd as well as protection of black oak woodland, montane riparian, and wet meadow habitats, located in the Genesee Valley along Indian Creek in Plumas County.

21. Upper Butte Basin Wildlife Area, Expansion 6 $1,120,000 Butte County
To consider the acquisition of 222± acres of land for the Department of Fish and Game for the protection of wetland habitat, located approximately five miles west of the City of Biggs in Butte County.

22. Lower Yuba River, Excelsior, Phase I, $3,216,440 Nevada and Yuba Counties
To consider the acquisition of 527± acres of land by the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) known as the Yuba Narrows Ranch for protection of deer and mountain lion habitat, located along the Yuba River within the lower Yuba River watershed, situated between the DFG Daugherty Hills and Spenceville Wildlife Areas, in Nevada and Yuba Counties.

23. Bruin Ranch Phase I, $4,515,000 Placer County
To consider the allocation for a grant to Placer Land Trust for a cooperative project with the Department of Fish and Game, Caltrans and Placer County to acquire 1,773± acres of property to protect habitat for threatened and endangered species, including blue oak woodland habitat and approximately three miles of riparian corridor along the Bear River, located in Placer County. Protection of this property will also allow the connection of a regional trail through previously protected land to Placer County's Hidden Falls Regional Park and Coon Creek.

24. Oak Hills Ranch, $2,296,000, Yolo County
To consider the allocation for a grant to the California Rangeland Trust for a conservation easement over 3,316 ± acres of native oak woodlands located south of the community of Dunnigan and north of the town of Esparto in Yolo County.

26. Los Vaqueros Ranch Conservation Easement, $1,210,000.00 Phase II Monterey County
To consider the allocation for a grant to The Nature Conservancy to acquire a conservation easement over 800± acres of property to protect critical steelhead habitat as well as habitat for sensitive wildlife species including the red-legged frog, yellow-legged frog, western pond turtle and intact populations of native fish, oak woodlands, and grasslands on the west side of Salina Valley along the Arroyo Seco River in Monterey County.

27. Santa Clara River Watershed, Totlcom , $2,298,500 Ventura County
To consider the allocation for a grant to The Nature Conservancy, the acceptance of a Recovery Land Acquisition Grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife; and the authorization to enter into an Agreement to Subgrant to The Nature Conservancy for a cooperative project with the State Coastal Conservancy, Santa Clara River Trustee Council and the Department of Fish and Game to acquire 123± acres of land for the protection of threatened and endangered species and habitat corridors, located south of the City of Ventura in Ventura County.

29. Tejon Ranch $15,800,000 Kern/Los Angeles Counties
To consider the allocation for five grants to the Tejon Ranch Conservancy to acquire five conservation easements over 62,003± acres for the protection of significant natural landscapes and wildlife linkages and corridors, located south of the City of Bakersfield and north of the City of Los Angeles, adjacent to Interstate 5 and State Highway 138, in Kern and Los Angeles Counties.

30. Bottle Peak $3,562,900 San Diego County
To consider the allocation for a grant to The Escondido Creek Conservancy to assist with the acquisition of 418± acres of property to anchor regional habitat conservation planning efforts, including a Natural Community Conservation Plan, in central San Diego County and provide a critical ecological link between coastal habitat and the higher elevation Cleveland National Forest.

NOTE: PART 2 OF THE AGENDA IS IN NEXT POST

Independence Lake north of Tahoe bought for public from power company

2325 acres of Land around and including lake ten miles north of Truckee is saved by NC

http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/california/features/independence.html

On May 11, 2010, The Nature Conservancy announced that Independence Lake, one of the most pristine alpine lakes west of the Rockies, and the majestic wilderness that surrounds it will remain protected from development following the sale of the lake and the land to The Nature Conservancy by longtime owner NV Energy. (The property lies on both sides of the Sierra and Nevada County lines)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/05/20/SP5F1DG9ES.DTL#ixzz0oTibY9NH

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Land buy around Calif. lake to ease Truckee Meadows droughts, Reno-Gazette Journal
http://www.rgj.com/article/20100510/NEWS/100511001/-1/CARSON/Land-buy-around-Calif.-lake-to-ease-Truckee-Meadows-droughts


May 10 2010--The purchase announced Tuesday of thousands of acres around Independence Lake by The Nature Conservancy will protect a critical source of water for Reno and Sparks in times of drought, states a member of the organization .The Nature Conservancy’s $15 million purchase of 2,325 acres of forest land in the Sierra Nevada from NV Energy will also preserve one of only two lakes in the world with indigenous populations of the threatened Lahontan cutthroat trout, said Chris Fichtel, Independence Lake project manger for The Nature Conservancy.



http://www.rgj.com/article/20100518/TT/5180302/1047


May 18 2010--Last week the Nature Conservancy purchased 2,325 acres of land around Independence Lake north of Truckee for $15 million. The Conservancy called the 2.4-mile-long lake one of the most pristine alpine lakes west of the Rockies and home to one of the world's last two wild lake populations of the Lahontan cutthroat trout and other wildlife species. The acquisition was billed as a move that would "protect a critical source of water for Reno and Sparks in times of drought," but the rights to the 17,000-acre-feet of water in the lake were never threatened, and the acquisition did nothing to change ownership of the water itself. The Conservancy purchased the land from NV Energy, the utility that has owned the property since 1937, but the water in the lake remains in the hands of the Truckee Meadows Water Authority, which uses the lake as a reserve for times of severe drought.

WCB 2/2010: State to help save 10,400 acres at February meeting...

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State Wildlife Board opens checkbook a little

February 25, 2010
10:00 AM
State Capitol, Room 112
Sacramento, California 95814

https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=15856

If all purchases are completed, this would add 5699 acres to full ownership by the State and 4727 acres in conservation easements (where the land remains privately owned but the development rights are given up)

MAPS: https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=25146

*7. Clear Lake Conservation Area, a donation from Lake County Watershed Protection District of a conservation easement over 102± acres of wetlands.

*9. Lower Colorado River Ecological Reserve, (Travis Donation) Riverside County
To consider the acceptance of a donation to the State of two parcels of land totaling 84± acres to protect cottonwood and mesquite woodlands and riparian habitat, located just east of Highway 95 and along the Lower Colorado River, near the City of Blythe, in Riverside County.

*10. Western Riverside County MSHСP , Expansion 1 Riverside County
acquire 49± acres adjacent to the City of Temecula

*11. Iron Mountain Wildlife Area, Expansion 4, San Diego County
acquire 311± acres as an expansion to the Department of Fish and Game’s Iron Mountain Wildlife area, for the purposes of protecting undisturbed grasslands, chaparral, oak woodlands, vernal pools and riparian habitat in the San Vicente Creek watershed, located near the community of Ramona, in San Diego County.

12. Sierra Crest Conservation Easement, $6,430,000, Phases I and II Sierra and Nevada Counties. A grant to the Truckee Donner Land Trust, subject to the availability of bond funds, for a cooperative project with the Department of Fish and Game and the Northern Sierra Partnership to acquire a conservation easement over 4,365± acres of commercial timber land to promote sustainable harvesting practices, secure wildlife migration corridors, and provide public access along a two mile section of the Pacific Crest Trail, located in the vicinity of Jackson Meadows Reservoir north of the Town of Truckee, in Nevada and Sierra Counties.

13. Holmstead Farms #4, Yuba County
acquisition of a conservation easement over 260± acres of privately-owned land for a cooperative project with Ducks Unlimited, Inc. to protect seasonal and semi-permanent wetlands and upland grasslands, located in the community of Loma Rica, in Yuba County.

15. Liberty Island, Solano and Yolo Counties
To consider the acceptance by the State of a donation of fee title to approximately 5,030 acres from the Trust for Public Land to protect riparian and upland delta habitat on Liberty Island, located just west of the Sacramento Deep Water Shipping Canal, south of the City of Davis, in Yolo and Solano Counties.

17. Willow Hole Conservation Area, Expansion 1, Riverside County
acquisition of 45± acres to protect and enhance existing regional wildlife linkages and aeolian and fluvial sand transport areas within the Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Preserve reserve area, located southeast of Desert Hot Springs and north of Highway 10, in Riverside County.

18. San Diego County (Helix-Lambron and Wildcat Canyon) acquisitions of two properties totaling 180± acres

Bear-Yuba Partneship launched to save land north of Sacto...

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At least 3000 acres saved is their first goal in the north Sierras

http://yubanet.com/regional/Placer-Land-Trust-Joins-Partnership-to-protect-Bear-River.php

By: Placer Land Trust
Date: November 14, 2009

Wilderness trails, water quality and scenic open space are just a few of the reasons that three conservation groups have joined forces with willing landowners to preserve land along the Bear River.

Placer Land Trust (PLT) and the Nevada County Land Trust (NCLT) have joined with the internationally known Trust for Public Land (TPL) to form the Bear-Yuba Partnership, a new initiative designed to encourage public and private investment in protection of the Sierra Nevada foothills in the Bear River and Yuba River watersheds....

WCB 11/2009: State Board to save 12,762 acres for critters in November...

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State is on end-of-the-year land buying spree

After a year of budget crisis, the State's Wildlife habitat purchase board has finally received the cash to do some deals.

SUMMARY:
154 acres-Riverside County
50 acres---Orange county
3268 acres in Humboldt County
2323 acres in Nevada County-near Lake Tahoe
5630 acres in Sonoma County
1337 acres in Monterey County

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WILDLIFE CONSERVATION BOARD
http://wcb.ca.gov

NOTICE OF MEETING
November 17, 2009

MAPS: https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=16430

AGENDA ITEMS


Willow Hole Conservation Area—154 acres-- $10,000.00--Riverside County
To consider the acceptance of a U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service grant and the approval to subgrant the federal funds to the Coachella Valley Conservation Commission to acquire two properties totaling 154± 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 areas, east of Desert Hot Springs and north of Highway 10, in Riverside County.
Funding source: Proposition 84

Trabuco Canyon, Expansion I—50 acres $0.00 --Orange County
To consider the acquisition of 50± acres to protect critical low elevation wildlife corridors, California gnatcatcher habitat, provide connectivity to other protected lands in the area and prevent habitat fragmentation located in the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains, in the community of Trabuco Canyon, in Orange County. All costs associated with this acquisition are being paid by the Santa Margarita Water District to settle additional mitigation obligations as a result of building an expanded water reservoir.

Cosumnes River Wildlife Area –transfer of 617 acre easement to the feds--Oneto/Denier Property, $0.00 --Sacramento County
To consider the consent to the sale of a floodplain easement by The Nature Conservancy over the 617± acre Oneto/Denier property to The Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Six Rivers (Chalk Mountain Ranch)—3268 acre conservation easement-- $35,000--
Humboldt County
a cooperative project with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and the North Coast Regional Land Trust wherein the State proposes to accept federal Forest Legacy Program funds, through an interagency agreement with CAL FIRE, and the approval to apply the federal funds to acquire a conservation easement over 3,268± acres in favor of CAL FIRE to protect forest land, important scenic, fish, wildlife, riparian areas and other ecological values, located near the City of Fortuna and community of Bridgeville, in Humboldt County. Funding source: Proposition 12

Truckee Basin (Independence Lake)—2323 acres--$5,510,000--Nevada County
a grant to The Nature Conservancy… for a cooperative project with the Department of Fish and Game, Federal Desert Terminal Lake Fund, California Resources Agency, Morgan Family Foundation and the Sierra Nevada Conservancy to acquire 2,323± acres of riparian forest and meadow stream habitats and to protect habitat for the federally listed Lahontan cutthroat trout, located approximately 10 miles north of the Town of Truckee, in Nevada County. Funding source: Proposition 84

Jenner Headlands—5630 acres-- $8,010,000.00--Sonoma County
To consider the allocation for a grant to the Sonoma Land Trust…to acquire fee title to the 5,630± acre Jenner Headlands property thirty miles northwest of Santa Rosa, immediately north and east of the community of Jenner, in Sonoma County. Funding source: Proposition 84

Los Vaqueros Ranch Conservation Easement—1337 acres--$8,000.00--Monterey County
to protect critical steelhead trout habitat as well as habitat for sensitive wildlife species including the red-legged frog, yellow-legged frog, western pond turtle and intact populations of native fish, oak woodlands and grasslands in Monterey County. Funding source: Proposition 1

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

NOTE TO READERS: a board meeting of the Wildlife Conservation Board was also held on September 8, 2009. No properties were purchased.
Minutes of meeting: https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=16402&inline=1

Nevada Co. Land Trust news...

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Stopping Sprawl in the Foothills North of Sacramento

excerpts from their Summer 2009 newsletter

http://www.nevadacountylandtrust.org/pdf/summer09_web.pdf

Nevada County is endowed with a mosaic of beautiful landscapes, healthy forests, historical treasures, and small towns. These towns comfort us with timeless charm. Our farms and ranches feed our communities. Ninety-five percent of locals, according to a 2003 research study, report they came to the area primarily because of the landscape—its scenery, environmental qualities, and open space. Unlike many rapidly growing counties, Nevada County’s expansion is primarily driven by quality-of-life values rather than economic opportunities*....

On June 23 the Land Trust held its first board meeting on the Garden Bar property, its most recent acquisition. We are all hoping to garner the funding to gain final title to those 653 acres of vitally important open space....
... this open space together with that of the adjoining Wild Rock and Quail Ranches, whose owners have contributed conservation easements to protect them from development.
These three properties represent over 3,000 acres of protected land in the vicinity of Perimeter Road – probably the next major arterial to the Sacramento Valley, and prime areas for new subdivisions...

2 Land trusts save Bear River parcels in N. Sierras...

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Another 1500 Acres along the Bear River north Of Sacramento are Saved

from the California Oak Report, http://californiaoaks.org, April 2009 issue:

http://www.nevadacountylandtrust.org/gardenbar.html

The Nevada County Land Trust has announced that over 650 acres of rolling oak woodlands fronting the Bear River is in escrow for a sale at $3.1 million. If all pieces fall into place, the acquisition of the southern Nevada County property called Garden Bar Preserve will become a first-of-its kind purchase for the NCLT, more accustomed to dealing with land easements. The trust has 20 parcels in conservation easements, 90 percent of which were donated. “It’s a real change in strategy for the land trust,” said Executive Director Marty Coleman-Hunt.

It means there will be a permanently protected connected landscape of more than 3,000 acres. The goal is to improve wildlife corridors thereby enhancing migration and circulation between the Bear River and Spenceville. This region is under intensive development pressure.


This acquisition compliments 912 acres of land secured just across the river by the Placer County Land Trust and another 1,555 acres of agricultural easements held in the Bear River watershed. NCLT officials are banking on financial support coming largely from the state-run Wildlife Conservation Board, despite the uncertainty of the state’s budget and a hold on Proposition 84 contracts. “It’s something they’ve identified that they want to fund,” said NCLT president Joe Byrne. The Sierra Nevada Conservancy and State Resources Agency have also shown interest in the project. The land trust has set a goal of raising $300,000 from private donations.

http://www.placerlandtrust.org/

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3700 Acre Yuba River land Purchase May be Funded by Feds this Year

May 29, 2008

From the Trust for Public Land

This year, the Forest Service has an opportunity to acquire 3,700 acres of forestland in the Sierra Nevada. An appropriation of $5 million is needed through the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 Interior Appropriations bill to protect these lands.

YOUR MESSAGE IS KEY TO SECURING CRITICAL FUNDING IN FY 2009!

In the 19th century, in order to spur construction of the transcontinental railroads through the barrier of the Sierra Nevada to the Pacific, the federal government granted lands to railroad companies in alternating square miles along the route. The subsequent Sierra “checkerboard” of alternating federal and private ownership presents numerous challenges including mixtures of pristine and degraded wildlife habitats, areas opened and closed to recreation, forests interspersed with housing, and complications in forest fire management. Projected population increases in the counties around Lake Tahoe over the next 20 to 40 years dramatically heighten the threats to this landscape, promising further habitat fragmentation, invasion of nonnative species, deterioration of water quality, and increasing difficulties in managing wildfire. The Forest Service has identified the Tahoe National Forest as one of three national forests in the West projected to be most affected by increased housing development in the next two decades.

To meet these challenges, the Forest Service has sought to consolidate these checkerboard lands. Available for acquisition in FY 2009 are nineteen parcels of land, covering 3,700 acres in the vicinity of the Middle and North Yuba rivers in Sierra and Nevada counties. The Forest Service has recognized that north-south habitat connectivity is crucial to wildlife migration in the Sierra Nevada, and the adaptive challenges now being brought to the fore by climate change reinforce the need to consolidate these checkerboard lands. These parcels also provide riparian corridor habitat for numerous species, not only along the Middle Yuba, but also along key tributaries of the North Yuba River. The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) lies near some of the parcels in areas popular with PCT hikers. In addition, the North Yuba River flows alongside the Yuba-Donner Scenic Byway, from which some of these lands are visible. Land along this highway is very popular for a variety of recreational pursuits, including cross-country skiing, hiking, fishing, biking, whitewater rafting and camping.

PLEASE ACT NOW! read the rest of this action alert:

http://www.sierrafund.org/news/8-News/276-contact%20senators

WCB 11/2007

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11-15-2007: 8403 acres of California Wildlife Habitat to be saved at Meeting of the State Wildlife Conservation Board

MINUTES OF MEETING:

https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=3626&inline=1

MAPS: https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=14455

998 acres to be Purchased in Riverside County:

Wilson Creek expansion 6, 18.9 acres, located south of Hemet

Wilson Creek expansion 7, 352 acres

Western Riverside expansions 1 & 2, 172+ acres located along the Interstate 15 corridor

Santa Rosa Mountains expansion 8, 100 acres located in the Santa Rosa Mountains area south of the city of La Quinta, in Riverside County

Santa Rosa Plateau, Tenaja Corridor, 30 acres

Triple Creeks expansion 2, 6 acres north of the city of Murrieta

Edom Hill expansion 30, a 320 acre addition to Coachella Valley Ecological Reserve located southeast of the city of Desert Hot Springs,

Monterey County:

Elkhorn Slough expansion 16, 7.47 acres of land as an addition to the Elkhorn Slough Ecological Reserve, located in the town of Castroville in Monterey County,

San Diego County:

Iron Mountain/Monte Vista: acquisition of a 4,056+ acre property referred to as Monte Vista Ranch. The property is located south of the community of Ramona in central San Diego County

Los Angeles County:

Bluebird Preserve expansion 1,  262+ acres in the city of Glendora,

Sierra Nevadas:

Pine Hill/Salmon Falls expansion 5: acquisition of 80+ acres of vacant land in El Dorado County

Truckee River Wildlife Area, Gray Creek Canyon Unit in Nevada County:
donation of three parcels of land, totaling 1,343+ acres, by the Truckee Donner Land Trust to the Department of Fish and Game;

North San Francisco Bay area:

Napa-Sonoma Marshes Wildlife Area, Tolay Creek Unit expansion 5: fee acquisition of 1,657+ acres of land located west of Highway 121, south of the city of Sonoma, in Sonoma County;