WCB 11/2012: State to Save amost 7700 acres from bulldozing this month

State to buy more wildlife preserves in November

SUMMARY:

3468 ACRES PURCHASED IN FULL

2200 ACRES OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHT PURCHASED (conservation easements)

NOTICE OF MEETING--WILDLIFE CONSERVATION BOARD

November 29, 2012, 10:00 AM, State Capitol, Room 11, Sacramento, California 95814

FINAL AGENDA:

https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=57504&inline=1

MAPS: https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=58096

CENTRAL VALLEY:

Shanghai Bend River Access $10,000 -- Sutter County

acquisition of 13± acres by Quitclaim Deed from Sutter County-- west bank of the Feather River in southeast Sutter County.

Conaway Ranch Conservation Easement (Change of Scope) $0.00 --Yolo County

acquisition of four friendly agricultural conservation easements (three outside and one within the Yolo Bypass) by the Department of Fish and Game (DFG), located east of the cities of Davis and Woodland. This change of scope proposes to redirect a portion of the funding and authorize a grant to the California Waterfowl Association to acquire the easement inside the Yolo Bypass in-lieu of the DFG. Same project as approved by WCB 8/30/2012

East Sacramento County Blue Oaks Legacy Area, $2,713,514 --Expansion 2 -- Sacramento County

grant to the Mother Lode Land Trust to acquire 375± acres located on Scott Road approximately three miles north of Rancho Murieta in southeast Sacramento County.

Campstool Ranch $2,761,055 --Calaveras County

acquire a working forest conservation easement on 2,175± acres of mixed conifer forest lands, located near the community of Railroad Flat in Calaveras County.

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA:

Napa Sonoma Marsh, Napa River Unit (Giovannoni) $35,000 --Napa County

acquisition of 12± acres located south of Highway 12 off Buchli Station in Napa County.

Quail Ridge UC Davis Natural Reserve System $70,000 --Napa County

grant to the University of California to acquire 10± acres for expansion of the UC Davis Natural Reserve System approximately 14 miles west of the City of Winters

East Contra Costa NCCP/HCP (Alaimo) $88,250 --Contra Costa County

acquire 2± acres located in the Diablo Mountain Range between the town of Clayton and the City of Pittsburg, in unincorporated Contra Costa County.WITHDRAWN FROM AGENDA

San Antonio Valley Ecological Reserve Expansion $868,000 -- Santa Clara County

acquisition of 339± acres of land as an addition to the Department of Fish and Game’s (DFG) San Antonio Valley Ecological Reserve located approximately 20 miles east of San Jose in eastern Santa Clara County.

CENTRAL COAST:

Santa Cruz Sandhills, Zayante (Zolezzi) $87,921 -- Santa Cruz County

acquire a conservation easement over 25± acres, located in the City of Ben Lomond

Star Creek Ranch $2,510,000 --Santa Cruz and Santa Clara Counties

acquire 1,210± acres of land for the protection of habitat linkages and working forest property, located in Pajaro Hills in Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA:

Joshua Tree North Linkage - Section 33, $685,000 --San Bernardino County

acquire 624± acres of land for the protection of desert habitat corridors leading south to the Joshua Tree National Park, located west of the community of Joshua Tree, in San Bernardino County

Upper Mission Creek / Big Morongo Canyon $2,012,000 --Conservation Area, Expansion 6 (Palmwood) Riverside County

acquire 883± acres located near Desert Hot Springs in Riverside County.

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

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

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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

Berryessa Peak trail is under construction

Yolohikers will soon have a new trail to park between Bay area and Sacramento

http://yolohiker.org
New Trail: above Lake Berryessa on the new Berryessa Peak Trail easement, to start constructing the half-mile length of the easement. A private ranch has so graciously donated a public trail easement...
Total distance is 10 miles, round trip, with 2000-foot elevation gain.
When completed, this trail will offer the first open public access to the 9,100-acre Berryessa Peak BLM public lands. Located in Yolo and Napa Counties, this public land was previously inaccessible.  I’d been working for 15 years to raise awareness of these lands and to get agency and landowner approvals for this project, and the time has finally come. We can build it!

Photos of the hike can be seen here: http://picasaweb.google.com/yolohiker/BlueRidgeTrailScouting#

L.A. Times focuses on SF to Sacto Mountain preserve...

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Proposed conservation area would preserve some of California's least-trampled terrain

excerpted from
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-berryessa22-2010mar22,0,7702234.story

3/22/2010--
The diverse 100-mile-swath of inner coast range land between the Bay Area and Sacramento, dubbed the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Conservation Area, is on a list of prospective national monuments.
(Editor's note: The land includes both public and privately owned lands. Monument status only affects the lands owned by the Federal government.)

...Four of the 14 sites identified as candidates either to become monuments or gain acreage via presidential declaration are in California: the Berryessa site, the Bodie Hills, the Modoc Plateau and an expansion into California of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument from Oregon.

...John and Judy Ahmann run Romagnola and Black Angus cattle on several thousand acres of ranchland that sweeps up from the shores of Lake Berryessa. The couple love the area so much that they have been exploring ways to preserve it.

...The couple have decided to place more than 3,000 acres of the ranch into a conservation easement that they hope will be folded into the prospective national conservation area.

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

-
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

Yolo County--Road 41 and trail updates...

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An Update on 2009 Land Preservation in Yolo County

from http://yolohiker.org

Date: Tue, 29 Dec 2009

Hello folks,
Hope everyone had a great holiday, and had a chance to get
outdoors. A couple of nice updates to report on the hiking front….
First, the Napa County Planning Commission has issued the Use Permit
for the Berryessa Peak Trail. So we expect to be building that trail
during 2010! Finally, unrestricted public access to Berryessa Peak!
Second, I did some re-flagging of the Pope Creek to Putah Creek trail,
so expect to hear about trail building dates for that Lake Berryessa
trail. We'll also be getting some dates out there for the trail
building on Yolo County's Otis Ranch. So it's been a busy month.

Lastly, I am happy to report that the application to abandon Road 41
has been rescinded by the applicant! Thank you all for your letters
and emails! All the Yolo County committees that heard the request
rejected it, and the Planning Commission rejected it unanimously. So
the dirt hiking route that is the road is still public.

On that note, I thought I'd pass along this information on your rights
when parking in rural areas. On Road 41, a landowner has been
approaching hikers parked along the side of the road and telling them
to leave, and that the property is private under the road. He has no
right to do this. The way things are in Yolo County, almost all the
County roads are public rights-of-way over private parcels. You can
park on County roads up to 72 hours, per Yolo County Code section
4-3.103. So be polite, be let him know he is wrong per that section
of County Code. This is a common occurrence in the County. We've had
County staff getting told they were trespassing while walking on Road
107 in the bypass, and folks told they were on private property while
hiking on the public road 53. All landowners backed off when they
realized that the hiker knew the law and that they were on public
roads. It's unfortunate but it is a common occurrence out there in
the Country, so know you rights, stay on public roads and land, and
you'll be fine. You want to stop and take a picture on the side of a
Country road, go right ahead!

See you on the trail!

Yolo Trail Nearly finished...

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Otis Ranch Trail Progress Report--on East Side of Blueridge-Berryessa Natural Area

Hello Yolohikers!

4/20/2009--Huge progress has been made on the trail at the Otis Ranch. We have only about 100-feet to go to hook into the fire break on the ridge. This next trip will have us finishing that 100-feet, as well as installing steps on the steep parts and building a bypass route around the rocks. It should be cooler by the weekend!

To see photos from our April 11th trip, go to:

http://picasaweb.google.com/yolohiker/YoloCountyParksOtisRanchTrailbuildingApril112009#

photo gallery: http://picasaweb.google.com/yolohiker

http://yolohiker.org

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More Trails and Several Development Battles Near the Blueridge-Berryessa Natural Area

2/22/2009 Update from http://yolohiker.org

New trail project!

I know lots of people have noticed the lack of hikes this year. This is because I was working on starting up a new trail building project, and am pleased to announce that Tuleyome (http://tuleyome.org) is now working with Yolo County to build the first multi-use trail on the
Otis Ranch Open Space Park. The park is located across from Camp Haswell County Park, upstream from Rumsey. I’ve wanted to build trails up in this area for a while, and this
segment will eventually give access to the Blue Ridge trail from a new location. In light of the current economic downturn, money for trails and other park features will surely become scarcer, so it’s up to us, the trail users, to help improve our public lands! Dates for volunteer trail building days have been posted on the Hikes, Trips, and Events calendar on the Yolohiker webpage, and a description of the project can be found on a new Trailbuilding link on http://yolohiker.org. Be sure to come out and help build trails on our County Open Space!


Blue Ridge Trail update

A ranching family in Napa County donated a half-mile trail easement to the Napa Open Space District, which will connect the DFG Knoxville State Wildlife Area with the BLM Berryessa Peak public lands. This will bring an almost 32-mile corridor down the Blue Ridge into the public right of way, and allow for first-ever non-docent led hikes onto the 9,100-acre Berryessa Peak public lands! Tuleyome will be helping construct the trail using volunteers (that means you guys!).
Before construction can begin we need to complete the environmental review, and I am looking for a Botanist and an Ornithologist who would be willing to do some pro bono work, inventorying the route for the CEQA document. If you would love to be one of the first to see the new trail easement, and are willing to donate a day to do the field work with me, drop me an email!

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"Trust key to rangeland partnership, rancher says"(Capital Press, 1/22/09)
"Where Yolo, Colusa and Lake counties meet, a 10,000-acre patch of U.S. Bureau of Land Management-owned grassland (Payne Ranch) is the site of a special grazing project. Historically a forage ground for elk, cattle and sheep, the parcel began showing signs of over-grazing by the 1960s, but grazing continued into the 1990s. That's when the land's previous owner contacted the BLM about a sale of the property. The sale was completed about three years ago, and the BLM's original goal was to restore habitat for the bald eagle and other species and to preserve the land's cultural values ... But as a result of a noxious weed problem, grazing is back on the grassy plot under a partnership between the BLM, Elk Creek rancher Chet Vogt and a local environmental group called Tuleyome."

http://www.tuleyome.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=40&Itemid=27

http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/ukiah/grazing.html

http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/ukiah/cachecreek.html

http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/ca/pdf/pdfs/ukiah_pdfs.Par.70383.File.dat/cachecreek_wilderness.pdf
for map

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Environmentalists push for massive north-state conservation area—Berryessa Snow Mountain National Conservation Area—1/27/2009
http://www.sacbee.com/ourregion/story/1575533.html?mi_rss=Our%2520Region

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California: Will 600 homes and a golf course destroy rare Cache Creek Oak woodlands ? http://forestpolicyresearch.org/2009/01/09/california-600-homes-golf-course-destroy-rare-cache-creek-oak-woodlands/ Economic forces put into play long ago spelled certain doom for these parcels below that are marked in red…
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SOLANO COUNTY / Lawsuit opposes development / Critics say project violates plan for scenic Lagoon Valley
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/04/08/BAGFJC53N31.DTL

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Big vineyard plans for east side of valley Five sites totaling more than 1,000 acres in planning stages
http://www.napavalleyregister.com/articles/2009/02/09/news/local/doc498fd0973e09a333248868.txt

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Another 800 Acres opened to the public between Napa and Yolo Counties

from http://yolohiker.org

11/6/2008: By the end of November, a new 800-acre public purchase will open up a segment of the Old Toll Road, which is a historic route between Yolo and Napa Counties. While the Yolo section is in private ownership, the Napa section will now become public (for the first time ever, and without a toll...)
I plan on leading a hike up the newly-public section.

WCB 11/2008

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Another 9511 Acres of Wildlife Habitat Will be Purchased With State Funds

WILDLIFE CONSERVATION BOARD
November 20, 2008
10:00 A.M.
1/ State Capitol, Room 112
Sacramento, California 95814

http://www.wcb.ca.gov/

MAPS: https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=14456

*8. South Fork American River, Lower Canyon Unit, $410,000.00 Expansion 3, El Dorado County
a grant to the American River Conservancy for a cooperative project with the California Resources Agency to acquire 45± acres to protect riparian and upland habitat located near Folsom Lake, in El Dorado County. (Proposition 40)

*12. Burton Mesa Ecological Reserve, Expansion 1, $469,000.00 Santa Barbara County
To consider the acquisition of 20± acres to protect rare and threatened species in the community of Lompoc (Proposition 117)

*13. Western Riverside County MSHCP, $177,000.00 Expansions 4 and 5, Riverside County
To consider the allocation for two grants to the Western Riverside County Regional Conservation Authority to acquire two properties totaling 80+ acres to protect threatened and endangered species and wildlife corridors and to further implement Natural Community Conservation Planning efforts, located near the City of Lake Elsinore (Proposition 12)

*14. Whitewater Canyon, MacKenzie Ranch, $410,000.00 Riverside County
To consider the allocation for a grant to Friends of the Desert Mountains (Friends) for a cooperative project with the Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy, the Resources Legacy Fund Foundation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to acquire 260± acres to protect endangered species and wildlife corridors (Proposition 12)

*15. Crestridge Preserve, South Crest, Expansion 3, $250,000.00 San Diego County
To consider the allocation for a grant to the Endangered Habitats League (League) Inc., to acquire 29± acres to protect threatened and endangered species and wildlife corridors, located west of the community of Crest (Proposition 84)

*16. The Environmental Trust Bankruptcy, $30,000.00 San Diego, Kern, Imperial, Riverside, San Bernardino Counties.
TET acquired most of the 3600 acres of Conserved Property (mostly in San Diego County) in connection with mitigation obligations of private third parties under federal, State or local requirements.

To consider the acceptance of properties as agreed to in negotiations surrounding the bankruptcy and reorganization of The Environmental Trust (TET). The Department of Fish and Game, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the City of San Diego and the County of San Diego are working cooperatively to transfer the properties previously held by TET to non-profits, State and local government entities to ensure protection of the habitat and open space on the lands. (Proposition 84)

19. Daugherty Hill Wildlife Area, Expansion 11, $610,000.00 Butte County
To consider the acquisition of a conservation easement over 582± acres to protect deer winter range for the Bucks Mountain/Mooretown deer herd located near the Sierra foothill communities of Bangor and Rackersby (Proposition 117)

20. Daugherty Hill Wildlife Area, Expansion 12 $935,000.00 Yuba County
To consider a cooperative project to acquire of 529± acres with the Trust for Public Land and the Sierra Nevada Conservancy to protect oak woodlands habitat and deer winter range located near Collins Lake, in the Sierra foothills(Proposition 117)

21. Truckee Basin (Perazzo Meadows), $765,000.00, Sierra County
To consider the allocation for a grant to the Truckee Donner Land Trust for a cooperative project with the Department of Fish and Game, Trust for Public Land, the Resources Agency, and the California Transportation Commission to acquire 982± acres to protect critical fawning areas and summer range for mule deer of the Loyalton-Truckee deer herd and winter migration corridors west of Highway 89, near Webber Lake (Proposition 117). For more information:

http://www.tdlandtrust.org/downloads/PerazzoMeadowsPurchaseCloser9-12-07.pdf

22. Elkhorn Basin Ranch, $3,780,000.00 Yolo County
To consider the allocation for a grant to the Yolo Land Trust for a cooperative project with the Sacramento Valley Conservancy, the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency and the Packard Foundation to acquire three properties totaling 685± acres to protect riparian habitat and agriculture land and to connect large tracts of land located between the Sacramento River and the Yolo Bypass, southeast of Woodland (Proposition 40)

24. Watsonville Slough Conservation Area, $5,510,500.00 and Expansion 1, Santa Cruz County
To consider an allocation for two grants to the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County for cooperative projects with the Department of Fish and Game, State Coastal Conservancy, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and The Nature Conservancy to acquire two properties totaling 441± acres to protect coastal wetland and upland habitats, provide sustainable habitat for sensitive species, and reduce adverse impacts to the water quality and supply in the slough system located west of Highway 1 in the City of Watsonville (Proposition 84)

25. East Merced Vernal Pool Grassland Preserve, $4,400,000.00 Expansion 6, Merced County
To consider the allocation for a grant to the California Rangeland Trust to acquire a conservation easement over 2,912± acres to protect rolling grasslands with a high density of vernal pools and associated rare and endangered species located northeast of the City of Merced (Proposition 40)

26. Midland School Oak Woodlands Conservation Easement, $4,155,000.00 Santa Barbara County;
To consider the allocation for a grant to the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County for a cooperative project with the Trust for Public Land and the California Transportation Commission to acquire a conservation easement over 2,725± acres to protect and preserve oak woodland habitat in Los Olivos (Proposition 84)

27. Palo Verde Ecological Reserve, $2,585,000.00 Expansions 1 and 2, Riverside County
To consider a cooperative project with the Trust for Public Land to acquire two properties totaling 422± acres to protect desert wash and riparian habitat along the Colorado River located north of Blythe (Proposition 50)

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Ranching family donates easement across rugged land for public trail North of San Francisco Bay

Trail Leads to Berryessa Peak through Private 3000-acre ranch

Napa Valley Register, 9/21/08

The Ahmanns have granted an easement for use of land along the Napa-Yolo county line, east of Lake Berryessa, to the Napa County Regional Park and Open Space District. The donation now gives hikers a chance to trudge up the Blue Ridge, the 3,000-foot highlands controlled by the federal Bureau of Land Management, to take in a view ranging from the Sierra Nevada to the east to Mount Tamalpais to the west.

for full story:
http://www.napavalleyregister.com/articles/2008/09/21/news/local/doc48d5e67442cf7565276001.txt


To read more on this trail easement donation:

http://www.carangeland.org/Files%20to%20Link/Guardian%20of%20the%20Range/Ahmann/CRCC%20-%20GR%20-%20Ahmann-Final.pdf

or http://carangeland.org/

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September 20th: Cache Creek Celebration in the Blueridge Berryessa Natural Area

Hello Yolohikers!

On September 20th, Tuleyome, http://tuleyome.org/,will be hosting our 3rd annual Cache Creek celebration. Come out to Cache Creek Canyon Regional Park and spend the day with friends, go for a hike or bike ride, swim in the creek, or just relax and enjoy a BBQ dinner. For those who want to spend the night, we've reserved the group campgrounds (which are the best and closest to the creek). To get there from Yolo County, just take Highway 16 through the Capay Valley, past Rumsey, until you get to the middle campground.

Here is a google maplink: http://tinyurl.com/cache-creek

The event is free, just bring a potluck item to share. We'll provide the hot dogs and veggie dogs and drinks. Kids and dogs are welcome. Both are known to eat food that falls on the ground.
Please RVSP to Debra Chase at Tuleyome, via email: dchase@tuleyome.org

Hope to see you there!

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Fresno Area Water District Buys Large Farm in North Delta Region

http://www.woodlandjournal.com/2007/12/westlands-water-district-land.html

The south Yolo ranch owned by farmer Duncan McCormack has been purchased by the nation's largest irrigation district. Westlands Water District, the Fresno-based irrigation district will reportedly pay $12M for 3,450 acres located on the southern tip of Yolo County to ease pressure on the state's water system.

In a December 15 article published by the Davis Enterprise, the acquisiton will also enable the restoration of wetlands and wildlife habitat in the environmentally sensitive Yolo Bypass. According to the Enterprise, the district irrigates more than 600,000 acres of crops in western Fresno and King counties. But its water supply is jeopardized by the decline of the threatened delta smelt.

The report also states that by flooding the ranch and restoring smelt habitat, the district hopes to boost the number of fish in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and free up water for farmers... and Westlands General Manager Tom Birmingham said the district wants to help the endangered species. He said the disctrict recognizes that its a sensitive issue and plans to "be a good neighbor" in Yolo County.

Endangered species aside, the focus of Westlands has to do with water supply... not saving wildlife. Although there are intrinsic benefits to wildlife within their mission of providing water, saving the smelt is a convenient side bar to the acquistion of the McCormack Ranch. If you click the title of this post, you will find the district's statement about land acquisition:

"Westlands is pursuing land acquisition as a means to address chronic water shortages and drainage issues. The program, financed entirely by farmers in the District, anticipates the purchase of approximately 100,000 acres of drainage-impacted land by 2007. By removing these acquired lands from irrigated agriculture, and reallocating water to land remaining in production, the District is able to provide farmers a more reliable and adequate water supply to ensure the long-term viability of west side communities and preserve the $3.5 billion per year of economic benefits created by District farming activity. This program is separate and distinct from an earlier and now inactive proposal by the United State to retire up to 200,000 acres of farmland in Westlands."

"In recognition that land acquisition could result in short-term economic impacts on the Valley’s west side, Westlands is working with local officials to identify alternative and productive uses for District-owned land. Recently, the District provided land for a federal prison near Mendota that will provide several hundred new jobs. Other potential beneficial uses for these farmlands include wildlife habitat, economic development and local flood control."

This also from their Web site: "It is the mission of Westlands Water District to provide a timely, reliable and affordable water supply to its landowners and water users, and to provide drainage service to those lands that need it. To this end, Westlands is committed to the preservation of its federal contract, which includes water and drainage service, and to the acquisition of additional water necessary to meet the needs of its landowners and water users."

"Formed in 1952, Westlands encompasses more than 600,000 acres of farmland in western Fresno and Kings counties. The District serves approximately 600 family-owned farms that average 900 acres in size."

"Water is delivered to Westlands through the Central Valley Project, a federal water project that stores water in large reservoirs in Northern California for use by cities and farms throughout California. After it is released from CVP reservoirs, the water is pumped from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and delivered 70 miles through the Delta-Mendota Canal to San Luis Reservoir. During the spring and summer, the water is released from San Luis Reservoir and delivered to Westlands farmers through the San Luis Canal and the Coalinga Canal. Once it leaves the federal project canals, water is delivered to farmers through 1,034 miles of underground pipe and more than 3,300 water meters."

"Westlands farmers produce more than 60 high quality commercial food and fiber crops sold for the fresh, dry, canned and frozen food markets, both domestic and export. More than 50,000 people live and work in the communities dependent on the District's agricultural economy. The communities in and near the District's boundaries include Mendota, Huron, Tranquillity, Firebaugh, Three Rocks, Cantua Creek, Helm, San Joaquin, Kerman, Lemoore and Coalinga."

Lastly, the Westlands Water District has long-term contractual and legal entitlements with the United States for a firm supply of 1,150,000 acre-feet (AF) of Central Valley Project (CVP) water during each water year. In some years, the district may acquire additional water pursuant to its entitlements, or other water. The contracts between Westlands and the US allow the district to make CVP water available for not only agricultural, but municipal, industrial and domestic uses, as well. The district may acquire additional water supplies for all of those purposes.

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Public Access to Yolo Wildlife Area Threatened

5/23/07

www.Tuleyome.org

Access to Wildlife Area Threatened-- Every once in a while, between great hikes and soaking up the beauty of Yolo County, we have something come up that if left unattended, could preclude future enjoyment of some of our wonderful outdoor areas.

This is one of those times.

There is a request by a landowner to have the County abandon a portion of Road 16, located east of the Yolo Bypass and north of I-5 The road provides current access to the Fremont Weir State Wildlife Area, and could be used in the future as an access to a trail network on the levee system. Your comments are needed to ensure we don't lose access to this great wildlife area, from the eastern side. You can download a map and images of the public wildlife area. Please take a minute to keep this area open!

Some background:

A landowner on the Sacramento River submitted a request to abandon a portion of Yolo County Road 16. The public road currently ends at the eastern end of the Fremont Weir State Wildlife Area, located in northeastern Yolo County. If this section of Road 16 is abandoned as requested, public access to the east side of the Wildlife area will be shut off. It is a simple matter to request an abandonment, but almost impossible to reverse if the Board of Supervisors grants the request.

A sample letter regarding Road 16 and the abandonment request.

To whom it may concern,

As a Yolo County resident, I enjoy our wide open spaces and diverse landscapes. Access to those landscapes, be it visually or recreationally, is very important.

The May 7, 2007 request to abandon a portion of Road 16 (Project Title: ZF#2007-030/Road Abandonment), will result in loss of public access to the east side of the Fremont Weir State Wildlife Area. The loss of this access will preclude future use of the levees as recreation corridors for hikers, bikers, horseback riders, and fishermen. It will preclude connection of the Fremont Weir State Wildlife Area to the Greater Delta Recreation Trail.

The recently completed Yolo County Parks Master Plan talks about the County providing ‘gateway’ facilities, to allow access to other agencies land holdings, such as the Fremont Weir State Wildlife Area. The Open Space Element of the General Plan identifies the Yolo Bypass (of which the Fremont Weir is a part) as an open space and recreation resource. Abandoning Road 16 goes against the spirit of both parts of these plans.

Please vote to keep Road 16 a public road. We have nothing to gain by abandoning it, but lots to lose.