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Spring 2011
California Oak Report
Down Memory Lane
Almost a decade ago the California Oak Foundation-sponsored Oak Woodlands Conservation Act of 2001 was signed into law by Governor Gray Davis. Helen Thomson of Yolo County authored Assembly Bill 242, which established the Oak Woodlands Conservation Fund within the California Wildlife Conservation Board. Money for the Conservation Fund is provided by voter supported initiative. Governor Davis was reluctant to sign the Act but a direct vote of the people and the Governor's receipt of 33,000 individual messages supporting the legislation overcame his reservations.
Under the Oak Woodlands Conservation Act and other conservation bond funds, the Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) has spent tens of millions of dollars to conserve tens of thousands of oak woodland acres statewide. In 2020 the Act will sunset and it will be up to a new generation of Californians to extend its provisions. Until then the Act will continue to do what it has done well for nearly 10 years, perpetuate California's iconic oak woodlands.
Dark Cloud, Green Lining
Despite the lingering stormy effects of the Great Recession, California public land trusts and nonprofit conservation groups are tapping public funds and private donations to make major land purchases at bargain basement prices:
- The Placer Land Trust (PLT) and partners bought nearly 1,800 acres of oak woodlands just outside Auburn for $9.5 million. Placer County contributed $5 million and the WCB $4.3 million toward the purchase. Currently Phase 2 of the project is underway to protect the remaining 500 acres of Bruin Ranch. In 2009 PLT acquired an agricultural conservation easement on 350 acres above Lake Clementine for $700,000. In the past couple of years, Placer Land Trust, Placer County, United Auburn Indian Community, California Oaks, Wildlife Conservation Board, Sierra Club and Sierra Foothills Audubon Society worked together to acquire nearly 3,000 acres of oak woodlands using Bickford legal settlement funds held by California Wildlife Foundation as a major source.
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The Chico-based Northern California Regional Land Trust (NCRLT) concluded its largest conservation easement agreement, encompassing more than 7,000 acres of mostly rolling oak woodlands at the base of the Yolla Bolly Wilderness west of Red Bluff. Funding came from many conservation sources, including $3.9 million from the Wildlife Conservation Board. The already healthy oak woodlands will be enhanced by additional funds focusing on riparian habitat improvements.
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The Sierra Foothill Conservancy (SFC) acquired a new 2,990 acre conservation easement in the foothills of Madera County. This purchase supplements 1,300 acres of existing SFC easements in the Fine Gold Creek watershed and adjoins a 1,000-acre easement held by the California Rangeland Trust (CRT).
This central Sierra easement has significant stands of blue oak woodlands and mixed blue/interior live oak woodlands, small but important valley oak woodlands, plus scattered populations of canyon/black oak. Together with nine miles of undisturbed foothill riparian woodland made the property a perfect candidate for oak woodland conservation funds from the WCB.
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The Mother Lode Land Trust (MLLT) of Calaveras County has taken a referral from California Oaks of long-time supporters and conservation property owners who wish to add to their oak woodland donations of the past decade. California Oaks has been able to find a number of conservation buyers to purchase and conserve properties in the Sheep Ranch/Railroad Flat area. As a result of this donor's commitment to sustainable wildlife habitat, thousands of acres of critical deer wintering habitat have been and will be preserved in perpetuity.
Watching Money Grow On Trees
In the Oaks 2040 series California Oaks established that statewide oak forests and woodlands could capture a billion tonnes of carbon dioxide in this century. On the other hand, the International Panel on Climate Change estimates that deforestation-related carbon dioxide emissions account for 20% of total worldwide greenhouse gas emissions and each lost oak tree is a contributing factor. The latest addition to the Oaks 2040 series explores the opportunities for landowners to sequester additional carbon, enhance oak woodlands through diversifying land uses and produce new carbon income streams.
Only In Calaveras County
Calaveras County officials continue their penchant for ignoring California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) land-use planning law. The latest oversight involves a CEQA finding of no environmental impacts being associated with a proposed zoning amendment that opens more than 100,000 acres of oak woodlands and rangelands to golf development. The problem is the negative declaration failed to consider greenhouse gas emissions due to vegetation and land impacts or from fossil fuel emissions.
Apparently the telegraph wires have been down for some time and news of the year-old CEQA Guidelines greenhouse gas requirements hadn't reached the county. Riders have been dispatched to spread the word.
Wildlife Climate Change Tool
The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) publication Scanning the Conservation Horizon: A Guide to Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment is a peer-reviewed guide designed to help natural resource managers develop effective conservation strategies to address rapid climate change.
NWF is leading an effort intended to provide conservationists and resource managers with guidance and tools designed to help them carry out climate change vulnerability assessments as part of broader wildlife adaptation planning efforts. Leading experts from federal and state agencies, universities, and non-profit conservation groups have contributed to the development this 176-page user's guide for greenhouse gas wildlife vulnerability assessment and training curriculum.
Pests and Pestilence
The goldspotted oak borer (GSOB) is a beetle native to oak forests of Southeastern Arizona. GSOB was first detected in San Diego County in 2004. Four years later it was found attacking coast live oak, canyon live oak and California black oak in the Cleveland National Forest in San Diego County.
GSOB is responsible for major oak mortality on federal, state, private, and Native American lands in southern California. There have been many negative effects resulting from GSOB-induced oak mortality to both private/public lands, which are now being assessed and quantified. The transportation of firewood is thought to be a significant factor in the spread of the goldspotted beetle. In fact, the establishment of a statewide firewood task force is underway to address issues related to the spread of invasive pests and pathogens via the movement of firewood.
Sudden Oak Death continues to ravage trees in California and beyond. A new UC publication Protecting Trees from Sudden Oak Death before Infection is now available. Included is information on First Steps for Tree Protection; Encouraging Tree Health: Forest Stewardship and Integrated Pest Management across the Landscape; Resources for information on SOD biology and management and information and resources on Phosphonate Control.
Congratulations to Laurence R. Costello, Bruce W. Hagen and Katherine S. Jones on their new book, Oaks in the Urban Landscape, Selection, Care and Preservation, published by and available at UC Berkeley Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Congratulations, too, to Rosi Dagit and the Los Angeles County Oak Woodlands Habitat Conservation Strategic Alliance for all their hard work putting together the draft LA County Oak Woodlands Conservation Management Plan.
Free on Our Website (Reference Page):
Compatible Plants Under and Around Oaks (published by California Oak Foundation)
Regenerating Rangeland Oaks in California (published by UC Berkeley ANR)
Investigating the Oak Community (published by California Oak Foundation)
Acorns and Eat'Em (published by Ocean-Hose)
A Field Guide to Insects and Diseases of California Oaks (published by USDA Forest Service)
Oaks 2040 (published by California Oak Foundation)
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