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May 2006
California Oak Report
Oaks 2040 Snapshots
California Oak Foundation (COF) is nearing completion of the editing process for Oaks 2040: The status and future of oaks in California. Publication is scheduled for this summer. In addition to comprehensive statewide oak habitat distribution data, Oaks 2040 provides regional oak woodland profiles, oak woodland at risk projections and criteria for oak woodland sustainability. Beginning this month COF will preview some Oaks 2040 findings.
Note: 'Developed' means greater than 32 housing units per square mile by 2000. 'At Risk' refers to land not developed by 2000 but expected to develop by 2040. 'Safe' refers to land not developed by 2000 and unlikely to develop before 2040.
Statewide
More than one million acres of California's oak woodlands have already been developed.
Approximately 750,000 acres of California oak woodlands are at risk of development by 2040.
Sierra Foothill Counties
El Dorado has already developed 40% of its oak woodlands and another 90,000 acres, most in the state, are at risk of development by 2040.
Fewer than half of Nevada oak woodlands are safe from development.
Madera and Fresno have over 50,000 acres apiece of oak woodlands at risk, Calaveras in excess of 35,000 acres.
Fortunately one-third of Placer oak woodlands are publicly owned; unfortunately development threatens to encompass nearly all private oak woodlands within 35 years.
In Amador, more than 33% of the oak woodlands have already been developed.
Mariposa and Tulare each have 30,000 acres of oak woodlands at risk before 2040.
Sierra Sentinel
Amador County -- City of Sutter Creek officials and Caltrans have signed an agreement to create a permanent 176-acre oak woodland park bisected by the four?mile Highway 49 Bypass. The accord noted that the project "will have direct and indirect losses to oak woodlands" as it is a mitigation park established to address bypass impacts to oak woodlands and dependent wildlife, including California red-legged frog.
The preserve may have a fenced-perimeter trail but domestic animals won't be allowed. Caltrans will pay the city for park upkeep for a decade and then the state assumes full maintenance and monitoring responsibilities.
Calaveras County -- Below are legal findings from the Revised Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Tuscany Hills development project. The previous DEIR had unlawfully defined oak woodlands as "canopy cover of greater than 30 percent." The 3,500-acre Sun City Tehama project in Tehama County recently made the same error. The correct standard is ten percent oak canopy cover.
Tuscany Hills RDEIR: Public Resources Code §21083.4, effective January 1, 2005, requires the County to determine whether a proposed project may result in a conversion of oak woodlands that will have a significant effect on the environment. If the County makes this determination, the County must require the project to comply with one or more of the oak woodlands mitigation measures set forth in Public Resources Code §21083.4(b). Public Resources Code §21083.4 defines the word "oak" in subsection (a) but does not define the term "oak woodlands". The California State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection ("Board") has generally interpreted the term "oak woodlands" to mean a "significant stand of oak tree species". The Board further interprets the term "significant stand" to mean a 10 percent or more native oak canopy cover. See Public Resources Code §4793 (part of the Forest Resources Improvement Chapter) which defines "forest land" as land at least 10 percent occupied by trees of any size that are native to California, including native oaks.
Until there are regulations promulgated under Public Resources Code §21083.4 or any other
applicable law or regulation enacted that further defines the term "oak woodlands" as used in
this code section, the State's interpretation of 10% canopy cover is a reasonable interpretation
and will be applied to this project.
Oak Carbon Credit Legislation Explored
"A day will come - it is already a fact in the European Union - when landowners will be paid, as a public good, to regenerate oaks on their lands. And why aren't there similar types of payments in the West?" (Paul F. Starrs, Fifth Symposium on Oak Woodlands, 2001).
COF is researching legislation that would establish oak woodlands reforestation as a means of mitigating greenhouse gasses. Notably, the Health and Safety Code, Division 26 Air Resources, Section 42801.1 already recognizes forest carbon impoundment values, with definitions for native forests and "natural forest management."
The California Carbon Credit and Rangeland Reforestation Act
A bill establishing credits to promote carbon capture and sequestration on rangeland areas of the state.
"Rangeland Reforestation" means the act or process of oak woodlands reclamation for the purpose of establishing vigorous, well-stocked and perpetual oak forest carbon sinks.
Currently the U. S. Department of Energy, in partnership with the California Energy Commission (CEC), are determining long-term air pollution capturing and sequestering methods. The 2004 CEC study, Carbon Supply From Changes In Management of Forest, Range, and Agricultural Lands of California had this to say: For rangelands, estimates of the potential carbon benefits were analyzed for one alternative, afforestation. Historical evidence suggests that in many areas, large tracts of forest may have once stood where grazing lands now do. Moreover, a significant proportion of today's oak woodlands and annual grassland vegetation types on California's rangelands were also once either dense forests or similar woodlands but with significantly higher biomass than they currently contain. Presently, in much of the state, ranching is the primary activity on what remains of these lands that were once forests or woodlands.
Afforestation of rangelands provides the most carbon at the least cost. The counties with the least expensive carbon from afforesting rangelands are also the same counties that potentially can sequester the most. Restoration of biological diversity and water resources is a possible additional benefit that could accrue from afforestation of existing rangelands.
Merchandise
The Oak Woodland Bird Conservation Plan by Dr. Steve Zack and published by California Oak Foundation. California oak woodlands rank among the top three habitat types in North America for bird richness. This book is a guide for conservation policy and action on behalf of oak woodland habitats and wildlife. 126 pages, paperback, $12.00, members $10.80.
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1212 Broadway, #842 Oakland, CA 94612 Tel. 510-763-0282
Fax: 510-208-4435 oakstaff@californiaoaks.org
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