Ranching and Grasslands Management in Contra Costa County

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1 Ranching and Grasslands Management in Contra Costa County Native American Influences on California Rangeland There has been ample evidence that Native Americans greatly changed the natural landscape and had major effects on some wildlife species. They regularly burned selected areas in order to improve hunting and harvesting and to produce desired materials. They planted seeds for annual and perennial crops and transplanted trees and shrubs. California grasslands at that time were grazed by great numbers of large native animals like Tule Elk, Mule Deer and Pronghorn Antelope which were a valuable food source for the Native Americans. The use of fire by Native American tribes in Contra Costa County, such as the Miwok and Ohlone, led to the replacement of many forested lands with grasslands and savanna. These practices lasted until long after the Spanish missions were established. New settlers in California failed to understand and complained about this use of fire to the Spanish Governor who, beginning in 1793, periodically issued edicts to stop the practice. The elimination of periodic burning led to dramatic changes in native plant communities as much of Coastal California s grassland and oak-savanna reverted to brush species. Pronghorn Antelope Tule Elk Mule Deer Early European Influences on California Rangeland Cattle first arrived in California in the spring of 1770 as they were driven by the Spanish from lower California to the San Diego Mission. This herd of 165 head went to four other missions in the next two years. By 1773, there were 204 meat and dairy cattle at ranchos near five missions. By 1800, there were 75,000 cattle in California with two-thirds of them on mission ranchos. During the years of Mexican Rule in California ( ), the government granted 800 large parcels of land to private individuals as an incentive to engage in ranching and agriculture. Mexico opened trade with other nations, especially the United States, and the livestock industry shifted from raising commodities for local use to raising cattle and sheep to export their hides, tallow, and wool. Due to the lack of refrigeration, most of the meat could not be shipped very far and was discarded. Following the discovery of gold in Coloma in 1848, the population of California grew to 100,000 by the end of In the next year, California became the 31 st State in the Union. By the end of the Gold Rush in 1860, the population had reached 380,000.

2 The Mission ranches, as well as many wildlife hunters and trappers, tried to supply the local demands for meat and hides at the beginning of the Gold Rush. However, the rapidly expanding population brought such a demand for meat that the local supply of livestock and wildlife became exhausted. This led to large quantities of cattle, sheep, horses and mules being brought into California. It also led to a huge shift of existing California livestock from Southern California to the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys. Alternating periods of severe drought and high rainfall in the 1850 s and 1860 s devastated the growing livestock industry. Laws were passed to protect the rights of property owners by prohibiting the free use of grazing lands. The laws first affected sheep grazing, and then in 1870, the Open Range prohibitions were expanded to cover all livestock. These laws promoted barbed wire fencing around private rangeland and the use of the more productive land to grow crops. This was the end for many land grant rancheros founded during the Mexican Rule as most were broken up into small tracts ranging in size from fifteen to a few hundred acres and sold for farms. The cattle industry shifted to the margins of the grasslands and foothills. Yellow Starthistle infestation Roadside weed infestation The Use of Livestock to Manage Natural Resources Widespread overstocking and periods of severe drought during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries seriously affected western rangelands. Overgrazing caused serious problems such as erosion, water quality degradation, and the proliferation of noxious weeds. However, since the passage of the Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act more than three decades ago, a vast complex of land-use regulations and Best Management Practices (BMP s) are now in place to monitor land use and to ensure compliance with regulations to protect water quality, critical habitat, and endangered and threatened species. There is considerable controversy over the practice of cattle grazing. In cases where the importance of rangeland management has not been understood, land stewards have tried to create a natural setting by removing livestock entirely. However, when grazing is removed, plant biomass can build to levels that threaten the survival of native species. It chokes out the growth of native plants, makes movement difficult for small animals, and creates the risk of destructive fires. In the absence of large native herbivores to remove plant biomass and control invasive exotic weeds, cattle can be used as a cost effective substitute. Effective grazing can maintain native plant communities, enhance biodiversity, increase and regulate nutrient cycling in the ecosystem, and

3 improve wildlife habitat, as well as decrease fuel loads to reduce wildfire risks. Many endangered and threatened species have survived because they are adapted to cattle grazed rangeland conditions. Studies have shown that in the East Bay Regional Parks, over 40% of the cattle ponds in grazed areas contained endangered amphibians. Experimental results from Sunol Regional Wilderness showed that ungrazed plots had only.4% native plant cover consisting of 2 species while grazed plots had 21% native cover consisting of 30 species. The Muir Heritage Land Trust in Contra Costa County had to reintroduce cattle grazing to bring back the population of a native wildflower, Contra Costa Goldfields, when it declined following the exclusion of cattle. Many land stewards have found that the controlled use of domestic livestock is the most effective tool for managing vegetation levels on rangelands. The goal is to approximate the same level of grazing pressure as would be done by native animals. A measure called RDM (residual dry matter) is used to track how much plant biomass is present. The number of animals needed is calculated on an Animal Unit (AU) basis to establish realistic stocking rates that will result in a moderate level of residual dry matter per acre at the end of the grazing season in October. This value is designed to avoid overgrazing, minimize erosion, protect water quality, and reduce fast burning fuels. Burrowing Owl Western Fence Lizard Grasshopper Sparrow Grazing on Public Lands California is the third largest state and leads the nation in both population and annual agricultural production, with over $36 billion in value from over 250 commodities. California s grazing lands provided forage for cattle and sheep valued at $2.5 billion in In 1997, the University of California estimated that California had about 31.5 million acres of grazing land, of which 49.1% were state or federally owned. In the San Francisco Bay Area, the majority of public land is owned by state and local government agencies and special districts. Alameda and Contra Costa County currently have around 420,000 acres of grazing land. About 14% is located within the East Bay Regional Parks. Other large blocks of land are owned by Contra Costa Water District, East Bay Municipal Utility District, U.S. Department of Defense, Town of Moraga, and City of Walnut Creek Open Space. There are a total of eighteen different public entities that use grazing to meet resource objectives on their lands. As grasslands transition from private to public ownership, it is important to understand the role that livestock grazing plays in maintaining the health and diversity in our open spaces and the economic value to our agricultural industry. Controlled livestock grazing is the most effective tool available to manage rangeland when compared to the high cost per acre associated with prescribed burning or physical weed removal. Public agencies use the money gained from lease agreements with cattlemen to fund conservation

4 projects and other park improvements. This benefits not only the public, but also the environment. Ranchers that use public land often will have conditions built into their lease agreements to maintain roads, fences, and other infrastructure. Consequently, public land managers and private ranchers cooperate in order to continue grazing on public lands because both parties benefit. But even in spite of this cooperation, many conflicts between environmental groups, livestock lessee, and public land management agencies do happen. Some groups consider cattle destructive and want all livestock removed, even suing the land management agencies in an attempt to eliminate livestock grazing. They don t seem to realize that even recreational use of public lands can cause damage such as vandalism, arson, erosion, invasive weeds and diseases, etc. Fire caused by lightning Fire caused by arson The Future of Grasslands in Contra Costa County The natural landscape in Northern California is made up of many types of habitat, such as, oak woodlands, wetlands, chaparral, and grasslands. The open space in Contra Costa County represents a haven for native species and is valued for its beauty, adding to the quality of life for local residents. Unfortunately, grasslands and open space in the Bay Area have become increasingly fragmented as they are lost to development. Over the last 20 years, the population of Contra Costa County has increased by 45%. This population growth is expected to continue or even increase in the future. By some estimates, 120,000 acres of additional open space in Alameda and Contra Costa County will be lost to development over the next 20 years. A survey was conducted from of over 100 ranchers in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties to provide some insight on the values and viewpoints of the ranching community in this rapidly urbanizing region. The study found that an overwhelming majority of ranchers felt that feeling close to the earth (90%) and providing a good place for family life (94%) were important reasons to continue ranching, while only 57% felt that profitability was a good reason. About half of respondents (52%) said ranching accounts for only one-quarter or less of their total income. Many agreed that overregulation (83%) and societal hostility towards ranching (65%) were good reasons to quit ranching. Fifty percent said to improve investment returns was a good reason. A majority of ranchers felt that environmentalism (88%), local land use planning (82%), statewide/ regional planning (82%), animal rights (82%), and the Endangered Species Act (81%) posed serious

5 Red-legged Frog Tiger Salamander threats to ranching. Though opposed to regulation, many ranchers felt conservation goals, such as improving soil stability (90%), improving wildlife habitat (69%), reducing need for pesticides and herbicides (68%) and protecting scenic values (67%) were important. Production values such as improving livestock quality (98%) and increasing forage (97%) also ranked highly. Despite the stewardship ethic, many Alameda-Contra Costa ranchers (52%) did not feel strongly that their property should remain in production following sale. Some (23%) felt it would be a good outcome if their property was developed for housing, and others (22%) felt an open space designation was desirable. Many ranchers wanted their property to stay in private ownership (55%), while fewer indicated nonprofit ownership (13%) or public agency ownership (3%) would be a good outcome of sale. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has established a program, called Safe Harbor, in which private landowners maintain and improve endangered and threatened species habitat on their land in exchange for assurances that no additional future regulatory restrictions will be imposed. This encourages landowners who may not want to risk improving habitat for fear that endangered species may colonize their property. The Service monitors the property and provides technical assistance. The Service also provides grants and other assistance to individuals and groups making conservation efforts helping endangered and threatened species. Trifolium willdenovii Viola pedunculata Lupinus bicolor

6 Oakland Hills fire damage Grass fire There is often a close relationship between private and public grazing lands in Contra Costa County. Ranchers who may have a headquarter ranch on private land are often dependent on public lands to provide a critical mass of land to maintain a viable ranching operation. In Contra Costa County about 30% of the ranchers use some public owned rangeland to augment their ranching operation. They may only be able to use the public land seasonally but they depend on it to make their operation on private land viable. Ranching as a way of life is an economic, cultural, and historical resource that is worth preserving in Contra Costa County. Livestock grazing has proven to be a valuable tool to manage natural resources and enhance diverse habitats in our open space communities. However, the future holds many challenges for those within the livestock industry. Increasing fuel prices, traffic, rangeland becoming fragmented, urban interface, vandalism, arson and trespassing are some examples of problems ranchers face. Through cooperative efforts between private property owners, public land managers and land stewards, these challenges can be overcome to protect the future of the livestock industry within Contra Costa County. Bay area rangeland habitat Vernal pool