California Watershed Enhancement Program. Update to the Central Valley Joint Venture - California

Transcription

1 California Watershed Enhancement Program Update to the Central Valley Joint Venture - California May 10, 2012

2 Private Working Lands (in white)

3 2009 NABCI Report Delivering Fish and Wildlife Conservation: Building Farm Bill Capacity NABCI Private Lands Subcommittee August 2009

4 2009 NABCI Private Lands Subcommittee Report Biologists accelerate Fish and Wildlife conservation through Farm Bill programs by: Bringing specialized fish and wildlife knowledge and habitat management skills into conservation planning. Marketing the fish and wildlife aspects of the Farm Bill programs and benefits of practices to farmers, ranchers, and other private landowners. Facilitating timely implementation of planning, contracting, and practice implementation necessary to bring habitat projects to fruition. Being locally involved and maintaining landowner trust.

5 2009

6 More biologists = more wildlife practices on the ground

7 Nebraska Partner Biologists (8) - results in 2008: 275 conservation plans Designed and planted nearly 14,000 acres of seeded perennial cover Designed and planted of over 7 miles of shrub & tree plantings Designed and implemented wildlife management practices (e.g. early successional habitat management, prescribed burning, prescribed grazing) on over 30,000 acres Designed and restored habitat on over 3,500 acres of wetlands Designed restoration for over 5 miles of stream bank

8 PRBO Working Lands Initiative Wetlands (below 300 ft) rice, riparian, etc. Sacramento Valley San Joaquin Valley Bay Delta Watersheds (above 300 ft) rangelands, forest, meadows Sacramento Valley Northern Sierra San Joaquin Valley Coast ranges Sagebrush Modoc Plateau

9 California Watershed Program Goal: Improve watershed by enhancing grazing lands and connecting with valley wetlands, with a focus on the foothills around the Central Valley.

10 California Watershed Program: Vision Rangelands hold and store more water, release water more slowly throughout the year Watersheds linked to valley floor riparian and wetland habitats Increased groundwater recharge Ranchers and farmers active partners in eco-friendly management Ranching remains a viable enterprise Improved landscape resilience to predicted extension of dry season conditions

11 Recent Progress NRCS Migratory Bird Initiative: $347k ($170k for watersheds). Secured $400k in private matching funds. Hired 2 Partner Biologists (in Redding and Willows, August 2011), already working with 36 land owners. Trained 24 PRBO and Audubon staff on NRCS assessment techniques. Developing plans for a total of 21 Partner Biologists over the next 5 years ( ).

12 On the Ground Alicia Young (Redding) Cottonwood Creek Battle Creek Already working with 15 ranchers and private foresters Melany Aten (Willows) Stony Creek Already working with 10 ranchers and 11 farmers

13 5) Document/communicate the benefits to water availability and bird habitat. PRBO Conservation Science Goals Over the next five years ( ): 1) Expand prescribed rangeland management and grazing practices on 1.13 million acres. Sacramento River Watersheds 620,000 acres San Joaquin River Watersheds 180,000 acres Coastal Watersheds 330,000 acres 2) Increase soil water storage by 15% to yield = min. 2 Hetch Hetchy reservoirs in the subsequent 5 years. 3) Leverage Farm Bill habitat improvement funds. 4) Partner with and mentor 45 Leopoldian watershed land stewards.

14 Goals Phase 1: Watersheds NRCS Field Office Partner Biologists Acres Enhanced Sacramento Valley 1. Cottonwood Creek Redding 1 75, Battle Creek Red Bluff 1 75, Upper Feather River Susanville 1 45, Honcut Creek Oroville, Yuba City 2 135, Stony Creek Willows 1 80, Cache Creek Colusa, Woodland 2 100,000 Phase 2: Phase 3: 7. Mokelumne/Cosumnes Placerville, Elk Grove 2 110,000 Sub-Total ,000 San Joaquin Valley Stockton 1 45,000 Visalia 1 45,000 Modesto 1 45,000 Merced 1 45,000 Sub-Total 4 180,000 Coast Humboldt 1 45,000 Mendocino 1 45,000 Sonoma 1 60,000 Marin 1 60,000 San Mateo 1 60,000 Monterey 1 30,000 Templeton 1 30,000 Sub-Total 7 330,000 TOTAL 21 1,130,000

15 Ephemeral creek

16 Bringing back water

17 Same Creek, Re-watered 8 years later

18 Pre and Post Prescriptive Grazing

19 Watershed => Water Catchment

20 Managing for Productivity Increased calving percent Increased calving health Animal thriftiness and weight gain Increase in biomass production: forage availability hay costs water transportation costs Increase herd size

21 Managing for Biodiversity

22 Outcomes 1) Enhanced soil, water and habitat values on 1.13 million acres. 2) Increased soil water storage by 15% to yield the equivalent of 2 Hetch Hetchy reservoirs in the subsequent 5 years. 3) Increased soil carbon sequestration capacity by 15%, an additional 1,130,000 tons of carbon sequestered per year going forward (8.4 million metric tons total after 10 years). 4) Leveraged Farm Bill habitat improvement funds. 5) 45 Leopoldian watershed land stewards. 6) Improved ranching operations for 110 ranchers.

23 Phase 1 ( ) Sacramento River Priority Watersheds: 1. Cottonwood Creek 2. Battle Creek 3. Feather River 4. Honcut Creek 5. Stony Creek 6. Cache Creek 7. Mokelumne/Cosumnes 10 Partner Biologists in 10 NRCS Field Offices

24 Phase 1 Plan ( ) PRBO Conservation Science Watershed Habitat Enhancement Program NRCS Field Watersheds Office Partner Biologists Year 1 (2012) New Acres Treated Year 2 (2013) Year 3 (2014) TOTAL Sacramento River Watersheds Cottonwood Creek Redding 1 10,000 20,000 15,000 45,000 Battle Creek Red Bluff 1 10,000 20,000 15,000 45,000 Upper Feather River Susanville 1 5,000 10,000 10,000 25,000 Honcut Creek Oroville, Yuba City 2 10,000 30,000 35,000 75,000 Stony Creek Willows 1 15,000 20,000 15,000 50,000 Cache Creek Colusa, Woodland 2-10,000 30,000 40,000 Mokelumne/Cosumnes Placerville, Elk Grove 2 10,000 20,000 30,000 60,000 TOTAL 10 60, , , ,000 # of Partner Biologists (FTE)

25 Research Support UC Davis Rangeland Watershed Lab Dr. Ken Tate Dr. Leslie Roach

26 Research Support Benchmark and Implementation Metrics

27 THANK YOU! Discussion Next Steps