Northern Forests’ 2019 Grant Slate

NFWF CONTACTS Candace Leong Manager, Forest [email protected] 415-593-8253

Daley Burns Program Coordinator, Regional Conservation Programs [email protected] 202-595-2440

FUNDING PARTNERS • USDA Forest Service • Bureau of Reclamation • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Soap plant OVERVIEW The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) U.S. Forest Service, and , in partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), have dedicated more than $6 million for planning and restoration projects that

ABOUT NFWF Chartered by Congress in 1984, advance fire recovery efforts for watersheds in northern California affected by the Power the National Fish and Wildlife watershedFire and Storrie infrastructure Fire. The Forestresilience Service and associatedPacific Southwest transportation Region has infrastructure also contributed Foundation (NFWF) protects and more than $1 million for projects that target fish passage barrier and will strengthen restores the nation’s fish, wildlife, plants and habitats. Working with throughout the Pacific Southwest Region. federal, corporate and individual $3.8 million across 14 projects including over $3.5 million funded in partnership with USDA partners, NFWF has funded more The Northern California Forests and Watersheds program’s 2019 grant slate awarded over than 4,500 organizations and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. generated a conservation impact Forest Service and over $290,000 funded in partnership with Bureau of Reclamation and of more than $4.8 billion. Learn more at www.nfwf.org The 2004 Power Fire on Eldorado National Forest burned 14,000 acres in the Mokelumne WESTERN PARTNERSHIP OFFICE River watershed. The 2000 Storrie Fire on Lassen National Forest burned 27,000 acres 90 New Montgomery Street in the North Fork and Butte Creek watersheds, along with 25,000 acres Suite 1010 on . Combined, these two fires burned more than 65,000 acres San Francisco, California 94105 of national forest lands and left a significant impact on the landscapes, watersheds and 415-778-0999 ecosystems of the region. strategies: The program funds projects that address five key watershed and forest restoration NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS • Watershed restoration and management • 1133 15th Street NW • Species management natural features, and Suite 1000 • Forest and upland restoration and • WatershedManagement infrastructure of recreational improvements and non- Washington, DC 20005 management and management 202-857-0166 (continued) Northern California Forests and Watersheds 2019 Grant Slate

Prescribed burn | Credit: Steven L. Shepard, Presidio of Monterey Public Affairs

Restoring Meadows in the Bear River and Cole Creek Watersheds in Eldorado National Forest (CA) Based on proposals received, grants in 2019 were awarded forestto 14 projects and upland across restoration four key andstrategies: management, (1) watershed and (4) Grant Award:...... $415,439 watershedrestoration infrastructure and management, improvements (2) species and management, management. (3) Grantee: Amador Resource Conservation District

WATERSHED RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT management,Restore Tyler, andUpper reducing Onion Valleyerosion and in EldoradoHigh Onion National meadows by repairing incised channels, improving grazing

The following projects seek to improve watershed quality Forest. Project will restore 13 acres of meadows in the Bear and habitat. Projects can improve hydrologic connectivity River and Cole Creek watersheds and benefit the endangered and aquatic organism passage; remove invasive species RestoringSierra Nevada Watersheds yellow-legged Impacted frog. orthreatening improve existing aquatic watersheds,habitat or sensitive meadows, species; fens, restoreriparian by Illegal Marijuana in Eldorado National Forest (CA) and/or enhance instream flow; or create, maintain, and/ Grant Award:...... $132,655 Improvingcorridors and Stream instream Habitat habitats. for Salmon Grantee: Integral Ecology Research Center in (CA) from illegal marijuana grow sites that are threatening sensitiveRemove and headwater mitigate watersheds hazardous andon the non-hazardous Eldorado National materials Grant Award:...... $263,846 Grantee: Mid Klamath Watershed Council Forest within the Power Fire burn scar. Project will Improve habitat complexity by creating deeper pools, diverse document environmental impacts, identify and mitigate microhabitats and more spawning gravel, and increase hazardous chemicals, remove all nonhazardous refuse resilience to excessive sedimentation from recent wildfires and infrastructure, thereby improving water quality and in Horse Creek in Klamath National Forest. Project will place availability for downstream public uses and aquatic habitats. logs in Horse Creek at strategic sites in a low gradient reach on public lands. (continued) Northern California Forests and Watersheds 2019 Grant Slate

Improving Drainage by Upgrading Culverts in the Eldorado National Forest (CA) determine the presence and distribution of aquatic species Grant Award:...... $1,286,610 such as the endangered yellow-legged frog Grantee: Upper Mokelumne River Watershed Authority and the invasive American bullfrog, chytrid fungus, and brook trout within Lassen National Forest. Project will Replace or reconstruct culverts and water control structures species.increase understanding of how the Storrie Fire influenced the (e.g. water bars, graded dips, berms) on nearly 60 miles of distribution and habitat of species of concern and invasive roads in the Panther Creek and Bear River sub-watersheds, Improving Fuels Management to benefit California which are in the Power Fire scar in Eldorado National Forest. Spotted Owl in Eldorado National Forest (CA) Project will identify and reconstruct or replace 40 culverts health.and up to 200 water control structures that will improve Grant Award:...... $47,896 aquatic organism passage, instream flow and watershed Grantee: California Deer Association Prosser Creek Meadows Restoration Planning in (CA) Conduct fuels reduction to enhance California spotted owl habitat, as well as rare and sensitive plant species populations Grant Award:...... $162,912 in the Power Fire nexus of Eldorado National Forest. Project Grantee: Truckee River Watershed Council will bring 32 acres under improved management, 10 of which Surveyingwill directly Aquatic benefit Speciesthe California of Concern spotted and owl. Invasives Complete a watershed assessment and restoration in the Power Fire on Eldorado National Forest (CA) opportunities report for a 20,000 acre watershed, home to multiple large meadow ecosystems in the Sierra Nevada on Grant Award:...... $81,590 cutthroatprivate lands trout and and within continue Tahoe monitoring National Forest.of a nesting Project will Grantee: USDA Forest Service PSW conduct a viability analysis for re-introduction of Lahontan Use visual encounter surveys and eDNA sampling to Meadowpopulation Restoration of willow flycatchers. and Assessments Benefiting determine the presence and distribution of aquatic species, Yosemite Toad on Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest (CA) specifically the endangered Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog, in the Power Fire nexus on Eldorado National Forest. Grant Award:...... $130,054 Project will increase understanding of how fire influences the Grantee: American Rivers distribution and habitat of species of concern and invasive Improvingspecies in the Fen fire and nexus. Endangered Sierra Nevada Yellow- Build on previous meadow assessment, prioritization and Legged Frog Habitat in Eldorado National Forest (CA) planning efforts in the Desert Terminal Lakes watersheds to implement shovel-ready, on-the-ground restoration at Upper Grant Award:...... $37,158 threatenedSardine meadow Yosemite on Humboldt-Toiyabe Toad and develop conceptualNational Forest. designs for Grantee: California Deer Association Project will improve hydrology on seven acres to benefit the Restore Bear River’s meadow hydrology and modify fencing 400SPECIES meadow MANAGEMENT acres in Dog Valley meadow. to protect critical habitat for the Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog in the Eldorado National Forest. Project will construct endangered species or species of special concern, and/ new wildlife-friendly fencing to protect sensitive riparian area The following projects seek to benefit threatened and forFOREST a fen ANDand the UPLAND Sierra RESTORATIONNevada yellow-legged AND MANAGEMENT frog. or conduct restoration activities that can benefit a suite of species, community or habitat. Projects can evaluate, restore orderThe following to revegetate projects landscapes seek to locate to restore and/or natural remove population invasive or improve habitat specific to a species or suite of species of species; harvest native seed and/or propagate native plants in interest; perform research that improves understanding of species/population needs; or inform and educate the public and species distribution; restore age class structure and about issues concerning these species and actions that can be reduce fuels to minimize risks from unnatural wildlife; and Surveyingtaken to protect Aquatic them. Species of Concern Strategicrevegetate Analysis native plants of Fuels in fire Management affected watersheds. and Invasives in Lassen National Forest (CA) in the Power Fire Scar of Eldorado National Forest (CA)

Grant Award:...... $141,974 Grant Award:...... $179,021 Grantee: USDA Forest Service PSW Grantee: Mountain Counties Water Resources Association (continued) Use visual encounter surveys and eDNA sampling to Create a large spatial scale fire fuels reduction analysis Northern California Forests and Watersheds 2019 Grant Slate

Cookhouse Meadow, Tahoe Basin | Credit: jcookfisher

features such as culverts, drainage dips, and other associated and strategic plan to identify innovative, efficient and cost infrastructure that has a deleterious impact on watershed effective fuels reduction and biomass management plans drainage infrastructure; decommission transportation for fuels reduction projects within the Panther Creek, Bear restoration projects in response to, and in anticipation of, managementRiver and Cole strategies Creek watersheds that will produce of Eldorado improved National ecological health and/or human health and safety; implement strategic Forest. Project will recommend fuel reduction and biomass extreme weather and storm events; or maintain existing Improvingbenefits to the Management forest and watersheds. of Native American Plants motorized transportation infrastructure to increase in Eldorado National Forest (CA) Improvingaccessibility Watershed to fuels reduction Infrastructure and native vegetation projects. in Six Rivers National Forest (CA) Grant Award:...... $337,946 Grantee: American Conservation Experience Grant Award:...... $330,526 Grantee: County of Del Norte potentialDevelop a native Native plant American restoration plant guideand gathering for culturally areas and developsignificant associated priority plants,conceptual a geospatial designs analysisin Eldorado to prioritize National Implement watershed infrastructure improvements for nearly 30 miles of stream in the Smith River National Recreation throughArea in Six improved Rivers National road and Forest. trail conditions, Project will and benefit enhanced fish, Forest. Project will improve management on Eldorado wildlife, sensitive plants and associated wildlife habitat health National Forest and increase public awareness for the sensitivityWATERSHED and INFRASTRUCTURE importance of Native American plants. Storm-proofingwater quality. Roads to benefit Watershed Health IMPROVEMENTS AND MANAGEMENT in Shasta- (CA)

Grant Award:...... $305,627 The following projects seek to manage watershed Grantee: Trinity County Resource Conservation District infrastructure such as roads, bridges, culverts, and drainage features, and must be able to illustrate a benefit to watershed Plan, design and implement improvements to drainage restoration and recovery or ecosystem improvement. Projects structures on 67 culverts at stream crossings post fire on can maintain, replace, and/or improve roads, bridges, Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Project will conduct road culverts, or drainage features; install or improve drainage improvements and stormproofing on 44 miles.