California Watershed Enhancement Program

Update to the Central Valley Joint Venture -

May 10, 2012 PRBO Conservation Science Private Working Lands (in white)

PRBO Conservation Science 2009 NABCI Report

Delivering Fish and Wildlife Conservation: Building Farm Bill Capacity NABCI Private Lands Subcommittee August 2009 PRBO Conservation Science 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. PRBO Conservation Science

2009 PRBO Conservation Science More biologists = more wildlife practices on the ground PRBO Conservation Science 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 PRBO Conservation Science PRBO Working Lands Initiative

Wetlands (below 300 ft) – rice, riparian, etc. • • San Joaquin Valley

• Bay Delta

Watersheds (above 300 ft) – rangelands, forest, meadows • Sacramento Valley • Northern Sierra • San Joaquin Valley • Coast ranges

Sagebrush – • Modoc Plateau

PRBO Conservation Science 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. PRBO Conservation Science 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 PRBO Conservation Science 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 (2012-16).

PRBO Conservation Science 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 PRBO Conservation Science Goals

Over the next five years (2012-2016):

1) Expand prescribed rangeland management and grazing practices on 1.13 million acres.

Sacramento River Watersheds 620,000 acres 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.

5) Document/communicate the benefits to water availability and bird habitat.

Partner Acres PRBO Conservation Science Watersheds NRCS Field Office Biologists Enhanced Sacramento Valley Goals 1. Cottonwood Creek Redding 1 75,000 2. Battle Creek Red Bluff 1 75,000 3. Upper Susanville 1 45,000 Phase 1:

4. Honcut Creek Oroville, Yuba City 2 135,000 5. Stony Creek Willows 1 80,000 6. Cache Creek Colusa, Woodland 2 100,000

7. Mokelumne/Cosumnes Placerville, Elk Grove 2 110,000 Sub-Total 10 620,000

San Joaquin Valley Stockton 1 45,000

Phase 2: 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 Phase 3: 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 PRBO Conservation Science Ephemeral creek PRBO Conservation Science Bringing back water PRBO Conservation Science Same Creek, Re-watered 8 years later PRBO Conservation Science Pre and Post Prescriptive Grazing PRBO Conservation Science Watershed => Water Catchment PRBO Conservation Science 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 PRBO Conservation Science Managing for Biodiversity PRBO Conservation Science 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.

PRBO Conservation Science

Phase 1 (2012-14)

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

PRBO Conservation Science Phase 1 Plan (2012-14)

PRBO Conservation Science Watershed Habitat Enhancement Program New Acres Treated NRCS Field Partner Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Watersheds Office Biologists (2012) (2013) (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 Oroville, Honcut Creek Yuba City 2 10,000 30,000 35,000 75,000 Stony Creek Willows 1 15,000 20,000 15,000 50,000 Colusa, Cache Creek Woodland 2 - 10,000 30,000 40,000 Placerville, Mokelumne/Cosumnes Elk Grove 2 10,000 20,000 30,000 60,000 TOTAL 10 60,000 130,000 150,000 340,000 # of Partner Biologists (FTE) 5 9 10 PRBO Conservation Science Research Support

UC Davis Rangeland Watershed Lab

Dr. Ken Tate

Dr. Leslie Roach PRBO Conservation Science Research Support

Benchmark and Implementation Metrics PRBO Conservation Science THANK YOU!

Discussion

Next Steps