Issue 1 --------- April 2006 City of Lancaster requests Antelope Valley Welcome to the first Conservancy’s services newsletter issue he City of Lancaster has enlisted Antelope Valley elcome to the first Conservancy’s help with mitigation acquisitions. issue of The Conservancy News . T Mitigation conditions of development project approvals can W The true pleasure of require that comparable habitats be preserved in perpetuity to introducing this issue is the compensate for habitats lost to development. AV Conservancy provides fact that there is good news to land stewardship and acquisition services to regional lead agencies and report. developers, and helps to coordinate resources—through consensus— A synergy of efforts has toward regional conservation goals. produced regional attitude and policy changes. Antelope AV Conservancy Directors Callyn Yorke and Wendy Reed were invited Valley Conservancy is pleased to meet with Community Development Director Brian Ludicke in to have an opportunity to serve February. Subsequently, they were invited to speak at the March 20 in this important effort. Planning Commission meeting, at which the Commission discussed the Conservancy volunteers advantages of using the Conservancy’s services, and directed staff to have been gratified to find so continue working with the Conservancy to achieve local biological many people, at many regional mitigation goals. (continued on page 2, see City of Lancaster ) organizations, who share a genuine commitment to local natural land preservation. The Una Lake acquisition grant still available community sentiment to A $265,000 grant from Rivers and Mountains Conservancy to preserve natural lands while City of Palmdale, toward purchase of land by Una Lake, has a they still exist has gained momentum, now that a local Aperformance period extension that ends June 30th. According to conservancy exists. the RMC, the City is working with the new owner on opportunities for AV Conservancy is grateful conservation on the site, and our hope is that the lake and buffer riparian for the generosity and support habitat will be preserved intact. of our founding donors and volunteers, and for the time Scott Harris, a biologist with California and information generously Department of Fish and Game believes shared with us by our Advisory preservation of the Una Lake habitat is Board and our community important to indigenous and migrating birds neighbors. and waterfowl, including the endangered least Bell’s vireo (in photo at left). The Conservancy News is published by Antelope Valley Conservancy, Una Lake is a sag pond of the San Andreas fault. It is one of the largest P.O. Box 3133, Quartz Hill, California 93586, (661) 943-9000, natural wetlands in the Antelope Valley. The area offers Joshua and and is available via email juniper woodlands, willow scrub, and proximity to approved trails. subscription. To subscribe, or for Palmdale Water District has an easement for overflow from its dams on Conservancy information, please visit www.avconservancy.org. Palmdale Lake, and supports conservation of the surrounding area. ------------ Newsletter of Antelope Valley Conservancy ------------ The Conservancy News April 2006 Page 2 Why is land preservation important? Director’s Notes: here are as many reasons for land preservation as there are Clarity from muddy residents of the Antelope Valley. puddles TPeople enjoy the mountain vistas, Joshua tree woodlands, and the iologists are kneeling peaceful open spaces that characterize our Valley. Residents walk, jog, by a muddy puddle. A ride bikes and horses, and watch birds, and children learn important B miniscule fairy shrimp, values by being in proximity to nature. “Livable communities” with gravid with eggs, wriggles on open space and natural lands recreation have higher property values, and the palm of a hand. As far as attract higher-end corporations and employers. the eye can see, dark lichen spots the desert sand. This is Land preservation supports important watersheds, safe haven and alkali scrub habitat, supporting sustenance to migrating birds, and habitats for resident plants and the alkali animals. Some Antelope Valley residents are so rare, they are protected mariposa lily by state and federal laws. (photo at left) and other ancient Photo: Heath McAllister treasures. City of Lancaster (continued from page 1) One role of alkali scrub and As Mr. Ludicke explained to the Commission, the lack of a local alkali sink habitats is to conservancy has meant that off-site mitigation to date has largely funded support birds migrating from land conservation outside the Antelope Valley. Mr. Ludicke and distant northern and southern Dr. Yorke explained the benefits and opportunities the Conservancy destinations, whose survival offers to the community. Partnering with other regional stakeholders, the may hinge on the fairy shrimp City of Lancaster can achieve larger and more effective conservation and the lichen that sprout in projects. spring rains. As I walk with Commission Chairman Ron Smith, an avid bird watcher and artist, the biologists, my mind’s lens condemned the destruction of burrowing owl habitat at the 40 th Street zooms out to an image of the West site. AV Conservancy had pursued a project to western hemisphere. The big move the subject burrowing owls to sanctuary lands, picture of the land’s ecological prior to that destruction. While the Conservancy importance comes into view could not save those owls, it works to save others. with crystal clarity. Conservancy Director Reed believes the owls helped This spring, I hope you will let to strengthen the region’s commitment to mitigation the muddy puddles of our and land conservation. desert remind you – with One of over 200 local land trusts in the State of California, crystal clarity – of the big AV Conservancy was formed in spring 2005 by community volunteers picture. Resources must not who recognized the need for a local conservancy. Donations of funds solely be defined by our ability and lands to the Conservancy, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, can to use them. In many cases, offer tax advantages, and the resulting sanctuaries can be named in the importance of land memory of a donor or loved one. conservation has nothing to do This article was approved as accurate for publication by the City of Lancaster. with human beings. .