F24AP00048

The purpose of the proposed California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) project is to promote the recovery of Butte County Meadowfoam (BCM) (Limnanthes floccosa ssp. californica), a federal and state endangered plant species, through permanent protection of occupied habitat.

The project will also benefit the federally threatened vernal pool fairy shrimp (Branchinecta lynchi), the federally endangered vernal pool tadpole shrimp (Lepidurus packardi), the federal candidate for listing monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), and the at-risk western pond turtle (Actinemys marmorata) through permanent protection of suitable habitat. It will also protect the at-risk western bumble bee (Bombus occidentalis) and at-risk Suckley's cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus suckleyi) within their historic range.

Butte County Meadowfoam is a narrowly distributed, small annual with erect stems less than 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) tall. It is found primarily in vernal swales and on the margins of vernal pools on alluvial terraces in annual grasslands with Mima mound topography on Tuscan-Anita and Redding-Igo soil complexes (Recovery Plan for Vernal Pool Ecosystems of California and Southern Oregon, United States Fish and Wildlife Service USFWS 2005) (Recovery Plan).

Permanent protection of occupied BCM habitat will be achieved by purchasing three parcels of land from willing sellers in Butte County totaling approximately 174 acres. Parcels will be purchased using Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund (Section 6 of the Endangered Species Act) Recovery Land Acquisition (RLA) Program funds from fiscal year 2023, as well as matching funds from the Wildlife Conservation Board, totaling $9,459,460 (26.00 percent) of the total project cost. Other leveraging funds totaling $1,245,641.00 are outside of the scope of the federal grant funding request but are being secured to complete the acquisition.

Once purchased, property fee titles will be transferred to California Open Lands (COL), a non-profit conservation organization with experience managing BCM preserves. Ten thousand dollars of the awarded funds will be used by COL to develop long-term management plans (LTMP) and conservation easements (CE) for the properties. The USFWS and CDFW will act as third-party signatories to the CEs. Both the LTMPs and CEs will be reviewed and approved by CDFW and USFWS prior to recordation. California Open Lands will manage the properties according to the approved LTMPs for the conservation of BCM in perpetuity.

Based on a review of aerial photography, conversations with current owners, and site visits, all three parcels to be acquired have been passively managed with a hands-off approach for more than 25 years and sustain viable BCM populations. There are no ongoing vegetation management or other uses of the properties. Upon acquisition, the parcels will continue to be passively managed with occasional targeted grazing to control invasives.

Suitable and occupied BCM habitat at the properties is intact and functioning properly without previous intervention; therefore, restoration is not required. Long-term management costs are expected to be limited to potential targeted grazing on an as-needed basis as the parcels will continue to be passively managed. A qualified organization approved by CDFW and USFWS will hold said CEs.

State Of California Department Of Fish & Wildlife

15.615 - Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund

Fish and Wildlife Service Region 8: Pacific Southwest [DOI - FWS]

California United States

State-Wide

F23AS00129 Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund: Recovery Land Acquisition Grants (F23AS00129)