Education and Partners
for vernal pool preservation
Carol W. Witham, VernalPools.Org
www.vernalpools.org
Grassroots conservation activism
new strategies and partnerships are needed…
• Past, present and future losses
• Just to put the need for new approaches
into perspective
• A grassroots activism success story
• 12 years of public education activities (and consistent political
and legal pressure) pays off
• Forming new partnerships for vernal pool conservation
• What do environmental organizations and the California
Cattlemen’s Association have in common?
www.vernalpools.org
Areas of highest vernal pool loss
past, present and future…
Vernal Pool Distribution
• pre-1492*
• 2000 (~13% remain)
*based on biogeography of 29 endemic species
by Robert F. Holland
www.vernalpools.org
Areas of highest vernal pool loss
past, present and future…
Yuba County
• 25,245 acres (67%) lost between 1971-1995
• urbanization and agricultural conversion
www.vernalpools.org
Areas of highest vernal pool loss
past, present and future…
Sacramento County
• 30,251 acres (36%) lost between 1972-1993
• over ½ remaining pools within USB
• recent incorporation of new towns
•>8,000 acres in the planning process
www.vernalpools.org
Areas of highest vernal pool loss
past, present and future…
Merced County
• 3,000+ acres (>10%) lost in last 10 years
• proposed UC Merced campus and town
• will impact adjacent Madera County
www.vernalpools.org
Areas of highest vernal pool loss
past, present and future…
Fresno County
• 11,842 acres (30%) lost between 1973-1994
• rapid ongoing urbanization
www.vernalpools.org
Areas of highest vernal pool loss
past, present and future…
Other areas…
• Butte County (Chico urbanization, Highway expansion)
• Placer County (Roseville, Lincoln urbanization)
• Solano County (East Bay expansion)
• Glenn County (orchard conversion)
• Tehama County (timber product conversion)
www.vernalpools.org
Losses are accelerating
new strategies and partnerships are needed…
• Federal laws don’t really protect vernal pools
• Land use decisions are local and highly political
• Population growth
• Urban expansion
• Economic development
• Influential constituents
• Developer driven
www.vernalpools.org
Education inspires activism
a local Sacramento County success story…
www.vernalpools.org
Mather Field Air Force Base
2,300+ acres of vernal pool grassland…
• Mather AFB decommissioned in 1993
• County agencies plan for economic development
• Aggregate mining
• Airport expansion
• Regional park
• Urban development
• Urban forest
• Water treatment facility
• Private university
www.vernalpools.org
Mather Field Vernal Pools
twelve years and holding…
www.vernalpools.org
Public awareness campaign
grows into an elementary school curriculum…
Life In Our Watershed:
Investigating Vernal Pools
www.vernalpools.org
An overview of successes
no project has been approved to date…
• 9000 fifth graders have explored the magic and mystery
of the Mather Field vernal pools
• Database of over 500 people willing to write letters and
testify at public meetings
• 1000 postcards mailed
• 150 people at a board of supervisors meeting
• Eventually the board of supervisors instructed staff to
prepare a comprehensive plan for the Mather Field area
• In December 2005, county staff and stakeholders
presented a plan that will preserve 1000 acres
www.vernalpools.org
The work continues
expanding into other areas…
• Sacramento County General Plan
• Expansion of the UPA
• Expansion of the USB
• Rancho Cordova General Plan
• Expansion of the SOI
• General education of planners,
policy makers and the press
• Expanded coalition of organizations
and individuals working on vernal
pool conservation
www.vernalpools.org
New partnerships
a Central Valley success story in the making?
www.vernalpools.org
Dissatisfaction with the status quo
Conservation is hard work…
• CESHA grew out of a need to share resources and ideals,
as well as the work of preserving species and habitat
• national, state and local environmental groups
• Quarterly meetings with the California/Nevada Operations
Manager of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• mutual gripe sessions
• A challenge to find one issue that the environmental
organizations and the Service could work together on in a
proactive way
• Service staff came up with 30 priority issues
www.vernalpools.org
Central Valley Grasslands
an ecosystem in peril…
• Escalating urbanization of the
Central Valley
• Vernal pool grasslands are being
targeted for this growth.
Difficult to recreate
• Most
of these lands are in private
all functions
ownership
www.vernalpools.org
California Rangeland Resolution
New partnerships for habitat preservation…
• USFWS shared our white paper on Central Valley
grasslands with leaders in the Cattlemen’s Association
• Development of The California Rangeland Resolution
• Keeping common species common on private lands
• Working to recover imperiled species and enhancing habitats
• Increase funding and assistance to expand beneficial stewardship
• Encourage voluntary and collaborative conservation
• Establishment of the California Rangeland Conservation
Coalition and working groups to set short and long range
goals to achieve Central Valley grassland conservation
www.vernalpools.org
Looking into the future
how effective will these new strategies be?
www.vernalpools.org
VernalPools.Org
dedicated to saving California’s vernal pool landscapes
For additional information, contact:
Carol W. Witham
VernalPools.Org
Info@vernalpools.org
www.vernalpools.org