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Beaver Valley Headwaters Preserve in Siskiyou County. Photo courtesy of The Wildlands Conservancy.
WCB Approves $44 Million for Tribal Stewardship, Salmon Recovery and Desert Protection Projects
Funding Includes $32 Million in Climate Bond Dollars Across Nine Projects to Restore Watersheds, Protect Corridors and Expand Public Access
The Wildlife Conservation Board approved $43,868,000 in grants for 15 projects across 11 counties at its quarterly meeting. The funded projects support Tribal land acquisition, restore native fish habitat, expand public access and protect desert wildlife corridors.
The board met Aug. 27 at King Gillette Ranch headquarters in Calabasas, Los Angeles County.
WCB’s grants advance Gov. Gavin Newsom’s goal of conserving 30 percent of California’s lands and coastal waters by 2030, a globally adopted target known as 30x30. The initiative seeks to protect biodiversity, expand access to nature for all Californians and help ecosystems and communities adapt to climate change.
Protecting Headwater Forests and Salmon Habitat in Siskiyou County
- An $11.5 million grant to The Wildlands Conservancy will fund the acquisition of approximately 14,177 acres near Callahan in Siskiyou County, expanding the Beaver Valley Headwaters Preserve (AP Ranch). The purchase connects more than 20,000 acres of mountain meadows, rivers and forest habitat to protect Scott River salmon and steelhead runs, secure streamflow and provide future wildlife-oriented public access. The property provides critical habitat for coho and Chinook salmon, steelhead, elk, deer, black bear, mountain lion and native bird species.
“The Wildlife Conservation Board has been an essential conservation partner in the Scott River region for decades,” said Frazier Haney, executive director of The Wildlands Conservancy. “With its investment today, we can expand the Beaver Valley Headwaters Preserve to over 20,000 acres, facilitating the restoration and rewilding of headwaters that are critically important to coho salmon... We are grateful to WCB for its continued investment in this landscape and the conservation vision we share.”
Restoring Streams and Fish Habitat in the Shasta Valley
- A $2.4 million grant to California Trout (CalTrout) will support a joint project with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to restore about eight acres of stream and floodplain habitat near Grenada in Siskiyou County. Located along Big Springs Creek and Hole in the Ground Creek, two key Shasta River tributaries, the project will add gravel, plant native vegetation, build beaver dam analogs and install log and boulder structures to slow water flow. The project is part of a larger 26-mile habitat enhancement effort on CDFW’s Big Springs Ranch Wildlife Area, improving conditions for coho and Chinook salmon, steelhead, Pacific lamprey and migratory waterfowl.
“The Big Springs Ranch project represents exactly the kind of on-the-ground impact CalTrout has been working toward in the Shasta River watershed,” said Damon Goodman, Mount Shasta-Klamath regional director for CalTrout. “This phase of our Upper Shasta River Habitat Improvement effort turns years of careful planning into real restoration, improving stream habitat in one of the most critical spring-fed reaches for salmon and steelhead recovery... Partnering with the state to advance this work on Big Springs Ranch Wildlife Area is a meaningful step toward a healthier Shasta River.”
Improving Water Quality and Meadow Habitat at Lake Tahoe
- A $4 million grant to the Tahoe Resource Conservation District will fund a cooperative meadow restoration project at Johnson Meadow in South Lake Tahoe in partnership with the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency. The project restores 79 acres of mountain meadow along the Upper Truckee River, Lake Tahoe's largest tributary. Crews will restore historical stream channels, repair riverbanks, remove old utility structures and install a grade-control structure to reduce erosion near Highway 50 while ensuring fish passage for native species, including Lahontan cutthroat trout.
“Without the support from the Wildlife Conservation Board, the Johnson Meadow Restoration project would not be possible,” said Andrew Schurr, restoration program manager for the Tahoe Resource Conservation District. “We are excited to work with WCB to restore Johnson Meadow and the Upper Truckee River to complete another successful project in this critical watershed.”
Advancing Tribal Stewardship and Cultural Land Return
- A $700,000 grant to the Tribal EcoRestoration Alliance will fund the purchase of the approximately 80-acre Politsuwi property in Lake County, five miles north of Lakeport. Located on the ancestral lands of the Robinson Rancheria, Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians and Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake, the property expands the adjacent EcoCultural Stewardship Training and Demonstration Center. The site will serve as an outdoor learning space for Indigenous-led ecological restoration, protecting oak woodlands, wetlands and habitat for osprey, black-tailed deer and native pollinators. The project expands job training and cultural programs for local Tribal communities.
“Acquiring the Politsuwi property allows us to grow our hands-on training programs and deepen Indigenous-led stewardship in Lake County,” said Lindsay Dailey, executive director of the Tribal EcoRestoration Alliance. “This land will give Tribal members and local participants a place to practice cultural restoration, blend traditional knowledge with modern science and care for native habitats for generations to come.”
Expanding Desert Habitat and Wildlife Corridors in the Eastern Mojave
- A $7.5 million grant to the Mojave Desert Land Trust will help buy approximately 1,093 acres near Yucca Grove in San Bernardino County, permanently conserving private land surrounded by the Mojave National Preserve. Acquiring the private land protects critical habitat for the Mojave desert tortoise, creosote scrub, Joshua tree woodlands and desert washes. The land will be managed to protect sensitive species, preserve natural corridors and prevent development.
“This property, located in the greater Mojave National Preserve, represents some of the most ecologically important Mojave desert tortoise habitat remaining in California,” said Kristina Drake, director of conservation ecology for the Mojave Desert Land Trust. “This grant allows us to permanently protect a stronghold for this state-endangered species... Thanks to the Wildlife Conservation Board, we can invest in securing intact habitats that allow all age classes of tortoises to thrive.”
About the Wildlife Conservation Board
Established in 1947, the Wildlife Conservation Board protects, restores and enhances California’s spectacular natural resources for wildlife and the public’s use and enjoyment. WCB works in partnership with Tribes, conservation groups, government agencies and the people of California to safeguard biodiversity and expand access to nature.
For more information about WCB, visit wcb.ca.gov. To explore the newly funded projects, visit WCB’s StoryMaps pages.
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