First Name: | Paul |
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Last Name: | Kirk |
Email Address: | pkirk@landconservation.org |
Affiliation | Northern CA Regional Land Trust |
Subject | Comments on Natural and Working Land Implementation Concept Paper |
Comment |
Dear Shelby Livingston, Thank you for this opportunity to comment on the Natural Working Land (NWL) Implementation Plan Concept Paper. The Northern California Regional Land Trust (NCRLT) services the tri-county region of Butte, Glenn, and Tehama from the western slopes of the southern Cascade Range and northern Sierra Nevada Range to the eastern slopes of the Coast Range. NCRLT holds conservation easements on over 24,000 acres in the region and the majority of the acreage is rangelands and oak woodlands. NCRLT staff prepared the following comments addressing the development and implementation of the NWL Plan. Oak woodland restoration acreage potential in Tehama County alone is at least an order of magnitude higher than the Sierra/Cascade acreage target (Ambitious = 750 acres) that was presented at the joint-agency meeting in Auburn. Soil conservation practices of mulching and composting within oak woodlands could have unintended effects of creating soil conditions that increase favor increased pressure of non-natives in native plant habitat (e.g., thin soils on volcanic substrates). Restoration of perennial grasses could be considered as an alternative method of increasing carbon sequestration in some rangeland habitats. The tri-county region has a large network of ephemeral, intermittent, and non-anadromous perennial streams that extend from the valley floor to the coniferous forest. These waterways have potential for restoration perennial herbaceous and woody species through active management techniques (e.g., exclusionary fencing) that could result in carbon sequestration orders of magnitude higher than current state of the art models for project riparian restoration potential, which tends to focus on a limited aggressive restoration approach and specific larger water features (e.g., major arterials and/or anadromous streams). Implementation of the plan should adequately address the financial support that conservation partners (i.e., nonprofits and special districts) is critical for on-the-ground regional roll out, implementation, and maintenance of plans goals and objectives. Similarly the plan should address the integral role of land managers/landowners and financial support for their participation in implementing and supporting the plan. Sincerely, Paul Kirk Executive Director Northern California Regional Land Trust |
Attachment |
Original File Name:
Date and Time Comment Was Submitted: 2018-06-15 17:17:25 |
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