The santa clara valley habitat agency is requesting 594,402 to implement a grazing management plan and improve grazing infrastructure across 696 acres within two santa clara valley habitat plan…

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service awarded a $896,077 Project Grant under the Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CFDA 15.648) program to the Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency to implement a grazing management plan and infrastructure improvements across 696 acres of habitat reserve land adjacent to Morgan Hill, California. The key project activities include:

• Restoring approximately 455 acres of serpentine habitat types to benefit endangered species like the Bay checkerspot butterfly, Coyote ceanothus, and Santa Clara Valley dudleya.
• Drilling a new groundwater well, installing a storage tank and troughs, and replacing 29,784 feet of perimeter fencing with wildlife-friendly fencing to improve grazing infrastructure.
• Conducting annual treatments of barbed goatgrass, Bay checkerspot butterfly surveys, and residual dry matter monitoring.

This grant will support habitat restoration priorities outlined in the Central Valley Project Conservation Plan and help the Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency, which is a local government entity, continue its regional conservation efforts.

The santa clara valley habitat agency is requesting 594,402 to implement a grazing management plan and improve grazing infrastructure across 696 acres within two santa clara valley habitat plan reserve properties located adjacent to the city of morgan hill to benefit serpentine-dependent species, improve habitat connectivity, and enhance serpentine bunchgrass grassland resources. Project implementation would restore approximately 455 acres of serpentine land cover types including serpentine bunchgrass grassland, mixed serpentine chaparral, and serpentine rock outcrop. This would enhance habitat and increase the abundance and distribution of federally threatened BAY checkerspot butterflly, endangered coyote ceanothus, and endangered santa clara valley dudleya, all of which are central valley project conservation plan habitat restoration plan (cvpcp HRP) high or very high priority species. The land-owner recipient would complete several grazing infrastructure improvement activities as part of the proposed project including drilling a groundwater well that will fill a storage tank and troughs and replacing 29,784 feet of dilapidated perimeter fencing with wildlife-friendly fencing. Project activities will also include drafting a grazing management plan, conducting two annual treatments of up to 20 acres of barbed goatgrass, conducting annual BAY checkerspot surveys, and monitoring residual dry matter (RDM). The project would support habitat restoration priority action 6 of the cvcp HRP restoration of serpentine soil and associated habitats supporting endemic species, such as the BAY checkerspot butterfly and serpentine plants throughout their historical range.