|
November 3, 2008
PLAN UNDERWAY TO RESTORE NATIVE
GRASSLANDS AT BITTER CREEK
NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
ForestWatch Supports Move to Enhance Wildlife Populations
on this Premier Refuge for the Endangered Condor
The Bitter Creek National
Wildlife Refuge, located on 14,095 acres in the arid foothills
of southwestern Kern County and northwestern Ventura County, is
a crucial wildlife linkage connecting the Los Padres National
Forest to the Carrizo Plain National Monument. Established in
1985 to preserve essential foraging and roosting habitat for the
endangered California condor, it's the place where the last wild
female condor was trapped in 1986, and today is the primary site
where condors are released back into the wild through the
California Condor Recovery Program.
In addition to the condor, the
refuge is used extensively by golden eagles, pronghorn antelope,
tule elk, endangered San Joaquin kit foxes, endangered
blunt-nosed leopard lizards, and other imperiled wildlife.
California grasslands are among the most threatened ecosystems
in the state, and Bitter Creek represents one of the last
remaining grasslands in the southern San Joaquin Valley.
This summer, the U.S. Fish &
Wildlife Service - the agency that manages the refuge - released
a plan aimed at restoring native grasslands to the refuge. While
native grasslands are still present on Bitter Creek, non-native
grasses have dominated the landscape, throwing the entire
ecosystem out of balance. The plan, supported by a broad
coalition of conservation organizations, seeks to reduce
livestock grazing on the refuge and use a variety of other tools
to restore native grasslands.
The commercial livestock
operator who grazes his cattle on the refuge, needless to say,
opposes the plan, and is creating quite a stir amongst the local
ranching community and elected officials. At the same time, a
growing coalition of conservation organizations is supporting
efforts to restore this unique corner of California, which has
been touted as "California's Serengeti" for its abundance of
wildlife. This debate has thrown the little-known Bitter Creek
National Wildlife Refuge into the spotlight of regional
conservation efforts.
History of the Refuge
As the southern San Joaquin
Valley converted to agricultural land and urban development,
large numbers of livestock and non-native grasses were
introduced to Bitter Creek and other surrounding areas. The
refuge was intermittently grazed by livestock, and when the
Service acquired the refuge in 1985, grazing was allowed to
continue. Since that time, the Service has progressively
modified the grazing program in an effort to support the
recovery of the California condor.
Initially, grazing was
maintained on the refuge to provide a food source for the
California condors, who scavenge on dead cattle. However, in
1996, the Service completed a comprehensive review of the
refuge's grazing program and concluded that it was not providing
adequate forage for condors. Instead, biologists believed that
promoting native wildlife would be a more effective approach.
Native grasslands would promote the return of native ungulates
like tule elk and mule deer, which in turn would provide a
natural food source for condors and eliminate the need to
artificially feed the endangered birds.
 
Year-round grazing on the
refuge severely degraded the land (left).
The same area is
beginning to heal after cattle were removed (right).
A New Era of Restoration
Until 2005, cattle have grazed
on the refuge year-round without restriction, a practice that
has resulted in overgrazing, especially when rainfall was
scarce. Observing severe land degradation from excessive
year-round grazing, land managers began a multi-year effort to
improve the management of livestock on the refuge.
In May 2008, the agency
announced a restoration plan to promote the return of native
grasses and wildlife to the refuge, hoping to improve habitat
for the condor and other imperiled wildlife. The
plan includes a modified grazing schedule based on ecological
principles to promote the return of native grasses.
This plan represents an
important step forward in refuge management and is key to
securing the recovery of the California condor. But the current
grazing operator opposes the change in grazing management, and
significant efforts have been made to oppose the restoration of
native grasses and wildlife.
ForestWatch teamed up with
Defenders of Wildlife to review the restoration plan. In July
2008, we sent a detailed comment letter on this new plan,
supporting the agency's efforts to better manage livestock
grazing on the refuge, and warning that grazing - if it is
allowed to continue - must be strictly managed and monitored to
ensure the recovery of native grasslands. Other conservation
organizations have followed suit, including the Sierra Club,
Center for Biological Diversity, California Native Plant
Society, the Audubon Society, and Western Watersheds Project.
This fall, ForestWatch also attended a public hearing on this
issue in Frazier Park, emphasizing that Bitter Creek serves
first and foremost as a refuge for condors and that any
activities should be compatible with that overarching goal.
What's Next
 The
initial public comment period closed on September 30, 2008. The
Service is now reviewing all comments it received and will
release a revised plan in Spring 2009. There will be an
additional comment period and public workshop at that time, with
a final plan released sometime in Summer 2009. The Service hopes
to begin implementing the plan the following year. In the
meantime, no grazing will be permitted on the refuge to rest the
land and allow it to recover from years of degradation. Stay
tuned for updates on how you can get involved in this critical
issue.
|
