Conservation Strategies for Agricultural Landscapes:

The Yolo Natural Heritage Program NCCP/HCP

Presented to the Seventh Annual Workshop on Habitat Conservation

Planning From Tahoe to the Bay

Daniel Airola Airola Environmental Consulting/SAIC

November 18, 2009

Yolo Natural Heritage Program- Key Elements

County-wide HCP/NCCP 654,000 acres 50 year permit

Goals • Conserve natural heritage • Support viability of the agricultural economy • Promote smart, sensible economic growth • Protect natural areas and features • Preserve open space areas and enhance recreation

A Conservation Plan, not just a mitigation plan

Yolo NHP Covered Activities

Wide range of Covered Activities addressed Development under General Plans

only 3-5% of land area

Utilities, transportation, flood control, water supply, parks new facilities operations and maintenance

Agriculture

ongoing activities limited conversion of natural habitats

Yolo County Agriculture

Engaging farmers is critical to the conservation strategy

The County’s primary economic activity

Cultivated agric = 360,000 ac 56% of total land area

Highly diverse mix of agricultural crops

Farmlands provide important habitat value 21 of 65 covered species

Value of Crops to Covered Wildlife

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

NaturalHabitat

Pasture Rice Grain andHay

Alfalfa Seed Crops Orchard/Vineyard

Truckcrops

HCP Coverage Needs for Agriculture

•Incidental mortality and injury to species •Habitat change •Marketing benefit of conservation (“Certified”)

Yolo Agricultural Landscape is Dynamic

Shorter term changes Annual condition changes

- prepping, cultivating, growing, harvesting

Crop rotations among years Water availability

Potential longer term changes: Crop economics Water sales Development Climate change

Process for Incorporating Agricultural Species Conservation into the NHP

Describe agricultural habitats Describe species relationships to habitats Identify habitat goals for species Evaluate contributions to goals provided by

agriculture Integrate agricultural lands with natural

communities

Agricultural Crop Groups

Crop Type Acres Percent

FIELD CROPS 99,284 27%

GRAIN AND HAY CROP 74,139 20%

TRUCK & BERRY CROPS 64,370 18%

PASTURE 41,863 11%

RICE 30,411 8%

DECIDUOUS FRUITS AND NUTS 25,756 7%

IDLE 15,862 4%

VINEYARD 9,438 3%

SEMIAGRICULTURAL & INCIDENTAL TO AGRICULTURE 3,339 1%

CITRUS AND SUBTROPICAL 303 0%

Total Acres of Agriculture 364,765 100% Total Acres in County 653,629

Yolo Agriculture Crops Field Crops Cotton Safflower Sugar beets Corn (field and sweet) Grain sorghum Sudan Beans (dry) Sunflowers Truck and Berry Crops Asparagus Beans (green) Cole crops Carrots Melons, squash, and cucumbers Onions and garlic Tomatoes Flowers, nursery, Christmas tree farms Mixed (four or more) Miscellaneous Bush berries Strawberries Peppers Broccoli Cabbage

Pasture Alfalfa and alfalfa mixtures Clover Mixed pasture Native pasture Miscellaneous grasses (grown for seed) Turf farms Grain and Hay Rice Deciduous Fruits & Nuts Apples Apricots Cherries Peaches and nectarines Pears Prunes Figs Miscellaneous Almonds Walnuts Pistachios

Vineyard Citrus and Subtropical Oranges Olives Kiwi Eucalyptus Idle Semi-Agriculture Farmsteads Livestock Feed Lots Poultry Farms

Rating Species Use of Crops: Habitat Suitability Model Approach

Review scientific literature Input from knowledgeable species biologists Model development Identify Covered Species that use agricultural lands Develop list of crops used by each species Identify relative value of each crop - for different uses (foraging,

breeding, resting, dispersal) Key distance variables: to nesting habitat, water, etc Prepare matrix of species-crop habitat values

Summarized in Species Accounts and Species Models

Yolo NHP Covered Agricultural Species

Giant garter snake Western pond turtle White-tailed kite Bald eagle Northern harrier Swainson’s hawk Golden eagle Peregrine falcon Prairie falcon Mountain plover Black tern

Burrowing owl Long-eared owl Short-eared owl Yellow-billed magpie Loggerhead shrike Yellow-headed blackbird Tricolored blackbird Western red Bat Townsend’s western big-eared

bat Pallid bat

Assign Habitat Values for Species Use of Each Agricultural Crop

Per-acre habitat suitability ratings of crops Very High 1.0 High 0.75 Moderate 0.5 Low 0.25 Very low 0.1 None 0.0

Species-Crop Habitat Matrix

Determine Habitat Values of Each Agricultural Type

Calculate Habitat Units for Species

Habitat Units = [crop habitat suitability value] x [# acres of crop]

Creates a “common currency” for assessing the value of different combinations of crops

Determine Overall Habitat Value

Example: Long-billed Curlew

Ag Habitat Type Value Acres Habitat Units

Pasture

Alfalfa and alfalfa mixtures 0.75 * 33,549 = 25,162

Clover 0.5 * 61 = 31

Mixed pasture 0.5 * 4,037 = 2,019

Native pasture 0.75 * 2,371 = 1,778

Misc. grasses (grown for seed) 0.5 * 1,337 = 669

Turf farms 0.5 * 325 = 163

Grain and Hay 0.75 * 74,139 = 55,604

Rice 0.75 * 30,411 = 22,808

All other Ag Types 0 * 218,534 = 0

TOTAL HABITAT UNITS 108,233

Use of Agricultural Habitat Valuations

Describe existing values of agricultural lands Evaluate future scenarios - changes in agricultural use Incorporate with habitat values for other land cover types

used by covered species (uplands, riparian, developed) Assess goals achievement in Conservation Strategies and

adjust Serve as a basis for monitoring plan accomplishments Use plan monitoring to improve habitat valuation models