California Deer Summer 2014 | Page 13

DA Projects #011-14 Knoxville Wildlife Area Grassland Restoration $16,300 This project plans to convert a 60-acre portion of the Knoxville Wildlife Area from invasive noxious weeds to a combination of native grasses, forbs, oaks, and wildlife food and cover plants. Through the use of herbicides and re-seeding, invasive star thistle will be reduced or eliminated. This will improve the area for deer fawning and for additional foraging habitat. #015-14 Point Ranch Conservation Easement - $35,000 This project will support the acquisition of a large 2,500-acre conservation easement at the south end of scenic Bridgeport Valley of Mono County, to increase the amount of permanently preserved habitat for the East John Mc Millan #018-14 Aerial Telemetry Support for Mule Deer - $13,500 Funding for this project will provide aerial telemetry support for a new mule deer project. Funds will be used to pay a private pilot, working out of the Bishop area, to conduct fixed-wing telemetry surveys. #019-14 Tejon Ranch Apprentice Hunt Program - $5,300 This project will allow CDA’s Sharing the Tradition hunts to continue for the 11th year. In the first 10 years, 182 junior hunters were able to participate in very successful deer/pig hunts. Wild pig hunts have been included in the program since 2012. #020-14 Chimineas Ranch Junior Hunts - $3,000 This project continues to be a highly successful junior buck hunt with 100% of the juniors taking bucks and learning about wildlife and hunting opportunities on the Chimineas Ranch. The purpose of this A Zone project is to replace the storage tank of an existing guzzler at Lower Cottonwood Creek Wildlife Area. #023-14 Beaverside Timber Sale and Fuel Treatment - $25,000 This B1 Zone project will enhance habitat for deer. Funds for this project will be used for mastication of brush in ponderosa pine and oak woodland. Phase 2 of this project will use a prescribed burn to remove understory. Deer will be attracted to the fresh sprouts for their palatability and high crude protein content. #024-14 Lassen Creek Conservation Area Education Center - $5,000 These funds have been awarded for the purchase of seed collection equipment for restoration demonstrations and construction of an additional interpretive kiosk. #021-14 Spring and Guzzler Restoration - $4,000 Restore the concrete surface and holding tanks on smallgame drinkers in the East Mojave National Preserve. Photo by Don Forthuber #014-14 Black-tailed Deer Population Assessment - $6,000 The primary purpose of this project is to obtain a reliable baseline estimate of the black-tailed deer population within the Grasslands Ecological Area. CDA funds will be used to purchase 20 trail cameras, data cards, reusable batteries, and mounting equipment. All data collection and analysis will be performed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Walker and Mono Lake deer herds and greater sage grouse. Preservation of the property would ensure a key linkage for an estimated 4,000 mule deer that utilize the area as a high-quality migration corridor, holding area and summer range habitat. Funds used for this project will be used as “seed money” to start the acquisition process. Photo by John Mc Millan Musser Hill area of the Weaverville wildland/ urban interface and the Weaverville Community Forest. #022-14 Lower Cottonwood Creek Guzzler Project - $3,200 California Deer 13