Category Overview
The State Lands Restoration and Enhancement category provides funding to two state agencies to help repair damaged plant and animal habitat. These grants focus on resource preservation and protection of public lands. Projects in this category help bring important natural areas and resources back to their original functions by improving the self sustaining and ecological functionality of sites.
Project Highlights
The 150 acres were completely restored using native grasses and forbs. Germination and growth rates were good, however the drought that has occurred in 2021 is likely to slow long term fill-in of spaces between planted seeds. The Whitney Fire of 9/7/2020 burned over the site, however, seasonal growth and seed production had already occurred. Since the Whitney Fire the grasses and forbs again came up very well in the spring of 2021. This demonstrates the resilience of native shrub steppe vegetation and the value of restoring old agriculture fields to native plants. No work has been done on the project since the previous status report. Post restoration photos taken in mid July of 2021. Although the vegetation is dried up and dormant by summer, the photos show a clean stand of grasses and forbs with no weeds. This is a successful restoration effort.