New Board members joined the Conservancy's Board of Directors for its September 3, 2003 regular meeting. Sutter County's appointees to the Board are Bob Barrett, John Hewitt, Paul Junker, and Danelle Stylos. Each was appointed by the Sutter County Board of Supervisors.

The terms of officer are staggared with some being one, two and three years.

The City of Sacramento's appointees follow the same three year term program. Sacramento City Board representatives include Mike Bradbury, Dave Christophel, Bill Krum, Nini Redway and Anne Rudin.

Lisa Martin, a scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey, prepares the first giant garter snake (an immature male) identified on the Conservancy’s BKS preserve for measuring, weighing, health examination and tagging while Conservancy President David Christophel (left), and USGS principal investigator Glenn Wylie, PhD (right) look on.

Natomas Basin Conservancy Board President David Christophel announced today that a team of U.S. Geological Survey (U.S.G.S.) scientists discovered a giant garter snake (Thamnophis gigas) on the Conservancy’s first constructed managed marsh preserve.

“This is a huge development since it confirms the approach the Conservancy has been using to design, build and manage appropriate habitat for this species” noted Christophel. “With development in Natomas reducing habitat, it’s gratifying to know these efforts contribute to supporting sustainable populations of this species in the Basin.”

The preserve is located in Northern Sacramento County, north of Elverta Road and east of U.S. 99. It was constructed under the requirements of the Natomas Basin Habitat Conservation Plan (NBHCP) which is a federal- and state-approved plan to mitigate for development in an area that is home to 22 special status species. Funds to construct the preserve were provided by fees assessed developers in Natomas. The Conservancy’s preserves provide refuge and sanctuary to NBHCP-covered species displaced by urbanization as well as other populations within the Natomas Basin.

Cay Goude, with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Sacramento office, remarked that, “Given that the giant garter snake is afforded federal protection under the Endangered Species Act, it is critical that mitigation efforts produce results. It’s great to learn that after only two years since the preserve was constructed, we’re already beginning to see tangible evidence the NBHCP can be successfully implemented.”

The U.S. Geological Survey, Dixon Field Station, is under contract with the Natomas Basin Conservancy to conduct giant garter snake monitoring and reporting. Lisa Martin of USGS first found the snake, and was assisted by principal investigator Glenn Wylie, PhD. The Kismat preserve is part of the larger 338-acre BKS preserve which consists mostly of marsh habitat with associated uplands. The Kismat tract was purchased by the Conservancy on April 16, 1999. Marsh construction took place in 2001 and 2002.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced that it has approved a Habitat Conservation Plan and related environmental documents that allow for planned urban development and conservation of habitat for nearly two-dozen protected species in the 53,537-acre Natomas Basin area of Sacramento and Sutter counties. including the preservation and restoration of habitat that will be held and managed in perpetuity by the Natomas Basin Conservancy. As part of the conservation plan, the Service has granted permits to the City of Sacramento, Sutter County and the Natomas Basin Conservancy for the "incidental take" of 22 threatened, endangered or special-status species resulting from development, farm activities, and habitat restoration and management in the Natomas Basin.

Federally-listed species covered by the Natomas Basin HCP are the threatened giant garter snake, the valley elderberry longhorn beetle, the vernal pool fairy shrimp, Colusa grass and slender Orcutt grass, and the endangered vernal pool tadpole shrimp and Sacramento Orcutt grass.

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The Conservancy's Board of Directors reviewed a draft Site-Specific Management Plan (SSMP) for Conservancy preserves at its June 4, 2003 Board meeting. The SSMP is required under the NBHCP for each of the Conservancy's mitigation preserves. A voluntary 30-day comment period was provided, with acceptance of the SSMP proposed for the July 2, 2003 Board meeting.

Those wishing to review copies of the draft SSMP may do so by contacting the Conservancy office. A public review copy is available. The extensive document can be purchased from the Conservancy for reproduction costs.

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Mosquito Fish

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After considerable rain delay, the Conservancy's largest ever restoration and enhancement construction effort finally began. The most sizable project of the year will take place within the Conservancy's North Basin Reserve Area along the Natomas Cross Canal. A second project will take place in the Conservancy's Fisherman's Lake Reserve Area.

The specific tracts included in the North Basin effort include the 268-acre Lucich North tract and the adjacent 92.6-acre Frazer tract. The project will consist of mostly managed marsh. The site was considered ideal for the development of managed marsh because of the historic Fiddyment Lake that formerly existed on a significant portion of the site. The site also benefits from the rich habitat inside the levees of the Natomas Cross Canal. Moreover, giant garter snakes have been found by the Conservancy in water conveyance structures that have long surrounded the property, so the site offers immediately adjacent populations to colonize the preserves' new marsh habitat.

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2002 Annual Report

The 2002 report is the fourth full-year report issued by the Conservancy. It is presented in a style and format that allows for ease of compliance checking, as state and federal resources agency personnel must use the document to confirm compliance with the various components of the NBHCP. The report contains selected photos, illustrations and tables which help document the Conservancy's "plan operator" progress in implementing the NBHCP.

Both the 2002 and the 2001 Implementation Annual Report are available on the Conservancy's web site for viewing and downloading. The reports can be found in the left-hand column of the home page, under the heading, "Helpful Documents."