Upland Game Bird Management Account Projectshttps://wildlife.ca.gov/Grants/Upland-Game-Bird/ProjectsCleveland-Icehouse Forest Health Projecthttps://wildlife.ca.gov/Grants/Upland-Game-Bird/Projects/cleveland-icehouse-forest-health-projectHabitat EnhancementWed, 01 Nov 2017 13:57:00 GMTThe Eldorado National Forest has engaged in a 10-year Stewardship Agreement with the National Wild Turkey Federation to help implement and administer the 2,976-acre Cleveland-Icehouse Forest Health Project. Once treated, these stands will be more resilient to disturbance and fire, with enhanced habitat quality for upland game birds.<p>The Eldorado National Forest has engaged in a 10-year Stewardship Agreement with the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) to help implement and administer the Cleveland-Icehouse Forest Health Project. The Eldorado National Forest is one of the most popular forests for wild turkey hunters in California, and the Cleveland-Icehouse Forest Health Project will enhance upland game bird habitat on 481 acres of public hunting land within that landscape. The NWTF will oversee contractor administration, treatment design, implementation, and project financing in conjunction with the project lead from the USDA Forest Service. Implementation of the project will continue to grow as funds are acquired throughout the life of the agreement.</p> <p>The Cleveland-Icehouse Forest Health Project is a 2,976-acre forest thinning project, broken up into 90 separate units. The individual units will be commercially thinned with the objective of decreasing stand densities to attain a residual basal area that would vary from approximately 60 to 100 ft2/ acre. Some units will be hand thinned while others will be treated with mechanical mastication, focused on increasing residual tree health, stand heterogeneity, and rearranging fuels to decrease fuel ladders and canopy continuity.</p> <p>The award of a 2017-18 Upland Game Bird Account Grant to this project will allow for the treatment of 50 additional acres through mechanical mastication.</p> <p>Benefits will include the increased production of shrubs, along with annual grasses and forbs, which are all important spring and summer food resources for wild turkeys and mountain quail. The growth of herbaceous plants that will occur post-treatment will create beneficial nesting cover for wild turkeys, who prefer lateral cover up to 1 meter in height. Stand diversity will increase through the reduction of ponderosa pine encroachment on hardwood species, which will also maintain acorn production.</p> <p>Once treated, these stands will be much more resilient to landscape level disturbance events, such as catastrophic wildfire, and large-scale insect and disease infestation. The project area will be able to be managed in the future through prescribed fire, where low-severity fire conditions will help to set back overgrown understory succession, and enhance the quality of forage for upland game birds.</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=160145&inline" target="_blank">Project Proposal (PDF)</a></li> <li><a href="https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=160566&inline" target="_blank">Progress Report (PDF)</a></li> <li><a href="https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=161036&inline" target="_blank">Final Report (PDF)</a></li> </ul> Upper Bute Basin WA Llano Seco Unit Upland Restoration, Free Roam Phase 1https://wildlife.ca.gov/Grants/Upland-Game-Bird/Projects/upper-bute-basin-wa-llano-seco-unit-upland-restoration-free-roam-phase-1Habitat EnhancementThu, 03 Nov 2016 10:13:00 GMTThe proposed restoration effort will improve 92 acres of upland nesting cover on the Upper Butte Basin Wildlife Area’s Llano Seco Unit. The restoration effort will develop a robust stand of dependable perennial grasses associated with the remaining historic sloughs which are inundated throughout the year.<p>The proposed restoration effort will improve 92 acres of upland nesting cover on the Upper Butte Basin Wildlife Area’s Llano Seco Unit. The restoration effort will develop a robust stand of dependable perennial grasses associated with the remaining historic sloughs which are inundated throughout the year. The area is dominated by star thistle and short stature annual grasses, which provide limited cover and resources for upland nesting and foraging bird species. The ability to develop a complex of perennial grasses establishing desirable year-round cover will increase the nesting potential and production of desired upland bird species. The perennial grasses will also provide improved fall and winter thermal cover thus helping elevate survival.</p> <p>This identified free roam area provides roughly 60% of the upland game bird hunting opportunities for the public on the Llano Seco Unit. The last four seasons averaged ±2,400 public hunters at the Llano Seco Unit. The hunters who only selected to hunt upland bird species numbered ±74, with an estimated +300 hunting both waterfowl and upland game species at the same time. Dove hunters during this same time averaged 183 participants. Improvements to habitat conditions will help to improve hunting conditions for the general public on this acreage.</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=130337&inline" target="_blank">Project Proposal (PDF)</a></li> <li><a href="http://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=165883&inline" target="_blank">Phase 1 Final Report (PDF)</a></li> </ul> Knoxville WA Native Grassland Restorationhttps://wildlife.ca.gov/Grants/Upland-Game-Bird/Projects/knoxville-wa-native-grassland-restorationHabitat EnhancementTue, 01 Nov 2016 11:15:00 GMTKnoxville Wildlife Area consists of 21,000 acres dominated by oak woodlands and chaparral. The area's valley’s are infested with invasive exotic plant species including yellow star-thistle and medusa head. This project will eradicate these weeds from 60 acres at the southern boundary and replace them with native grasses.<p>Knoxville Wildlife Area consists of 21,000 acres dominated by oak woodlands with expansive stands of chaparral and is a very popular wildlife area for hunters targeting upland game birds. Several valleys lie throughout the wildlife area providing open grasslands. Under natural conditions these grasslands provide critical nesting, brooding, and foraging habitat for several upland game bird species including valley quail and wild turkeys. The tall grass also serves as forage and much needed fawning cover for the resident black-tailed deer herd. Unfortunately, as with many of California’s rural lands, the majority of these valley’s no longer contain natural grasslands, but instead are infested with invasive exotic plant species including yellow star-thistle (<i>Centaurea solstitialis</i>) and medusa head (<i>Taeniatherum caputmedusae</i>).</p> <p>The specific goals and objectives of this project are to convert current unproductive and weed-infested public lands back into productive native grasslands for the benefit of upland game birds and upland game bird hunters.</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=127861&inline" target="_blank">Project Proposal (PDF)</a></li> <li><a href="https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=153753&inline" target="_blank">Progress Report (PDF)</a></li> <li><a href="https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=160567&inline" target="_blank">Final Report (PDF)</a></li> </ul> Upper Pine Creek Guzzler Renovationhttps://wildlife.ca.gov/Grants/Upland-Game-Bird/Projects/upper-pine-creek-guzzler-renovationHabitat EnhancementSun, 01 Nov 2015 11:51:00 GMTThe proposed project would renovate a guzzler on Mt. Laguna by repairing/installing a new 500 gallon system by Rainmaker Wildlife Water Guzzlers and Escape Ramps, providing a source of water during prolonged drought, which will in turn benefit upland game birds and upland game bird hunters.<p>Mt. Laguna is located at the eastern edge of the Descanso Ranger District in the Cleveland National Forest and hosts several upland game bird species including wild turkey, California quail, mourning dove and band-tailed pigeons. With an average precipitation amount of 12.2 inches per year, water can become a limiting factor for the many wildlife species inhabiting its ranges, especially during the peak dry months of summer and into fall. This lack of water has been compounded by the severe drought that California has been experiencing over the last 4 years. A natural spring along Pine Creek Rd on Mt. Laguna was tapped into several decades ago but the fill pipe from the spring has since become disconnected. The proposed project would renovate the guzzler by repairing/installing a new 500 gallon full-ramp guzzler with a float system by Rainmaker Wildlife Water Guzzlers and Escape Ramps, providing a source of water during prolonged drought, which will in turn benefit upland game birds and upland game bird hunters.</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=128135&inline" target="_blank">Project Proposal (PDF)</a></li> <li><a href="https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=162391&inline" target="_blank">Progress Report (PDF)</a></li> </ul> Upland Game Developed Water Structure Maintenancehttps://wildlife.ca.gov/Grants/Upland-Game-Bird/Projects/upland-game-developed-water-structure-maintenanceHabitat EnhancementSun, 01 Nov 2015 11:11:00 GMTThe objective of this effort is to systematically visit developed water sites throughout the southern Regions of the state which may be man-made or natural springs or seeps, to ensure that they are functioning in an optimum fashion.<p>Carrying capacity for upland game species and other wildlife is heavily dependent upon water in arid environments. The objective of this effort is to systematically visit developed water sites throughout the southern Regions of the state to ensure that they are functioning in an optimum fashion. While many of these sites are entirely man-made many are often seep and spring improvements.</p> <p>A dedicated group of volunteers uses their own equipment, time and whatever financial resources they can raise, to visit desert and forest watering sites on most weekends in an effort to improve conditions for wildlife by maintaining these sites. The purpose of this grant is to help these individuals with materials to help them do this important work and will ensure future generations will be able to enjoy enhanced hunting opportunities.</p> <p>This project requests funds for materials while private parties and non-profits provide the fuel, vehicles and manpower to restore and in some cases replace existing watering structures in Department of Fish and Wildlife Regions: 4, 5, and 6.</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=144892&inline" target="_blank">Project Proposal (PDF)</a></li> <li><a href="https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=144893&inline" target="_blank">Progress Report (PDF)</a></li> <li><a href="https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=149171&inline" target="_blank">Project Final Report (PDF)</a></li> </ul> Native Grass and Wildflower Restoration on the Sul Norte Unit Sacramentohttps://wildlife.ca.gov/Grants/Upland-Game-Bird/Projects/native-grass-and-wildflower-restoration-on-the-sul-norte-unit-sacramentoHabitat EnhancementSun, 01 Nov 2015 10:45:00 GMTThis project will restore a high-priority 34 acres floodplain on the Sul Norte Unit of the Sacramento River NWR by converting it from yellow star-thistle, black mustard, milk thistle, and annual rip-gut grasses to perennial grasses to benefit upland game bird species and other associated wildlife.<p>The Sacramento Valley has lost over 85% of its natural riparian ecosystem which provided habitat for a diverse number of plant and animal species along its reaches. In 1989 the Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge (SRNWR) was formed by the authority provided under the Endangered Species Act, Emergency Wetlands Resources Act, and the Fish and Wildlife Act. Since SRNWR’s creation, it has been creating and implementing restoration projects along its 10,000 acres with the great help and guidance of its many dedicated partners, including the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.</p> <p>The proposed project will be a hunter opportunity project that consists of restoring 34 acres of invasive weed infested floodplain on the Sul Norte Unit of the Sacramento River NWR located along the Sacramento River in Glenn County. Yellow star-thistle, black mustard, milk thistle, and annual rip-gut grasses currently occupy the site and provide little to no benefit for upland game bird species and other associated wildlife. The specific goals and objectives of this project is to convert current unproductive flood-prone agricultural lands to restored riparian habitats (including scrublands, forests, woodlands, savannas, herb lands, grasslands and marshes) along the Sacramento River for the benefit of upland game birds and upland game bird hunters.</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=128034&inline" target="_blank">Project Proposal (PDF)</a></li> <li><a href="https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=149170&inline" target="_blank">Progress Report (PDF)</a></li> </ul> Habitat Development & Enhancement Projects at Gray Lodge WAhttps://wildlife.ca.gov/Grants/Upland-Game-Bird/Projects/habitat-development-enhancement-projects-at-gray-lodge-waHabitat EnhancementSun, 01 Nov 2015 10:33:00 GMTThis project will manage weeds and improve approximately 149 acres of upland nesting and foraging habitat for pheasants and other upland wildlife species in Fields 78-80, to be planted to perennial grasses.<p>This project will improve approximately 149 acres of upland nesting and foraging habitat for pheasants and other upland wildlife species in Fields 78-80. The Contractor will conduct a complete topographic survey on the entire project site to capture all existing field grades, ditch elevations and existing structures. Based on this information, a design and construction drawings will be developed meeting the requirements of the Gray Lodge management staff. Based upon the final design, calculations and a materials list will be generated. A bid meeting will be held and then a selected contractor will start earthmoving activities to undertake the construction of the site.</p> <p>Following construction of the major infrastructure, fields to be planted to perennial grasses will be prepared for planting. Prior to planting, herbicides will be applied following the first rains to ensure removal of sprouting annuals. Then the grasses will be seeded. In the spring if thistle and/or mustard are an issue, another application of herbicides will be conducted as needed. Food plots could be planted in the fall for winter wheat if management desires. In the spring safflower and sunflower will be planted. The contractor will prepare and submit an intermediate report by May 1, 2017. Any fields not planted in the fall of 2016 and spring of 2017 will be planted in the fall of 2017. The Contractor shall write a final report following the final planting and submit to the CDFW Contract Manager.</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=132964&inline" target="_blank">Project Proposal (PDF)</a></li> </ul> Maintenance for CDFW Guzzler Nos. 3, 15, 24, 25, 27, 29, 30, 31, 36 & 37; Angeles National Foresthttps://wildlife.ca.gov/Grants/Upland-Game-Bird/Projects/maintenance-for-cdfw-guzzler-nos-3-15-24-25-27-29-30-31-36-37-angeles-national-forestHabitat EnhancementSat, 01 Nov 2014 12:59:00 GMTIn this project, Santa Clarita Chapter of Valley Quail and Upland Wildlife Federation has recently undertaken a volunteer project to locate and assess all of the existing DFW guzzlers and has already located over 20 of the DFW guzzler units in the Los Angeles District, all of which are in need of repair.<p>Southern California has experienced a severe drought over the past three years that has resulted in a recent declaration by the Governor of an emergency state-wide water shortage. Quail populations within the project area have been in steady decline over the past 30 years and have reached record lows during the recent period of extended drought. Artificial wildlife watering devices are essential to maintaining quail reproduction in this semiarid environment, particularly during periods of extended drought.</p> <p>CDFW initiated a wildlife guzzler construction program, completing many projects throughout California during the 1950’s through the 1970’s however, during the past 40 years or more, CDFW, USFS and others have failed to maintain the guzzlers installed in the Los Angeles District for various reasons, including lack of funding and lost records. Santa Clarita Chapter of Valley Quail and Upland Wildlife Federation (SCVQUWF) has recently undertaken a volunteer project to locate and assess all of the existing DFW guzzlers and has already located over 20 of the DFW guzzler units in the Los Angeles District, all of which are in need of repair.</p> <p>The primary products of the project are:</p> <ul> <li>Reestablish 10 DFW wildlife guzzlers to once again provide necessary water sources for quail and other upland game animals.</li> <li>Install game cameras on selected guzzlers during nesting season to monitor the effectiveness of the project. Manual bird counts by volunteer observation are also planned.</li> <li>Provide a long-term study basis for documenting the positive effect of artificial water sources and usage of free-standing water sources by wildlife as recommended by Simpson, et. al. of CDFW Wildlife Investigations Laboratory (2011, California Fish and Game 97(4):190-209)</li> <li>Provide important “leaping points” on remote divides between known natural watering holes in order to help support biodiversity in the face of climate change.</li> <li>To study the effectiveness of providing artificial water sources for upland game animals within areas of public lands designated for off-highway vehicular recreational use (Selected Guzzler Nos. 25, 27, 30, and 31 will provide this unique opportunity)</li> </ul> <ul> <li><a href="https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=128232&inline" target="_blank">Project Proposal (PDF)</a></li> <li><a href="https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=128233&inline" target="_blank">Final Report (PDF)</a></li> <li><a href="https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=128234&inline" target="_blank">Final Report Guzzler 29 (PDF)</a></li> <li><a href="https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=128235&inline" target="_blank">Final Report Guzzler 30 (PDF)</a></li> <li><a href="https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=128236&inline" target="_blank">Final Report Guzzler 32 (PDF)</a></li> <li><a href="https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=128237&inline" target="_blank">Final Report Guzzler 33 (PDF)</a></li> <li><a href="https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=128239&inline" target="_blank">Final Report Guzzler 34 (PDF)</a></li> <li><a href="https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=128240&inline" target="_blank">Final Report Guzzler 36 (PDF)</a></li> <li><a href="https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=128241&inline" target="_blank">Final Report Guzzler 37 (PDF)</a></li> <li><a href="https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=128242&inline" target="_blank">Final Report Guzzler 38 (PDF)</a></li> <li><a href="https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=128243&inline" target="_blank">Final Report Guzzler Whitaker 1 (PDF)</a></li> <li><a href="https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=128244&inline" target="_blank">Final Report Guzzler Whitaker 2 (PDF)</a></li> </ul> Pilot Project for Pheasant Habitat Development in a Drought Impacted Landscapehttps://wildlife.ca.gov/Grants/Upland-Game-Bird/Projects/pilot-project-for-pheasant-habitat-development-in-a-drought-impacted-landscapeHabitat EnhancementSat, 01 Nov 2014 12:47:00 GMTThis project will establish a sixty-six-acre demonstration site to test the viability of certain plant species as well as the wildlife response over a three-year period. Plantings include mixes of forbs, with some limited grasses in various combinations to simulate the various season scenarios which might be experienced under water transfer or idling programs.<p>The current historic drought and ongoing water shortage issues have resulted in unprecedented fallowing of previously intensively farmed lands in the name of water conservation. Couple this landscape change with a human population that has effectively doubled since the last big drought period in the mid to late 1970’s, and water shortages have become the new reality.</p> <p>To date there has been little work and research into the types of vegetation which could provide optimum habitat for upland species in this changing landscape of water shortage and much of the existing work has centered on providing nesting habitat for ducks. While beneficial for nesting ducks, many of these practices have had reduced value for upland species and some of the current direction toward grass planting may actually be a detriment to pheasants as chicks which find great difficulty in foraging in a grass under-story as opposed to more of a forb related structure. Grasses also fail to provide the microclimate that produces moisture and associated insect populations.</p> <p>This project will establish a sixty-six-acre demonstration site to test the viability of certain plant species as well as the wildlife response over a three- year period. Plantings include mixes of forbs, with some limited grasses in various combinations to simulate the various season scenarios which might be experienced under water transfer or idling programs.</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=128041&inline" target="_blank">Project Proposal (PDF)</a></li> <li><a href="https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=128280&inline" target="_blank">Progress Report 1 (PDF)</a></li> <li><a href="https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=132958&inline" target="_blank">Progress Report 2 (PDF)</a></li> </ul> Gray Lodge WA Field 40 Enhancementhttps://wildlife.ca.gov/Grants/Upland-Game-Bird/Projects/gray-lodge-wa-field-40-enhancementHabitat EnhancementSat, 01 Nov 2014 12:15:00 GMTThis project will develop and implement a comprehensive habitat enhancement plan for roughly 50 acres including water management and establishment of perennial grasses to improve nesting, foraging, and over wintering habitat for pheasant, turkey, dove, and quail populations.<p>Pheasant harvest at Gray Lodge Wildlife Area has plummeted from a high of 2,752 birds in 1983 to a mere 250 birds in 2010, which is far below the long term average of 1,160 birds.  From 2003 to 2010, Dove hunter numbers have ranged from about 200 to nearly 900 hunters, but have recently fallen well below the long term average of 490 hunters. In 2010, only 205 people hunted doves.  We hope to reverse these extremely negative trends by improving habitat conditions throughout the wildlife area.</p> <p>Field 40 at Gray Lodge currently provides relatively poor-quality nesting and foraging habitat for pheasants, doves, turkeys, quail and other wildlife. The vegetative complex is dominated by annual plants that provide little structure or food value during critical nesting and over wintering periods. Existing irrigation capabilities do not exist.</p> <p>This project will develop and implement a comprehensive habitat enhancement plan for roughly 50 acres. A topographic and existing conditions survey will be completed to gather information necessary to properly grade the field and construct an irrigation system that will provide managers full control over independently managed units. The field will be divided into thirds using the diversified upland habitat unit (DUHU) concept that is currently being implemented throughout the wildlife area. A perennial grass mix will be planted over roughly 1/3 of the acreage, while the remaining 2/3 of the acreage will be planted to food plots. The field will be designed so that crop types can be rotated on an annual or semi-annual basis. Areas planted to perennial grass will remain productive for 3-5 years before it’s necessary to set back succession. Expected benefits are improved nesting, foraging, and over wintering habitat, which should result in higher pheasant, turkey, dove, and quail populations and ultimately more hunter opportunity.</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=128291&inline" target="_blank">Project Proposal (PDF)</a></li> </ul>