Carrizo Plains ER Land Management Plan

Project

Location: The Carrizo Plains Ecological Reserve (CPER) is located within and immediately west of the Carrizo Plain – a large inland valley within the Inner Coast Range Mountains in southeastern San Luis Obispo County. The 39,594 acre Ecological Reserve consists of five units.

Purpose of Acquisition: To conserve, restore, and protect declining sensitive species and their associated habitats while maintaining habitat connectivity between the federal land within the Los Padres National Forest and the Carrizo Plain National Monument. To provide compatible wildlife-dependent recreational and educational opportunities to the public.

Description: The following is not a comprehensive list, but rather a list of some site specific management goals*: Maintain, enhance, and/or restore the various habitats and wildlife corridors. Prevent the introduction and spread of invasive non-native plants. Continue to offer compatible wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities such as: hunting, hiking, wildlife viewing, etc.

Environmental Review Process

As lead agency, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the proposed Land Management Plan (LMP) for the Carrizo Plains Ecological Reserve (CPER). The DEIR has been prepared to provide the public, responsible agencies, and trustee agencies with information about the potential environmental effects of implementation of the CPER LMP.

Public Review: The Draft EIR and proposed LMP are available for public review and comment for a period of 60 days, beginning on March 22, 2019 and ending on May 21, 2019, at 5:00 p.m.

** Public Review has been extended for another 45 days. Review and comment period will now close on July 5, 2019, at 5:00 p.m.

Comments may be submitted online at:

CarrizoPlains_EIR@wildlife.ca.gov, or mailed to:

California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Central Region - Fresno Office
1234 E. Shaw Avenue
Fresno, CA 93710
Attn: Carrizo Plains ER Management Plan

Hard copies of the Proposed Management Plan and Draft EIR are available at:

  • California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Fresno Office, 1234 E. Shaw Avenue, Fresno, CA 93710
  • California Department of Fish and Wildlife, San Luis Obispo Office, 3196 S. Higuera Street, Suite A, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
  • San Luis Obispo Public Library, 995 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
  • Atascadero Public Library, 6555 Capistrano, Atascadero, CA 93422
  • Santa Maria Public Library, 421 S. McClelland Street, Santa Maria, CA 93454
  • Taft Public Library, 27 Cougar Court, Taft, CA 93268

*Implementation of tasks needed to achieve management goals is dependent on the availability of staffing along with an adequate operations and maintenance budget.