Ohlone Preserve Conservation Bank—A Haven for Herps

by Sarah Leon

Three rare species in California are benefiting from a property manager's decision to diverge from the typical commercial, residential, and ranchland management and dabble in conservation bank properties. According to Robert Fletcher, co-owner and manager of the Ohlone Preserve Conservation Bank, this unusual play was anything but spur of the moment.

"I'd been interested in conservation banking since the mid 1990s after reading an article about it in a Department of Fish and Game magazine,” says Fletcher. "It seemed like an ideal way to preserve the property and derive some income from the land, all while retaining ownership."

Fletcher had originally imagined a wetland mitigation bank in the San Francisco Bay delta, since he and his brother Rich owned some land there. His vision evolved, however, after finding that construction and development activities within Coastal drainages of Central California would necessitate the mitigation of impacts to California red-legged frog (Rana aurora draytonii) habitat through the preservation of off-site lands with comparable habitat values. The California red-legged frog was listed as threatened in 1996 in response to a wide variety of impacts that resulted in destroyed, degraded and fragmented habitat.

"It just seemed more logical to consider a preservation bank," says Fletcher, who was able to pursue the idea after a ranch parcel inhabited by the federally threatened amphibian became available in 1999.

The 640-acre (259 hectare) property—nestled in the Livermore Valley about an hour east of San Francisco—supports a variety of plant communities, including grassland, oak-bay woodland, chaparral, riparian, seasonal and perennial wetlands, and intermittent drainages. Not only does the pristine parcel provide suitable habitat for the California red-legged frog, but other sensitive species as well.

Not long after making the purchase, Fletcher discovered the property was also home to the federally threatened Alameda whipsnake (Masticophis lateralis euryxanthus) and the now federally endangered California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense). "This is something we found in the process of getting the bank approved," says Fletcher. “We were able to include crediting for both the whipsnake and the tiger salamander in our proposal."

Like the red-legged frog, the story behind the decline of these two species is one of habitat loss and fragmentation from development and other human activities. While development may affect small and often isolated habitat segments, rare species like these can benefit if mitigation results in the protection of larger, sustainable parcels of habitat. For six years, the bank has provided local project applicants a way to permit their projects, while preserving high quality habitat for these impacted species at the same time.

The bank is ideally located to ensure that mitigation is achieved at both a large and ecologically beneficial scale. According to Fletcher, the site is bordered on one side by East Bay Regional Park District lands and on the other by San Francisco Water Department watershed lands, thereby providing connectivity between these preserved lands. Additionally, the property has remained bull frog free. This is especially important for both the red-legged frog and the tiger salamander—two species on which the non-native, invasive bull frog has been known to prey.

"There are bull frogs located about two miles from the site, but there are no permanent wetlands that provide a linkage to our site," says Fletcher. "We're very lucky in the sense that the property has not been exposed to invasive species like many sites have been."

California red-legged frog and Alameda whipsnake credits are currently available for mitigation; however, the bank has completely sold out of California tiger salamander credits. According to Fletcher, this void is only temporary.

"We're in the process of approval for our next phase, Ohlone-West [Conservation Bank]," says Fletcher. Salamander credits will soon be available with this additional 640 acres of contiguous property directly to the west of the Ohlone Preserve Conservation Bank.

The demand for and value of species credits fluctuates according to the economy, competition and market demand. Conservation banking may not be the most lucrative option available to landowners in the area, but Fletcher has no regrets over his decision to explore the alternative.

"There's a lot of public sentiment in our area to preserve open space," says Fletcher. "Most of the open space preservation in the area has been through the planting of vineyards, which is not very species friendly, to say the least. Conservation banking offers a preferable alternative to preserve open space and our local native species."

The bank is managed by Fletcher and his brother, who have recruited friend and former East Bay Regional Park District Stewardship manager, Joe DiDonato, to help monitor all habitats that are critical for the three credited species, amphibian breeding and recruitment, and for occurrences of the Alameda whipsnake. The brothers have also worked out a deal with a long-time Livermore area ranch family, whose small herd plays a vital role in preserving the habitat of these species. Grazing remains the single greatest management tool, as it helps maintain the plant diversity and combats invasive species, all while minimizing fire hazard and thatch build-up.

There's certainly a lot that goes into owning and managing a conservation bank property, but according to Fletcher, it's not just all work and no play. The Fletchers and their families continue to enjoy the site for many compatible activities, including hiking, photography, general site-seeing, and hunting.

"Springtime is a great time to visit the site because of its abundant wildflowers and many types of butterflies," says Fletcher. “It’s beautiful year-round, and each season offers something special. I'm always excited to go to the property."

Photos: Ohlone Preserve Conservation Bank on USFWS Endangered Species Flickr

Sarah Leon, a visual information specialist with the Service's Endangered Species Program headquarters office in Arlington, Virginia, can be reached at sarah_leon@fws.gov.