Visit Us
Steve Thompson North Central Valley Wildlife Management Area is just one of the 5 National Wildlife Refuges and 3 Wildlife Management Areas that make up the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex. This WMA is primarily composed of privately-owned properties under conservation easement conservation easement
A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement between a landowner and a government agency or qualified conservation organization that restricts the type and amount of development that may take place on a property in the future. Conservation easements aim to protect habitat for birds, fish and other wildlife by limiting residential, industrial or commercial development. Contracts may prohibit alteration of the natural topography, conversion of native grassland to cropland, drainage of wetland and establishment of game farms. Easement land remains in private ownership.
Learn more about conservation easement , but does have one Service-owned property that is open to the public: the Llano Seco Unit. Located about 10 miles southwest of the city of Chico in Butte County, the Llano Seco Unit offers opportunities for photography, wildlife viewing and a 1-mile trail.
Find out more about Steve Thompson N. Central Valley WMA by exploring the menu to the left (desktop) or hamburger menu top-right (handheld device), or see our Plan Your Visit page (link below) to find everything the Complex has to offer.
PLAN YOUR VISIT <-- Click here to find all the informtion you need to visit the Complex.....
• ACTIVITIES
• visitor center
• auto tours
• trails
• photography
• bicycling
• hunting
• environmental education
• HOURS
• FEES AND PERMITS
• RULES AND POLICIES
• ACCESSIBILITY
• DIRECTIONS
• OTHER LOCAL INFORMATION
Location and Contact Information
About Us
The Steve Thompson North Central Valley Wildlife Management Area is part of the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex. It is located across 11 counties in California's Sacramento Valley and San Joaquin Delta. It consists primarily of conservation easements on privately-owned wetlands, but also includes one 1,732 acre fee-title property known as the Llano Seco Unit .
Click on the link below to learn more about us!
What We Do
- Resource Management
To help plants and wildlife, Refuge staff uses a variety of habitat management techniques to maintain, recover or enhance plant and wildlife values. Refuge staff carefully consider any management techniques and employ them in varying degrees according to the situation.
- Conservation and Partnerships
The Complex is involved in many conservation endeavors, including Comprehensive Conservation Plans, Private Landowner Programs, and the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act.
Click on the link below to learn more about what we do!
Our Species
The Llano Seco Unit supports large populations of wintering waterfowl, as well as other species such as: bald eagle, mountain lion, bobcat, State-listed threatened greater sandhill cranes, Swainson's hawk, federally threatened giant garter snakes and valley elderberry longhorn beetle, federally endangered vernal pool tadpole shrimp and vernal pool fairy shrimp, and species of concern California linderiella and Ferris's milk-vetch.
Species and Habitats <-- Click here to learn more about our species and habitats!
Wildlife Checklist <-- Click here to view our Wildlife Checklist