WASHINGTON - On Wednesday, September 9th, the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission (MBCC) approved funding to acquire the first three conservation easements which will protect 1,042 acres of private land easements in the newly established Tulare Basin Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in California's southern San Joaquin Valley. The easements will help preserve and restore critical wetland and upland habitats in the region which has suffered the greatest percentage loss of wetland habitats in North America. Funding for the purchase of the conservation easements was obtained from the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund, which allocates the revenue from federal duck stamp sales. The easements, which will be purchased only from willing sellers, will leave lands in private ownership and on the local tax tools, while also ensuring that they will provide their habitat benefits to waterfowl and other wetland-dependent species for generations to come. Additional perpetual easements will be acquired from willing sellers as additional funding becomes available.

The Tulare Basin WMA was recently approved by the Service in an effort to provide permanent protection for 22,000 acres of private wetlands and associated uplands in southern Tulare county and northern Kern county. The project area includes existing private wetlands and associated uplands adjacent to the Kern National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in the Tulare Lake drainage. Historically, TulareLake was the largest freshwater wetland west of the Mississippi and provided habitat to hundreds of thousands of migratory waterfowl annually. Over the past century, however, the Tulare Lake has vanished due to flood control projects and water diversions for agricultural and municipal uses. Today, Kern NWR and the few remaining privately owned and managed wetlands provide are recognized by the Central Valley Joint Venture and North American Waterfowl Management Plan for their international importance to migratory waterfowl and shorebirds of the Pacific Flyway.

One of the partners which played an important role in obtaining approval of the Tulare Basin WMA was the California Outdoor Heritage Alliance (COHA). In 2006, COHA President, Bill Gaines, helped secure necessary congressional support for the proposal on Capitol Hill. One year later, with the package struggling for final agency go-ahead, Mr. Gaines helped obtain necessary Service approval by meeting with then Service Director Dale Hall to discuss the project and the relative importance of the Tulare Basin in national conservation priorities. "Historically, the Kern/Tulare Basin provided the largest contiguous block of wetland habitat in the western United States - roughly 500,000 acres during a wet year. Yet today, this once vast habitat area has been reduced to little more than a few thousand acres of public and private managed wetland habitats," stated Mr. Gaines. "Fully aware of the critical importance of this area, we are pleased we could help play a role in establishing this WMA. Commission approval of initial funding earlier this week is the culmination of an eight year partnership effort, and serves as a milestone in the conservation of Tulare Basinwetlands and Pacific Flyway waterfowl."

Other stakeholders who helped bring the Tulare Basin WMA to fruition and secure the approval of the MBCC funding include California Waterfowl and the Tulare Basin Wetlands Association (TBWA). C. Jeff Thomson, chairman of the TBWA, commented that "the TBWA strongly supported Service Director Dale Hall's decision to approve the conservation easement project area. Members of our association were also pleased to partner with COHA and California Waterfowl in an effort to obtain the support of local Congressmen Jim Costa (20th District), Devin Nunes (21st district), and Kevin McCarthy (22nd district) to seek Service approval for the Tulare Basin WMA expansion."

Well aware of the substantial effort necessary to make this project a reality, and the considerable benefits it will provide, Scott Frazier, of the Service's Kern NWR commented that "after spending more than eight years in planning and review of the Tulare Basin WMA project by the local stakeholders, units of local, state and federal government, the TBWA, COHA and others, we are very pleased to be able to provide tangible support to the private landowners in the Tulare Basin that have been consistently providing waterfowl habitat. This is a new beginning for wetland habitat owners in the TulareBasin and this project reflects the commitment by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to keep these important wildlands intact for future generations of Americans. The migratory bird resources that we all care for will be well served by the private habitats protected in perpetuity."

In addition to waterfowl, many other wetland-dependent species will benefit from the acquisition of these easements. Targeted lands are used by peregrine falcons, bald eagles and many other birds of prey. In addition, dry upland habitats that will be protected in association with wetlands are important to numerous types of wildlife, including several species on state and federal threatened or endangered species lists such as the San Joaquin kit fox, the Tipton kangaroo rat and the Blunt-nosed leopard lizard. The Tulare Basin WMA will also benefit Mountain plover, a federal candidate for listing and burrowing owls, a species of special concern.

With the Tulare Basin WMA established and initial funding allocated to put easements in place, public and private partners of the Central Valley Joint Venture, including California Waterfowl and Ducks Unlimited, can work together to expand habitat protection in the WMA. "California Waterfowl currently holds state conservation agreements on over 2,500 acres within the WMA but these agreements will expire in the near future," revealed California Waterfowl's Wetland Projects Supervisor, Chadd Santerre. "The protection afforded by federal easements will ensure these critical habitats will be available in perpetuity to waterfowl, waterbirds, and other wildlife. The new designation will also make it easier to secure additional funding from other public and private sources and continue to improve habitat within the Tulare Basin."

In addition to the approval of the acquisition of easements within the Tulare Basin WMA, the MBCC also approved the expenditure of nearly $8 million in Federal Duck Stamp funds to add more than 4,000 wetland acres to seven units of the National Wildlife Refuge System.
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California Outdoor Heritage Alliance (COHA) is a 501(c)4 non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of wildlife conservation and the protection of our hunting heritage. COHA was created in early 2006 by the California Waterfowl Association (CWA) to enhance the political effectiveness of hunters and other wildlife conservationists and enthusiasts in the halls of our State Capitol and beyond. For more information on COHA and its member organizations, please visit www.outdoorheritage.org

Tulare Basin Wetlands Association (TBWA) is a 501(c)3 non-profit conservation organization dedicated to the preservation and restoration of wetland habitat in northwestern Kern and southwesternTulare counties in California's southern San Joaquin Valley. The TBWA was created in 1994 for the purpose of providing funding for habitat research and evaluation, public education, the development and delivery of inexpensive long-term wetland water supplies, and programs necessary for the preservation of the unique wetland habitats found of the Kern/Tulare Basin. Visit them atwww.tularewetlands.com

California Waterfowl is an award winning nonprofit, hunter-supported conservation organization with a mission to conserve the state's waterfowl, wetlands, and hunting heritage. In the last 20 years we've restored, protected or enhanced more than 360,000 acres, providing habitat for millions of birds and animals, and introduced more than 250,000 children to the wonders of the great outdoors. Visit them online at www.calwaterfowl.org