2016-2017 Funded Projects

Weed Management in Riparian Areas Workshop Tour

Managing Cheatgrass and Associated Fire Risk Tour

Integrated Riparian Weed Management: Realizing Multiple Objectives

Project Leader: Carissa Rivers UC Cooperative Extension Siskiyou County

Invasive riparian plant species management is a critical goal for the states working landscapes. With RREA funds we developed 2 workshops, one for ranchers and rangeland owners, and one for agency management, where we delivered much-needed information on management tools for weed management in riparian areas. We also arranged for the workshop participants  demonstrations of on-the-ground riparian weed management practices at local ranches.

Managing Cheatgrass and Associated Fire Risk

Project Leader: David Lile UC Cooperative Extension Lassen County

Invasion of annual grasses, primarily cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), is a growing problem affecting sagebrush rangelands in Northeastern California. This RREA project has established a core team of range professionals to provide a critical mass of knowledge to local rangeland owners and managers about the importance of reducing annual grass invasions and using the green-strip/fuel break method for wildfire prevention and to lessen wildfire impacts.

Social Media 101 – Improving the Livestock and Natural Resource Program’s Social Media Footprint

Project Leader: Theresa Becchetti UC Cooperative Extension San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties

UC Agriculture & Natural Resources has many valuable publications on various aspects of rangeland and grazing management. The publications are available to the public as a free PDF and up to full-length peer-reviewed science-based manuals available to purchase. To reach a broader audience for these extension materials this RREA project created a website where all UC publications related to rangeland, livestock, and natural resources are housed on one website and are easy to locate.

Sustainable You! Summer Camp Internship

Project Leader: Hannah Bird UC ANR Hopland Research & Extension Center 

With RREA support a student intern was hired to work on development of a day camp where underserved youth could learn basic sustainable land management practices and engage in the discovery of California's vast natural resources. The intern reviewed and prepared a summary of other states educational summer camp programs; assisted with the development of our plan; and created the Campers Resource Kit. The first Sustainable You! Summer Camp was held during July 2017 and was very successful.

California Land Trends

Project Leader: Van Butsic UC Berkeley Environmental Science, Policy & Management

The overall purpose of this RREA supported project was to begin work on providing local and state governments, NGO’s, industry groups, and the public at large, easy access to California land use change information. California Land Trends makes this data available and easy to locate via a web interface allowing for both visualization of land use at the scale of the individual pixel as well as for queries that can summarize data at the scale of interest for analysis – the county, ecoregion, or entire state.

Conservation Easements: Optimal Payments and Land Use Change on California Rangelands

Project Leader: Stephanie Larson UC Cooperative Extension Sonoma County

With RREA funding we were able to determine the optimal conservation easement payment structure comparing the aggregate welfare effects of one-time easement payments relative to leases and annual Payment for Ecosystem services (PES), while focusing on indirect land use change effects. To do this we developed a survey and the data gathered was used to construct an economic model of stakeholder behavior; we determined that landowners self-identifying as members of a ranching community have a positive correlation with preference for a lump sum.

Collaboration to Protect Native Habitats: Preventing Plant Pathogen Invasion from Restoration Activities

Project Leader: David Lewis UC Cooperative Extension Marin County

The goal of RREA project was to minimize Phytopthora and other plant pathogen spread to native plant vegetation. We provided known plant pathogen management strategies to land managers, vegetation ecologists, and native plant nurseries through presentations via a symposium we developed, association meetings, workshops, and other venues. Publications on plant pathogens in natural areas were finalized and distributed and assistance was provided to state lawmakers for proposed legislation on plant movement in natural areas.

Lake Tahoe Firewise Landscaping Initiative

Project Leader: Scott Oneto UC Cooperative Extension Central Sierra

RREA funding helped the team to provide educational resources to Lake Tahoe residents to reduce the wildfire impacts on their forest properties and neighborhoods. The team developed publications on how to utilize native and adapted plants in landscapes for fire safety and other conservation measures, created a website for the program, held workshops, and also had an educational booth at local events to distribute the publications.

Building Capacity for Prescribed Fire on Private Lands

Project Leader: Lenya Quinn-Davidson UC Cooperative Extension Humboldt County

RREA provided funding to build the capacity of California's private forest and range landowners to use prescribed fire as a cost-effective and ecologically appropriate land management tool. The team hosted several informational workshops and live prescribed fire trainings to extend the information and education to Northern California private forest and range landowners and managers. One major result of this project is that California's first landowner-led cooperative Prescribed Burn Association (PBA) has been formed in Humboldt County.

Livestock-Predator Conflict Management: Extension and Education Program

Project leader: Leslie Roche UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences

There is widespread concern about the adverse effects of California's expanding wolf population on rangeland production systems. This RREA project created extensive educational materials and developed a workshop, Livestock and Predator Conflict Management, held throughout Northern California for rangeland owners and managers. The project team also developed a policy brief overview to share with state agencies who deal with wildlife and we created Livestock-Predator Conflict Management, a website that showcases the outreach material developed and includes several videos of the workshop.