UC Cooperative Extension provides information about weed control, native grasses, oak woodland conservation and ranch water quality to landowners, ranchers and others concerned with rangeland conservation in the Central Sierra Foothill Counties. UC Cooperative Extension also conducts continuing research on forage production as described below.
Forage Production Study
In 1995 Cooperative Extension initiated a study to monitor forage production at set locations across the foothill area within El Dorado, Amador and Calaveras Counties. Permanent locations were established near Latrobe, El Dorado, Sutter Creek, Ione, Copperopolis, Paloma and Mountain Ranch. This continuing long term study has demonstrated the wide variation in forage production among years, with fluctuations as large as 600% at some locations. These results reconfirm that temperature and rainfall distribution are the key drivers in determining the total annual forage production. Information from this study is also being utilized to determine the extent to which the forage produced in one year breaks down over the summer in the absence of livestock grazing, a missing piece of information critical to the management of residual dry matter and for protection of foothill rangeland soils.
Would you like information about our workshops?
We offer workshops throughout the year on various subject matter such as, Pond Management, Invasive Weed Control, and Wildfire - Protecting Your Home, just to name a few. Please add your name to the Join our Mailing List at the top menu to receive information about our next workshop.
Note: Some publications are saved as pdf documents. You will need Adobe Acrobat to view them. You can download the free software at https://get.adobe.com/reader/.
Please use Promo Code PRTUM55 if ordering online. This will insure that your funds stay within the UCCE Central Sierra.
Rangeland
- Forage seeding in rangelands increases production and prevents weed invasion - 11/28/2017
- Guidelines for Residual Dry Matter Management, ANR Pub #8092
- Perennial Grasses Suitable for Foothill Rangelands
- Seeded Range Plants for California, ANR Pub 21344e
- Seeding Recommendations for Improving Annual Rangeland
Oak Tree and Hardwood Rangeland Management
- ANR Oaks Publications
- Burned Oaks: Which Ones Will Survive, ANR Pub 8445
- Disturbance Around Oaks
- Foamy Bark Canker - A New Disease found on Oaks in the Foothills - 10-25-2016
- How to Grow California Oaks, UC Oak Woodland Management
- Living Among the Oaks, ANR Pub 21538
- Monitoring Oak Woodland Canopy Change
- Oaks in the Urban Landscape, ANR Pub 3518
- Oak Management by County Jurisdictions in the Central Sierra Nevada, CA
- Oak Root Fungus
- Rangeland Management Series: Annual Range Forage Production, ANR Pub Series
- Regenerating Rangeland Oaks in California, ANR Pub 21601e
- UC Oaks website
- Weed and Vegetation Management in the Sierra Foothills Brochure
County Oak Management Plans
There are many ordinances and plans in place through out our area to protect our great oaks. Click on a link below to learn more.
Amador County Oak Tree Retention/Replacement Provisions
Amador County's Oak Tree Retention/Replacement Provisions protect oak trees from being prematurely.
Calaveras County's Voluntary Oak Management Plan
The Calaveras County's Voluntary Oak Management Plan was adopted by the Board of Supervisors on February 13, 2007. The goal of the plan is to encourage and support voluntary, long-term stewardship and conservation practices in the management of oak woodlands and their habitat within Calaveras County.
El Dorado County's Oak Woodland Management Plan
The El Dorado County's Oak Woodland Management Plan was adopted by Board of Supervisors on May 6, 2008. These provisions establish an Oak Conservation In-Lieu Fee for the purchase of conservation easements for oak woodland in areas identified as Priority Conservation Areas. El Dorado County Oak Woodlands Management webpage.
Tuolumne County Oak Tree Retention/Replacement Provisions
Tuolumne County's Oak Tree Retention/Replacement Provisions protect oak trees from being prematurely. Tuolulmne County's Oak Conservation webpage.
Other Resources
- California Rangeland website - Estimating the Cost of Replacing Forage Losses on California Annual Rangeland.
- Oak Woodland Management - Dedicated to the conservation of California's 10 million acres of oak woodlands.Program develops research information and conducts educational programs on the stewardship of hardwood rangelands.
- The California Oak Mortality Task Force -Sudden Oak Death - The task force is a non-profit organization that focuses on the effects of Phytophthora ramorum, the organism that causes Sudden Oak Death.
Match Grazing
Matchmaking grazing animals with grass and rangelands to reduce wildfire fuel & feed livestock.
Pest Alert: Mediterranean oak borer
About the Beetle
The Mediterranean oak borer (MOB) is an invasive ambrosia beetle native to the Mediterranean region, including Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, where it primarily attacks oak species. The first North American infestations of MOB were confirmed in valley oaks in Napa County, California in late 2019, followed by Lake and Sonoma Counties in early 2020. Download the flyer.
Calculating Forage Loss
- 2019/20 Sierra Nevada Foothill Annual Forage Production Summary Report
- 2017/18 Sierra Nevada Foothill Annual Forage Production Summary Report
- 2015/16 Sierra Nevada Foothill Annual Forage Production Summary Report
- 2014/15 Sierra Nevada Foothill Annual Forage Production Summary Report
Amador County Rangeland Soil Health Project 2020 - Project Update
California Oak Health
Online workshop presentations
Please watch the expert videos of interest first, then move on to the Zoom Q&A session.
Recent blue oak mortality on Sierra Nevada foothill rangelands may be linked to drought, climate change - Research Brief