LAKE COUNTY— The current project of the Lake County Land Trust (LCLT) is the purchase of the 200-acre Wright Property, a parcel that does not just happen to be located in the Big Valley Wetlands area of Lake County. This area is the number one priority for LCLT, as they seek to protect the largest remaining area of unprotected wetland habitats adjacent to Clear Lake. The project includes the Clear Lake shoreline and uplands from Clear Lake State Park west to Lakeport. It consists of high value habitats: pristine lakeshore vegetation along with mature oaks and other trees required by a variety of wildlife species.
To determine their priorities, LCLT held a comprehensive series of public workshops held in 2007 and 2017, which included participation from federal, state, and local agencies and local experts in land use and conservation issues. As an outcome of these sessions, the Big Valley area became the clear leader for prioritization.
Five major streams run through this area: Cole, Kelsey, Hill, Adobe, and Manning Creeks, providing a total of 25 percent of the drainage for the Clear Lake Watershed.
The Big Valley Wetlands is also home to the Clear Lake hitch, a fish which is not found anywhere else but Clear Lake. It is on the California Endangered Species Acts’ threatened species list, and is currently being considered for placement on the endangered species list by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Once numbering in the several millions, according to the Center for Biological Diversity, “these fish were a vital part of the Clear Lake ecosystem and an important food source for numerous birds, fish and other wildlife. They were also a staple food and cultural component for the original Pomo inhabitants of the region. Hitch once spawned in every tributary to Clear Lake but have disappeared from most former spawning streams. Now fewer than a thousand fish regularly spawn in only two streams — Kelsey and Adobe creeks south of Clear Lake.”
“Conserving this land is in the interest of all Lake Countians. Protecting the wetlands, which filter and provide nutrient-rich water for Clear Lake, is the first step in helping our lake get healthy. And a healthy Clear Lake appeals to everyone, from tourists to local businesses. It’s good for the economy of our county”, offers Lake County Land Trust President Val Nixon.
Nixon also noted that once the plans to purchase the Wright property has been announced, several other landowners in the Big Valley Area began expressing interest in selling their land to the Land Trust. LCLT is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and conserving land in Lake County for the protection of native plant and animal species as well as the appreciation and study of nature by current and future generations, and for the beneficial biological impact of keeping the land natural.
As a non-profit run by a volunteer board and three part-time staff members, LCLT relies on the generosity of its members and concerned citizens. As donations to the Land Trust grow, the organization will continue to invest in land that will be able to stay forever wild, adding properties in the Big Valley Wetlands area until the vision of several adjacent properties can be strung together creating a large, park-like area for individuals to enjoy and respect the native land.
In 2016, the Land Trust completed the purchase of the Melo Property, a 32-acre parcel in the Big Valley Wetlands, its first property in this area, and the fourth in its land portfolio. The Wright Property would increase- by five times- the size of the Big Valley Wetlands protected by the Lake County Land Trust.
The Lake County Land Trust, aiming to maximize the potential from the fundraising challenge set up by Lynne and Bernie Butcher, has a goal of $120,000 for the Wright Property. Of that, almost $26,000 has been raised. “If we can get to $80,000, the Butcher’s generous matching donation of $40,000 will bring us where we need to be, at $120,000. Right now is a great time to donate, because with the Butcher’s match, a donor’s gift automatically grows by 50 percent”, states Melissa Kinsel, Outreach Coordinator for LCLT. With $54,000 for the Wright property still needed, the Land Trust has a way to go before the end of the year. To donate, visit lakecountylandtrust.org, or call 707-262-0707.
