Wolk urges support for three Yolo County conservation projects

Recommends funding for restoration, conservation projects

SACRAMENTO– Assemblywoman Lois Wolk (D-Davis) today urged her fellow members of the Wildlife Conservation Board to approve funding for three Yolo County projects up for a vote at the board’s next meeting, scheduled for Thursday.

Several funding requests are pending approval at the board meeting, including a request for $6,360,000 to Audubon California for the acquisition of Bobcat Ranch, over 6,800 acres of oak woodlands, native grasslands, and riparian habitat approximately three miles west of the City of Winters .  

“This property is exactly the type of land that the board was established to conserve,” said Wolk, who first voiced her support for the Bobcat Ranch and other Yolo County projects earlier this month in a letter to WCB Executive Director John Donnelly. “This is an opportunity to work with private landowners to conserve and restore wildlife habitat on farms and ranches in a manner compatible with existing agricultural operations, proving that ranching and conservation are not mutually exclusive pursuits.”

Wolk also urged support for over $562,000 to Yolo County and the Department of Fish and Game for improvements to four fishing access sites along Putah Creek located east of the City of Winters between Lake Solano Park and Lake Berryessa . Among the proposed enhancements include the construction of access trails, platforms for fishing and observation, and permanent restrooms.

Both the Putah Creek access improvements and Bobcat Ranch acquisition would be funded through voter-approved Proposition 40.

“As a riparian habitat, Putah Creek is among the most bio-diverse ecosystems in the state, and provides numerous educational opportunities. The creek is also a prime spot for fishing, hiking and other recreational activities,” said Wolk, one of the founding members of the Lower Putah Creek Coordinating Council. “Yet, with the creek in its current condition, the public is unable to appreciate all that it has to offer.”

The board will also decide Thursday whether to grant $470,000 in voter-approved Proposition 117 funds to the California Waterfowl Association for the restoration of 350 acres of agricultural lands within the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area to semi-permanent and seasonal wetlands. The monies would also fund an upgrade to an existing pump station to improve the water supply for management of over 3600 acres of wetlands and wildlife-friendly agricultural fields just west of West Sacramento .