Site Description The Tehama Wildlife Area (TWA) is the largest state-owned wildlife area in California encompassing some 46,904 acres. The area is located in Tehama County approximately 20 miles east of Red Bluff in the Sierra Nevada foothills. The Durley Flat allotment (Premises) encompasses the majority of the eastern and center portion of the TWA. The Premises is approximately 2,680 acres. The Premises are a broad, sloping bench of grass, woodland and chaparral rising from 1,000 feet above sea level near the Sacramento Valley floor to 2,500 feet to the east. East-west oriented streams have cut steep, rugged canyons through horizontal stratification of lava flow bedrock, leaving broken slopes with many cliffs and benches. Riparian corridors are interspaced with barren areas, grassland, woodland grass and chaparral community types. Soils on the Premises are brown to reddish-brown loams that in many places are less than 15 inches deep and are very rocky. Normally, rocks and boulders are scattered over the surface of this soil underlain by a large volcanic mud and lava flow. All soil types are very low on the erosion scale and low on the compaction scale. The vegetation is primarily grasses and forbs, but sometimes includes blue oak, interior live oak, buckbrush, manzanita and gray pine. The management of the TWA focuses on creating habitat for the wintering Eastern Tehama deer herd. It is home to many mammal species including bears, mountain lions, bobcats, wild pig along with other mammals. Durley Flat and Mill creek’s contain chinook salmon, rainbow and brown trout, smallmouth bass, green sunfish, tule perch, riffle sculpin among others. Several bird species such as roadrunners, woodpeckers, turkeys, turkey vultures, many raptor species bald eagles and peregrine falcon, golden eagles, Cooper’s hawk and prairie falcons are present throughout the year while some waterfowl migrate through and visit the Premises. There are no sensitive or listed species that will be affected by cattle grazing activities. The use of the Premises are to be accepted in its existing AS-IS condition. The CDFW does not warrant or guarantee the actual size of the Premises. Infrastructure and Access The Premises is fenced on all sides. The fencing will be accepted as is, and it is the responsibility of the Permittee to maintain the fence and keep their livestock in the Premises. There is no infrastructure for loading/unloading or corralling. Water Water availability on the Premises varies and is not guaranteed. It is the responsibility of the Permittee to secure water for their stock, if needed. Generally, good quality water is available in most low spots and small drainages throughout the spring. Some potholes in volcanic bedrock may hold water late into the dry season. Ingress/Egress Access to the Premises is available via Ishi Rd (see map in Exhibit A). Public Use The Premises is open to the public for both consumptive and non-consumptive uses which may include hunting, fishing, wildlife viewing, photography, education and research. These activities cannot be hindered during any grazing operations. No special right to access the Premises for the purposes of hunting, fishing, camping or any other purpose other than as specified in the Permit is granted nor implied. The Permittee may not take (as defined in FGC 86) wildlife (including rodent and predator control) unless prior written authorization is obtained from the CDFW. The Permittee may not grant special access to any persons not associated with the implementation or management of vegetation control activities under the Permit. Habitat Objectives Grazing is used to remove the new and decadent grasses to encourage the growth of forbs, shrubs and trees, the preferred food for deer. The timing and duration of grazing on the Premises will allow native grasses a chance to recover and avoid impacts to riparian areas from cattle sheltering from the summer heat. This duration also helps to increase the diversity of plants for all wildlife species. In addition, grazing also helps maintain nutrient cycles, watershed functions, soil stability, and energy flows. Grazing Prescription Cattle grazing will be allowed during the annual grazing period only, from January 15 through May 15 each year during the permit term and in compliance with this Site Operations Plan. Residual Dry Matter (RDM) Target: Based on the recommendations outlined in The Effects of Cattle Grazing on Black-Tailed Deer During Winter on the Tehama Wildlife Management Area by Kie and Boroski (1995) and Guidelines for RDM on Coastal and Foothill Rangelands in CA. publication 8092, the goal is to leave a minimum of 446 Ibs/acre and maximum of 800 lbs/acre of RDM within the Premises the end of the annual grazing period. The Animal Unit Months (AUMs) shall be based on a starting point of 80 AUMs per 640 acres, but this number can be adjusted based on habitat goal needs. The Permit will be for four years and seven months only, without an option to extend. For the purposes of this Permit, an AUM is defined as any of the following: cowcalf pair = 1 Animal Unit (AU), dry cow = 1 AU, mature bull 1.35 AU, yearling cow 0.6 AU. The Permittee is required to meet with CDFW staff or their designee before the annual grazing period to discuss the stocking regime. One of the key issues relating to the annual grazing period is to avoid impacts to riparian and wetland areas from cattle seeking forage, water, and shade. Even distribution of cattle on the Premises is critical to the success of the grazing program at TWA. The CDFW must be notified, in writing, of brands which identify the Permittee’s cattle. Monitoring Requirements The Permittee is required to measure RDM and provide data, results and the locations for any monitoring sites used for RDM measurements. The CDFW will periodically monitor the Premises to obtain or verify RDM levels. If requested, the Permittee will adjust stocking rates and/or move livestock as requested to ensure habitat conditions are met. The Permittee is required to meet with CDFW staff or their designee after the annual grazing period to discuss any issues. Emergency Response The Permittee must be able to respond to an emergency on the Premises within two hours.
