Coyote Creek Mitigation Preserve Permanently Protected!
“The Coyote Creek Mitigation Preserve reflects our long-term commitment to protecting Northern California’s most valuable natural resources,” said Paul Vienneau, Executive Director. “By safeguarding these lands, we ensure clean water, healthy habitats, and a future for species that depend on them.”
Shasta Land Trust is proud to announce the protection of the Coyote Creek Mitigation Preserve, an ecologically rich property that supports a diversity of sensitive habitats and species. Located within a critical watershed, this preserve will now be permanently protected as part of the Coyote Creek Wetlands Restoration Project, implemented under the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Sacramento District California In-Lieu Fee Program (ILF Program). The project was designed by Vollmar Natural Lands Consulting, and is being implemented by Stillwater Plains Mitigation Bank, Inc.
The Coyote Creek conservation easement safeguards vernal pools, swales, annual grasslands, and both intermittent and perennial streams—ecosystems that provide essential habitat for rare and threatened species such as the vernal pool fairy shrimp (Branchinecta lynchi), northwestern pond turtle (Actinemys marmorata), California linderiella (Linderiella occidentalis), dwarf downingia (Downingia pusilla), and legenere (Legenere limosa).
The restoration project aims to establish over 10 acres of aquatic habitat, including approximately:
1.85 acres of emergent marsh
2.44 acres of intermittent stream
0.44 acre of perennial stream
3.23 acres of vernal pools
2.55 acres of vernal swales
Additionally, 0.95 acre of vernal pools will be rehabilitated. These improvements will restore natural hydrology and promote long-term ecological resilience across the property.
Ongoing land management will be supported by a Long-Term Management and Maintenance Fund, established by the ILF Program. This funding ensures the landowner can complete critical stewardship activities such as fence repairs, erosion control, and road maintenance, while meeting conservation objectives. Cattle grazing will be used as a natural management tool to reduce invasive grasses and maintain vernal pool health.
To ensure proper management and maintenance, Shasta Land Trust staff will monitor the site in perpetuity, including assessing grazing levels using Residual Dry Matter (RDM) sampling, and biologists will track wetland health through California Rapid Assessment Method (CRAM) surveys.
Although the preserve lies adjacent to Interstate 5 corridor, Coyote Creek flows beneath the highway, serving as a natural wildlife corridor and connecting vital habitats.
We deeply appreciate Glenn Hawes for their dedicated leadership and unwavering commitment to conservation. His efforts have been key to preserving the vital ecosystems within the Coyote Creek Mitigation Preserve, ensuring the protection of native species, water resources, and natural habitats that are essential to the area’s environmental health.
