Kit Fox Fund Fact Sheet (../files/Kit_Fox_Fund_Fact.pdf) The Nature Conservancy in California Press Releases Search All Press Releases Misty Herrin Phone: (213) 327-0405 E-mail: mherrin@tnc.org

Program Protects More Habitat for Kit Fox at Carrizo Plain

San Luis Obispo, Calif. — May 30, 2007 — A collaboration between The Nature Conservancy, the County of San Luis Obispo, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) has resulted in the protection of an additional 222 acres of the Carrizo Plain. Two properties were purchased in March, and one in April, by BLM with funds gathered through an innovative program that pools local mitigation fees and directs them to the best available habitat for San Joaquin kit fox in the County.

“The Carrizo supports the core population of kit fox in the County,” says Bob Stafford of the California Department of Fish and Game. “Purchasing land there greatly advances the protection of kit foxes in San Luis Obispo County.”

State law requires that developers who destroy kit fox habitat must mitigate the impact on the species by preserving suitable habitat elsewhere. Under a program developed in 2003 by SLO County, DFG and The Nature Conservancy, landowners can voluntarily pay mitigation fees into a “kit fox fund” in lieu of setting aside parcels of land themselves. The DFG determines appropriate fees based on the impacts that proposed development will have on kit foxes.

“Through the kit fox fund, we can work with our partners to make the wisest conservation investments,” says Tom Maloney, project director for the Conservancy. “By pooling mitigation fees and targeting high quality habitat in key locations, we can ensure more effective conservation for the dollar.”

The Conservancy, a non-profit organization which uses science to set conservation priorities, is charged with allocating the funds. To date, the Conservancy has allocated $250,000 to BLM to purchase parcels on the Carrizo Plain valley floor and incorporate them into the National Monument.

“The benefit of purchasing land with in the Monument is that it protects habitat for the Kit Fox as well as many other sensitive species that inhabit the area,” states Johna Hurl, BLM Monument Manager “Additionally, the acquisition of in-holdings will foster more comprehensive management of the Monument’s resources.”

“We are very pleased that the fees are being used by the BLM to ensure the long-term viability of the kit fox population by protecting habitat that is contiguous to the kit fox core population area,” said Julie Eliason, Environmental Resource Specialist for the County. “This action is consistent with the County's policies on balancing development with the protection of natural resources.”

Called “the Serengeti of California,” the Carrizo Plain is a last remnant of the arid grasslands that used to cover California’s vast San Joaquin Valley. As a result, the Plain is a rare remaining sanctuary for many severely threatened species, including the blunt-nosed leopard lizard and giant kangaroo rat. Envisioned in the 1980’s with major acquisition throughout the 80’s and 90’s, the 250,000-acre Carrizo Plain was designated as a National Monument in 2001, and is jointly managed by the Bureau of Land Management, The Nature Conservancy and the California Department of Fish and Game.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.