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From the sky, California’s mountain meadows — verdant high-country wellsprings of the state’s creeks and rivers — shine like pearls amidst the dark green forests that surround them.
With its September purchase of Child’s Meadow — a 1,440-acre mix of creeks, springs, mountain meadows and conifer forest south of Lassen Volcanic National Park — The Nature Conservancy is helping to preserve the area’s ecology while continuing to support its traditional rural economy.
The property rests at 5,000 feet and is well-known for its spectacular views along State Highways 36 and 89. It was purchased from the Simmons Family Trust; the family, longtime area residents, for many years moved their horse herd between Child’s Meadow and Chico.
“Child’s Meadow is especially critical for birds and the property’s creek plays an important role in the regional watershed,” says Rich Reiner, a senior ecologist for The Nature Conservancy. “Plus, these meadows are also a keystone of the rural economy because of the grazing land they provide.”
A Haven for Wildlife
Child’s Meadow is part of the Lassen Foothills, a 900,000-acre region stretching from Lassen Peak to the Sacramento River that makes up one of the largest unfragmented and most biologically diverse landscapes in California.
The property serves as the headwaters of Deer Creek and helps protect a rare salmon run. Mountain meadows store cold water from winter storms and slowly release it into waterways through the hot, dry summer. The water releases from Child’s Meadow are critical to the survival of Deer Creek’s spring-run salmon, a genetically distinct sub-species listed as threatened by state and federal resource agencies.
Child’s Meadow is also important to large numbers of rare and declining bird species. Willow flycatchers, yellow warblers and greater sandhill cranes find important riparian habitat along Gurnsey Creek, which winds through the property. The Point Reyes Bird Observatory has been monitoring various species along portions of Gurnsey Creek below Child’s Meadow since 1997; its findings show that this area supports one of the most diverse bird populations in the region.
Mixed-Use Solutions Crucial to Preservation
Protecting landscapes for both their natural and economic values is critical in places like the Lassen Foothills, where lasting conservation results often depend on collaboration with local landowners.
Because ranching is so important to the local economy, most mountain meadows remain in private hands. This makes them particularly vulnerable to commercial development — such as the destination resorts that are cropping up in similar settings. Property owners stand to reap huge profits from land sales, but the resulting habitat loss and fragmentation can harm landscapes and rural economies alike.
Child’s Meadow has supported local grazing operations for roughly 100 years and the Conservancy’s management plan will allow sustainable, seasonal grazing to continue through a lease with a local rancher. As a result, the property will contribute to the local economy and The Nature Conservancy will be able to improve the wildlife habitat by using managed grazing techniques.
Because Child’s Meadow will remain a working ranch, public access will be through arranged tours only. For more information, contact The Nature Conservancy at 530-897-6370.
Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © Ian Shive (Child's Meadow); Photo © Ian Shive (Rich Reiner looking out over Child's Meadow).
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