West Mojave Plan FEIR/S - Desert Managers Group

As of March 2004, BLM had acquired 61,247 acres through the LTA program. In exchange,BLM has provided 18,359 acres to non-government entities.3.1.2 Other State and Federal Agencies3.1.2.1 United States National Park ServiceThe National Park Service manages 294,500 acres within the southern reach of theplanning area. This is the northern half of Joshua Tree National Parkwhere Mojave Desertvegetation and wildlife prevail before entering the transition to the somewhat different conditionsfound in the Colorado Desert subdivision of the Sonoran Desert. Conservation managementwithin JTNP is important for protection of the adjacent Pinto DWMA for the desert tortoise,bats, the Mojave fringe-toed lizard, the Little San Bernardino Mountains gilia, bighorn sheep,and a diversity of more common desert plants and wildlife.3.1.2.2 California Department of Fish and GameCDFG has acquired lands throughout the western Mojave Desert by direct purchase forwildlife conservation or by acceptance of mitigation and compensation lands from landdevelopers. CDFG owns a total of 14,550 acres within the planning area. The location andstatus of these lands is described below.Camp Cady Wildlife Area (1,552 acres): Camp Cady is a riparian oasis on the MojaveRiver, located between Barstow and Afton Canyon. The CDFG manages this site for wildlifeprotection, and it serves as a refugium for the endangered Mojave tui chub, an endemic fish. Themesquite thickets and riparian forest support a number of declining bird species, includingLucy’s warbler, yellow-breasted chat, yellow warbler, summer tanager and LeConte’s thrasher(Schroeder, 1993, Tennant, 2002). The highest numbers of Lucy’s warbler within the westernMojave Desert occur at Camp Cady, and this site is important for nesting and wintering raptors,including golden eagle, prairie falcon, and ferruginous hawk. The western portion of CampCady contains sand dunes and hummocks supporting the Mojave fringe-toed lizard.Studies of the vegetation and hydrology at Camp Cady have shown a decline in the vigorof the riparian habitat, including stress and failure in reproduction of mesquite thickets.Lowering of the groundwater table during the spring is the identified cause (Lines, 1999).Fremont Valley Ecological Reserve (1,090 acres): The CDFG owns five propertieswithin desert tortoise critical habitat in the Fremont Valley. The lands are managed forconservation of the desert tortoise and Mohave ground squirrel. Other species, includingLeConte’s thrasher, Barstow woolly sunflower and desert cymopterus may occur, but have notbeen verified.Hinkley Conservation Easement (7.5 acres): CDFG owns a conservation easement ona parcel near Hinkley Road south of Highway 58 about nine miles west of Barstow.Chapter 3 3-11