Preserve Manager Bureau of Land Management El Dorado Hills, California, United States
Background/Question/Methods
The Pine Hill Preserve (PHP) was established in April 2001 to ensure that habitat for eight rare plant species growing on gabbro soils in western El Dorado County, California, would be protected from factors threatening their survival and recovery. The soil, rolling topography, and Mediterranean climate in the PHP area support about 10 percent of the total vascular plant species in California, and include several species that are protected under Federal and State laws and are considered narrow endemics.
Ten Federal, State, and local agencies and organizations work together under a Cooperative Management Agreement to protect and manage rare plant habitat at PHP. As of 2022, 4,940 acres have been designated, purchased and/or donated to form the PHP system of protected and managed lands. Because fire is a natural component of the PHP habitats, the use of prescribed burns and mechanical treatments to reduce shrub competition with the rare plants has been implemented over eight percent of occupied rare plant habitat with favorable results: Decreasing canopy cover increases distribution of rare plants and promotes native plant diversity.
Results/Conclusions
Botanical and wildlife studies in the PHP vicinity have yielded species lists of more than 640 plants, 105 birds and 150 native bees. Habitat and plant monitoring, genetic studies for rare plants, and studies for rare plant-pollinators interactions help to guide habitat management decisions at the PHP. Also, as of 2021, more than 234 collections of native seeds, following the US Bureau of Land Management Seeds of Success protocol, help to bank native germplasm and provide seeds for habitat restoration purposes.
Education and Outreach events are important activities at the PHP. Each year at least 30 events, including guided visitor tours, field classes, and training sessions, take place on PHP-managed lands. Additionally, the PHP Manager and biological technicians mentor several interns.
Working in close coordination with partners has resulted in a successful conservation effort for the gabbro soil rare plants. The partners contribute through regulatory actions, funding of staff and management projects, providing technical advice and ensuring the conservation of the PHP rare plant habitats in perpetuity.
