160 ACRES IN THE CACHE CREEK NATURAL AREA PROTECTED!
View of the protected property
On August 2, 2006, the Trust purchased 160
acres of hilly terrain in the Cache Creek Natural Area from
the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. The property was once part
of the historic Payne Ranch, which straddles Highway 20 in
Colusa County, California northwest of Sacramento. The rolling
hills of the Payne Ranch support several small streams in
the Bear Creek watershed, which is an important tributary
to Cache Creek. The 160 acres of land protected by the Trust
drape over the eastern flank of Blue Ridge, where serpentine
soil types create habitat conditions for unusual plant species,
including many endemics. The site supports chaparral, blue
oaks, foothill pine woodland, and grassland with notable patches
of native grasses and wildflowers.
A Leather Oak on the property
The Cache Creek Natural Area is one of many
wildland regions experiencing increasing pressure from development
and recreation as Bay Area and Central Valley populations
expand. The Natural Area contains one of the most pristine
and largely unfragmented chaparral ecosystems remaining in
the state, and hosts the second largest wintering bald eagle
population in California. Other wildlife found in the area
includes a herd of tule elk (the world’s smallest species
of elk), black bear, beaver, river otter, bobcat, mountain
lion, prairie falcon, and golden eagle. The Natural Area offers
numerous recreational opportunities, including hiking, horseback
riding, and whitewater boating and contains significant Native
American cultural sites, some of which date back approximately
5,000 years. On October 17, 2006 the Northern California Coastal
Wild Heritage Wilderness Act was signed into law, officially
designating Cache Creek as wilderness!
