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Central Valley Project Conservation Program FY22

Projects

Project Proposed Activity Funding

Capinero Creek Property 

Acquisition 

Tule Basin Land and Water 

Conservation Trust

Negotiate and purchase 467.29 acres of the 

Capinero Creek 840 Property from the Pixley 

Irrigation District. The property lies adjacent 

to the western boundary of Pixley Irrigation 

District. Species to benefit include bluntnosed leopard lizard, Tipton kangaroo rat, 

and San Joaquin kit fox.

Funds to restore habitat to the property will 

be from FY 2023 funds.

$0 of FY 2022

$4,200,000 of prior year award 

deobligations, in particular 

$3,000,000 from a failed land 

acquisition effort proposed in 

a 2014 interagency agreement 

with BLM

Disease Risk to Conservation 

and Recovery of San Joaquin 

Kit Foxes: Mange Mitigation 

and Distemper Threat 

Assessment

CSU Stanislaus Endangered 

Species Recovery Program

The objectives are to (1) determine the 

extent of spread and population impacts of 

sarcoptic mange on San Joaquin kit foxes, 

and develop and implement strategies to 

control or eliminate mange, (2) determine 

spatial patterns of exposure of kit foxes to 

the canine distemper virus and identify 

factors associated with exposure (e.g., 

proximity to domestic dogs, gray foxes), and 

(3) assess the magnitude of risk posed by 

disease to the conservation and recovery of 

San Joaquin kit foxes.

$479,577

San Joaquin Kit Fox 

Genomics: Effects of Disease 

on the Metapopulation 

Connectivity and Genetic 

Health

UC Davis

Conduct a high-resolution population 

genomic study of San Joaquin kit foxes in 

the western Kern/Taft, Carrizo, and Panoche 

core populations. Will assess 

metapopulation level impacts of recent 

disease-related population declines, and will 

provide essential baseline information 

needed to guide management actions 

related to disease dynamics and control 

strategies. Dr. Brian Cypher of ESRP 

(proposal S-2) is a collaborator on the 

research and their research will enhance 

each other’s.

$222,140

A total of $405,294 are from a 

combination of the FY 2022 

funds and prior year award 

deobligations ($183,154)
2 

Project Proposed Activity Funding

Rustan Ranch Conservation 

Easement Acquisition Project

California Rangeland Trust

Purchase of a conservation easement on the 

1,023-acre Rustan Ranch in southwest San 

Joaquin Co. south of Tracy. The Ranch 

contains annual grasslands, blue oak-conifer 

savannah and woodland, sage scrub, and 

riparian habitats. It contains 2.5 miles of 

seasonal creeks, a spring, and six stock 

ponds. Preservation of the Ranch will serve 

to protect rangeland habitats of the San 

Joaquin valley floor. Species to benefit 

include California red-legged frog and San 

Joaquin kit fox, and includes potential 

habitat for large-flowered fiddleneck.

$319,996

A total of $832,567 are from a 

combination of the FY 2022 

funds and prior year award 

deobligations ($512,571)

Construction of a 

Conservation Building for 

Captive Propagation of 

Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizards 

at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo

Fresno Chaffee Zoo

Will construct a conservation building to 

house a blunt-nosed leopard lizard captive 

propagation program, aiming to maintain a 

colony of 20 breeding pairs. Progeny will be 

repatriated to the BLM-owned Panoche 

Plateau to reestablish the population. The 

building will also provide space for captive 

propagation of additional species of concern 

in the future.

$0 of FY 2022

A total of $769,295 are from a 

combination of prior year 

award deobligations

($248,749) and FY 2022 FWS 

HRP funds ($520,546)

Invasive Species Removal at 

Kern National Wildlife 

Refuge

U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service, Kern NWR

Will result in the removal of salt cedar from 

approximately 650 acres. Will result in the 

restoration of alkali scrub habitat to benefit 

San Joaquin kit fox (documented at the 

Refuge in 2022) and Tipton kangaroo rat.

$215,334

Large-flowered Fiddleneck 

Captive Propagation

Vollmar Natural Lands 

Consulting

Will provide for the removal of livestock 

management fencing installed as part of the 

2016 large-flowered fiddleneck captive 

propagation grant.

$0 of FY 2022

$15,000 from prior year award 

deobligations

FY 2022 Project Costs 

Total

N/A $1,237,047

Program Administrative 

Costs

Includes $60,124 for DOI Appraisal & 

Valuation Services Office charges.

$329,953

Program Administration & 

Overhead Costs Total

N/A $1,567,000