Posted on March 5, 2025
The funding will be used for wetland restoration, biodiversity, water quality and water conveyance structures, among others.
The California Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) approved 14 habitat protection and restoration projects spanning 14 counties across more than 4,700 acres at its February 26, 2025, quarterly meeting.
One of the grants restores 1,300 acres of tidal marsh habitat at the Congressman Pete Stark Ecological Reserve at Eden Landing, near the cities of Hayward and Union City on the east San Francisco Bay shoreline. This landscape-scale restoration project balances the needs of tidal marsh-dependent and estuarine species with waterbirds that rely on pond habitats by enhancing existing ponds and restoring tidal wetlands.
The WCB’s $5.35 million grant to Ducks Unlimited, Inc. — in a cooperative project with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), California State Coastal Conservancy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — increases biodiversity, improves water quality, protects bayside communities against extreme weather events and improves opportunities for public access and recreation.
“Southern Eden Landing is a unique stretch of East Bay shoreline that plays a critical role for waterbirds, fish, other wildlife and people,” said Renee Spenst, Ph.D., regional biologist for Ducks Unlimited, San Francisco Bay and California Coast, in a press release. “This project represents true landscape-scale restoration, providing homes for plovers, terns, rails, salmon, sturgeon and leopard sharks. It is situated in an easily accessible location near the communities of Union City and Hayward, for all Bay Area residents. The WCB’s partnership is essential to the success of this significant endeavor, joining other federal, state, regional and nonprofit partners.”
WCB’s grants advance California Governor Gavin Newsom’s goal of conserving 30% of California’s lands and coastal waters by 2030, an initiative known as 30×30. The initiative seeks to protect biodiversity, expand access to nature for all Californians and fight and adapt to climate change.
Notable projects include:
- A $10.6 million grant to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) for the State Route 91 B Canyon Wildlife Crossing in Riverside County — a project identified on the CDFW Wildlife Barrier Priorities List as a critical step toward restoring habitat connectivity in Southern California. This initiative aims to counteract habitat fragmentation, which threatens the genetic health of local mountain lion populations.
- A $4 million grant to the Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency for the preservation of Richmond Ranch, protecting 1,218 acres of critical habitats and biodiversity while also providing future opportunities for wildlife-oriented public use. The property borders thousands of acres of protected land, enhancing connectivity and ensuring long-term ecological and recreational benefits for Santa Clara County.
- A $5.77 million grant to the California Waterfowl Association (CWA), in collaboration with CDFW, to upgrade water conveyance structures and improve water use efficiency to enhance the management and stewardship of wetlands at the San Jacinto Wildlife Area in Riverside County.
- A $728,000 grant to Save Mount Diablo to acquire 98 acres of oak woodland and grassland habitat at Ginochio Schwendel Ranch, adjacent to Mount Diablo in Contra Costa County. This project enhances connectivity between Mount Diablo, surrounding protected areas and the Marsh Creek corridor, benefiting wildlife such as the iconic golden eagle, the Alameda whipsnake and several listed amphibians.
