After 7 years of development, the Campbell Ranch Conservation Bank has been certified by the United States Fish and
Wildlife Service, and has opened for business. Limited numbers of Vernal Pool Preservation Credits are available for
sale at this time.
The Campbell Ranch Conservation Bank is at the southwest end of the Sacramento
Valley, and at the northern end of the "Dixon Vernal Pools National Natural
Landmark" in south central Solano County. The project site is strategically
located adjacent to other protected areas such as the Jepson Prairie
Preserve to the south, owned by the Solano Farmlands and Open Space Foundation. Although used for
grazing for the last few decades, the vicinity of the site contains some of
the most well preserved examples of two natural habitats indigenous to
California; native perennial grasslands and vernal pools.
Three major habitat types, grassland, vernal pools and marsh/slough,
provide habitat for many rare species of plants and animals. Much of the
land retains its natural swale and mound topography typical of the Solano
and San Ysidro soils present. Several stands of Valley Needlegrass
Grassland, considered by the California Department of Fish and Game to be a
significant natural community, occur on the site. Many grasslands
authorities believe that this was the prevalent grassland community in
California's Central Valley prior to the arrival of Spanish settlers, and
only a few relic stands exist.
Wetlands and waters of six kinds are located on the property; vernal pools,
ryegrass swales, alkaline depressions, Barker Slough and its tributaries and
adjacent wetlands, ponded depressions, and drainage ditches excavated in
wetlands. Each of these wetlands provides habitat for a different group of
rare, threatened or endangered plant and animal species, and special natural
communities. The perennially ponded waters and adjacent wetlands behind the
man-made dam provide a unique resource, attracting waterfowl and other
acquatic species such as turtles, beaver and muskrat that would otherwise be
absent from this area in the summertime.
The Campbell Ranch Conservation Bank provides the opportunity not only to preserve habitat and serve in compensatory
mitigation for special-status plant and animal species, but it also provides the opportunity to re-establish or create
habitats thus assisting in the Nation's policy of "no-net-loss" of wetlands. Prior excavation of portions of the Bank
have resulted in the creation of several replacement vernal pools which have been successfully repopulated with
significant, rare, threatened, and/or endangered species of wildlife. The Campbell Ranch Conservation Bank can provide
preservation mitigation credits for development projects in the
Solano-Colusa Region as defined
by the California Department of Fish and Game, while preserving these precious habitats.
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Special status plant species requiring mitigation which are provided by the
Campbell Ranch Conservation Bank include the following:
Dwarf downingia and Dwarf Peppergrass
Dwarf Downingia
Seventeen other rare and/or endangered species of plants exist in the
vicinity of the Bank. These include:
Mason's lilaeopsis, Suisun Marsh Aster, Carquinez goldenbush, Contra
Costa goldfields, Bearded popcorn flower, Legenere, San Joaquin
spearscale, Ferris' milkvetch, Alkali milkvetch, Showy Indian clover, Lobb's
aquatic buttercup, Crampton's tuctoria, Delta mudwort, Fragrant fritillary,
Bogg's Lake hedge-hyssop, Colusa grass and Little(or sessile) mousetail
In addition, two rare plant communities under study of the Natural
Diversity Database, Non-Game Heritage Division of the California Department
of Fish and Game may also be included as compensatory mitigation
opportunities;
Northern Claypan Vernal Pool and Valley Needlegrass Grassland.
Compensatory mitigation opportunities for special status animal species provided by the Campbell Ranch Conservation Bank include:
Vernal pool fairy shrimp, Vernal pool tadpole shrimp, Delta green ground beetle, California tiger salamander , Northwestern pond turtle, Swainson's hawk.
"Vernal Pool Fairy Shrimp"------>
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An endangered, newly recognized fairy shrimp with very restricted
distribution, formerly only known in Sacramento County,
Branchinecta
mesovalliensis, or "Midvalley fairy shrimp
", has also been identified. Several other rare and/or endangered species of animals exist in the vicinity
of the Bank, and may be reintroduced to this site under compensatory mitigation measures: Giant garter snake, Great
egret, Northern harrier, California red-legged frog, Burrowing owl, and Tricolored blackbird. Watch for Phase II of our
Campbell Ranch Conservation Bank in which we will be offering Creation credits as we restore habitats and reintroduce
these species.
Please click here to see how we can help you solve your mitigation needs or to discuss purchasing preservation credits for your project.
Please click here to purchase vernal pool preservation credits.
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