Field Trips

 Gill Ranch Conservation Bank & Van Vleck Mitigation Bank 

Friday, May 11, 2011 — 11 a.m.–4 p.m.
Buses depart from the Sacramento Convention Center
Hosted by Conservation Resources and Westervelt Ecological Services

Tour a mitigation bank and conservation bank. Begin with a visit to Gill Ranch Conservation Bank followed by a tour of Van Vleck Mitigation Bank.

Gill Ranch Conservation Bank, established by Conservation Resources, occupies approximately 1,800 acres of the 7,052 acre Gill Ranch in southeast Sacramento County. An agricultural preserve, Gill Ranch consists of wetlands, gently rolling grasslands, and sections of both Laguna and Browns Creeks. The property is an active ranch with grazing for over 2,000 head of cattle. Gill Ranch Conservation Bank includes available vernal pool crustacean habitat credits for both the vernal pool fairy shrimp and the vernal pool tadpole shrimp, with over 55 acres of vernal pools and seasonal wetlands. Gill Ranch has the distinction of being one of the only banks in the area with tadpole shrimp credits. Documented occurrences of wildlife on the ranch also include Swainson’s hawk, California tiger salamander and the burrowing owl.

Van Vleck Mitigation Bank. Van Vleck Mitigation Bank serves as the IRT training manual site. The 775-acre Van Vleck Mitigation Bank established by Westervelt Ecological Services is located in eastern Sacramento County, near Rancho Murieta. Comprised primarily of rolling grassland habitat, the landscape supports several vernal pool complexes, drainage channels, seeps, and artificial ponds. The Bank has received authorization to sell vernal pool creation, vernal pool preservation, and Swainson’s hawk foraging credits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S. EPA, and California Department of Fish & Game.

Cosumnes Floodplain Mitigation Bank
Sutter Basin Tour
Van Vleck Mitigation Bank & Gill Ranch Conservation Bank
Liberty Island Fish Bank

EARLY Registration: $45 (before January 25, 2012)
PRE-CONFERENCE Registration: $55 (before March 15, 2012)
LATE Registration: $75 (after March 15, 2012; if space available)
REGISTER NOW!