wildlife

Santa Cruz Land Trust Executive Director Sarah Newkirk, California Secretary of Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot and Santa Cruz County Supervisor Bruce McPherson. Photo courtesy of Caltrans District 5.

Environment / Nature

Wildlife crossings at highways bringing safer travels for all in San Benito County

Projects in Santa Cruz and Pacheco Pass reconnect habitats and reduce animal-vehicle collisions.

Newly hatched blunt-nosed leopard lizard. Photo by Mark Halvorsen and courtesy of BLM.

News Release

Breeding program for endangered blunt-nosed leopard lizards announced

The blunt-nosed leopard lizard was listed as an endangered species at the state and federal level in the mid 1960s.

Adult condor in Pinnacles holding pen. Photo by Carmel de Bertaut.

News

Six condor chicks spotted on Central Coast this year after population decline in 2020

But lead poisoning caused seven of this year’s nine condor deaths to date and is considered a top threat to the long endangered species.

The road leading to the San Justo Reservoir is closed to public access. File photo by Noe Magaña.

Housing / Land Use

Resident urges county to work on reopening San Justo Reservoir

Supervisors add their support, plan to dig into details at June meeting.

Panoche Valley Preserve. Photo by Center for Natural Land Management (CNLM Staff)

Housing / Land Use

Panoche Valley Preserve Opens

Conservation land to mitigate for solar farm is now in operation.

A mid-winter view of Sparling Ranch. Photo by Steve Rottenborn.

Agriculture

Portion of Sparling Ranch is now conservation bank

Extreme patience and an eye for a potentially valuable product helped Michael Anderson complete a development and move mitigation requirements to a new, faster moving business model.

Wildlife Reproductive Season. Photo by Carmel de Bertaut

COLUMN: Give Wildlife Space

Wildlife are gearing up for spring reproduction. It is a stressful time for them and they need to given the space they need to take care of young.

Barth rescues a downed red-tailed hawk near Sun Coast Bakery.

Agriculture

Barth is a rescuer of wild animals

Hollister resident Deanna Barth is there to help animals in need through Wildlife Emergency Services

Photo by Kristi Parker Johnson

Agriculture

River restoration creates critter highway

Pajaro River restoration project creates safe corridor for wildlife to travel between mountain ranges

heron rescued.jpg

Police / Fire

Injured great blue heron found near Ridgemark had been shot

$5,050 reward offered for information on who shot the animal

feral cats

There’s a Killer in the House

Free-roaming domestic cats extract a bloody toll

San Benito map detail

Government / Politics

San Benito County Focus of Statewide Conservation Initiative

South County residents are concerned about the program's effect on private ranch land

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