Building Wildlife Habitat and Community Resilience on Working Lands - Roots 178

The Wildlife Conservation Board is advancing the *Building Wildlife Habitat and Community Resilience on Working Lands - Roots 178* initiative on the 540-acre Nyland property in San Juan Bautista, San Benito County, California, acquired by the San Benito Agricultural Land Trust in June 2023. The project focuses on ecological restoration of a riparian corridor along a creek and its 900-foot unvegetated tributary, with the removal and replacement of 5,461 linear feet of existing fencing with wildlife-friendly alternatives to exclude cattle and protect aquatic and terrestrial habitats. The Amah Mutsun Land Trust, an Indigenous-led nonprofit founded by the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, is leading native seed collection, propagation, and planting efforts through its Native Stewardship Corps, supported by student volunteers from Point Blue’s STRAW Program and local partners to establish native vegetation, remove invasive weeds, and promote pollinator biodiversity. The restored 7.21-acre habitat aims to benefit species including coyote, bobcat, skunk, long-tailed weasel, birds, and pollinators by reconnecting riparian corridors on working ranchland. Compliance with environmental regulations is ensured through a CEQA categorical exemption under CCR Section 15304 for minor land alterations, with the Notice of Exemption signed on October 6, 2025, and the project forecast posted on October 7, 2025. The project is administered by the Wildlife Conservation Board, with Rebecca J. Fris serving as the primary contact, and funding is sourced from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, though no contract value, pricing, or formal acquisition terms are specified in the publicly available documentation. There are no identified federal acquisition clauses, evaluation factors, contracting officer designations, or formal delivery schedules, indicating this is an environmental restoration effort governed by state-level environmental exemptions rather than a competitively awarded federal contract.