Rumsey Prescribed Grazing

Yolo County Resource Conservation District (RCD) is working with a qualified local grazing professional, a Certified Rangeland Manager, and private landowners to implement prescribed grazing with the purpose of reducing fire danger throughout the community of Rumsey. The project area is in the valley floor of the Capay Valley along Highway 16 in predominantly historical agricultural land. The project sites range from moderate to very high fire severity and were selected for their high biomass, predominantly invasive grasses, and proximity to the community- additional sites in Rumsey may be added in upcoming years, if funding allows. Prescribed grazing will be implemented using goats and sheep to create a buffer of reduced vegetation, and grazing will be controlled and temporary. Grazing will be high-density, short duration grazing and sheep/goats will be rotated through smaller paddocks within the project sites. This grazing project adds to other fuels reduction work spearheaded by the RCD and local partners to create a managed buffers throughout/around Rumsey where fire approaching from the north, east or west would slow to provide better conditions for firefighting and protect evacuation routes. A Rangeland Management Plan was prepared by RCD and certified by a Certified Rangeland Manager. A desktop review for Rumsey was conducted by RCD staff and included queries in the California Natural Diversity Database, iPAC, iNaturalist, and the California Native Plant Society Rare Plant Inventory. Thedesktop review resulted in an extensive list of potential resources that RCD staff have used to guide their on-the-ground surveys. Site surveys identified potential sensitive resources, such as blue elderberry shrubs, wetlands and ephemeral drainages, and a great blue heron rookery. Elderberry shrubs within project footprints will be fenced off to create a 20-foot no disturbance buffer from the dripline. Appropriate buffers around wetlands and riparian areas will also be implemented to exclude sheep and goats from waterways. In regard to the great blue heron rookery, grazing will be timed when great blue herons are no longer on-site. Based on the results of the desktop review and biological surveys, the project has been designed so it will not cause significant adverse impact to special status species with likelihood to occur near the project site. Work may occur during nesting bird season. If work commences during nesting bird season (February 1st to September 15th), the project area will be surveyed for nesting birds by a qualified biologist, no more than one week before operations. If nesting birds are located, the RCD will develop measures to ensure no significant impact to species that are consistent with the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.