The region between Raccoon Creek and the Bear River represents the largest contiguous area of oak woodlands remaining in Placer County. Home to our Big Hill Preserves, this area contains some of the last roadless areas in western Placer County. Over 300 species of wildlife inhabit Placer County’s oak woodlands, including mountain lions, bobcats, several species of hawk, rodents, snakes, owls, and songbirds.
But oak woodlands — particularly blue oaks — are struggling in some of these areas. We are seeing a lack of younger oak trees, which would naturally replace the older generations of trees.
The majority of the woodlands where blue oaks grow on our preserves are agricultural lands used for cattle grazing. This is great for fire safety and control of some invasive species, but it also makes it harder for new trees to get established. In some of these areas, land was originally cleared for grazing by the systematic removal of oaks.
This long history of grazing, in conjunction with other native grazers, has made it hard for tender young saplings to take root and thrive. It typically takes 10 years of protection from grazing for a sapling to be strong enough to withstand further grazing. And of course, many animals eat acorns: rodents, insects, birds, deer, and wild pigs all rely on them as a food source. Drought has also increased mortality of older oaks. In a natural woodland setting, there would be enough acorns to feed wildlife and still produce new trees, but some of the woodlands in our area need a little extra help… which is where our Oak Regeneration Project comes into play!
This project aims to increase the regeneration rate of oak saplings on our Preserves by planting new oaks and protecting them from grazing and wildlife. Our team of staff and volunteers identifies existing young oak saplings and protects them with fallen branches, building barricades that mimic natural oak “nurseries” to decrease predation from grazers like deer and cattle. Saplings are then carefully mapped for tracking. In the fall, we will also begin collecting acorns from our preserves and planting them to grow more stands of young trees.
In addition to tending young oaks, Placer Land Trust works with our grazing tenants to implement a conservation grazing model which consists of seasonally rotating grazing areas and stocking cattle at a lower density for a lighter graze. Together, these strategies are helping to regenerate our oak woodlands and ensure their beauty and benefits for generations to come!
Want to help Placer Land Trust regenerate oaks? Do you have a group or organization that would like to participate in this project? Email or call 530-887-9222 to learn more and get involved!