Restoring Bella Vista's Blue Oak Woodlands: New Leaf to Provide Landowner Assistance in New Pilot Program
Blue oak woodlands are a vital part of California's ecological heritage – supporting a wealth of biodiversity, filtering our air and water, and helping mitigate climate change. For all these benefits, over the past decade, Bella Vista's woodlands have deteriorated due to invasive grasses and rising temperatures that have stunted oak regeneration. This degraded ecosystem is not only less beautiful but also less conducive to wildlife and more susceptible to wildfires.
A new 100 acre pilot project in Bella Vista, CA – in partnership with Point Blue Conservation Science, the Bella Vista Foundation, and New Leaf Climate – aims to reverse this trend and breathe life back into these degraded woodlands. The project is working towards 50% overstory canopy cover with healthy blue oak trees. To get there, we will remove and replace invasive understory with a flourishing mix of native grasses and shrubs like purple needlegrass, ceanothus, and coffeeberry. We will target riparian areas, improving watershed health through increased soil water retention and stabilization. The resulting transformed habitat will be home for a variety of wildlife, with a special focus on attracting the iconic Monarch butterfly.
Meeting a Growing Need
Restoration efforts in the state are critically dependent on private non-industrial landowners. While California’s 52.2 million acres of public lands are high profile targets for innovative restoration strategies and funding, approximately 11.5 million acres of the timberlands are owned by small acreage, non-industrial private landowners with massive potential to restore their landscapes. Unfortunately, most struggle to access the capital and technical services needed to plan and implement restoration projects. (See more on the challenge and potential for private land restoration here.)
The Bella Vista project is a great case study within our wider strategy: New Leaf Climate Partners is building the first-ever Nature Development Financial Institution (NDFI) focused on providing financial and technical assistance to rural and underserved communities. This NDFI will support private landowners in their efforts to conserve and restore their landscapes to benefit climate, biodiversity, and local economies.
Program Services
Under the Bella Vista pilot, New Leaf will assist landowners through a combination of:
Local Forester Coordination: connecting with local experts to ensure the appropriate needs are met for the specific region.
Project Aggregation and Site Planning: collaborating with landowners to select an appropriate site for restoration on their land and creating outreach materials for adjacent landowners to amplify the impact and efficiency.
Plant Selection: curating a palette of native, locally-adapted plants appropriate for the site by working with local foresters and ecologists to weigh factors that include climatic trends, existing private and municipal infrastructure, and planting and maintenance considerations.
Funding Management: sourcing and structuring funding to mitigate upfront costs for landowners who are seeking support on restoring and protecting their properties.
Carbon Project Implementation: piloting carbon projects to generate revenues for landowners that can offset the long-term costs of maintenance.
This summer, New Leaf will begin Phase 1, which focuses on landowner engagement, project planning and initial site prep. In the fall, we will move to Phase 2: planting and riparian restoration.
Learn More
The Bella Vista blue oak woodland restoration project is about more than just planting trees. New Leaf is restoring a vital ecosystem, creating a haven for wildlife, and reminding us of the beauty and importance of the natural world around us. Further, the project exemplifies the value of empowering landowners and communities to access the resources and tools they need to restore landscapes under their stewardship.
We'll share updates as the project progresses, in our newsletter – follow along here; in the meantime, we encourage you to learn more about blue oak woodlands and reach out to discuss restoration projects. Together, we can ensure a healthier future for our planet, one restored ecosystem at a time.