 Ageless is the impulse that beckons birds ducks and geese home to this wintering ground near Los Banos California. In the months ahead these and other species will rely on marshes slews grasslands and woodlands for rest and rejuvenation in preparation for their other ageless impulse spring migration to northern breeding grounds. In 1850 spectacular concentrations of waterfowl thrived in the Central Valley of California. The huge bowl between the coastal and Sierra Nevada mountains formed immense wetland habitats and fertile lands. Before settlement the valley sustained one of the richest most diverse wildlife populations in North America. After settlement water diversion and flood control projects turned the valley into the richest agricultural basin in North America. Lands that sheltered and nourished elk, deer, grizzlies and birds now nourish people instead. Today only 8% of the original wetlands remain. Of these remaining wetlands only half are protected from conversion to other uses. One of the last native wetlands is the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex, comprising the San Luis and Kesterson refuges. As many as 200 different species of birds have been sighted here. The complex is one of eight wildlife management areas in the Central Valley. Some are federal or state-owned others are private. Most government-owned lands are managed for wildlife including habitat for wintering waterfowl. Many privately owned lands are managed as winter or seasonal wetlands and are grazed during dry months. Many adjoining lands have been developed for agriculture. Nearby the once sleepy communities of Los Banos, Castine and Merced are expanding. Regrettably as wetlands are converted to other uses feathered migrants return each year to find less and less habitat to feed and shelter them. Some are in danger of disappearing forever. Because most of the birds that winter in the Central Valley nest and raise their young in Canada, these birds must have enough quality habitat in both countries to survive. Habitat is vital not only as winter refuge but also as a source of protein, calcium and other nutrients needed for successful spring migration and the initiation of nesting. Recognizing that habitat is crucial to waterfowl populations, in 1986 the United States and Canada signed the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. Its aim is to restore waterfowl populations on the North American continent to levels that existed during the 1970s by creating and improving habitat. Although wetland habitat continues to shrink, there is an opportunity to halt this trend and help meet the objectives of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. Land on existing wildlife management areas is now being cultivated for ponds by the Fish and Wildlife Service. A proposal to add to these lands was announced in November 1989 by Secretary of the Interior Manuel Lujan. The proposal is to acquire 23,500 acres of additional land from willing sellers in the Northern Central Valley to be reclaimed for wetlands. This proposal grew out of deliberations over wildlife problems uncovered at Kestres and Reservoir and was developed jointly by the California Department of Fish and Game, Bureau of Reclamation and Fish and Wildlife Service. The proposal will allow the agencies to enhance over 6,200 acres of existing wetlands, create 4,500 acres of additional wetlands and manage the remaining acreage as upland habitat and pasture for wildlife. Current public wildlife areas in the Northern Central Valley are patches of habitat separated by mostly agricultural land. These protected lands include the Los Bano State Wildlife Area, managed by the California Department of Fish and Game, the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge, managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Grassland State Park, managed by the California Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Kestres and National Wildlife Refuge, also managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service. Such unconnected habitats present problems for less mobile terrestrial wildlife. To protect species that depend on wetlands, it is important to have a large tract of land with suitable habitat and a reliable source of quality water. So to link these public wildlife areas, 23,500 acres of private lands have been marked for habitat development and management. Managing these lands as a single parcel is the cornerstone of this wetlands effort, called the San Joaquin Basin Action Plan. This effort comes with unique challenges. One will be finding a way to create, preserve, and operate wetlands as a single ecological unit in harmony with neighboring land uses. All habitat types are important because different vegetation supports different species. Restoring and maintaining wildlife diversity will depend on restoring diverse habitat. Existing habitat within the boundaries of the San Joaquin Basin Action Plan includes grasslands, wetlands, riparian or streamside areas, and croplands. But much of the land is degraded and of little value for habitat. Much of the native grassland is overgrazed. Unmanaged marshes, slews, and oxbows have unreliable water supplies, since natural flooding no longer occurs. With restoration and management under the Action Plan, these lands can be reclaimed as prime habitat. Grasslands will be restored by re-establishing annual and perennial grasses that are indigenous to the area. Some croplands will continue to be planted to produce food for migratory birds. Riparian land will also be reclaimed and managed as habitat. Seasonal marshes that are flooded only during winter rains will be improved by assuring a more reliable water supply. Man-made levees and dikes will control water levels in marshes. 52,000 acre feet of water from the Federal Central Valley Project is already committed for use on these lands. Other possibilities include better management of supplies by conjunctive use of surface and ground waters and additional supplies from the Central Valley Project. Also, the newly purchased lands have water rights. To ensure water quality for wetlands, the partner agencies are also working with neighboring water districts, such as the Grassland Water District and Resource Conservation District. Lands acquired through the San Joaquin Basin Action Plan will be managed not only for waterfowl food supply, nesting, and upland habitat, but also for various other uses, such as wildlife viewing, hunting, photography, and learning. Now, because the owl is a fully protected species, you can't even have their feathers. It's against the law. So we'll need to go back out to the trees and leave the feathers. And if you'd like to take your owl... While issues such as water supply and wetlands management may take time to fully settle, there is a sense of urgency with respect to carrying out the Basin Action Plan. Wetland acreage in the Central Valley has declined so sharply since the first settlement of the valley that it is in grave danger of disappearing. If these wetlands disappear, so will the number of wildlife that rely on them for all or part of their life cycle. Four species of geese, tundra swans, twenty species of ducks, and numerous other migratory birds winter in the area. Eleven species of ducks are full-time residents, breeding and raising their young here. Endangered birds such as the Aleutian Canada goose, southern bald eagle, and peregrine falcon rely on the wetlands. California threatened species include the Swainsons hawk and greater Sandhill Crane. Federal candidate species include the white-faced ibis and tricolored blackbird. Other species of concern in the area are the western snowy plover, white pelican, double quested cormorant, and many other birds. Over 10,000 of these lesser Sandhill Cranes use the area during the winter. Other winter visitors include black-necked stilts, snowy and greater egrets, great blue herons, and black crowned night herons. Raptors found within the San Joaquin Basin include varieties of hawks and owls, northern herriers, black-shouldered kites, and American kestrels. All species need good quality habitat to nourish them, to allow them to rest, make it through the winter, and survive. With a California population of 30 million people growing by three-quarters of a million every year, the picture for wildlife habitat in the state is clear. Land and water areas for wildlife will continue to shrink unless we act now to protect them. In 1988, the president announced his support for wetland stewardship, underscoring the importance our nation places on wildlife preservation and management. California was endowed with lands rich in natural resources. Implementation of the San Joaquin Basin Action Plan and the cooperative efforts of the California Department of Fish and Game, Bureau of Reclamation, and the Fish and Wildlife Service will preserve a haven for wildlife in the Central Valley. Your help, cooperation, and support for this program will make all the difference in safeguarding this legacy today and for generations to come.