Area: 37 acres
Location: Unincorporated Santa Cruz County, California
Date Acquired: 2007
Acquisition Type: CNLM holds a conservation easement to protect the imperiled species and their habitats on the preserve.
Key Habitats: Coast Oak Woodland, California Mixed Evergreen Forest and California Annual and Perennial Grassland
Species of Special Interest to CNLM: Santa Cruz long-toed salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum croceum)
Introduction
The Center for Natural Lands Management (CNLM) was granted a Perpetual Conservation Easement Grant in 2007 over the 37-acre Tucker Pond Preserve in unincorporated Santa Cruz County, California. The landowner is responsible for implementing the conditions of a Habitat Conservation Plan and maintaining preferable habitat conditions for the listed species onsite and in the general area of the Preserve.
Conservation Significance
The Tucker Pond Preserve is located in the Aptos/Freedom area of Santa Cruz County, California. The Preserve surrounds the Tucker Pond and supports primarily live oak woodland, coastal scrub and grassland, with lesser amounts of redwood forest, evergreen forest, and willow riparian habitat. Tucker Pond, which is generally perennial, supports emergent freshwater marsh habitat.
The Preserve provides breeding and upland habitat for the Santa Cruz long-toed salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum croceum), which is listed as endangered under both federal and state Endangered Species Acts. The Habitat Conservation Plan also covers the federally threatened California red-legged frog (Rana aurora draytonii), which has not been observed to date onsite but is known from the vicinity.
Our Work
Management is the responsibility of the landowner and primarily consists of biological monitoring for the Santa Cruz long-toed salamander, control of invasive predator species such as bullfrogs, invasive plant species control, and property protection. Invasive plant species control has focused on pampass grass (Cortaderia selloana) removal, but other species such as cape ivy (Delairea oderata), French broom (Genista monspessulana), and poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) are present on site. CNLM monitors the Preserve to ensure that no prohibited activities are occurring and that there is compliance with the terms of the Conservation Easement.
Public Access
Due to the vulnerability of the species and habitats that exist on this preserve, it is not open to the public.
Contact
For information and inquiries about Tucker Pond or the Center for Natural Lands Management, please contact Regional Preserve Manager, Cathy Little, at 760.731.7790 extension 209 or email clittle@cnlm.org.