New manager seeks balance between habitat and agriculture
Chico Enterprise Record - 8/5/02
By Heather Hacking, staff writer

Dawit Zeleke took over the Sacramento River project for the Nature Conservancy recently, stepping into the hot seat of contention over handling of restoration projects put into motion more than 15 years ago.

During a recent interview, Zeleke said he has a hard time understanding why some people are so adamantly against efforts to restore a very small percentage of habitat that once thrived in the valley.

Habitat and agriculture are natural neighbors and can co-exist for the benefit of both, he said.

In an age of ever decreasing tolerance of pesticides, creatures such as song birds can help keep pests at bay in or-chards while nesting in nearby habitat.

For a decade and a half, various state, local and federal agencies been working toward the goal of restoring a more natural, yet limited, meander zone on 18,000 acres of land along the river from Big Chico Creek to the Tehama County line.

Plans for the entire river include a 33,000-acre corridor from Red Bluff to Colusa.

It all started with Senate Bill 1086, which includes support from state and federal wildlife agencies and local government to start setting aside habitat.

Over time, that goal is getting close to being achieved.

So it's puzzling why now there seems to be mighty opposition, Zeleke said.

Some have been asking for a moratorium on new habitat conversions, citing concerns about the effects the land could have on adjacent farms.

Recently Butte and Colusa counties voted on the Board of Supervisor level to send a letter to Gov. Gray Davis asking for a moratorium on new habitat conversions.

But he is confident he isn't the only crusader for habitat. Zeleke said he gets calls all the time from farmers who are interested in selling property that floods along the river. He said he believes, in the current climate with loud opposition to the Nature Conservancy, people who appreciate river restoration are afraid to speak out.

He also noted that thousands of acres of land along the river are already in habitat because individual farmers recognize the aesthetic value of wildlife, like to hunt on their land, and want to give a little land to nature.

Thinking ahead and rebuilding habitat is a wise move, he said. As California continues to add population, more and more land will be developed. If the state waits until more species are endangered, then the Endangered Species Act could be applied in areas where it is not today. And those restrictions could be much more threatening than preserving some land along the river, he said.

He said the fears that farmers will be punished for accidentally killing endangered species in their farm operations are unfounded. Only one man has ever been arrested for killing endangered species and that was because he was intentionally hunting kangaroo rats, Zeleke said.

He said some ag industries are embracing the interdependence between nature and agriculture. Flooded rice fields in winter have become prime feeding ground for waterfowl. But farmers also value the extra nitrogen the birds provide and their aid in helping break down rice straw.

In the future, he said he thinks consumers will pay a premium for food that is grown in a watershed that protects habitat. Already consumers can buy "salmon-friendly" products. A national home supply chain markets ecologically harvested wood. Consumers take note of these things and spend accordingly.

The Nature Conservancy frequently gets blamed for taxes lost to counties because state and federal agencies don't always pay property taxes when land is put into public hands.

Zeleke's predecessor, Sam Lawson, has said publicly that he agrees that the government should come through with those funds.

Zeleke said two bills are working their way through Congress. A bill in the House of Representatives would require permanent funding to counties for public land, as would Senate Bill 454.

While many express fear of the Nature Conservancy, Zeleke said it's an irrational fear. The Nature Conservancy isn't intent on restoring the river to its natural state. To do that, you'd have to remove Shasta Dam and all of the levees, which would destroy the economy.

Even after the limited river meander zone is complete, the river will be far from natural.

But the point is, Zeleke said, that only a tiny amount of important habitat remains, and that small amount deserves to be protected.

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