OBJECTIVE
The main objective of this thesis is to provide a land management plan with management standards and guidelines that will promote the conservation and protection of existing wildlife on Cal Poly properties in San Luis Obispo county, while being economically viable and maintaining the educational requirements of the university.
The development of a wildlife management plan represents the first step in an ongoing program of balancing agricultural production with sustainable biodiversity management. This management plan proposes the management of Cal Poly properties as a wildlife refuge by providing measures to protect and enhance the existing wildlife while maintaining the agricultural needs and integrity of the university. The US Fish and Wildlife Service defines a wildlife refuge as areas of “lands and water sufficient in size, diversity and location to make available, now and in the future, public benefits that are associated with wildlife, particularly migratory birds and endangered species” (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1972).
Table 1. Land uses at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, include urban, agriculture, rangeland and recreation (Stechman 1987).
|
Land use class |
Acreage |
Percent of total land |
|
Urban land |
||
|
Residential student housing |
44 |
0.7 |
|
Commercial and service areas |
20 |
0.3 |
|
Vehicle parking |
65 |
1.1 |
|
Academic and administration |
179 |
2.1 |
|
Agricultural land |
||
|
Croplands and pastures |
590 |
9.9 |
|
Orchards, vineyards, horticulture |
62 |
1.1 |
|
Confined feeding operations |
122 |
2.1 |
|
Rangeland |
||
|
Herbaceous rangeland, grazed |
3,951 |
66.4 |
|
Undeveloped land |
||
|
Mixed rangeland and woodland, |
919 |
15.4 |
|
TOTAL |
5,952 |
100 |
Guidelines in this thesis provide recommendations for management of the wildlife on all the properties based on the current, resident species and their natural histories, as well as consideration of any special requirements for migratory species. In addition, the management recommendations take human land use into account and provide for student safety, educational opportunities, and enjoyment. These guidelines were developed with input from the colleges and departments most directly affected, including the College of Agriculture (Department of Natural Resources Management, Department of Animal Sciences, Department of Crop Sciences, Department of Soil Sciences) and the College of Science and Math (Department of Biological Sciences).
Finally, this management plan proposes guidelines for the conservation and enhancement of habitats that are compatible with the educational and recreational uses of the properties.
The management plan incorporates an assessment of successful programs for management of wildlife in farmlands (Warner and Brady 1994), rangelands (Kie et al. 1994), wetlands (Fredrickson and Laubhan 1994), and forestlands (Mannan et al. 1994), and the recommendations provided in this thesis are based on the applicability and feasibility of these programs to Cal Poly’s situation.