Blue Ridge National Wildlife Refuge
Fact Sheet | Species List | Volunteer | Contact Wildlife Refuge Manager
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Fact Sheet
Refuge Facts | Natural History | Refuge Objectives | Management Tools | Public Use Opportunities | Contact the Wildlife Refuge Manager | Volunteer Opportunities
Download this Fact Sheet
Printer Friendly
Refuge Facts
Established in 1982 as a refuge in the Kern National Wildlife Refuge Complex (NWRC). In 2000 Kern NWRC transferred the management of the Refuge over to the Hopper Mountain NWRC
Acres: 897 acres.
Location: Tulare County, California; approximately 11 miles north of Springville and 17.5 miles northeast of Porterville. top
Natural History
Three vegetation types occur on Blue Ridge; coniferous forest, chaparral, and woodland-savannah. The Foothill Woodland plant community consists of dense or open woodland with scattered brush and grassland between the trees. Some of the plant species common to this community include: blue oak, Sierra live oak, common buck-brush, California laurel, California buck-eye, and several species of grasses. Chaparral is the most common plant community on Blue Ridge, with riparian corridors distributed throughout the topography. Species within the Yellow Pine Forest community include: ponderosa pine, sugar pine, incense cedar, black oak, white fir, mountain misery, deerbrush, Sierra gooseberry, and Indian Manzanita.
The Blue Ridge area supports a variety of wildlife. Birds include mountain quail, blue grouse, band-tailed pigeon, great horned owl, White-headed woodpecker, Steller’s jay, mountain chickadee, white breasted nuthatches, and Townsend’s solitaire. Mammals include mule deer, mountain lion, bobcat, coyote, red and gray foxes, striped skunk, porcupine, mountain cottontail, Douglas squirrel (chickeree), western gray squirrel, and yellow pine chipmunk. top
Refuge Objectives
The refuge was established to protect critical habitat for the endangered California condor. The property was declared critical habitat on the basis of its importance as a traditional roosting area for condors. It also serves to complement the condor’s historical foraging area known generally as the “foothill foraging zone,” which begins around Glenville and the Greenhorn Mountains and spreads north into central Tulare County. top
Management Tools
Fire Management.
As California condors return to the area more active management may be pursued at the Refuge. Wild condor AC9, released in May 2002 after 14 years in captivity, was recently tracked to the Refuge via satellite transmitter. top
Public Use Opportunities
The Refuge is closed to the public to protect critical habitat for California condors and to limit disturbance to condors in the area.
Contact the Wildlife Refuge Manager
Wildlife Refuge Manager: Dan Tappe
Email Address: Dan_Tappe@fws.gov
Mailing Address: PO BOX 5839 Ventura, California 93005
Phone Number: (805) 644-5185
Back to Top
|
