Restoration site at Panorama Vista Preserve - Photo Credit: Jacob Byers/USFWS

By Joeph Byers, Kern NWRC

The U.S. Fish and WIldlife Service's Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program was established to aid and promote habitat restoration on privately owned lands. The relationship that has developed between the partners program at Kern National Wildlife Refuge Complex in California, and the Kern River Corridor Endowment and Holding Company is an example of a successful partnership. 

KRCE is a non-profit organization that owns and manages the Panorama Vista Preserve located along the Kern River on the east side of Bakersfield. The preserve contains more than 900 acres of land. Even though the preserve is private property, it is open to the public for low impact recreation such as hiking, bird watching, cycling and horseback riding.

One of the main goals of KRCE is to restore the riparian habitat that once covered the preserve. When the preserve was acquired, there was a small amount of remnant riparian habitat adjacent to the Kern River. With no resources but volunteers and donations from local businesses and individuals, KRCE started their restoration effort with small -cale planting of trees and shrubs, and would water them by hand using 5-gallon buckets.

In 2008, the Service's Partners Program became involved in the restoration activities being when KRCE was awarded $25,000 from for restoration work. The Service staff also introduced KRCE to River Partners, is a non-profit organization that specializes in riparian restoration.

With the help of River Partners, the Service, and a lot of dedicated volunteers, KRCE has been able to increased their restoration efforts. They were able to rehabilitate an old well on the property and improve their watering methods from 5-gallon buckets to a drip system. In 2011 KRCE finished planting 30 acres of riparian habitat. This restoration is the first of three phases of planned on the preserve.

The Partners Program has already dedicated another $25,000 to go towards the second phase of restoration. With the help of River Partners, KRCE has applied for grant money to complete the second phase of habitat restoration which would restore an additional 129 acres of habitat on the preserve.

For more information on Panorama Vista Preserve, visit the preserve’s website at http://www.panoramavista.org/.