The Sand Creek Conservation Bank is located in northern Tulare County at the base of the Sierra Nevada foothills. This 498.38 acre conservation bank was developed to increase regional habitat conservation for the California tiger salamander, the San Joaquin kit fox, and various vernal pool branchiopods. Prior to entitlement as a conservation bank, the property was owned and operated by a local cattle ranching family whose management objective was maximization of long term yields from the cattle operation. The landowner retained fee title ownership of the property as well as the right to continue cattle grazing, and Wildlands developed the property’s conservation rights. This special agreement enabled the long-time cattle rancher to continue grazing his ground with only minor modification to the grazing regime toward the new objective of maximizing habitat value for the California tiger salamander, the vernal pool branchiopods and the San Joaquin kit fox.

Wildlands gained approval of the Bank by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) on October 3, 2007 to offer vernal pool preservation, California tiger salamander and San Joaquin kit fox conservation credits.

Species Habitats Present On-site

• Vernal Pool Fairy Shrimp (Branchinecta lynchi)
• California Tiger Salamander (Abystoma californiense)
• San Joaquin Kit Fox (Vulpes macrotis mutica)
• Western Spadefoot Toad (Spea hammondii)
• Western Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia)