For most endangered species in the San Joaquin Valley, the only hope for recovery, until recently, has been acquisition, restoration, and management of the few intact habitat remnants left after 100+ years of land conversion. The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, passed in 2014 and designed to help California achieve groundwater sustainability, has given these species another pathway to recovery, through restoration of the more than 500k acres of farmland expected to be retired to achieve groundwater sustainability. Over the past five years, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and partners have identified properties across the Valley that will allow us to achieve species recovery – with restoration – of more than 20 species over the next 25 years and for sustainable farming to continue in the Valley, while supporting clean water and air initiatives. And now, in partnership with diverse farming, conservation, and community partners, TNC has begun to experimentally design habitat restoration projects to be cost effective learning laboratories that will realistically allow us to scale the initial 500-acre pilot projects to more than 50,000 acres over 25 years. Working together with seed companies and restoration and farming professionals, we are testing novel approaches to habitat design and creation while laying the groundwork for sustainable native seed production, all with an eye towards developing new economies of scale that will support more and more efficient future projects.

Scott Butterfield, PhD, is The Nature Conservancy’s Lead Scientist for TNC's Land Program in California. Scott leads the Strategic Restoration Strategy in the San Joaquin Valley, the Rangeland Management Team at the Jack and Laura Dangermond Preserve, and is TNC’s Lead for participation as a Managing Partner at the Carrizo Plain National Monument.Scott leads a San Joaquin Desert research team made up of university, agency, and NGO scientists, focused on addressing recovery goals for threatened and endangered species like blunt-nosed leopard lizard, giant kangaroo rat, and San Joaquin kit fox. Scott holds a Ph.D. in Plant Biology and Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior from Michigan State University where he studied the application of remote sensing and other geospatial technologies to rangeland management and monitoring, and also their effect on and usage by the California rancher and range management community.