California Resources Corporation
Elk Hills Conservation Area
Tupman, California, United States
Certified through 2024
Project Name
Project Type
Elk Hills Conservation Area
Other Habitats
About the Program
California Resources Corporation’s (CRC) Elk Hills Conservation Area is located in the southern San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. Here, the team at CRC maintain 8,053 acres of lower Sonoran grassland, valley saltbush scrub, and valley sink scrub habitat for the benefit of threatened and endangered animal species of the San Joaquin Valley.
Practices and Impacts
California Resources Corporation’s (CRC) Elk Hills Conservation Area is located in the southern San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. Here, the team at CRC maintain 8,053 acres of lower Sonoran grassland, valley saltbush scrub, and valley sink scrub habitat for the benefit of threatened and endangered animal species of the San Joaquin Valley.
Practices and Impacts
- Started in 1998, the project covers 8,053 acres of grassland-type habitat where 45 wildlife species were observed in 2021 and 38 in 2022.
- The area connects with surrounding habitats to offer wider conservation and connectivity benefits that span ~32,000 acres.
- The team manages the habitat through periodic controlled grazing, which last occurred in 2021.
- By monitoring the presence of target species, such as kit foxes, blunt-nosed leopard lizards, and kangaroo rats, the team has found that habitat health degraded over time due to lower precipitation levels.
