Tule Elk State Natural Reserve

In the context of Tule Elk State Natural Reserve, it becomes increasingly pertinent to address the importance and relevance of this topic. For a long time, Tule Elk State Natural Reserve has captured the attention of people from various disciplines, generating passionate discussions and even controversies. From its origins to the present, Tule Elk State Natural Reserve has made a significant impact in different sectors, influencing not only the way people think and act, but also policies, the economy and society as a whole. This is why it is crucial to fully explore all facets of Tule Elk State Natural Reserve, to understand its true scope and influence in today's world.

Tule Elk State Natural Reserve
Location8653 Station Road, Buttonwillow, CA 93206
Nearest cityTupman, California
Coordinates35°19′17″N 119°21′51″W / 35.3214°N 119.3642°W / 35.3214; -119.3642
Created1932
OperatorCalifornia State Parks
www.parks.ca.gov?page_id=584

The Tule Elk State Natural Reserve, formerly the Tupman Zoological Reserve, is a protected area operated by California State Parks for the benefit of the general public and the at-risk tule elk subspecies of indigenous Cervus canadensis. There are usually about 30 to 35 tule elk in the conservation herd on the 960-acre (390 ha) reserve in Kern County, California, United States.

History and ecology

Once upon a time, tule elk were to California's Central Valley what the American bison was to the Great Plains. As a Modesto Bee staff writer explained in 1976, "In less populated times grizzly bears roamed the Central Valley and tule elk and pronghorn antelope grazed on the perennial bunch grasses." Under hunting and habitat pressure, the population of indigenous tule elk (Cervus canadensis nannodes) in California collapsed to double digits by the late 1800s. Rancher Henry Miller of the Miller and Lux Ranch, however, made a project out of sheltering the surviving individuals that lingered in the wetlands surrounding Kern County's Buena Vista Lake. By 1914, the Kern County herd protected by Miller had grown to about 400 head. The Tupman Zoological Reserve was established in 1932 with about 175 tule elk from the Miller and Lux Ranch herd. The state of California took over the site in 1953. The Tule Elk State Natural Reserve has constructed ponds, and supplemental food is provided for the animals, without which the population could not survive. The ponds are necessary since local waterways do not flow through the reserve unless water from canals is diverted to the historic Buena Vista Slough, a slow moving waterway which historically created the tule bog habitats preferred by the elk. Native plant species found at the reserve include tule, milkweed, mule fat, willow, mesquite, rabbitbrush, and a variety of wildflowers including goldfields.

Other herds in the state, such as those in the Owens Valley and near San Luis Obispo, were established using individuals from the Tule Elk State Natural Reserve. The Owens Valley herd was established in 1972 with two males and three females from the Tule Elk Reserve. Five bulls and 23 cows from the reserve founded the SLO herd in 1989. As of 2023, there were approximately 6,000 tule elk in the state.

Access

Access to the park is off Stockdale Highway and Morris Road. Admission is $8 per car. Amenities include restrooms, drinking fountains, a visitor center, a viewing platform, and a picnicking area.

Most of the reserve's 960 acres are considered ecologically sensitive and are closed to the public. Ranger-led tours are typically offered the fourth Saturday of the month at 10:00 AM, except in December. Pets are prohibited on the ecologically sensitive portion of the reserve.

Circa 1993 about 30,000 people visited the park annually. The reserve abuts the Elk Hills Oil Field, formerly the Naval Petroleum Reserve. Nearby protected areas include Kern National Wildlife Refuge and Fort Tejon State Historic Park.

See also

References

  1. ^ Neher, Nancy (October 10, 1976). "Valley farms, industry take heavy toll on nature". The Modesto Bee. p. 8. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
  2. ^ a b c d Thomas, Pete (February 23, 1994). "No Horns of a Dilemma". The Los Angeles Times. p. 44. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
  3. ^ Historic spots in California. Stanford University Press. 1990. p. 131. ISBN 978-0-8047-1734-2.
  4. ^ a b c "Tule Elk SNR". CA State Parks. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
  5. ^ a b c d Off the Beaten Path: A Travel Guide to More Than 1,000 Scenic and Interesting Places Still Uncrowded and Inviting. Reader's Digest. 2003. p. 44. ISBN 978-0-7621-0424-6.
  6. ^ National Audubon Society (1998). National Audubon Society Field Guide to California: Regional Guide: Birds, Animals, Trees, Wildflowers, Insects, Weather, Nature Pre serves, and More. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. p. 416. ISBN 978-0-679-44678-1.
  7. ^ Environment, United States Congress House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries Subcommittee on Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the (1974). Tule Elk Refuge: Hearings, Ninety-third Congress, First Session. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 233.
  8. ^ Perry, Charles (July 3, 1988). "Back to the Gold Rush In Which the Author Retraces the Steps of His Great-Grandfather in 1849, When Things Looked Mighty Different in California". Los Angeles Times Magazine. Los Angeles Times. p. 14. Retrieved 2023-09-23 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Castleman, Terry (April 10, 2023). "SoCal's Superbloom". The Los Angeles Times. pp. B2. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
  10. ^ "Near Lone Pine and Independence". Times-Press-Recorder. April 20, 1972. p. 34. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
  11. ^ "Herd of tule elk is transplanted here". The Tribune. October 4, 1989. p. 5. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
  12. ^ a b c Stienstra, Tom; Brown, Ann Marie (April 21, 2020). Moon California Hiking: The Complete Guide to 1,000 of the Best Hikes in the Golden State. Avalon Publishing. ISBN 978-1-64049-896-9.
  13. ^ a b c d Elk Hills Naval Petroleum Reserve No.1: Environmental Impact Statement. 1993. pp. 3.7–7.
  14. ^ "Tule Elk State Natural Reserve Auto Safari". The Sentinel. February 19, 2020. pp. A4. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
  15. ^ "Trip of the Week". Anaheim Bulletin. March 6, 1970. p. 51. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
  16. ^ "State parks beckon along I-5". The News and Observer. December 14, 2008. p. 76. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
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