U.C. Sierra Foothills Research adding 41 acres
The University of California Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center could get fractionally bigger, if a land conservation group hands over title on Wednesday.
About 41 grassy acres near Smartsville would become part of the center, and the interim center director said the land would probably be used for the same purpose as center lands nearby: Studying what happens when cows stay off.
"It's suitable to be part of what we consider for nongrazing research," said Dustin Flavell, the center's superintendent and interim director since the previous director retired this year. The research center now has about 5,700 acres.
The land donation will be discussed at a meeting Wednesday in Sacramento of the Pacific Forest and Watershed Lands Stewardship Council.
A 2003 settlement between Pacific Gas & Electric Co. and the state Public Utilities Commission created the council, which is responsible for managing 140,000 acres of PG&E watershed lands to ensure they stay in conservation and are available for recreation, agriculture and open space preservation.
Other council activities include designating the Bear Yuba Land Trust as the holder of conservation easements for all lands in PG&E's Narrows planning unit, which includes parts of foothills Yuba County.
