Gray
Lodge Wildlife Area, located in Butte County of Northern California, serves many
purposes to surrounding communities, including wildlife. Divided in two
segments, this refuge serves the wildlife and recreational desires of visitors;
one segment is for the waterfowl to rest, and the other designated for hunting.
Approximately 50,000 visitors come to this Wildlife refuge every year. Various
activities and events bring spectators of nature and sport hunting year round,
regardless of weather. Hunting is only allowed three days a week in the season
designated. Visitors travel here to observe waterfowl in courtship activities,
migration, or to bird watch in general. Of the 50k visitors every year, 15,000
are hunters. Through fees paid for the privilege to hunt this protected area,
the hunters pay for the luxury of viewers or spectators. Grey Lodge Wildlife
Area when first bought in 1931, being only 2,500 acres and 9,200 acres
presently. An abundant water supply is needed to manage this area, with most
water coming from Lake Oroville. Although a wildlife refuge areas are initially
viewed as natural, they factually are not different from any ranch. The land is
totally managed, with the same tactics and equipment, with one thing different;
this being the harvesting of crops. All crops are actually harvested by the
waterfowl and wildlife. In parts of the year, marshes are burned, and some land
is disked to regenerate new growth. The management of this area is a 365-day
job, with flooding, seasonal hazards, and poachers. Forty percent of management
time is spent on water management, being the whole livelihood to the refuge
area. Along with bird watching sites and special segments for hunting, there are
special access sites for the disabled hunters. These are special blinds
accessible with a placard from the Department of Motor Vehicles, and are an
outcome from the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA. The walkway to these
special blinds is laid with sand and other materials, somewhat solidifying, for
the use of a wheelchair. Like any community, disease and sickness occur in the
wildlife area. Prompt action is vital to the population of waterfowl, and
overall wildlife. Fowl Cholera is a nasal born disease occurring during a severe
cold spell, or water conditions available just are not right. Mammals and small
rodents are also known to perish as a result from this disease. All waterfowl
and animals need be disposed, for the attempt to save remaining in jeopardy.
Vegetation management is also an issue on this wildlife refuge. The use of
herbicide to control various exotic, unwanted, class one pests is common. The
Arundo, a giant bamboo cane, is a flood control inhibitor, and difficult to do
away with. Most of the biomass to this plant is underground and in this area.
Grey Lodge in the fourth year of treatment has an Arundo Eradication Team,
emphasizing the need to rid of this weed. Other plants on this wildlife refuge
native, or not; desirable or not; are-milkweed (undesirable), native blackberry
(desirable), non-native blackberry (undesirable), and parrots feather
(undesirable aquatic weed). Summary Gray Lodge Wildlife Area, located in Butte
County of Northern California, serves many purposes to surrounding communities,
including wildlife. Divided in two segments, this refuge serves the wildlife and
recreational desires of visitors; one segment is for the waterfowl to rest, and
the other designated for hunting. Only three days of the week are designated as
hunting days, leaving the other four to strictly sightseeing and management
time. The three days of hunt are Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. The privilege
to hunt includes a fee, which in turn, allows other events on the refuge to be
free of fees. Approximately 50,000 visitors come to this Wildlife refuge every
year. Visitors travel here to observe waterfowl in courtship activities,
migration, or to bird watch in general. All crops are actually harvested by the
waterfowl and wildlife. Vegetation management is also an issue on this wildlife
refuge. Other plants on this wildlife refuge native, or not; desirable or not;
are-milkweed (undesirable), native blackberry (desirable), non-native blackberry
(undesirable), and parrots feather (undesirable aquatic weed).