Leader of Blue Ridge Berryessa Group Wins BOASC Award

Raymond Krause, leader of the Blue Ridge Berryessa Natural Area Conservation Partnership (BRBNA), has won the 2001 Bob Walker: Bay Area Open Space Conservation Award. Given by the Bay Area Open Space Council, the award honors an individual who brings diverse people together to advance the cause of land conservation. The BRBNA was created by Krause four years ago, bringing together private landowners, nonprofit organizations, and governmental agencies to preserve 500,000 acres of land in Napa, Solano, Lake, Yolo, and Colusa counties. Known for its unique assemblage of ecological communities, the proposed natural area is one of the largest remaining swaths of undeveloped land close to the Bay Area. It includes serpentine chaparral, grasslands, oak woodlands, and extensive riparian and cliff habitats. Wildlife species abound, as do indigenous serpentine plants. Krause became involved in this area while working as the environmental manager of Homestake Mining Company’s McLaughlin Mine, located near Lake Berryessa. In addition to making the mine a model of environmental compliance, he developed plans for post-closure use of the large property that included creating a field station and working with the UC Natural Reserve System. In its short lifetime, BRBNA has already protected over 30,000 acres; plans for another 30,000 acres are in the pipeline.