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RCA highlights Reynolds Reserves as ‘Reserve of the Month,’ profiles local species
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Summary
Staff presented the Reynolds Phase 1 and 2 reserves (about 642 acres acquired in Feb. 1989 for roughly $3.4 million using local mitigation fees), described habitats and covered species and fielded board questions about long‑tailed weasel biology.
At the Jan. 5 meeting Carol Thompson, Senior Management Analyst with the RCA, presented the Reynolds Phase 1 and Phase 2 reserves as the meeting’s Reserve of the Month.
Thompson said the two parcels total about 642 acres, lie in unincorporated Riverside County north of Lake Elsinore, and were acquired by the RCA in February 1989 for approximately $3,400,000 using MSHCP local development mitigation fees. She described the sites as gently rolling hills with grassland, sage scrub and chaparral habitat, an ephemeral drainage feeding Temescal Creek, and vegetation communities that support covered species.
Thompson highlighted several MSHCP‑covered species documented at the reserves — including the coastal California gnatcatcher, Colter's Matillaha poppy, Belding's orange‑throated whiptail and Bell's sage sparrow — and explained how reserve assembly and connectivity support wildlife movement across the plan area. She also provided an extended natural‑history note on the long‑tailed weasel, describing body length, diet, habitat preferences and reproduction; when board members asked follow‑up biological questions (mating frequency, litter size, lifespan), Thompson gave partial answers (one litter per year; litter size about four to nine pups) and said she would follow up on unanswered items such as typical lifespan and dominance behavior.
The board thanked Thompson for the presentation and moved on to the executive director’s report and closed session.
Next steps: staff will follow up on biological questions raised by board members and continue reserve stewardship and monitoring.
