… The California Wildlife Conservation Board, a state agency dedicated to protecting California’s biological diversity, has approved $59.5 million in grant funding to preserve nearly 23,000 acres of some of the state’s most ecologically significant habitats, a May 23 news release from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife shows. … For instance, the beleaguered Salton Sea, which is at risk of drying out and releasing toxic dust if left unattended, will receive $5.2 million in funding to restore over 560 acres of crucial wetland habitat. … One of the more significant awards is a $14.75 million grant to acquire nearly 6,500 acres of land in Ventura County home to at least 20 special-status species, including the California red-legged frog and the Southern California steelhead. 

Other habitat restoration and protection news:

• Calexico Chronicle (Calif.): Officials celebrate flooding of expanded habitat at the Salton Sea
• E&E News by Politico: Fish and Wildlife Service extends debate on California frog habitat
• Imperial Valley Press (El Centro, Calif.): California Wildlife Conservation Board awards IID a $5.2 million grant
• The Conversation: Blog: Managing forests and other ecosystems under rising threats requires thinking across wide-ranging scenarios