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Map Satellite Portions of Long and Honey Lake Valleys and of the Fort Sage Mountains are included in this large wildlife area which is managed primarily as the wintering grounds for the Lassen-Washoe mule deer herd.
Vegetation in the area is predominantly a Great Basin sagebrush scrub, with Artemisia tridentata, bitter brush, Purshia tridentata (the prime browse species), curl-leaf mountain mahogany, Cercocarpus ledifolius, Western juniper, Juniperus occidentalis, and Atriplex spp. among the more conspicuous members. Various grasses, Stipa spp. and others, are components of the understory.
In addition to the deer, Odocoileus hemionus, a variety of other animals occurs here including bobcats, Lynx rufus, coyote, Canis latrans, badger, Taxidea taxus, numerous rodents, the introduced chukar, Alectoris graeca, some waterfowl and various raptors.
Quaternary lake deposits and terraces, dune sands, and alluvium form the valley floors, while the mountains are primarily Mesozoic granitics with some Tertiary volcanics. There are several springs in the mountainous portion, and a usually perennial stream flows through Long Valley.
Integrity: The area was overgrazed by cattle and has been managed, parts since 1950, to restore the browse species. There are roads, fences, etc., within the area.
Use: Research, educational, observational, present.
January 1980
Inventory of California Natural Areas
Revision © 2009 Steven Louis Hartman
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