growth from septic tank runoff infiltration. Logging and geothermal resource extraction were still possible impacts to the area. In 1984 a new design for the preserve was drafted by the staff of The Nature Conservancy to address these issues. Based on the previous efforts of studying and managing the site, the expanded area added two major and six small parcels of the lake edge and a large meadow west of the lake to the original boundaries. These additions were obtained with donations from individuals, and the Dean Witter Foundation and the Goodhill Foundation. Another benefit from this purchase was connecting the preserve to the county road to providepublic access to the area. The history of the Boggs Lake Ecological Reserve became a model for understanding what needs to be accomplished when the goal is to preserve lands having biological significance and diversity. In its early days, the Conservancy chose sites for protection based on opportunity rather than scientific analysis of the environment. Today, the information gathered and analysed is the driving force for selection of areas for preservation by the Conservancy. Flora and fauna The forest includes softwoods such as ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir and hardwoods such as black, canyon, and live oak trees, as well as madrone trees. Other plants at Boggs Lake include poison oak, manzanita, wild pea, bracken fern, coyote thistle, wild mustard, and California or ground rose. Wildlife include deer, coyote, jackrabbit, chipmunk, gray squirrel, raccoon, skunk, bobcat, and fox. Birds use the vernal pool as a rest stop on migration flights as well as year-round habitat. During a five-year period from 1982 to 1987, 139 species of birds were observed at Boggs Lake, including both bald and golden eagles. Other bird species seen are the pygmy nuthatch, pileated woodpecker, hermit warbler, purple martin, red-winged blackbird, ruddy duck, marsh wren, mallard, and California quail. Endangered plants The Boggs Lake hedge-hyssop was discovered in 1923 in Lake County. It grows to a height of about four inches and has lance-shaped leaves and small yellowish-white flowers that bloom from April to August. It is found in vernal pools, marshy area,s and at the edges of lakes and cattle ponds and can bloom in as many as two inches of water. The few-flowered Navarretia is a member of the Phlox family and was first collected northwest of the town of Lower Lake in 1945. It is an annual herb