Antioch Habitat Conservation Plan/Natural Community Conservation Plan

Transcription

1 Antioch Habitat Conservation Plan/Natural Community Conservation Plan Science Advisor Workshop February 8, 2018 Kathryn Gaffney Project Manager Matt Ricketts Lead Biologist 1

2 PRESENTATION OUTLINE Background Approach Purpose and Mission HCP/NCCP Process Role of the Science Advisors Initial Planning Status Questions for Advisors 2

3 BACKGROUND East Contra Costa County (ECCC) HCP/NCCP developed ECCC HCP/NCCP Science Advisor process 2007 ECCC HCP/NCCP permitted and began implementation by ECCC Habitat Conservancy (Conservancy) 2014 City of Antioch was awarded federal grant for developing HCP/NCCP April 2017 City commenced work on Antioch HCP/NCCP 3 3

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5 APPROACH Maintain consistency with ECCC HCP/NCCP Build on and expand the ECCC HCP/NCCP conservation strategy Develop the Antioch HCP/NCCP in close coordination with Conservancy, with the understanding that the Conservancy will implement Antioch HCP/NCCP consistent with ECCC HCP/NCCP 5 5

6 PURPOSE The purpose of the Antioch HCP/NCCP is to protect and enhance ecological diversity and function within Antioch s portion of the urbanizing region of eastern Contra Costa County. 6 6

7 MISSION Balancing open space, habitat, agriculture, and urban development; Reducing the cost and increasing the clarity and consistency of federal and state permitting; Consolidating and streamlining these processes into one, locally controlled plan; Encouraging, where appropriate, the multiple use of protected areas, including recreation and agriculture; Sharing the costs and benefits of the HCP/NCCP as widely and equitably as possible; Protecting the rights of private-property owners; and Aligning as closely as possible with the ECCC HCP/NCCP to facilitate implementation and complementary conservation actions. 7 7

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9 Define Inventory Area Identify Covered Activities and Locations Describe Land Cover Identify Covered Species Refine Species Models Conduct Impact Analysis Evaluate Conservation Gaps Develop Biological Goals and Objectives Identify Conservation Measures Craft Conservation Strategy (iterative process) Develop Monitoring and Adaptive Management Framework Establish Implementation Process Develop Administrative Draft, Public Draft, and Final HCP/NCCP Develop Administrative Draft, Public Draft, and Final EIR/EIS 9 9

10 ROLE OF THE SCIENCE ADVISORS NCCP planning agreements shall establish a process for the inclusion of independent scientific input to assist the department [of fish wildlife] and plan participants Independent scientists charged to (CFGC Section 2810[b][5]), at a minimum: Recommend scientifically sound conservation strategies for species and natural communities Recommend reserve design principles Recommend management principles and conservation goals for developing a monitoring and adaptive management framework Identify data gaps and uncertainties 10 10

11 INITIAL PLANNING STATUS Inventory Area Land Cover Covered Activities Covered Species Conservation Strategy 11 11

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13 COVERED ACTIVITIES AND DRAFT IMPACTS 2,000 3,000 acres inside Antioch city limits Urban development focused in: Eastern Waterfront Employment Focus Area State Route 4 Industrial Frontage Focus Area East Lone Tree Focus Area Sand Creek Focus Areas City operations and maintenance activities Bridge, culvert, outfall construction and maintenance In-stream sediment management Conservation strategy implementation 13 13

14 LAND COVER MAP: METHODS What s a land cover type? Update of ECCC HCP/NCCP land cover dataset inside City limits Aerial imagery - Google Earth and National Agriculture Imagery Project (May 2016) Wetlands - National Wetlands Inventory Version 2.0 (May 2016) Soils - Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Web Soil Survey (2017) Urban Development - CA Dept. of Conservation Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program (2012) Reconnaissance-level field verification on 8/14/17 Classification consistent with ECCC HCP/NCCP Holland 1986 CDFW List of Vegetation Alliances and Associations CDFW California Wildlife Habitat Relationships System (CWHR) 14 14

15 LAND COVER AND NATURAL COMMUNITIES NCCP Act requires identification of natural communities Grassland (66,833 acres) Cultivated Agriculture (30,849 acres) Oak Woodland (29,856 acres) Chaparral/Scrub (3,020 acres) Wetlands (1,168 acres) Riparian Woodland/Scrub (536 acres) 15 15

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17 COVERED SPECIES: METHODS Evaluated 28 species covered under ECCC HCP/NCCP Reviewed Table 3-7 in ECCC HCP/NCCP (all 174 species evaluated for coverage) Queried CNDDB for new species occurrences in Inventory Area Updated taxonomy and legal status/agency designation ECCC HCP/NCCP species not proposed for coverage by Antioch HCP/NCCP: Giant garter snake Longhorn fairy shrimp Mount Diablo manzanita Showy madia Adobe navarretia 17 17

18 COVERED SPECIES: WILDLIFE Vernal pool fairy shrimp Midvalley fairy shrimp Vernal pool tadpole shrimp California tiger salamander California red-legged frog Foothill yellow-legged frog Western pond turtle Alameda whipsnake Northern California legless lizard Burrowing owl Golden eagle Swainson s hawk Tricolored blackbird Townsend s big-eared bat San Joaquin kit fox C. Lyall 18 18

19 COVERED SPECIES: PLANTS Brittlescale Big tarplant Round-leaved filaree Mount Diablo fairy lantern Recurved larkspur San Joaquin spearscale Diablo helianthella Brewer s dwarf flax 19 19

20 CONSERVATION STRATEGY: APPROACH Conservation measures (CM) will build on those in the ECCC HCP/NCCP CMs identified at three scales: 1. Landscape 2. Natural community 3. Species CM types (applicable scale) Land Preservation (1) Habitat Enhancement (1, 2) Habitat Restoration (2) Habitat Creation (2) Population Enhancement (3) Avoidance and Minimization (1, 2, 3) 20 20

21 NATURAL COMMUNITY-LEVEL CONSERVATION MEASURES 2.1. Enhance, Restore, and Create Land Cover Types and Habitat 2.2. Manage Wetlands and Ponds 2.3. Restore Wetlands and Create Ponds 2.4. Manage Grassland 2.5. Manage Natural Burrow Availability and Prey Base in Grasslands 2.6. Manage Oak Woodland and Oak Savanna 2.7. Compensate for Loss of Oak Savanna 2.8. Manage Chaparral and Scrub 2.9. Manage Streams and Riparian Woodland/Scrub Restore Streams and Riparian Woodland/Scrub to Compensate for Habitat Loss and to Increase Biodiversity 21 21

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26 QUESTIONS FOR ADVISORS 1. Are you aware of any taxonomic revisions that would affect our covered species list? 2. Are you aware of data gaps related to species life-cycle needs or landscape management that should be considered? 3. What gaps in existing information create the greatest uncertainties for reserve planning, management, and monitoring? 4. What modifications would you suggest to the original reserve design principles in the ECCC HCP/NCCP (if any)? 5. Are you aware of new threats to any of the proposed covered species? 26 26

27 QUESTIONS FOR ADVISORS 6. What are some recommended tools and models for evaluating potential effects of climate change on covered species? 7. How vulnerable are the proposed covered species to non-native invasive species? 8. Which attributes or indicators are appropriate for monitoring population viability of covered species and ecological integrity of natural communities? 9. Is the monitoring and adaptive management framework in the ECCC HCP/NCCP sufficient for the Antioch HCP/NCCP? 27 27

28 Questions? Photo: Chris Lyall 28