Napa County Wildlife Conservation Commission

Staff Representatives Members

Patrick Lowe Stephen Orndorf, Chair AGENDA Deputy Planning Director *** Conservation Div., CDPD Heather Phillips, Secretary to the WCC Vice Chair REGULAR COMMISSION MEETING *** Daniel Zador - Planner Janet Barth Monday, August 9, 2010 at 4:00 p.m. Conservation Div., CDPD Ina Pisani 2nd Floor Conference Room, Hall of Justice Building, Bob Soper Kelli Felker - Planner Melia Manter 1125 Third Street, Napa CA Conservation Div., CDPD Brent Randol Laura Anderson- Attorney Thomas McNicholas County Counsel’s Office

1. Call to Order (Chair)

2. Public Comment In this time period, anyone may comment to the Commission regarding any subject over which the Commission has jurisdiction, or request consideration to place an item on a future Agenda. No comments will be allowed involving any subject matter that is scheduled for discussion as part of this Agenda. Individuals will be limited to a three-minute presentation. No action will be taken by the Commission as a result of any item presented at this time.

3. Approval of Minutes: Meeting of June 30, 2010 (Chair)

4. Update and discussion of the Wildlife Conservation Commission (WCC) Budget for Fiscal Year 2010-2011 (Staff)

5. Review, Discuss and Make Recommendations on Grant Funding: allocation of WCC funds from California Department of Fish and Game fines and settlements, as well as local fines and settlements that are designated for this purpose (Chair)

Project Expenditures1

a. Napa County Resource Conservation District (RCD) – Maintaining the Scott Creek Restoration Project through its Second Year: $5,192 (Frances Knapczyk); b. California Native Plant Society - Napa Valley Chapter (CNPS) I. Suscol Creek Grassland and Seasonal Wetland Enhancement - $10,000 (Jake Ruygt) II. Martha Walker Habitat Garden Native Habitat Enhancement and Environmental Education - $19,525 (Kathleen Chasey);

1 Total request amount for project expenditures of $119,102.00

c. Mt. George Elementary School Outdoor Explorers – Continued Environmental Education for the 2nd and 3rd grade students of Mt. George Elementary School - $4,800 (Leslie Lew); d. The Bay Institute – Partner with Students and Teachers Restoring a Watershed (STRAW) project to conduct habitat restoration on the Napa River Wetlands Restoration Project with students from American Canyon Middle School - $15,000 (Sheryl Barbic); e. Wildlife Rescue Center of Napa County (WRCNC) – Request is for three pre-release flight aviaries - $15,000 (Pam Condos); f. Sonoma Ecology Center (SEC) – Citizen Wildlife Observation System - $20,635 (Deanne DiPietro); g. Institute for Conservation Advocacy, Research and Education (ICARE) – Exotic plant removal and native plant restoration along Suscol Creek - $5,000 (Chris Malan); h. Audubon Canyon Ranch – Monitoring at Existing and New Napa County Egret and Heron nesting sites - $8,700 (Bonnie Warren/John Kelly); AND, i. Natural Resource Conservation Services (NRCS) – Farm Pond Floating Island Habitat Demonstration Project - $7,700 (Randy Heinzen/Phill Blake); j. California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) – Request is for two Spotting Scopes and related accessories for Enforcement efforts: $7,550 (Eric Shelton);

6. Reports from Commission members and discussion of assignment of the new 2010-2011 grants for monitoring and previous WCC grant funded projects (Chair/Commission)

7. Report from Commission members on meetings/activities attended on behalf of the WCC in furtherance of the WCC mission (Chair/Commission)

8. Other Updates/Announcements (Commission & Staff)

9. Future Agenda Items (Commission & Staff)

10. Next Meeting Date: November 8, 2010 – 4th Quarter (see calendar) Hall of Justice Building, 2nd floor Conference Room, 1125 Third Street, Napa

11. Adjournment

Note: If requested, the agenda and documents in the agenda packet shall be made available in appropriate alternative formats to persons with a disability. Please contact Daniel Zador at 707-259-8239, 1195 Third St., Suite 210, Napa CA 94559 to request alternative formats.

AGENDA ITEM #3

June 30, 2010 Meeting Minutes AGENDA ITEM #4

2010 WCC Budget Updates AGENDA ITEM #5

Grant Proposal Summary and California Department of Fish and Game Code Section 13103 DFG Previous WCC Funding Grant Applicant Current Project Request Requested Criteria1 (YR / $) Notes Priorty

ʹ05 ($2,000), ʹ06 ($2,868.06), ʹ07 ($2,600), Napa County Resource ʹ08 ($15,000), ʹ09 Conservation District Maintinaing the Scott Creek Restoration Project ($30,000 special grant), (RCD) through its second year $ 5,192.00 E ʹ09 ($10,6600) Suscol Creek Grassland and Seasonal Wetland Enhancement $ 10,000.00 E ʹ03 ($6,900), ʹ05 ($700), Califorina Native Plant ʹ06 ($2,700), ʹ08 ($2,500), Society (CNPS) Martha Walker Garden Native Habitat ʹ09 ($11,700) Enhancement & Environmental Education $ 19,525.00 A, E

Continued Environmental Education for the Mt. George Elementary ‐ 2nd and 3rd grade students of Mt. George Outdoor Explorers Elementary School $ 4,800.00 A ʹ09 ($3,000) STRAW (education, wetland habitat restoration) project to conduct habitat restoration on the Napa River Wetlands Restoration Project with student from The Bay Institute American Canyon Middle School $ 15,000.00 A,E ʹ09 ($15,000) ʹ03 ($2,000), ʹ04 Wildlife Rescue Center of ($4,000), ʹ05 ($2,000), ʹ08 Napa County (WRCNC) Three Pre‐Release Flight Aviaries $ 15,000.00 B, M ($3,800), ʹ09 ($5,000)

Sonoma Ecology Center Citizen Wildlife Observation System $ 20,635.00 I Exotic plant removal and native plant ICARE restoration along Suscol Creek $ 5,000.00 E ʹ07 ($3,000), ʹ08 ($2,500) Monitoring at existing and new Napa County Audubon Canyon Ranch Egret and Heron nesting sites $ 8,700.00 I Natural Resource Conservation Services Farm Pond Island Habitat Demonstration (NRCS) Project $ 7,700.00 E ʹ02 ($4,150), ʹ05 California Department of ($7,107), ʹ06 ($1,966), ʹ08 Fish and Game (DFG) Enforcement Equipment (Spotting Scopes) $ 7,550.00 G ($17,072) Total 3 $ 119,102.00

Attachments: California Department of Fish and Game Code Section 13103 Amended on 06/25/2007 California Fish and Game Code

13103. Expenditures from the fish and wildlife propagation fund of any county may be made only for the following purposes: (a) Public education relating to the scientific principles of fish and wildlife conservation, consisting of supervised formal instruction carried out pursuant to a planned curriculum and aids to education such as literature, audio and video recordings, training models, and nature study facilities. (b) Temporary emergency treatment and care of injured or orphaned wildlife. (c) Temporary treatment and care of wildlife confiscated by the department as evidence. (d) Breeding, raising, purchasing, or releasing fish or wildlife which are to be released upon approval of the department pursuant to Sections 6400 and 6401 onto land or into waters of local, state, or federal agencies or onto land or into waters open to the public. (e) Improvement of fish and wildlife habitat, including, but not limited to, construction of fish screens, weirs, and ladders; drainage or other watershed improvements; gravel and rock removal or placement; construction of irrigation and water distribution systems; earthwork and grading; fencing; planting trees and other vegetation management; and removal of barriers to the migration of fish and wildlife. (f) Construction, maintenance, and operation of public hatchery facilities. (g) Purchase and maintain materials, supplies, or equipment for either the department's ownership and use or the department's use in the normal performance of the department's responsibilities. (h) Predator control actions for the benefit of fish or wildlife following certification in writing by the department that the proposed actions will significantly benefit a particular wildlife species. (i) Scientific fish and wildlife research conducted by institutions of higher learning, qualified researchers, or governmental agencies, if approved by the department. (j) Reasonable administrative costs, excluding the costs of audits required by Section 13104, for secretarial service, travel, and postage by the county fish and wildlife commission when authorized by the county board of supervisors. For purposes of this subdivision, "reasonable cost" means an amount which does not exceed 3 percent of the average amount received by the fund during the previous three-year period, or three thousand dollars ($3,000) annually, whichever is greater, excluding any funds carried over from a previous fiscal year. (k) Contributions to a secret witness program for the purpose of facilitating enforcement of this code and regulations adopted pursuant to this code. (l) Costs incurred by the district attorney or city attorney in investigating and prosecuting civil and criminal actions for violations of this code, as approved by the department. (m) Other expenditures, approved by the department, for the purpose of protecting, conserving, propagating, and preserving fish and wildlife.

AGENDA ITEM #5a

Napa County Resource Conservation District (RCD) – Maintaining the Scott Creek Restoration Project through its Second Year Managing for Success: Maintaining the Scott Creek Revegetation Project through its Second Year

PROPOSAL APPLICATION

Prepared for: Napa County Wildlife Conservation Commission

July 26, 2010

I. DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION

1. Organization Type: Local government 2. Organization Purpose: Provide technical assistance, education, outreach, and conduct scientific research on natural resource issues. 3. Tax Exempt Status: Tax exempt (#94-1569332) 4. Date Formed: 1945 5. Membership: Not applicable 6. Board of Directors: Clint Pridmore, Mitchell Klug, Don Gasser, Al Buckland, Beth Painter, Rainer Hoenicke, Charles Slutzkin

Contact person: Frances Knapczyk Address: 1303 Jefferson Street, Suite 500B City: Napa State: CA ZIP: 94559 Telephone: (707) 252-4188 x 120 Fax: (707) 252-4219 Email: [email protected]

II. NEEDS ASSESSMENT

1. Problem Statement

In 2009, the Napa County Resource Conservation District (RCD) and Pacific Watershed Associates began restoration of approximately 1000 ft of ephemeral stream channel and riparian corridor in the Carneros Creek watershed, Napa County, CA.

The project site is located on an ephemeral stream, roughly 0.5 miles upstream of the confluence with Carneros Creek, which supports threatened steelhead trout. The area was originally disturbed in the 1940s, when a large-scale cattle feeding operation was established just downstream of the site. The road network required by this operation included three stream crossings in the project area. The project site was further extensively altered in the mid-1990s when a series of three earthen dams was built in the stream channel to create stock ponds. All three earthen dams failed during the winter of 2005-06. Erosion at all road crossings and failed dams was identified as the largest single contributor of fine sediment to Carneros Creek.

NCRCD secured funding for this work from the State Water Resources Control Board and mitigation sources. The revegetation plan was developed by NRCS. Environmental review and permitting were completed as part of the CDFG Fisheries Restoration Grants Program Regional General Permit and Mitigated Negative Declaration.

Major Restoration Accomplishments Completed in 2009 and 2010

Napa County RCD 1 Scott Creek Revegetation 1. Excavate three failed earthen dams and decommission one culverted road crossing. All three failed dams were removed. The stream channel and floodplain were re-established, and the side slopes were recontoured at the dam locations to match the surrounding slopes. One road crossing was decommissioned. The stream channel was established on a single grade using field and topographic evidence to determine channel sinuosity and meander locations. Approximately 3,000 cubic yards of sediment was excavated and stored in a stable spoils disposal location.

2. Upgrade two failed road crossings Two road crossings were upgraded with larger culverts sized for 100-yr flood flow.

3. Non-native vegetation removal Non-native vegetation consisting primarily of Himalayan blackberry was mechanically removed from stream banks and side slopes along 250 ft of the project.

4. Revegetation, irrigation system, exclusionary fencing The entire disturbed area was seeded with a native grass erosion control mix and straw mulched. The channel toe and lower bank were revegetated with live willow staking. The top of bank and upland areas were revegetated with approximately 1500 native grasses, shrubs, and trees, including oak, maple, buckeye, willow, monkey flower, and purple needle grass. The revegetation project was completed with the assistance of numerous volunteers. In fall 2009, over 250 Harvest Middle School students planted 1000 native tree, shrubs, and perennials over the period of two days. Members of the Napa River Steelheaders, Active 20- 30 Club, Friends of the Napa River, Napa Valley Can Do and RCD volunteers assisted students with the planting. In spring 2010, a local Boy Scout troop and volunteers from Saintsbury and NRCS continued the effort by planting sedges, grasses, rushes, and willow cuttings in the project area. Exclusionary fencing was built to prevent cattle from entering the recontoured, revegetated area. A drip irrigation system was installed in fall 2009 to ensure that all plants received supplemental watering in their first few years of establishment. In June 2010, damage to the irrigation system was repaired.

In order to ensure the success of the revegetation along the channel, and therefore, the promotion of bank stabilization and native riparian habitat in the watershed, the newly planted vegetation should be monitored and adaptively managed until, at least, the end of the dry season of 2011. Monitoring and management tasks include: inspecting the drip irrigation system monthly through the 2010 dry season, replacing plants that did not survive the first dry season in fall 2010, inspecting irrigation system in spring 2011 before onset of dry season, and managing for weeds, including Himalayan blackberry, throughout the year.

2. Specific Objective:

We are requesting $5,192 in Wildlife Conservation Commission funding to monitor and adaptively manage the revegetation portion of the Scott Creek restoration project. In order to promote the success of the vegetation that was installed along the recontoured channel banks in 2009, the irrigation system must be monitored and repaired as needed, weed control must be practiced throughout the planted area, and plants that fail to establish must be replaced.

Napa County RCD 2 Scott Creek Revegetation Successful establishment of native trees, shrubs, and grasses in the restored channel will help to prevent erosion of the banks and promote habitat for wildlife in the Carneros Creek watershed. We will continue to include youth and adult groups in the restoration project, which provides environmental education to the volunteers, and valuable labor for the project. Considerable matching funds have facilitated the planning and implementation of the Scott Creek channel restoration, and volunteers will continue to contribute in-kind assistance to match adaptive management funds provided by the Wildlife Conservation Commission.

3. Anticipated Results We anticipate that monitoring and adaptively managing the Scott Creek revegetation project will provide the following results: Approximately 1500 native trees, shrubs, and grasses will become established in a newly contoured channel, prevent erosion of the channel, and provide habitat for wildlife. The size and seed production of the weed populations in the channel will be reduced. Dominant weeds are Himalayan blackberry and Scotch thistle. More than 60 youth and adult volunteers will participate in a local restoration project, and as a result, learn about the importance of promoting native plants and preventing erosion in our watersheds.

Timeline for achieving results Time period Activity Aug - Oct 2010 Monthly check of drip irrigation system to make sure all plants receive water. Census of survival of plants installed in 2009 and 2010 Oct 10 – Feb 11 Replace plants that did not survive April - May 11 Assess and repair damage to drip irrigation in preparation for dry season June 11 Weed-whacking in project area to prevent competition of nonnative plants with revegetation project. Irrigation system assessed and repaired to make sure all plants receive water.

4. Detailed Methods Monitoring and adaptively managing the revegetation portion of the Scott Creek restoration project will require three main tasks: assess and repair drip irrigation system, install plants to replace those that have died since the original installation, and reduce weed populations.

Assess and repair drip irrigation The drip irrigation system was designed consists primarily of pliable spaghetti tubing that feeds emitters at each of the plants in the revegetation plan; most of the plumbing is above ground. The plumbing is susceptible to puncture or tearing by humans, wildlife, or other natural causes. Accordingly, each emitter will be evaluated monthly during the 2010 and 2011 dry seasons to make sure that each plant is receiving water. Before the dry season of 2011, the system will be thoroughly inspected and repaired.

Install plants In the fall of 2010, we will census all plants in the revegetation plan for mortality. Once natural soil moisture becomes favorable to new plants (November thru March, depending on type of

Napa County RCD 3 Scott Creek Revegetation plant), plants that have died will be replaced with new plants of the same species. Installation of plants will be performed by a volunteer crew that may consist of kids or adults that is supervised by RCD staff.

Reduce weed populations During 2010 and 2011, weeds in the project area will be cut down to ensure that competition with and shading of the newly installed native plants is minimal. Prior to the start of the funding period, and with the guidance of local NRCS staff, Himalayan blackberry in the project area will be treated with Milestone.

5. Statement of Benefit The proposed maintenance and adaptive management of the revegetation portion of the Scott Creek restoration project will ensure that native plants become established along a recently recontoured channel in the Carneros Creek watershed. The establishment of native trees, shrubs, grasses, sedges, and rushes along the channel will prevent erosion and provide habitat for wildlife in the watershed.

6. Evaluating Success This program will be a success if we achieve the following goals by summer 2011: 1. 90% of plants alive in June 2010 survive the 2010 dry season. 2. 90% of plants planted in fall 2010 survive 2011 dry season. 3. Nonnative plants do not reduce survival of plants in revegetation project.

III. ATTACHMENTS

1. Expenditure Detail Activity Hours Hourly Unit Total rate cost Inspecting drip irrigations system monthly through 12 56A 672 2010 and 2011 dry seasons Census of survival of plants installed in 2009 and 2010 8 56A 448 Coordinate volunteer work days to replace plants that 20 56A 1120 did not survive Plants 1500 1500 Assess and repair damage to drip irrigation in 32 18B 576 preparation for 2011 dry season Irrigation supplies 300 Weed whacking in project area to prevent competition 32 18B 576 of nonnative plants with revegetation project Amount requested from Napa County Wildlife Conservation Commission $5,192 Matching funds already spent on project $577,222 AHourly rate of RCD Restoration project manager. BHourly rate of contract employee.

Napa County RCD 4 Scott Creek Revegetation

2. Other funding sources that have assisted project $344,222 (secured) – Demonstrating Road Improvements in the Carneros Creek and Sulphur Creek Watershed from State Water Resources Control Board $223,000 (secured) – Mitigation funds from Scannell Properties $10,000 (in-kind) – NRCS’s Scott Creek Revegetation Plan

3. Previous Projects The Wildlife Conservation Commission of Napa County (WCC) provided partial funding for the 2005 Napa River Salmon Monitoring Project. This project was completed successfully, and the results were summarized in a report distributed to agencies and posted on the WICC website. This funding helped establish our ongoing adult salmon monitoring program now funded largely by the County of Napa Conservation, Development and Planning Department.

In 2006, the WCC funded the purchase of a digital video camera and underwater housing for the purposes of producing educational videos about aquatic resources of Napa County. The RCD successfully captured underwater footage of 11 fish species including steelhead and salmon. These videos have been loaded onto the WICC website and YouTube.com for public viewing.

In 2007, the WCC provided partial funding to help purchase native plants for the stream bank restoration component of the Dry Creek Fish Barrier Removal Project. The plants were acquired from local nurseries and successfully planted on the site following major construction activities.

In 2008, the WCC provided partial funding for the initiation of a salmonid out-migrant monitoring program in the main stem Napa River. This program was initiated in 2009 using a rotary screw trap and represented the first out-migrant trapping effort ever undertaken for the Napa River basin. A group of over 30 volunteers assisted with installation, daily processing, and maintenance of the trap, which was located in the main stem Napa River north of Trancas Avenue (~400 meters upstream of the extent of tidal influence). Sampling extended from March 17 to May 26, 2009 (69 days). A total of 22 fish species were captured (12 native, 10 exotic). The total catch was 6,566 fish and 48,950 larval specimens (Cyprinid and Catostomid species).

In 2009, the WCC provided partial funding for a public education program focused on the Napa River Fish Community. The program consisted of presentations to 14 classes of 4th-8th grade students in Napa County about the Napa River fish community, and fieldtrips for 12 classes of 4th-8th grade students on a field tour of the Napa River rotary screw trap and including transportation funding. Additionally, RCD staff lead 5 groups of stakeholder and community members on a field tour of the Napa River rotary screw trap, and gave private tours to several more interested stakeholders, and organized more than 10 public events that provided education about the Napa River fish community and fish habitat protection in the watershed. Events included: restoration work days, stewardship workshops, displays at Earth Day and Day at the Farm, and the Salmon Run

Napa County RCD 5 Scott Creek Revegetation

Citizen Managing for Success: Maintaining the Scott Creek Revegetation Project through its Second Year

Napa County Resource Conservation District

Napa County Wildlife Conservation Commission Grant Proposal

2010

Attachments: Three maps of project area and nine sets of before and after photos of restoration project

AGENDA ITEM #5b

California Native Plant Society (CNPS)

(i) Suscol Creek Grassland and Seasonal Wetland Enhancement

(ii) Martha Walker Habitat Garden Native Habitat Enhancement & Environmental Education

AGENDA ITEM #5c

Mt. George Elementary School – Outdoor Explorers – Continued Environmental Education for the 2nd and 3rd grade students of Mt. George Elementary School

AGENDA ITEM #5d

The Bay Institute – Partnership with Students and Teachers Restoring a Watershed (STRAW) – Project to conduct Habitat Restoration on the Napa River Wetlands Restoration Project with students from American Canyon Middle School

AGENDA ITEM #5e

Wildlife Rescue Center of Napa County (WRCNC) – Request is for Three Pre- release Flight Aviaries

Proposal: Napa County Wildlife Conservation Commission July 26th, 2010

1. DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION/Eligibility

The Wildlife Rescue Center of Napa County (WRCNC) was established as a 501(c) 3 nonprofit corporation in 1991, to rehabilitate ill, injured, or orphaned Napa County wildlife and promote public awareness through community outreach.

Background WRCNC operates under permits from the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife and the California Department of Fish and Game. WRCNC has approximately 100 active volunteers and approximately 150-200 members. WRCNC contracts with a Dispatch Operator to assist the public with wildlife related questions and interactions.

Current Operation The organization’s primary function is to rehabilitate sick, injured, or orphaned Napa County wildlife. Some of the most frequently encountered animals include a wide variety of songbirds as well as woodpeckers, hummingbirds, quail, doves, owls, hawks, falcons, foxes, squirrels, jackrabbits, fawn, raccoons, and opossums. Waterfowl species received include herons, egrets, ducks, and geese. At this time, waterfowl are transported by WRCNC volunteers to the International Bird Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Suisun, whose rehabilitative operations focus specifically on water birds.

To address rehabilitative needs of avians and mammals, WRCNC currently operates from a satellite model. Mammals and avians are rehabilitated by in-home rehabilitators. The rehabilitation process begins when members of the public bring ill, orphaned, kidnapped, injured, or distressed wildlife to the intake center, Silverado Veterinary Hospital in Napa. Trained WRCNC volunteers check the hospital for animals (three times a day in high season and once a day in low season) and inform the Dispatch Operator if any animals are present. The Dispatch Operator then contacts the appropriate rehabilitator and arranges transportation for the animal. After rehabilitative care, healthy animals are released back into their native habitats in accordance with strict species-specific release criteria.

Providing rescue and rehabilitative services for wildlife in Napa County 1 To address community outreach, WRCNC has participated in local community events such as Earth Day, Healthy People Healthy Planet, Watershed Conservation Symposium, and others.

Current Board Members: President: Pam Condos, 707-738-2488, [email protected] Secretary: Lexie Cataldo, 707-334-2298, [email protected] Treasurer: Jan Gates, 707-252-7523, [email protected] Directors: Steven Rae, 707-287-0248 [email protected] Linda Howard, 707-255-5173 [email protected] Phyllis Hunt, 707-254-9448 [email protected] Angela Cistone, 707-252-7523, [email protected] Dotty Most, 707-255-7838, [email protected] Rae Sheffer, 707-224-8411, [email protected] Ellie Shattuck, 415-531-1949, [email protected]

Contact Persons: Pam Condos, President, 707-738-2488, [email protected] Jan Gates, Treasurer, 707-252-7523, [email protected] The Board may be contacted by mail at: P.O. Box 2571, Napa, CA 94558

II. NEEDS ASSESSMENT/Problem Statement

The WRCNC is the only licensed organization in Napa County permitted to rehabilitate and release healthy wild animals back into their native habitat, thus providing a unique and valuable service to the community. WRCNC accepts all Napa County wildlife for rehabilitation. Throughout the year, hundreds of bird and mammal species are returned to the wild following the specialized care of WRCNC volunteers.

WRCNC is currently working to establish a Songbird Clinic site in a portion of the Napa County Corporation Yard on Silverado Trail. The Songbird Clinic would provide rehabilitative care seven days a week, fourteen hours a day, to ill, injured, or orphaned young songbirds. The Clinic would be open seasonally, four months a year during the breeding season. Volunteers receive both formal lecture format and hands-on training which includes avian form and function, identification and characteristics of commonly admitted species, and specialized rehabilitative care instruction. Each volunteer takes one 3-hour shift a week. All volunteers are supervised by Day Shift Leaders and a medical staff. This is an exciting prospect for the organization and we are appreciative of the county support we have received to move this plan along. The proposed site has available space, but the organization would have to acquire materials, caging, and supplies in order to open and operate the Clinic.

WRCNC respectfully makes the following request for funding: 1) $15,000 for the purchase and shipping of of three regulation-sized pre-release flight aviaries with interior screening, pea gravel substrate and plywood protective paneling as required in the rehabilitation process of songbirds for use at the Songbird Clinic.

Providing rescue and rehabilitative services for wildlife in Napa County 2 The problem: WRCNC is anticipating the opening of the Songbird Clinic in April 2011. There are currently no pre-release flight aviaries available. These regulation -sized flight aviaries are a critical part of the rehabilitative process. The California Department of Fish and Game and the National Wildlife Rehabilitation Association regulations, which WRCNC operates under, state that birds must have pre-release flight conditioning in specifically sized enclosures with natural foods and enrichment prior to consideration of release back into the wild. WRCNC currently does not possess any useable regulation-sized songbird aviaries.

The aviaries requested through this grant are constructed of steel and adhere to national regulation minimum standards for materials and sizing. A steel aviary, while more costly, is preferable to an aviary built of wood and is more cost effective in the long term for many reasons. Steel construction lasts many years longer, need minimal if any repair, and provide safer and stronger confinement for birds. These steel aviaries are built to required regulations, come pre- made in panels, and can be easily dis-assembled and moved if needed. They require no ongoing upkeep or repairs that wooden ones require. This organization has used both steel and wood aviaries. The steel cages have been in use for over 11 years and no repairs have been needed. Most wood caging lasts no longer than 3- 4 years and requires annual maintenance and major repair work. Internal window screening is an integral part of the aviary construction. It covers all walls inside the aviary and prevents injury. Small songbirds can be easily hurt if they inadvertently fly into the side of the cage. Feather damage and other injuries can delay or prohibit release. Additionally, four foot high plywood paneling surrounding the bottom of the aviaries is a specific regulatory requirement to provide visual barriers and foraging protection.

Objective: To acquire 3 pre-release screened flight aviaries for the Songbird Clinic

Method: 1. Purchase aviaries through Corners Limited, Custom Caging Specialists. The company has a strong reputation for quality materials and workmanship and sells to facilities such as zoos, universities, and rehabilitation centers across the country that require animal caging. WRCNC has had successful business transactions with them for over three years. 2.Purchase screening, plywood, and screen mounting materials in Napa 3.Volunteer, member, and staff work parties to assemble aviaries

Timeframe: WRCNC anticipates opening the Songbird Clinic at the county Corporation Yard on Silverado Trail in April 2011. Assembly of the aviaries would occur prior to opening for use in the 2011 season

Benefit: There are several benefits relative to the goals of the commission: 1. The purchase and use of listed aviaries will directly benefit Napa County wildlife and meets the California Fish and Game Code, 13103 (b): Funds will be used to directly support ‘temporary treatment and care of injured or orphaned wildlife.’

2. The Songbird Clinic will directly benefit Napa County residents and wildlife and meets the California Fish and Game Code, 13103 (a): Public education relating to the scientific principles of fish and wildlife conservation, consisting of supervised formal instruction

Providing rescue and rehabilitative services for wildlife in Napa County 3 carried out pursuant to a planned curriculum and aids to education such as literature, audio and video recordings, training models, and nature study facilities.

Success of proposed activity: Establishment and use of constructed pre-release flight aviaries. Approximately 300-400 songbirds will use the three aviaries during the Clinic season. Photographic documentation will be available for review. Commission Board members are welcome to visit the facility during a scheduled time to view the aviaries in use as evidence of success.

III. ATTACHMENTS

Expenditure detail: a. Three outdoor songbird aviaries Approximate cost $9,900

Shipping and handling Approximate cost $1,500 b. Screening material Approximate cost $1,400 c. Plywood paneling for privacy and protection around each aviary Approximate cost $1,500 d. Mounting materials to secure screening to inside of aviaries Approximate cost $300 e. Pea gravel for each aviary, food shelving Approximate cost $400

Total…………………………………………………………………$15,000

Strategic Plan, Governance Policies for Animal Care, and Financial statements available upon request

Providing rescue and rehabilitative services for wildlife in Napa County 4 AGENDA ITEM #5f

Sonoma Ecology Center (SEC) – Citizen Wildlife Observation System

PROPOSAL NAPA COUNTY WILDIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION

Project Title: Citizen Wildlife Observation System

I. DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION/Eligibility

1. Type of organization or business: Non-profit 2. Purpose of organization: The mission of the Sonoma Ecology Center is to enhance and sustain ecological health in Sonoma Valley. 3. Tax exempt status: Federal 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status 4. Date formed as non-profit: 1990 5. Membership: Membership is unrestricted. It costs $35 - $100. Approximately 1200 members. 6. Board of Directors: Stacey Ward (president), Patty Moore (past president), Peter Wellington, Joanna Kemper, Genevieve Ladha, Ladd Miyasaki, Ellie Insley. Contact person: Richard Dale, executive director, (707) 996-0712 x106, [email protected], 20 E Spain St, Sonoma, CA 95476. Contact person for project: Deanne DiPietro, Research Program manager at Sonoma Ecology Center, (707) 996-0712 x114, [email protected], 20 E Spain St, Sonoma, CA 95476.

II. NEEDS ASSESSMENT/Problem Statement

1. Clear statement of problem

Wildlife occur throughout Napa County, including urban areas. Wildlife move around within their home ranges, bringing them into contact with roads, urban and agricultural areas, and people. Most people are intrigued by their local wildlife and have some understanding that wild animals need habitat to survive, and many support the concept of wildlife protection. However, in contrast to volunteer bird monitoring, there is currently no locally-relevant way for Napa County residents to report terrestrial wildlife occurrences and to educate themselves about the locations and needs of the wild animals inhabiting their home area. Environmental permitting and restoration projects often involve some kind of wildlife observations and reporting, but these methods and reports are largely invisible to the interested citizen.

To help local residents understand more about land-use decision-making,

1 restoration, open space investments, and the natural world around them, Napa County needs a mechanism for its residents to engage in local wildlife conservation in ways that work best for them, by actively observing and reporting wildlife, or by learning through educational programs and materials.

Citizen monitoring programs are an excellent way for people to become involved in the conservation issues around them. Such programs teach about environmental issues and solidify a constituency that supports conservation investments by public agencies. Citizen programs for observing birds and monitoring water quality are well developed; these are excellent examples for the project proposed here: to educate wildlife observers of all ages to track and report wildlife species occurring in Napa County, along with the time, location, and other information that provides for analysis of the overall patterns of wildlife populations and their movement.

2. Specific objective & specific dollar amount requested

The objective is to educate and involve more members of the public in wildlife observation and thereby increase support for wildlife protection investments by the County and State.

Project Cost: $25,360 In-kind Match: $4,725 Dollar Amount requested: $20,635

3. Anticipated results, with time-line

Month 6 Web site for trained volunteers to report observations in a structured reporting environment, using a Google Maps interface Month 8 30 trained citizen wildlife observers capable of identifying and reporting wildlife sign and live/dead animals Month 200+ observations of wildlife sign, live animals, and road 12 kill

4. Detailed description of methods planned to achieve objective

This project will be completed jointly by Sonoma Ecology Center (contact: Deanne DiPietro, (707) 996-0712 x114, [email protected]) and UC Davis

2 Department of Environmental Science and Policy (contact: Fraser Shilling, PhD, (530) 752-7859, [email protected]).

Task 1: Citizen training

We will conduct 2 to 3 well-publicized workshops at familiar public places in Napa County to train volunteers to observe wildlife sign (tracks, scat, carcasses, etc.), report their findings, and review results of their own and other’s observation on the reporting website. Recruitment, publicity, and follow-up will be assisted by the Napa County Resource Conservation District and other Napa County bodies with list-serves or other communication mechanisms.

The instructional approach and materials will draw from proven similar programs, for example the student wildlife surveys run by Tanya Diamond, an instructor in De Anza Community College’s Environmental Studies program (see article at http://baynature.org/articles/jan-mar-2009/coyote-valley-crossings) and the Wildlife Trackers program (http://wildlifetrackers.com) co-founded by Mark Elbroch, UC Davis graduate student.

Volunteers will be trained to collect wildlife data at a verifiable standard of quality useful for scientific research.

Task 2: Online observation reporting system

We will develop an easy to use online data entry form for capturing wildlife observations (including road kills) and their location, time, species, and other pertinent information. We have already developed such a system for statewide road kill observations (http://www.wildlifecrossing.net/California/). Descriptions and photos for Napa County wildlife will be included on the site to aid in identification. The website will have the ability to display all observations on a single map of the county, allowing Napa County residents to check the site to see the latest entries and a “big picture” view of wildlife sightings and movement. The data collected will be mirrored on the statewide road kill system, which is expected to become a statewide wildlife observation system in the near future. The site will also include data from the statewide system that is available for Napa County and integrate with the Napa County Watershed Information Center & Conservancy (WICC). The web site will remain online beyond the period of the grant and if housed at UCD will be maintained for at least one additional year free of charge.

3 Task 3: Publicity

Local residents engaging directly in learning about and helping with environmental issues is a natural media draw. We will seek coverage of the project in the Napa Valley Register and other local media outlets.

Task 4: Project evaluation

We will report the number of people attending workshops, provide photos of the project in action, report on the number of wildlife observations recorded via the reporting system, and provide a map showing results of the project after its first year.

Task 5: Project Management, Final Report

Project management, subcontracting, invoicing, and final report of project accomplishments.

5. Clear statement of benefit relative to the goals of the Commission.

The project supports the goals of the Commission–“Advancing the Protection, Conservation, Propagation, and Preservation of Fish and Wildlife in Napa County”–by raising awareness about wildlife and establishing the continual collection of wildlife data that can improve conservation decision-making.

The project also addresses two of the goals from the State Fish and Game Code section 13103: (a) Public education relating to the scientific principles of fish and wildlife conservation, consisting of supervised formal instruction carried out pursuant to a planned curriculum and aids to education such as literature, audio and video recordings, training models, and nature study facilities. (i) Scientific fish and wildlife research conducted by institutions of higher learning, qualified researchers, or governmental agencies, if approved by the department

6. Describe how you intend to determine if the proposed activity is successful.

Please see Task 4 above.

4 III. ATTACHMENTS

1. Expenditure detail WCC Total Task 1. Citizen Training Salary Grant Match Costs Labor Hours Wage/hour Project Manager (Deanne DiPietro) 10 $90 $900 $900 Lead Scientist (Fraser Shilling) 45 $90 $4,050 $4,050 Programmer, UCD 5 $75 $375 $375 Programmer, SEC 5 $75 $375 $375 Biologist, SEC 45 $75 $3,375 $3,375 Napa RCD Education Coordinator 45 $75 $3,375 $3,375 Travel, UCD $350 $350 Travel, SEC $150 $150 Materials $200 $200 SUBTOTALS 155 $9,775 $3,375 $13,150

Task 2. Online Observation Reporting WCC Total System Salary Grant Match Costs Labor Hours Wage/hour Project Manager 5 $90 $450 $450 Lead Scientist 5 $90 $450 $450 Programmer, UCD 40 $75 $3,000 $3,000 Programmer, SEC 40 $75 $3,000 $3,000 Biologist, SEC 2 $75 $150 $150 Napa RCD Education Coordinator 2 $75 $150 $150

SUBTOTALS 94 $7,050 $150 $7,200

WCC Total Task 3. Publicity Salary Grant Match Costs Labor Hours Wage/hour Project Manager 2 $90 $180 $180 Lead Scientist 5 $90 $450 $450

5 Biologist, SEC 5 $75 $375 $375 Napa RCD Education Coordinator 5 $75 $375 $375

SUBTOTALS 17 $1,005 $375 $1,380

Task 4. Project WCC Total Evaluation Salary Grant Match Costs Labor Hours Wage/hour Project Manager 2 $90 $180 $180 Lead Scientist 10 $90 $900 $900 Biologist, SEC 8 $75 $600 $600 Napa RCD Education Coordinator 8 $75 $600 $600

SUBTOTALS 28 $1,680 $600 $2,280

Task 5. Project Management, Final WCC Total Report Salary Grant Match Costs Labor Hours Wage/hour Project Manager 8 $90 $720 $720 Lead Scientist 2 $90 $180 $180 Biologist, SEC 3 $75 $225 $225 Napa RCD Education Coordinator 3 $75 $225 $225

SUBTOTALS 16 $1,125 $225 $1,350

GRAND TOTALS 310 $20,635 $4,725 $25,360

2. List of other funding sources (matching funds)

In-kind match valued at $4,725 is offered by the Napa Resource Conservation District through time provided by their Watershed Education Coordinator, Frances Knapzyck. Frances will assist in producing and teaching the training workshops, creating press releases and articles, and project evaluation.

3. Letters of support

6 Please see attached letter of support and in-kind contribution from Napa County Resource Conservation District.

4. Report on projects completed over past 5 years with fish and game fine monies.

None.

7

AGENDA ITEM #5g

Institute for Conservation Advocacy, Research and Education (ICARE) – Exotic Plant Removal and Native Plant Restoration along Suscol Creek

AGENDA ITEM #5h

Audubon Canyon Ranch – Monitoring at Existing and New Napa County Egret and Heron Nesting Sites Proposal Napa County Wildlife Conservation Commission Submitted July 26, 2010

I. Description of Organization 1. Type of Organization Audubon Canyon Ranch is a non-profit scientific research, environmental education, and land preservation organization. Audubon Canyon Ranch properties include the Cypress Grove Research Center on Tomales Bay, the 535-acre Bouverie Preserve in Sonoma and the 1,000-acre Bolinas Lagoon Preserve in Stinson Beach, which is home to one of the San Francisco Bay Area's most significant and most studied Great Egret and Great Blue Heron nesting sites.

2. Purpose for which organization was formed Audubon Canyon Ranch’s mission is to protect the natural resources of its sanctuaries while fostering an understanding and appreciation of these environments. We conduct research and restoration that advances conservation science, educates adults and children, and promotes ecological literacy that is grounded in direct experience. ACR’s vision is for all adults and children to feel a strong connection with the wonder and beauty of the natural world. We are working to support the development of a region-wide community of people who share a commitment to restore and preserve the natural environment. Audubon Canyon Ranch believes that positive change begins when people make responsible and informed choices about their personal roles in the world. Such choices reflect the realization that personal actions affect communities and the health of the planet we share. Audubon Canyon Ranch believes that global change must begin at a local level. ACR’s commitment to protect 2,000 acres as sanctuaries for native plants and animals in Marin and Sonoma Counties necessitates active scientific study and land management through our Conservation Science and Habitat Restoration programs. Audubon Canyon Ranch conducts local and regional research to ensure the actions we take and those we recommend to neighbors, planners, government, and sister organizations are grounded in solid scientific knowledge. Audubon Canyon Ranch research and restoration has a conservation focus. ACR seeks to provide scientific solutions to problems in conservation biology and contribute directly to the resolution of regional resource management issues. Audubon Canyon Ranch research and restoration promotes the importance of worldwide conservation by publishing results in academic and professional journals that contribute to the growing body of scientific knowledge.

3. Tax Exempt Status ACR is an independent non-profit organization with 501(c)3 status.

4. Date Formed as a Non-Profit Audubon Canyon Ranch was founded in 1962 to save one of the largest heronries on the west coast and to prevent intensive commercial development in the surrounding wetland.

5. Membership

Audubon Canyon Ranch 1

Audubon Canyon Ranch is currently a donor-based organization, and does not have members.

6. Names of Board of Directors, Contact Person The list of Audubon Canyon Ranch’s Board of Directors for FY 2011 is located in Appendix A.

The contact person for ACR’s Heron and Egret Project is:

John P. Kelly, Ph.D. Director, Conservation Science and Habitat Protection Cypress Grove Research Center Audubon Canyon Ranch PO Box 808 Marshall, CA 94940 415-663-8203 [email protected]

Emiko Condeso Biologist/ GIS Specialist Cypress Grove Research Center Audubon Canyon Ranch PO Box 808 Marshall, CA 94940 415-663-8203 [email protected]

Audubon Canyon Ranch 2

II. Needs Assessment/Problem Statement 1. Clear Statement of the Need The effective protection and management of sensitive habitat areas, such as the Napa Marsh, can benefit greatly from information on species with broad conservation value such as herons and egrets. Graceful and cosmopolitan, herons and egrets are charismatic icons of wetland ecosystems, culturally considered to signify wetlands worthy of protection and widely recognized as indicators of wetland health (Kushlan 1993, Kushlan and Hafner 2000, Stolen et al. 2005). Such recognition is well-justified by several aspects of their ecology, including (1) their position as top consumers in wetland food webs, which can signal changes at lower levels; (2) colonial nesting, which facilitates sampling of nesting performance; (3) their use of human altered landscapes, which reflects both a sensitivity and adaptability to changes in land use; (4) their vulnerability to disturbance, especially with regard to colony site use, (5) a sensitivity to pollution, particularly through biomagnification; (6) a strong dependence on hydrologic processes and conditions, with associated responsiveness to wetland habitat change; and (7) patterns of habitat use that operate over large, landscape scales. Therefore, herons and egrets can be powerful tools for conservation planning, especially across large landscapes The Heron and Egret Project provides key information to conservation planning decision-makers. This information includes the regional distribution of heron and egret colony sites, characteristics of preferred nesting habitat, nest survivorship rates, productivity rates, intraseasonal timing of nesting, measures of human disturbance, rates of nest predation, and colony-site property ownership, Geographic analyses quantify relationships between landscape-scale habitat characteristics and heron and egret reproductive performance (Kelly et al. 2008). By revealing landscape processes that affect colony-site distribution and nesting performance, such analyses contribute key insights into regional priorities for wetland conservation. Audubon Canyon Ranch was founded in 1962 to save one of the largest heronries on the west coast and to prevent intensive commercial development in the surrounding wetland. This heronry extends across the canopy of coastal redwood grove in a steep canyon on ACR’s Bolinas Lagoon Preserve. In 1967, Helen Pratt began to intensively monitor the nesting colony and, over the next 30 years, made numerous scientific contributions on the ecology and life histories of herons and egrets (e.g., Pratt 1970, Pratt 1983, Pratt and Winkler 1985). By continuing the intensive monitoring of nesting activity at ACR’s Bolinas Lagoon Preserve, ACR has tracked the performance of every heron and egret nest attempt in the colony since 1967. In 1990, Helen Pratt’s continuing work inspired the regional research program we call the Heron and Egret Project. The regional Heron and Egret Project, a 20-year ongoing collaborative effort by Audubon Canyon Ranch (ACR) and the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory, monitors the overall status of colonially nesting herons and egrets throughout the San Francisco Bay region. Study species include Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Snowy Egret, and Cattle Egret. Other collaborations have included the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge, PRBO Conservation Science, the National Park Service, partnerships in developing the California Waterbird Conservation Plan, LightHawk, California Fish and Game, East Bay Regional Parks, and the CALFED Bay-Delta Science Authority.

The primary goal of the Heron and Egret Project is to develop and apply current and historical information on status of herons and egrets to wetland conservation concerns in the San Francisco Bay area (e.g., Kelly et al., 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009). Our current work focuses on the regional implications of climate change. Specifically, the project focuses on monitoring local and regional trends in nesting abundance and reproductive performance, which are then evaluated with regard to related information on regional wetlands. Through formal scientific contributions, our results contribute to worldwide activities in conservation science. Data and reports generated by the Heron and Egret Project have been published in peer-reviewed

Audubon Canyon Ranch 3

scientific journals, submitted as technical reports to partner agencies, and provided to landowners, biologists, and local and regional planning departments.

2. Specific Objective and Specific Dollar Amount Requested The specific objective of this request is to sustain our monitoring at existing and new Napa County nesting sites. Audubon Canyon Ranch requests $8,700 to pay for staff time and mileage.

3. Anticipated Results (with timeline)

Objective Major activities Deliverable

Obtain key field data needed to Monitor key sites in the Napa Annual field data with seasonal support ACR’s regional Heron County region of the North summaries of observations at and Egret Project. Bay Heron and Egret Project key nesting colonies in Napa study area; conduct field County; successful reconnaissance for new sites; coordination and support of supervise volunteers; assist in regional volunteer field efforts. project management. Compile and summarize key Screen field data from all Data report on the updated data for conservation of herons nesting colonies in the Napa regional database; annual and egrets in the San Francisco County region of the North summary of nesting activity at Bay area. Bay Heron and Egret Project the northern San Francisco Bay study area; compile region colony-site summaries as needed for conservation research by ACR biologists, government agencies, non- profits, academic scientists, and landowners.

PROJECT TIMELINE

January- August- Activity March-July February December

Regional Heron and Egret Project Monitor selected sites X Field reconnaissance of new sites X X Supervise volunteers X Data screening and database management X

4. Detailed Description of Methods Planned to Achieve Objective

In the regional study, volunteer field observers visit each active site four or more times during the nesting season (March-June). Historic colonies that were not active the previous year are visited only once per season. Colony sites where Snowy Egret, Cattle Egret, and Black- Crowned Night-Herons are known to nest are visited once each week during the nesting season. The Helen Pratt Field Biologist makes a minimum of one visit to each colony in the region to

Audubon Canyon Ranch 4

accomplish volunteer training and quality control. Difficult to observe or very remote colonies may be entirely monitored by the Helen Pratt Field Biologist without the aid of volunteers. Most colony sites are observed with telescopes from nearby vantage points, although some sites require observation from boats and even aircraft. The collection of aerial data is conducted collaboratively with LightHawk, a volunteer-based environmental aviation organization. We also conduct ground-based searches for undocumented colony sites in remote areas of the region. At each colony site, observers record the following information: 1. geographic coordinates 2. description of nesting habitat 3. nest locations on standardized panoramic sketch or photo 4. property ownership 5. number of active nests on each visit 6. average nesting stage on each visit. 7. reproductive success 8. evidence of disturbance 9. nearby human land use.

The study area extends from the outer Pacific Coast eastward to the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers and Mount Diablo, from the Russian River and Lake Berryessa southward to the Golden Gate and Bay bridges and, through collaboration with the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory, southward through the Santa Clara Valley and interior of the East Bay hills. In all, the study area includes the nine-counties adjacent to San Francisco Bay, to cover all known colony sites in region. Napa County is a region of substantial importance to herons and egrets. Nesting and foraging habitat can be found throughout the county from Lake Berryessa and Lake Hennessey to the Napa Marsh (part of the large complex of tidal and freshwater wetlands that extends along the northern shore of San Pablo Bay). Napa County’s geographic position forms an important connection between the highly productive Suisun Marsh estuary in the east, the Petaluma-Napa wetland complex to the south, and the outer Pacific Coast to the west. There have historically been 35 heron and egret nesting sites in the county. Approximately 13 of those sites were active in 2009 (see map below).

Audubon Canyon Ranch 5

5. Clear Statement of Benefit Relative to the Goals of the Commission Our research guides landscape-scale conservation in wetlands through the publication of scientific reports, incorporates volunteer participation through broad community involvement, and promotes conservation through education of children and adults.

6. Proposed Activity Success Metrics

Successfully track the nesting success of all known heronries in Napa County. Evaluate the results in the context of current conservation concerns.

Audubon Canyon Ranch 6

III. Attachments 1. Expenditure Detail

PROJECT BUDGET

ITEM Total Field Biologist (260 hrs @$20 per hr ) $5,200.00 Supervising Biologist (25 hrs @ $35 per hr) $875.00 Data Analysis (25 hrs @ $55 per hr) $1,375.00 Transportation (2,000 miles @50 cents per mile) $1,000.00 Subtotal $8,450.00 Overhead (3%) $253.50 TOTAL BUDGET $8,703.50 or ~$8,700.00

MATCHING FUNDS Volunteer Hours1 (110 hours @ $23 per hr) $2530.00 Field Biologist housing and utilities $3000.00 Volunteer Coordination (25 hrs @ $25 per hr) $625.00 Project Administration (6 @ $60 per hr) $360.00 TOTAL MATCHING FUNDS $6,515.00 1 independentsector.org

2. List of Other Funding Sources (i.e., Matching Funds) Audubon Canyon Ranch is providing matching funds in the form of staff time for Volunteer Coordination ($625) and Project Administration ($360), housing and utility support for the Field Biologist ($3,000), and the value of volunteer time to support the monitoring of Napa County sites ($2,530) for a total contribution of $6,515.

3. Letters of Support Forthcoming.

4. Completion/Progress Reports for Projects Using CA Fish and Game Monies Monitoring and control of signal crayfish (Pacifastucus lenisculus) in Stuart Creek at the Bouverie Preserve of Audubon Canyon Ranch. ACR received $3000 from the Sonoma County Fish and Wildlife Commission in 2007 to quantify the distribution of signal crayfish (Pacifastucus lenisculus) in Stuart Creek and to test the efficacy of trapping crayfish and/or establishing physical barriers to movement to reduce their population along approximately 1 mile of Stuart Creek at the Bouverie Preserve. To date, the project has developed an effective trapping methodology and determined, by marking individual crayfish, that existing unmodified concrete barriers are not sufficient to prevent upstream dispersal of crayfish. Phase II of the project, which includes modifying an existing concrete barrier, is slated for implementation in Fall 2010.

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Appendix A: Audubon Canyon Ranch Board of Directors Fiscal Year 2011

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR J. Scott Feierabend

OFFICERS President: Andy Lafrenz, Esq. Partner, Donahue Gallagher Woods, LLP San Rafael ACR Ranch Guide Vice President: Judy Prokupek Former Director of Development, SF Botanical Garden Society Inverness Treasurer: Bill Richardson Non-Profit Financial Manager San Anselmo Secretary: Valerie Merrin Community volunteer, Angel Island Association Mill Valley ACR Ranch Host

MEMBERS Julie Allecta Retired, Senior Partner, Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP Corte Madera Tom Bradner Accountant Larkspur CSHP Volunteer Anna-Marie Bratton Retired, Biology Lab Manager, San Francisco City College San Francisco ACR Docent, ACR Ranch Guide Andre Brewster Director, Howard Rice Nemerovski Canady Falk and Rabkin Law Firm San Anselmo Dave Chenoweth Mill Valley ACR Ranch Guide Mary Ann Cobb Community volunteer Stinson Beach ACR Docent, ACR Docent Council Co-President, BLP Kevin E. Consey Chief Operating Officer, Golden Gate Audubon Society (GGAS) Former Director of the Berkeley Art Museum Berkeley Sam Dakin Community volunteer Sebastopol

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ACR Docent Leslie Flint Retired, Human resources professional, San Mateo San Mateo ACR Ranch Guide Representing member of Sequoia Audubon Jesse Grantham Biologist, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Ojai Bryant Hichwa Professor, Sonoma State University Santa Rosa Diane Jacobson Retired, insurance executive, Glen Ellen Glen Ellen ACR Docent David Kavanaugh, PhD Curator, California Academy of Sciences Community volunteer Petaluma Barbara Kosnar Senior Vice President, Corporate Tax Manager, Union Bank, San Francisco Community volunteer Mill Valley ACR Ranch Guide Susan Moritz Community volunteer San Rafael ACR Docent ACR Docent Council Co-President, BLP Dan Murphy Retired teacher, Alameda Office of Education San Francisco BLP Ranch Host Representing member of Golden Gate Audubon Doug Murray Relationship Manager, Bank of Marin private Banking Group Community volunteer Greenbrae Ivan Obolensky Principal, Shields and Company President, Josephine Lawrence Hopkins Foundation New York, NY Jane Sinclair Contract Design Professional Community volunteer, Sonoma ACR Docent ACR Docent Council President, BP April Starke Slakey Retired, Major Gifts Officer, San Francisco YMCA Mill Valley Stephen Smith

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Senior Financial Advisor, Merrill Lynch, Santa Rosa Partner, Maggini Smith & Kruse Group Community volunteer Santa Rosa Sue Stoddard Founder, InfoUse Larkspur ACR Ranch Guide Lowell Sykes Retired Community volunteer Representing member of Marin Audubon Mill Valley Francis Toldi, Esq. Copyright/Trademark Counsel, Hewlett-Packard Burlingame Representing member of Sequoia Audubon CSHP Volunteer Patrick Woodworth Retired teacher, Fulbright Scholar Sebastopol Representing member of Madrone Audubon

Definition of ACR Volunteer Groups: Representatives of ACR’s volunteer cadres and local Audubon Society chapters are key members of the ACR Board of Directors. ACR Docents educate nearly 7,000 schoolchildren each year about the wonders of nature through ACR’s environmental education programs. Ranch Guides educate public visitors to the Bolinas Lagoon Preserve about natural history and egret and heron biology. Ranch Hosts welcome visitors to the Bolinas Lagoon Preserve. CSHP volunteers work with ACR scientists on conservation science and habitat protection and restoration projects being conducted on ACR’s preserves.

Audubon Canyon Ranch 10

Appendix B: Qualifications of Lead Investigators

John Kelly, PhD, is Director of Conservation Science and Habitat Protection at Audubon Canyon Ranch. He is also a Research Associate with PRBO Conservation Science. He received his Ph.D. in Ecology at UC Davis with research on shorebird energetics, and has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals on nest predation, habitat selection, foraging relationships, energetics, community ecology, and population status in birds, with an emphasis on wetland systems. Dr. Kelly has been studying the ecology of herons and egrets since 1989, working at all known colony sites in the northern San Francisco Bay area. He is the lead author of the 236-page Annotated Atlas and Implications for Conservation of Heron and Egret Nesting Colonies in the San Francisco Bay Area (Kelly et al 2006). Since 1988, Dr. Kelly has directed research activities at ACR’s Cypress Grove Research Center on Tomales Bay.

Emiko Condeso is a Biologist/GIS Specialist at the Cypress Grove Research Center of Audubon Canyon Ranch. Emiko received her MS degree in Landscape Ecology from Sonoma State University with a study on the effects of landscape context on the spread of the forest disease Sudden Oak Death. She has broad experience with Geographic Information Systems (GIS), including spatial analysis, remote sensing, and cartography, and will provide expertise in GIS modeling, applications of remote data, and landscape interpretation. Emiko also has worked extensively with volunteers to accomplish scientific objectives and manages several long-term biological monitoring projects for Audubon Canyon Ranch including the North Bay Heron and Egret Project.

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Appendix C: Audubon Canyon Ranch’s Contribution to Wildlife Conservation in Napa County

• Distributed ACR-created GIS data layer locating heronries to Napa County Planning Department • Published annotated atlas of heron and egret nesting colonies describing heronries in Napa County and around the San Francisco Bay area • Collaborates with Napa State Hospital on their management of a very large heronry located on hospital grounds and continued annual monitoring of this heronry since 1991 • Collaborates with San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge on continued monitoring of heronries in and around the Napa Marsh since 1991 • Provides monitoring data and science-based recommendations to local non-profit organizations and governmental agencies • Provides science-based land management guidance to private landowners with heronries on or near their properties in Napa County • Advised the Napa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District on the location of a proposed trail near the Stanly Ranch Road Great Blue Heron colony

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Appendix D: Literature Cited

Kelly, J. P., K. Etienne, C. Strong, M. McCaustland, and M. L. Parkes. 2007. Status, trends, and implications for the conservation of heron and egret nesting colonies in the San Francisco Bay area. Waterbirds 30: 455-478. Kelly, J. P., K. Etienne, C. Strong, M. McCaustland, and M. L. Parkes. 2006. Annotated atlas and implications for conservation of heron and egret nesting colonies in the San Francisco Bay area. ACR Technical Report 90-3-17, Audubon Canyon Ranch, Marshall, CA 94940. 236 pp. http://www.egret.org/atlas Kelly, J. P., B. Fischer, and T. E. Condeso. 2009. Heron and egret monitoring results at West Marin Island: 2008 nesting season. Report to the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge. ACR Tech. Rpt. 90-3-20. Audubon Canyon Ranch, Stinson Beach, CA 94970. Kelly, J. P., D. Stralberg, K. Etienne, and M. McCaustland. 2008. Landscape influences on the quality of heron and egret colony sites. Wetlands 28: 257-275. Kushlan, J. A. 1993. Colonial waterbirds as bioindicators of environmental change. Colonial Waterbirds 16:223- 251. Kushlan, J. A., and H. G. Hafner. 2000. Heron Conservation. Academic Press, San Diego, CA. Pratt, H. M. 1970. Breeding biology of Great Blue Herons and Common Egrets in Central California. Condor 72:407-416. Pratt, H. M. 1983. Marin County California heron colonies: 1967-1981. Western Birds 14:169-184. Pratt, H. M., and D. W. Winkler. 1985. Clutch size, timing of laying, and reproductive success in a colony of Great Blue Herons and Great Egrets. Auk 102:49-63. Stolen, E. D., D. R. Breininger, and P. C. Frederick. 2005. Using waterbirds as indicators in estuarine systems: successes and perils. Pages 409-422, in S. A. Bortone [ed.], Estuarine indicators. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, USA.

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AGENDA ITEM #5i

Natural Resource Conservation District (NRCS) – Farm Pond Floating Island Habitat Demonstration Project

AGENDA ITEM #5j

California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) – Request for two Spotting Scopes and Related Accessories for Enforcement Efforts

NAPA COUNTY WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION

WILDLIFE CONSERVATION GRANT FUND APPLICATION 2010

Submitted by the California Department of Fish and Game

North Coast Enforcement District Warden Eric Shelton (Warden for Napa County)

Lt. Steve Riske (Patrol Lieutenant for Napa, Sonoma, Marin Counties)

I. Description of Organization

(1) Type of organization or business

The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) is a state agency under the directorship of the Resources Agency, Sacramento, California. The North Coast Enforcement District covers resource law enforcement for Napa County and our local office is located at 7329 Silverado Trail, Napa CA 94558.

(2) Purpose for which the organization was formed

DFG was formed to enact the policy of the state, which is to encourage the preservation, conservation and maintenance of wildlife resources under the jurisdiction and influence of the state. Objectives of the policy include: (i) maintaining sufficient populations of all species of wildlife and their habitats, (ii) providing the beneficial use and enjoyment of wildlife by all citizens of the state, (iii) perpetuating all species of wildlife for their intrinsic and ecological values, and (iv) providing for aesthetic, educational, non-appropriative, and recreational uses of wildlife such as hunting.

The Mission of the Department of Fish and Game is to manage California’s diverse fish, wildlife, and plant resources, and the habitats upon which they depend, for their ecological and for their use and enjoyment by the public.

(3) Tax exempt status

N/A

(4) Date formed as non-profit

N/A

(5) Membership

N/A

(6) Names of Board of Directors; contact person

Contact persons: Eric Shelton, Fish and Game Warden (Napa) E-mail: [email protected] Office: 707-452-8370

Steve Riske, Patrol Lieutenant (Napa, Sonoma, Marin) E-mail: [email protected] Office: 707-838-6930

California Department of Fish and Game P.O. Box 47 Yountville, CA 94599

II. Needs Assessment

(1) Statement of problem The Enforcement Division of the California Department of Fish and Game enforces resource laws from fishing and hunting regulations to habitat and pollution laws. Violations of fish and wildlife regulations and laws occur within Napa County as they do throughout the State of California. Examples of violations that have occurred in Napa County are: fishing or hunting without required license(s), taking over the legal limits of fish or wildlife, taking fish and wildlife under the legal size limits, illegal hunting with the aid of bait, shooting deer at night and with the aid of an artificial light (spotlighting), taking of fish and wildlife with illegal means of take, take of deer and upland game out of season, hunter trespass, possession and sales of restricted species, littering in or near waterways, pollution of state waters, and illegal alteration of streams.

Currently there are two Fish and Game Wardens assigned to Napa County. These Wardens patrol all areas of the county from the Napa River/ Marsh in the southern portion of the county to the more rugged mountainous areas near Lake Berryessa and Knoxville. Patrols are conducted at all hours of the day and night. More often than not, these patrols are conducted alone with little or no law enforcement back up or assistance. Being in the right place at the right time to observe a violation(s) takes time, patience, experience, and sometimes luck, but most of all when a violation does take place, Wardens need to be able to make accurate observations to put a case together and then be able to articulate what they saw in a court of law.

The Department of Fish and Game does not have the funding to provide Wardens with good quality spotting scopes, though, they are needed. As Wardens, we spend a considerable amount of time observing peoples actions in order to make cases and having good quality spotting scopes will enable us to observe violations from greater distances and more remote locations. Good quality spotting scopes will provide better optical clarity, brighter imagery, and less thermal distortion, which will allow us to glass for longer periods of time without eye fatigue, see during low light conditions, and see violations that we wouldn’t have seen otherwise. (2) Specific Objective and Dollar Amount Requested SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE

The objective of the Department of Fish and Game is to manage and protect the wildlife resources and habitats throughout the State of California and within Napa County. Protection is achieved through enforcement and education of fish and game related laws and regulations. These spotting scopes will assist in the apprehension of those who choose to take advantage/ destroy our wildlife resources. The specific objective is to acquire two (2) Swarovski HD STM-80 spotting scopes, two (2) Swarovski Universal Digital Camera Adapters, and two (2) Spotting Scope Window Mounts for the two Warden positions within Napa County.

DOLLAR AMOUNT REQUESTED

2 - Swarovski STM-80 HD Spotting Scopes.

2 - Swarovski Universal Digital Camera Adapters.

2 - Spotting Scope Window Mounts.

Total Requested: $7550.00

(3) Anticipated Results, Timelines The purchase of these two spotting scopes and associated equipment will give the Wardens in Napa County the ability to make better and more accurate observations when doing long range surveillance and with the use of the digital camera adapters, they will be able to photograph/ record violations which will greatly assist in the apprehension of violators. These spotting scopes have a lifetime warranty and will stay with the Napa Positions.

(4) Detailed Description of Methods Planned to Achieve Objective These two spotting scopes will be used extensively by the Wardens in Napa County while on patrol to assist in the enforcement of wildlife resource laws and in the apprehension of those who choose to violate those laws.

(5) Clear Statement of Benefit Relative to Goals of the Commission The benefits of DFG acquiring the spotting scopes to protect wildlife resources in Napa County meet the Commission’s selection criteria # 1, 5 and 6 and Fish and Game Code sections 13102(g) and (m).

(6) Describe How You Intend to Determine if Proposed Activity is Successful The requested spotting scopes for the two Warden positions in Napa County will give the Wardens the ability to make better and more accurate observations. Having quality spotting scopes will, without a doubt assist in the apprehension of those who choose to violate wildlife resource laws and in turn help to reduce poaching activity in Napa County. This may be measured by the number of cases made using the spotting scopes.

III. Attachments

(1) Expenditure Detail: 2 - Swarovski STM-80 HD Spotting Scopes.

2 - Swarovski Universal Digital Camera Adapters.

2 - Spotting Scope Window Mounts. Received competitive bids from four sources:

Bear Basin Outfitters (local): $7,550.00

2491 Estand Wy, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523, (925) 825-9803.

Eagle Optics: $7,588.00 1537 B Imola Ave, Napa, CA 94559, (707) 255-5544

Cabela’s Inc: $7,593.94

One Cabela Dr, Sidney, NE 69160, (800) 242-1596.

The Last Gun Shop (local): $7,926.44

1537 A Imola Ave, Napa, CA 94559, (707) 255-8965.

** Enforcement Total requested: $7,550.00 **

(2) List of other Funding Sources At this time there are no known funding sources for this equipment.

The Enforcement Division operates on a budget allocated from the Sacramento Headquarters. With the current state budget in the red, it is very likely that our limited budget may be cut this coming fiscal year. Within our limited budget we have to cover other expenses such as: vehicle/skiff fuel, vehicle/skiff maintenance and repairs, overhead (telephone, office equipment, training supplies, travel expenses etc.). Our budget is spread even thinner with significant increase in fuel over the past year.

(3) Letters of Support N/A

(4) Completion/Progress Report The Enforcement Division, Napa Squad submitted a request in 2002 for the purchase of 3 sets of Leica binoculars. The request was approved December 17, 2002. These binoculars were purchased and are currently in use by the Napa Squad members. The purchase of these binoculars has increased the number of citations/arrest made by the wardens due to the ability to make better and more accurate observations.

A second request was submitted in 2006 for the purchase of a 40HP Honda stroke, outboard motor. The request was approved that year. This motor is still in use for patrol on the Napa River. This equipment has been a great asset to the wardens in their day to day job and has increased their ability to contact fishermen and hunters on the Napa River and Napa Marsh.

A third request was submitted in 2008 for the purchase of a Honda ATV and Zieman Trailer. The request was approved that year. This ATV and trailer are still in use for patrol of Napa County. This equipment has been a great asset to the wardens in their day to day job and has increased their ability to contact hunters on public and private lands.

These prior approvals from the Commission have been a great benefit to the Wardens and have been a tremendous help in protecting the resources of Napa County.