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International Restoration Projects from California Trustee Councils

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International Restoration Projects from California Trustee Councils Postcards from the Edge: International Janet Whitlock & Carolyn Marn Restoration Sacramento FWO Projects from Steve Hampton, CDFW-OSPR California for California Trustees Trustee Councils Where are CA Trustees Implementing Projects? • Command: New Zealand • Luckenbach: New Zealand, Canada, Baja California • Montrose: Baja California • Cosco Busan: Canada Why Consider International Restoration Projects? • Birds travel, do not recognize borders – Allows evaluation of threats throughout species range and life cycle – Sometimes the best or only restoration for injured Pacific Coast birds is outside of the United States! – Messaging priority! • Provides larger suite of projects to evaluate • Ancillary benefits – Provides for wildlife science internationally – Fosters international relationships with wildlife biologists Considerations • Do you have Trustee support? • Will exchange rates affect costs over the life of the project? – Weak dollar, costs may go up, strong dollar, costs down • Who will implement the project? – Need NGO to transfer funds and oversee (NRDA funds go to Trustee and Trustee cannot give funds to other gov’t) – What about site visits and your role? Within budget? Rakiura Tïtï Restoration Project: Predator Sooty Shearwater Restoration eradication Command Trustees in NZ What to Do About Injury to Sooty Shearwaters? • Sooty Shearwaters injured during spill in 1998 • Most abundant seabird off Central CA May-Sept. • Second most abundant species found oiled • Banded shearwater from NZ oiled and killed during spill • Draft Restoration plan: no project for shearwaters Predator Eradication in New Zealand • Public meeting: Seabird biologist suggests project in NZ • Introduced predators eat shearwater eggs and chicks at nesting grounds at NZ islands • Project best suited to benefit birds in CA • Important to Rakiura Maori (NZ south- indigenous people) and NZ Dept. of Conservation • NGO equipped to implement Shearwater Migration Route T h e r e s t o r a t i o n t e a m c o m b i n e s t h e t r a d i t i o n a l K n o w l e d g e o f t h e “ k a i t i a k i ” ( M ä o r i e n v i r o n m e n t a l s t e w a r d s ) r e p r e s e n t e d b y t h e K a M a t e N g a K i o r e I n c o r p o r a t e d S o c i e t y ( K M K ) w i t h t e c h n i c a l a n d s c i e n t i f i c e x p e r t i s e o f t h e N e w Z e a l a n d D e p a r t m e n t o f C o n s e r v a t i o n ( D o C ) , a U n i v e r s i t y o f O t a g o t e a m o f e c o l o g i s t s , a n d U n i t e d S t a t e s e n v i r o n m e n t a l e d u c a t i o n a n d s e a b i r d e x p e r t s f r o m O i k o n o s E c o s y s t e m K n o w l e d g e ( O i k o n o s ) . University of of University Otago – New Zealand Dept. of Conservation of Dept. Zealand New – Environmental Stewards) Environmental Nga Mate Ka Kiore Inc. Society (Maori (Maori Society Inc. Kiore – partnered with partnered Oikonos • (US NGO) (US Oikonos Cooperative Agreement between USFWS and and USFWS between Agreement Cooperative • Partners Project Implemented 2006 • 4 Islands are rat free: over 2500 acres • Native and indigenous invertebrates and land birds have rebounded Changes in the abundance of native birds before and after a rat eradication on Taukihepa SW Rakiura/Stewart Island 5 4.5 4 3.5 3 2006 2.5 2008 (+/- s.e.) (+/- 2010 2 1.5 1 Mean number of birds counted at each site of birds counted at each number Mean 0.5 0 Bellbird Tui Grey Weka Silvereye Fantail Pied Tit RC YC Robin Warbler Parakeet Parakeet Species Shearwater Colony Protection at Taiaroa Sooty Shearwater Restoration Luckenbach Trustees Head, NZ Taiaroa Head Otago Peninsula Photo by Jaime Newman • Predator-proof fence completed in 2012 • Landowner began small mammal control in 2012 • Occupied burrows increased from 900 in 2011/12 to 1,200 in 2012/13 • No rabbits seen • Increases in shearwaters at extremities of main colony suggests expansion Photo by Jaime Newman Rat Eradication at Haida Gwaii (Queen Ancient Murrelet Restoration Charlotte Luckenbach Trustees Islands, CANADA) • Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, Haida Gwaii is important habitat for a variety of marine birds during the breeding and non-breeding seasons • Significant declines in native species attributed to non- native rats • Rats documented on at least 20 islands SGin Xaana Sdiihltl’lxa: Night Birds Returning • Parks Canada • Haida Nation • Archipelago Management Board • Island Conservation • Coastal Conservation • Arichika Island 15 ha • Historically supported 500 pairs Ancient Murrelets, Cassin’s Auklets and Fork-tailed Storm-petrels • Bischof Islands 79 ha • Historically supported 500 pairs Ancient Murrelets and 5,000 pairs Fork-tailed Storm-petrels • Installed unbaited stations in 2010 • 50 x 50 m grid spacing • Baited stations with rodenticide in August 2011 • Efficacy monitoring • Mitigation measures • Biodiversity & Non-target surveys • Monitoring continues to Oct 2014 Seabird Colony Protection on Baja Seabird Restoration California Montrose Trustees Islands, Luckenbach Trustees Mexico Mexico: 55 Successful Eradications on 35 Islands in 15 years Baja California Pacific Islands • Globally recognized as Important Bird Areas • 7 target islands -Coronados -Todos Santos -San Martín -San Jerónimo -Natividad -Asunción -San Roque Seabird Restoration on the Baja California Pacific Islands 2005- Identified in Montrose Restoration Plan 2006- Identified in Luckenbach Restoration Plan 2010- Luckenbach Council’s claims approved 2011- Joint Request for Proposals, award selection 2012- Contracting 2013- Project Initiation – Year 1 of 5 Photo: Conservación de Islas in the Southern California Bight and along the California coast. Bi-National Partnership FRIENDS OF THE MEXICAN FUND FOR THE CONSERVATION OF NATURE California Brown Pelican Western Gull Ashy Storm-Petrel Scripps’s Murrelet Cassin’s Auklet Project Goal: Restore and Protect Seabird Populations on the Baja California Pacific Islands Habitat restoration Social attraction Disturbance reduction Educational outreach Monitoring Habitat Restoration Assessment of vegetation communities Removal of exotic plant species 2013: Iceplant cleared on Todos Santos (17 ac) and Coronado Islands (16 ac) Social Attraction to Encourage Recolonization • Decoys • Nest boxes • Replica eggs • Mirrors • Sound Photos: Conservación de Islas Disturbance Reduction Measures Design and establish trails to avoid nesting areas (San Martín) Construct boardwalks to avoid crushing burrows (San Jerónimo) Restrict access during nesting season Install signage Outreach & Education Photos: Conservación de Islas Light Shielding • San Benito Island Pilot Program: reduce timing and intensity of lights • Similar efforts planned for all 7 target islands Photos: Conservación de Islas Monitoring Acoustical recording devices for nocturnal seabirds that are difficult to detect Effectiveness of social attraction efforts Monitoring at nesting colonies and at-sea Biosecurity Photos: Conservación de Islas Derelict Net Removal in Canadian waters of Puget Sound Surf Scoter Restoration and the Strait of Cosco Busan Trustees Georgia Migration of satellite-tagged Surf Scoters from San Francisco Bay How Do We Find Derelict Fishing Gear? • Sidescan sonar can cover large areas effectively (2.25 sq. miles/day of 20 linear miles/day) • Identify and locate pots, nets and underwater obstacles likely to snag nets • Return with divers to verify and remove nets • Reports of lost or found nets from the field Trilateral Committee’s Island Working Group Letter of Intent • Endorsed by all three countries • In addition to FWS, 3 additional U.S. agencies are participating agencies (BLM, NOAA, NPS) • Builds long-term capacity and support for island restoration and conservation • Will be signed at upcoming Trilateral Meeting in May in Mexico Contact: [email protected] Conservation and Restoration of the Islands of Canada, U.S., and Mexico Regional EC Meeting Annie[Insert Little, Pic] CFWO April 28, 2009 Trilateral Committee Update .
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