Caribbean Islands Refuges Cabo Rojo National Wildlife

CARIBBEAN ISLANDS REFUGES

CABO ROJO NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Boqueron, Puerto Rico

CULEBRA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Culebra, Puerto Rico

DESECHEO NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Desecheo, Puerto Rico

BUCK ISLAND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE St, Thomas, U .S . Virgin Islands

GREEN CAY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE St . Croix, U,S . Virgin Islands

VIEQUES FIELD STATION Vieques, Puerto Rico

ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT Calendar Year 1983

NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM Fish and Wildlife Service U .S . DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

PERSONNEL

1 . Sean Furniss, Refuge Manager, GS-11 . PFT. . EOD 7/78 2 . Robert Adamcik, Refuge Manager, GS-9, PFT, EOD 5/81 3 . John Taylor, Refuge Manager, GS-9, PFT, EOD, 11/82 4 . Carmen Mendez-Santoni, Secretary . GS-4, PPT,E-OD 12/82

0 REVIEW AND APPROVALS

ubmitt d by : Date

efuge Supervisor Date Atlantic South

Regional Office Date

r 0 Project Leader Sean Furniss after his desk was cleared off to take a staff photo . Mendez-Santoni AN-CI-1-84

Secretary Carmen Mendez-Santoni the important link in our chain with the outside world . Furniss AN-CI-2-84

No photo was available for Refuge Manager John Taylor . The photo of Refuge Manager Bob Adamcik is found with the Vieques report . TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

GENERAL SUMMARY

A, HIGHLIGHTS 2

B . CLIMATIC CONDITIONS 2

C . LAND ACQUISITION 2

D . PLANNING 2

E . ADMINISTRATION

1, Personnel 2 2 . Youth Program 3 3 . Volunteer Program 3

F . HABITAT MANAGEMENT 3

G . WILDLIFE 3-4

H . PUBLIC USE 5

I . EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES 5

1 . Funding 2 . Safety 5 3. Technical Assistance 6

J . OTHERITEMS 6-7

1 . Credits 7 2 . Feedback 7-8

Caribbean Islands NWR's

General Summary

The Caribbean Islands National Wildlife Refuges began its administrative existence as the Culebra National Wildlife Refuge in 1978 and was named with its present title in 1981 . The complex adminis- ters four distinct island units (Desecheo NWR, Culebra NWR, Buck Island NWR, Green Cay NWR), a small unit on the island of Puerto Rico (Cabo Rojo NWR) and a technical assistance program for 23,000 acres of Navy land (Vieques Field Station) . Additionally, the complex staff provides resource management assistance for land management, migratory game bird management and endangered species management activities to a variety of Federal . Commonwealth and Territo- rial agencies .

The basic function of the complex administration is to represent the Wildlife Resources program rather than to represent only the Division of Refuges . The complex also provides support functions for Law Enforcement, Research, Habitat Preservation and Federal Assistance programs to the limit of its ability .

The immensity of the Caribbean empire radiates outward from the nerve center of the Caribbean complex at Cabo Rojo NWR . Furniss . AN-CI-3-83 . 2

Caribbean Islands NWR's

A . Highlights

Earthwatch approves sea turtle study for Culebra NWR . (see Section G)

American Ornithologists Union requests action on removal of Desecheo NWR monkeys . (see Section G) .

World Society for Protection of Animals visits Puerto Rico . (see Section G)

B . ClimaticCondtions

The 1983 calender year was not marked by any notable storms, something for which we are always thankful, All of the areas administered by the Caribbean Complex are classified as subtropical dry forest . The weather data for Cabo Rojo and Culebra NWR's provide a general idea of the basic weather patterns for our areas,

C . Land Acquisition

In September 1983, the Congress authorized 2 .5 million dollars to purchase the critical habitat for the leatherback sea turtle at Sandy Point, St . Croix . Mr, Mohrman, Chief clerk of the House Interior appropriations Committeee visited the site on November 29, 1983 to see what it was that FWS was purchasing . Negotiations with the owners were still underway at the end of the year .

D, Planning

No planning activities took place in FY 83, At the beginning of FY 84, instructions were given to undertake masterplanning for the Caribbean Refuges, The master planning effort was canceled by the end of November .

E . Administration

1 . Personnel

During 1983 our staff of 4 continued unchanged from 1982, One refuge manager assigned to handle daily operations at Culebra NWR, one refuge manager assigned to assist the Navy on Vieque,s. Island, one refuge manager to cover the rest of Puerto Rico and U .S . Virgin Islands, and one secretary trying to keep the essential paper work under control .

Caribbean Refuges Staffing Summary

Full time Part time

FY 1980 2 0 FY 1981 2 1 .6 FY 1982 2 1,6 FY 1983 3 0 .6 FY 1984 3 0 .6

2 . YouthPrograms

During the 1983, the only program of this nature was the YCC camp at Culebra NWR . It really provided a tremendous opportunity for high school age youth at Culebra to get to know the refuge and obtain a first hand look at what was being done for the resources . For further information see Culebra NWR .

3 . Volunteer Program

This year the volunteers working for the Caribbean Complex were located only at the Culebra NWR . Efforts to get seabird research volunteers to Culebra were successful when Dr . Joanna Burger and Dr . Michael Gochfeld agreed to come work at the seabird colonies .

Our Refuge volunteers come from all walks of life . Our 9 volunteer ORP (Outdoor Recreation Player) Megan Furniss, riding on patrol to greet station visitors, really enjoys her energy efficient, non-polluting vehicle . Furniss AN-CI-4-83 .

F . Habitat Management

Habitat management programs have not been actively undertaken on the Caribbean Refuges to any larger degree . On Culebra Island reduction of cattle numbers continues on the Flamenco Peninsula, with less than 20 animals remaining at the end of the year . At Cayo Matojo (Culebra NWR) clearings were made in an effort to increase the numbers of nesting royal and sandwich terns . About 800 trees were planted at Cabo Rojo NWR in a continuing effort to en- hance the return of native tree species . 0 G . Wildlife Desecheo and Culebra NWR's are noted for the thirteen species of breeding seabirds found on those areas . The Desecheo Brown booby colony, the Culebra sooty tern colonies . the endangered yellow- 4

shouldered blackbird at Cabo Rojo NWR and the endangered St . Croix ground lizard at Green Cay NWR are the significant species for those refuges . Work both on and off of service lands included native waterfowl, columbids, brown pelicans, West Indian manatees and four species of sea turtles .

The World Society for the Protection of Animals visited the project leader seeking information on migratory bird hunting in Puerto Rico . They were referred to the P .R . Department of Natural Resources, who told them the truth, that no reliable or current biological data on migratory bird species was available . They and the Humane Society of the United States began the process of asking FWS to provide data justi- fying the hunting seasons .

In an effort to reduce leatherback turtle egg poaching and in the hopes of obtaining base line data on leatherbacks, the project leader submitted a research proposal to the Center for Field Research . On Nov . 10, the Center for Field Research announced that they had agreed to fund the project leaders request for an Earthwatch program to study sea turtles at Culebra NWR . This study will have a major impact on managing turtles in Culebra .

Even a wild Rhesus monkey will come down out of the trees for a free meal at Desecheo Island . Herbert AN-CI-5-83 .

The Desecheo brown booby colony was once again the focus of outside attention . In September 1983 the American Ornithologists Union passed a resolution requesting that FWS take immediate steps to eliminate rhesus monkeys from Desecheo NWR . Additionally the National Wildlife Federation asked FWS about the progress "they" were making on resolving this problem and again referred to their 1977 resolution . For FY 85, $40,000 has been assigned to hopefully bring about a final resolution of the Problem .

H . Public Use

Limited . authorized public use takes place on the Caribbean Refuges . With our current personnel limitations, we actively encourage only very selec- tive public use programs, Our greatest committment is to the public at the l'ocalT .'community on Culebra . We want them to feel that the Culebra NWR is a real part of their community and we feel that spending time with local school students, local handicapped groups and the local media (the one radio station has its antenna on refuge lands) provides a very positive image with the local folks . '.Outsi :de : of Culebra, we don't advertise our services but word of mouth lets people know we are here . We do maintain an open door policy, so that whenever the gate is open weekdays, weekends, or nights then folks are welcome to come by . We do not get-a lot of traf- fic but folks have gotten to know that they are welcome anytime they can find us in the office . Increased staffing will a ssist . us in putting out a positive image everywhere, rather than the image of just mere presence that we have now .

I . Equipment and Facilities

Currently our only facilities consists of an office building and garage at Cabo Rojo NWR, and an office trailer and residence trailer at Culebra NWR . Most of our maintenance effort goes into fences and vehicles, and even that is mostly just buying materials and having , isomeone else, do the work .

1 . Funding

The funding level for the Caribbean Refuges is shown in the tablebelow . This funding does not include the Vieques Field Station which has a separate budget paid for by the U .S . Navy . Details of the Vieques budget are available in that section of the narrative .

Budget Summary*

Fiscal Wildlife Endangered Total Year Resources Species

1980 60,000 14,000 74,000 1981 45,500 57,000 102,500 1982 55,000 37,000 92,000 1983 91,000 16,000 107,000 1984 120,000 - 120,000

*1980-1983 budgets as of end of FY . 1984 budget as of Dec . 31, 1984 .

Funding is adequate to pay salaries and travel costs . The lack of clear direction has hindered development plans and there has been little for which we can solicit funds .

2, Safety

The complex subscribes to an excellent spanish language safety publica- tion :and has purchased a number of slide programs for use . No formal safety meetings are held due to the low number of personnel at each sta- 0 tion . During the YCC program, the Culebra manager holds meetings for the enrollees and staff in order to increase their awareness of safety . 6

3 . Technical Assistance

The Vieques Field Station is the most intensive assistance program of the Caribbean Refuges, it is essentially a hundred percent committment of one staff person to assist the U,S . Navy in staying within environmental guidelines, This program is discussed in the Vieques section of the narrative,

The complex provides the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources with assistance in evaluating waterfowl habitat, conducting waterfowl surveys and strategic planning .

The project leader serves as the Fish and Wildlife Service representative on the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Sanctuary . An appointment given by the Puerto Rico Secretary of Natural Resources .

The Governor of Puerto Rico appointed the project leader, at the request of the Secretary of the Interior, to represent the Department of Interior on the Culebra Conservation and Development Authority Board .

The project leader represents the Fish and Wildlife Service on the Virgin Islands Resource Management Cooperative,

Additionally the project leader is the manatee salvage coordinator for the Caribbean and is alternate team leader for environmental contaminant spills,

Facilities support at Cabo Rojo is provided to the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources cowbird control program .

Training assistance is provided to the Boy Scout Nature Team each spring to prepare them as summer camp environmental instructors .

Assistance is provided to the FWS •o ffice of International Affairs for Latin America projects and to the Agency for International Development trainees in resource management .

J . Other Items

Jim Gillett, Chief of the Division . of Refuges, Washington, D .C . visited the Caribbean Refuges March 3-10 with Refuge Supervisor Oberheu during the annual inspection trip .

Resource managers from St . Vincent, Barbados .,' Trinidad, St . Lucia, and Dominica visited the Cabo Rojo NWR on April 13,

Regional Fire Coordinator Howard Poitevint and National Fire Coordinator Art Belcher visited Cabo Rojo NWR April 26-27 at the request of the Chief of Refuges to provide the refuge with guidance on preparing a useable fire plan .

St .. Croix ground lizard recovery plan completed and sent onward April 12 .

Project Leader Furniss attended the Man and the Biosphere meeting'at St . John, U .S . Virgin Islands 'on May 10 . 7

Deputy Associate Director Bob Gilmore visited the Caribbean Refuges and the Puerto Rico Secretary of Natural Resources May 9-12 .

Flyway Biologist Otto Florschutz •v;i.s:ited ; Puerto Rico May 31-June 4 to review waterfowl habitat and waterfowl hunting programs,

Drs . Burger and Gochfeld spent two weeks on Culebra studying sooty terns and laughing gulls, June 20 - July 3 .

Ten resource managers from the lesser Antilles visited Cabo Rojo NWR on August 24 .

Annual review of Culebra land transfer was made with Refuge Super- visor Oberheu October 16-20 .

Project Leader Furniss was the local host and coordinator for the annual meeting of the Colonial Waterbird Group, Oct . 26-30, This was the first time any international ornithological group had held a meeting in Puerto Rico . Four presentations were made on reseach 0 programs on Culebra,

Mr . Fred Mohrman, Chief clerk, House Interior Appropriations Committee visited the Caribbean Refuges Noc . 29 - Dec . 2 .

Mr . Ed Easton the Caribbean Regional Representative of-the National Wildlife Federation visited the Cabo Rojo NWR December 7 .

If you have read the previous narratives and looked at who visited in 1983, wait and see what happened in 1984 .

Credits

Bob Adamcik wrote his section on Vieques before flying off to condor country for his new position at the Kern NWR complex, John Taylor wrote the Culebra section and Sean Furniss is responsible for the rest of it, Martha Furniss provided editorial services and Carmen Mendez- Santoni had the job of putting it all together in readable form,,

Feedback

One of the things about being at a place for six years is that it seems like you have said it all before and often have to pause and wonder if anyone is really out there listening, . Todavia estoy pensando en ponerlo todo en espanol para ver si hay alguien que note la diferencia, but I keep hoping .

Things are changing here and looking up, so most of my complaints are probably going to be taken care of fairly soon . I wonder if it has been worth it . I am sure the resources will get a boost from the changes in FWS attitudes about the Caribbean but surely there must be a better way . It seems like everything must reach a crisis stage before FWS begins to undertake the needed steps to correct what would have been a simple problem, It seems like that there are people who still do not 0 know that there are important resources that are not game species . A 1200 pound leatherback female hauling out to lay her nest of 120 eggs is a sight more impressive than any limit of ducks or trophy deer will ever be, Why is it that we must turn to others for the resources to do the job that we are supposed to be doing? The term wildlife resources means a great deal more than the few species that people are allowed to hunt and fish .

0 CARIBBEAN ISLANDS REFUGES

CABO ROJO'NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT Calender Year 1983

NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM Fish and Wildlife Service U .S . DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

GENERAL SUMMARY

A . HIGHLIGHTS 10

B, CLIMATIC CONDITIONS 107.11

C, LAND ACQUISITION Nothing to Report 11

D, PLANNING - Nothing to Report 11

0 E, 'ADMINISTRATION 11

F . HABITAT MANAGEMENT 11

G, WILDLIFE 1112-13

H, PUBLIC USE 13-14

CABO RAO NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE UNITEC STAPES UNITED 6 ES . CABO R03WREFUGIO NACIONAL DE VIDA SILVESTRE 0 FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BOQUERON, PUERTO RICO a 67°09' 67 .11' 57-10'

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LEGEND

REFUGE BOUNDARY REFUGE HQ./OFICINA LIMITE DEL REFUGIO

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VICINITY MAP

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ATLANTA I t "1RGIA DECEMBER . 1979 4P 377 403 1 Cabo Rojo NWR

General Summary

The refuge was established in 1974 when 587 acres of upland habitat was obtained from the Central Intelligence Agency, The refuge lies along a low coastal plain and has a few gently rolling hills over- looking the southwestern tip of Puerto Rico, The establishment of the refuge was justified for the value that the habitat held for migratory birds, columbids in particular . The area has turned out to be valuable as the only block of wooded upland,in southwewtern Puerto Rico remaining in public ownership and for the great variety of native birds species ; including the endangered yellow-shouldered blackbird, The habitat on the refuge consists of roughly 210 acres of grassland, 320 acres of forest and 50 acres of brush .

Preliminary objectives of the area are to restore the native vege-7 tation in such a manner a s .to provide optimal habitat for both native woodland and grassland species ; with special considerations a for locally and federally listed plant and animal species,

CaboRojo NWR

A . Highlights

800 seedlings of cobana negra planted at Cabo Rojo NWR .

Refuge signs erected .

Ilk

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. #, Refigio Rd Nacional 40 De Vida Silvestre De Cabo Rojo

SERVICIO DE PESCA Y VIDA SILVESTRE DEPARTAMENTO DEL INTERIOR

f i The new entry sign complete with yellow-shouldered blackbird was a significant improvement over our old first generation home made sign . Furniss . AN-CR-1-83 .

B . Climatic Conditions

Climatological Data - Calender Year 1983 Temperature ° F Month Max . Min . Mean inches of rainfall

Jan . 90 59 77 0 .22 Feb . 97 58 76 0 .47 Mar . 93 60 79 5 .15 Apr . 92 62 79 5 .06 May 92 65 79 12 .96 June 67 0 .13 July 71 - 2 .25 Aug . 70 1 .40 Sept . 94 67 82 2 .29 Oct . 93 65 81 6 .52 Nov . 92 69 79 5 .05 Dec . 90 62 77 1 .88

Calender year 1983 was third complete year in which weather data was recorded at Cabo Rojo NWR . During 1983, our average monthly high temperature ranged from 88 to 92 °F, with the warmest temperature

on February 27 when 97 °F was noted . Our average monthly low temperatures ranged from 64 to 75 ° F, with the coldest temperature of 59 °F recorded on January 6 . Rainfall occurred every month, with a total of 43,88 inches for the year, (10 inches more than 1982) .' The highest monthly rainfall occurred in May (12 .96 inches) and the lowest monthly rainfall occurred in June (0,13 inches) . The rainiest day of the year was May 14 when 6 .05 inches of rain was recorded . No severe storms or hurricanes passed near Puerto Rico in 1983 .

C . LandAcquisition - Nothing to Report .

D . Planning - Nothing to Report .

E . Adminsitration

The area is administered by the complex headquarters of the Carib- bean refuges, no personnel are assigned to the refuge .

During 1983 the Cabo Rojo NWR provided living space and office to' two volunteers working for the Puerto Rico Endangered Species Office in Mayaguez and for the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources cowbird control program personnel .

No accidents were reported at Cabo Rojo NWR in 1983,

F . Habitat Management

The refuge staff does not actively manupulate the habitat at Cabo Rojo NWR . Cabo Rojo NWR was identified as one of the two Caribbean Refuges needing habitat mani:pulation to reduce existing levels of exotic trees and increase the numbers of native tree species . I

The Project Leader, at the request of the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources authorized the planting of 800 cobana negra (Stahlia monosperma) at the Cabo Rojo NWR . This species is in the process of being listed as a threatened species on the federal list .

G . Wildlife

The refuge has a variety of avian species . present . Notable among the local species are the endemic grasshopper sparrow, and the federally endangered peregrine falcon and yellow-shouldered blackbird . The Cabo Rojo antenna posts provide an excellent perch for the peregrine to take slow moving cattle egrets . while the wooded areas provided foraging habitat for 40-60 yellow-shouldered blackbirds and nesting habitat for 4-6 pairs .

0 12

The remains of a cattle egret after recycling by a migrant peregrine falcon, Santana . AN-CR-2-83,

The refuge removed itself from the shiny cowbird control program in 1983 due to the lack of personnel and the endangered species program contracted the cowbird trapping to the Puerto Rico Department of Na- tural Resources .

Also found on the refuge are two pairs of red-tailed hawks, three pairs of American kestrels and an estimated eighteen pairs of locally endangered short-eared owls, Common ground doves, white-winged doves and mourning doves are seen throughout the refuge . Exotic mammals such as illegal aliens, mongoose, rhesus monkeys and patos monkeys are seen irregularly .

Une of our little guys Puerto Rican tody taking a break in the sparse southwestern shade . Furniss, AN-CR-3-83 .

H . Public Use

The Caribbean's first public use signs were erected in 1983 . The new signs made the staff feel as if they were working on a real part of the NWR system instead of a forgotten unit, Other than the signs little was done to encourage public use, due to the limited number of personnel assigned to Cabo Rojo NWR . Bird watchers and curious motorists dropped in throughout the year, most days not recording any visitation but with peaks of 15-20 people at a time . 14

A few of the goats that came to visit us for a few days at the Cabo Rojo Roadway Inn, Furniss . AN-CR-4-83 .

One of our neighbors thought he would turn his goats lose for a little free grazing . The project leader "seized" the goats and told the owner that the administrative costs of the 40 goats care and watering would be a $1 .00 a day per head plus $12,00 an hour at 2 hours a day to check on them, We were pleased to receive his postal money order on day three of the goat affair, We decided not to file charges against him, figuring the courts probably wouldn't do much after taking note of the "administrative expenses" he incurred . CARIBBEAN ISLANDS REFUGES

CULEBRA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

ANNUAL'NARRATIVE REPORT Calender Year 1983

NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM Fish and Wildlife Service U,S, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 0 Temporary Personnel

1) Frank Climent 6/83 7/83 YCC 2) Mayra R . Lopez 6/83 7/83 YCC 3) Waleska C . Parrilla 6/83 7/83 YCC 4) Zayda G . Pen a 6/83 7/83 YCC 5) Alfredo Rivera 6/83 7/83 YCC 6) Shirley N, Romero 6/83 7/83 YCC 7) Victor S . Rosario 6/83 7/83 YCC 8) Iris G . Santana 6/83 7/83 YCC 9) Vance E . Thomas 6/83 7/83 YCC 10) Marco Vizcarrondo 6/83 7/83 YCC

11) Joanna Burger 6/83 7/83 Volunteer 12) Andrea Robb 6/83 8/83 Volunteer 13), David Gochfeld 6/83 7/83 Volunteer 14) Michael Gochfeld 6/83 7/83 Volunteer 16) Valerie Feliciano 5/83 10/83 Volunteer 17) Maggie Griffin-Taylor 1/83 12/83 Volunteer 18) Alfredo Rivera 8/83 12/83 Volunteer

f:efuye volunteers and YCC crew . r'-L -, Robb, Pena, Parrilla, Romero, Vizcarrondo, Lopez, Thomas, Climent, Feliciano, Rivera, Rosario and Griffin-Taylor . Not pictured ; Santana, Burger, D . Gochfeld, D .E . Gochfeld, and M . Gochfeld . Taylor . AN-CU-1-83 . TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

GENERAL SUMMARY 15-16

A, HIGHLIGHTS 17

B . CLIMATIC~CONDITIONS 17-18

C, LAND ACQUISITION - Nothing to Report

D, PLANNING

1, Master Plan 18 2, Compliance with Environmental Mandates 18-19 3, Research and Investigations 19-21

E . ADMINISTRATION

1 . Personnel 22 2 . . Youth Programs 22 3, Other Manpower Programs 23 4, Volunteers Program 23 5, Funding 24 6 . Safety 24 7 . Technical Assistance 24 8, Other Items 24-26

F, HABITAT MANAGEMENT

1 . General 26-27 2, Wetlands 27 3 . Forests 27 4 . Grasslands 27-28 5, Other Habitats 28-30

G . WILDLIFE

1 . Wildlife Diversity '30 2, Endangered and/or Threatened Species 30-33 3, Waterfowl 33-34 4 . Marsh and Water Birds 34-35 5 . Shorebirds, Gulls, Terns and Allied Species 35-36 6, Raptors 36 7, Game Mammals 36-37 8, Marine Mammals 37 9, Other Resident Wildlife 37 10 . Marking and Banding 37-38

H, PUBLIC USE .

1, General 38 2 . Outdoor Classrooms - Students 38-39 3, Outdoor Classrooms - Teachers 39 Page

4 . Other Interpretative Programs 39 .. 5 . Trapping 39-40 6 . Camping 40 7 . Other Non-Wildlife Oriented Recreation 40 8 . Law Enforcement 40-41

I . EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES

1 . New Construction 41 2 . Rehabilitation 41 3 . Equipment Utilization and Replacement 41-42 4 . Communications system 42

J, OTHER ITEMS 0 1 . Cooperative Programs 42 2 . Credits 42

K . FEEDBACK 42'

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COMPILED IN THE DIVISION OF REALTY FROM SURVFVS BY USGS °AN -'ATION 0 2500 5000 10000 5000 20000 FEL Y 39 Scale v2 I 2 5 4 ATLANTA, GEORGIA APRIL . 1969 MILES

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Culebra NWR

General Summary

Culebra, an island of approximately 6,747 acres ; lies 17 miles east of Puerto Rico, 12 miles west of St . Thomas, U .S . Virgin Islands, and 9 miles north of the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico . Culebra Island and its archipelago of outlying islands and cays, is part of a bank of islands extending from Puerto Rico on the west to the northern Virgin Islands on the east, Ocean depths are usually less than 165 feet .

A brief archaeological survey in 1979 revealed the presence of two distinct aboriginal populations, one occurring between 800-.1000 A,D . and the other between 1200-1500 A .D .- Columbus discovered Culebra and Culebrita during his second voyage to the new world in 1493 and went on to discover Puerto Rico the same year . Early settlers on the island included Taino Indians who escaped Spanish slavery in Puerto Rico in the early 1500`s . Culebra was later reportedly a base for pirates who oper- ated against Spanish commerce,

Due to lack of a potable water source on the island, Spanish colonization was delayed until 1889 when the settlement of San Idelfonso was built at what is now called Lower Camp . The settlement was moved twice before permanent establishment at Lobina Lagoon . The minicipality, now called Culebra, totals approximately 2,500 inhabitants . After the Spanish- American War of 1898, the then 700 residents of the island came under American jurisdiction, Between 1902 and 1911, Culebra was the main an- chorage for the U .S . Naval fleet until it was transferred to Guantanamo, Cuba, It was probably during this time that an American officer, noting the vast seabird populations, recommended the surrounding islands as a wildlife preserve, On February 27~, 1909, by Executive Order Number 1042, the publicly owned islands and cays of the Culebra group, excluding the main island, were designated as a wildlife preserve subject to Naval and lighthouse purposes,

The Navy became active in .the Culebra area again in 1936 with the approach of WWII when target ranges for Naval ships, aircraft, gunnery and bombing practices were established, The practices continued until 1973 on most outlying islands and cays included in the refuge and along Flamenco Penin- sula on the main island, In 1972 and 1976 the Navy excessed it's land holdings on the island and jurisdictional responsibility for outlying islands and cays passed to the USFWS, In 1982, 776 acres on the main island of Culebra were transferred to the USFWS and together with the 702, acres of existing refuge (outlying islands and cays), the refuge now totals some 1,478 acres .

The refuge's diverse wildlife habitats include a subtropical dry forest unit, two mangrove units, a peninsula covered with grasslands, shrubs and isolated woodlands, and the outlying islands, cays and rocks which include surf swept rocks, sedge covered cays, grassland, shrub covered and forested islands . 16

The Mt . Resaca unit is the largest remaining forest block on the island of Culebra . The northern slopes, wetter than the dryer southern expo- sures, host microenvironments of tropical rain forest types . These areas, 0 boulder strewn canyons and ravines hosts one occurring chiefly in are to of the most unique vegetative communities in Puerto Rico, Trees in these areas have canopies of 50 feet or more with trunk diameters of three feet . Natural thorn thickets occur on dryer sites of the unit . Wildlife here include many of the 25 reptile and amphibian species of the island including the endangered Culebra giant anole whose existence is disputed . Varied bird species abound and an introduced white-tailed deer herd has been firmly established here .

Peninsula Flamenco is currently in a subclimatic grassland state . The climax forest vegetation was cut over for timber and mechanically des- troyed through bombardment and fires while in Navy hands . The largest seabird colony of the Culebra Refuge is the sooty tern colony, of 30-40,000 birds, located on the tip of the Peninsula .

Two mangrove units of the refuge assure protection for these vital 'links 0 between terrestrial and marine ecosystems . The Ensenada Honda unit com- promises mainly red mangroves and is the largest mangrove tract on ;the island . This area is rich in bird and marine life . The Puerto de Manglar unit is a fringe of mangroves around a highly productive bay . An important roosting site for brown pelicans this unit protects the coastal fringe of the phosphorescent bay which is a nursery and feeding area for marine life including green turtles and the spiny lobster .

Thirteen species of seabirds ; nesting by the thousands, are the predominate wildlife on the 24 outlying islands, cays and rocks of the refuge . By far the most abundant are sooty terns nesting on Cayo Yerba, Other nesting tern species include the bridled, brown noddy,' sandwich, royal and roseate tern, Two species of tropicbird, one species of gull, three species of booby and the Audubon's shearwater round out our nesting seabird populations .

The larger islands of Culebrita and Cayo Luis Pena are the only refuge areas open to the public, and visitation is restricted to daylight hours . These islands support well developed deciduous to semi-evergreen forests, beauti- ful beaches used as nesting sites for hawksbill, leatherback, and loggerhead turtles ; and brackish lagoons which support . varied shorebird, marshbird and waterfowl populations during rainy seasons,

Culebra NWR 0 A . t~ighlights Seabird biologists Joanna Burger and Michael Gochfeld of Rutgers University visit the refuge . (Sections D .5 and E .4) .

A YCC program is begun on Culebra . (Section E . 2) .

Equipment arrives at the refuge and official management begins . (Section E . 8) .

"EARTHWATCH" representatives visit Culebra to review a proposed leatherback study site . (Section E .8) .

Fred-Mohrman, staff assistant to Congressman Yates of the House Interior Appropriations Committee, visits the refuge . (Section E .8) .

The first record of a nesting Audubon's shearwater is recorded on 0 the refuge . (Section F . 6 and G . 4) .

Major leatherback turtle nesting is documented on Playas Resaca and Brava . (Section G . 2) .

An island environmental education program is initiated for Culebra . (Section H . 1,2,3,7,K .)

B . Climatic Conditions

Climatological data included in this section only consists of rainfall for 1983 . Data on temperature means and differences is similar to that recorded at the Cabo Rojo NWR and readers should refer to the appropriate section in the Cabo Rojo Narrative Report .

Climatological Data -- CalenderYear1983

Month Rainfall (inches) 1 January .3 February 0 March .3 April 6 .1 May 4 .1 June .9 July 1 .8 August 1 .3 September 1 .3 October 2 .0 November 4 .1 December 1 .3

l lnformation recorded by Moose Mailloux at his home near Puerto de Manglar .

Rainfall patterns during 1983 were similar to those observed by Moose Mailloux at his home near Puerto de Manglar during the past five years . Rainfall fell every month but February which is normally one'of the

dryest months of the year, April was our rainiest month with 6,1" recorded, 23,5 inches of rainfall was recorded for the year . Due 0 to intense solar radiation on Culebra ; evapotranspiration rates are very high . Rains of less than .3" have little effect on this environment,

The April 18th storm which left 5,5" of rainfall did considerable damage to roads, power lines and hillsides on Culebra . We were, much more fortunate than neighboring St, Thomas and St . John where nearly 12" of rain fell during the same period, Federal disaster relief was authorized for those islands where roads, bridges and a portion of the airport was washed out . Many were left homeless .

No hurricanes or tropical depressions affected Culebra this year . The weather has been kind to Culebra since David and Frederick, five-years ago .

D. Planning

0 1 . Master Plan

The Culebra NWR, as part of the Caribbean Islands NWR's complex, was submitted as a candidate for master planning to the Regional Office in March 1983 . In October 1983 it was learned that the refuge ranked in the top three for scheduled masterplanning during FY 84 and in November 1983 master planning was canceled .

Master planning can be a tedious, time consuming ; process, however, without some planning basis from which to set what the Regional Office views as credible refuge objectives, we cannot compete ef- fectively with other refuges for funding .

2 . Compliance with Environmental Mandates

Information and assistance was provided to the Ecological Services office when they visisted Culebra to assess environmental impacts on two projects occurring in navigable waters .

January 15 - The construction site of the fisherman's cooperative dock and lift pit was inspected for compliance with permit proce- dures provided by the USFWS to the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) . Upon inspection it was found that some areas of red mangroves were needlessly removed and that this activity was not in accordance with the Corps permit . Action by the Corps is still pending, .

June 29 - A proposed marina site at Playa Tamarindo Chico on Culebra's west coast was surveyed to assess environmental impacts to grass beds, coral reefs and a brackish lagoon in the immediate area . It was decided that the marina which included over 500 feet of docks and piers, and 1600 feet of floating tire breakwater would have severe negative impacts on the above mentioned habitat and this information was forwarded to the ACE . No construction permit was issued .

Illegal filling of mangroves on the east side of Ensenada Honda by Commonwealth work crews was halted only through a personal visit to

to the Commander of the DNR ranger corps in San Juan during October . Lower ranking DNR ranger supervisors viewed the illegal fill as "something not to worry about" . The Commonwealth Public Works Depart- ment was forced by'the Department of Natural Resources to restore the approximately 15 miles of roadside fill . Restoration took three days, one day longer than it took to do the damage .

Other construction of docks and priers in navigatable waters are routinely reported by the Puerto Rdco DNR and refuge staff to the Army Corps of Engineers and our Ecological Services office in Mayaguez for appropriate action, Builders of docks and piers must apply for and receive a permit from the ACE . Approval for docks and piers must also be granted by the Culebra .Conservation and Development Authority Board of Directors . The Board, which includes the Caribbean Islands NWR's project leader representing the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of the Puerto Rican DNR, recently came to a reciprocity agreement with the ACE . Neither agency will approve any proJect in navigatable waters without the approval of the other . The Authority Board has declared a moritorium on construction of docks and pliers until a formal harbor management plan is developed .

3 . Research and Investigations

A . Refuge Personnel

Culebra NR 83 - "Preliminary Report on the Nesting of White-tailed Tropicbirds at Cayo Luis Pen-a, Puerto Rico" (41522-1),

Almost nothing was known prior to this study about the current status of white-tailed tropircbird colonies on the refuge, What little was known came from a brief one day survey of two colonies on Cayo Luis Pena by bilogists in 1971 and other brief visits to the colonies in 1981 and 1982 . Four objectives of the study are outlined below :

1) Determine the population size of each tropicbird colony on Cayo Luis Pena . 2) Determine the nesting season for tropicbirds on the cay . 3 Identify physical nest site characteristics . 4 Determine the hatching and fledging rate for the cay populations .

Twelve visits were made to the two tropicbird colony sites on Cayo Luis Pea from February 2 to June 14 1983, Thirteen active white- tailed tropicbird and two active red-billed tropiebird nests were located at the southeast peninsula colony site and 21 active nests were located at the Punta Cruz colony site, Each nest site was marked and numbered for later location and a total of 31 adults and 9 chicks were banded, Information on pairing, maturation to breeding ; age, sub- ' sequent use of the identified nest s ites . by the same or different birds, return to natal nest sites after maturation to breeding age by chicks and breeding frequencies will be gained from nest site identification and banding activities, Nest sites averaged 2,8 meters above sea level,' 8 .6 meters from the waters edge and 2,9 meters from the vegetation edge, These site location characteristics are very atypical in comparison to other tropicbird colony sites throughout the tropics, Typically, colonies are found on cliff faces Which require the use of rappelling equipment for study, 20

The earliest egg laying date for both colonies was February lst with the last egg laid about April 9th . Using an 80 day maturation period to fledging, the last bird fledged about August 8th . Peak laying activity occurred during mid-March .

Of the 36 active nests located, 21 (60%) were known to have produced young and 14 (40%) had chicks which reached at least 30 days of age and were believed to have fledged .

Culebra NR 83 - "Nesting Habitat Improvement for Sandwich and Royal Terns on the Culebra NWR" (41522-2) .

Since sandwich and royal terns were first s urveyed . i n the Culebra archipelago in 1971, considerable changes in nesting sites and population numbers have occurred . When .the FWS began seabird surveys in 1981, a definite population shift of both species was noted from Cayo Lobito to Cayo Matojo as a result of vegetation reestablishment after naval bombing ceased on Cayo Lobito in 1975 . Sandwich and royal terns nest on bare substrate or areas of very sparse vegetation in the Culebra area . In 1982 a further decline of sandwich terns was noted from the previous year on Cayo .Motojo which also appeared to coincide with increased vegetation on the cay, Realizing that if the trend in decreasing ; sandwich tern numbers continued the birds . could be eliminated as a nesting species on the Culebra NWR, an experimental vegetative clearing program was in i- tiated in 1983, Three objectives for the experiment on Cayo Matojo are outlined below :

1) Determine general size preferences for cleared areas . 2) Determine preferred locations for cleared areas on the windward side of the cay (Windward nesting areas are generally preferred as colony sites for sandwich and 'royal terns) . 3) Record and compare nesting response by terns in cleared areas . 4) Determine the practicality of manual clearing as per time and effort compared with other vegetative control means,

In one days hard work during March, six areas on Cayo Matojo ;ranging in size from eight to 336 square meters were cleared, The plots were scattered on the windward side of the cay with three placed adjacent to existing open areas (fig . 1) . In mid-June, the colony was again visited as part of the annual seabird nesting survey (Table 3) . After nearly four months, the plots were still bare of most vegetation . Most of the original open areas were again used as nesting sites chiefly by royal terns where 61 nest were found or 40% of the total royal tern nests . Only 17 sandwich tern nests were found in these areas comprising 13% of their total nests, Expansion by the two populations into newly created open areas was limited to plots 1 ; 2, and 4 which were adjacent to existing open areas, Plot 5 received limited use possibly due to its close proximity to plot 4, Plots 3 and 6 were not used . Sandwich terns nests in the four used plots totaled 111 nests or 87% of their total nests . Royal tern' nests totaled 91 nests or 60% of their total nests . Plots 3 and 6 may not have been used because of surrounding vegetation which harbored laughing gulls, Laughing gulls are known .to,'be profi- cient tern' egg predators although this has not been noted in this colony . Plot 3 was probably too small an area for colonization,

Figure 1 . Approximate Locations, Shapes and Sizes of Cleared Areas on Cayo Matojo of the Culebra NWR and Usage by Sandwich and Royal Terns .

used

not used limite sod t 4used use

not used

Existing Open Areas ∎

Cleared Areas i 1 I 30 60 9o ∎ METERS 21

With just one day's effort,' the decline of sandwich terns was slowed significantly from the previous year . When the cay was visited in late September, the areas were still open . This represents a good return on our manual clearing efforts without expenditures on expensive herbicides and application equipment . Burning would probably not be feasible due to the nature of the vegetation to be elimi-nated . The viney, woody vegetation would not provide the ground fuel needed to carry a fire . Conse- quently, vegetative clearing will be expanded on Cayo Matojo and initiated on Cayo Lobito based on the type of clearing which the terns found attractive during the 1983 nesting season . b . Non-permanent Personnel

Culebra NR 83 - "Nest Site Selection in Sooty Terns (Sterna fuscata)" (41522-3) Joanna Burger and Michael Gochfeld-Department of Biological Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick ; New Jersey .

Sooty Terns breed on islands between 28ON and 31 0 S latitudes . In general they nest on bare sand, or in sites with sparse, low vegetation . Examined were nest site selection on Manana Island (Hawaii) where tern nests had scant cover, and at three colonies off Puerto Rico where they nested in dense vegetation . In comparing the study sites significant differences between nest sites and random points emerged with respect to vegetation height, cover, visibility of the nest, visibility from the nest and distance to open areas . Given the available vegetation, sooty terns selected to nest in'the::tallest vegetation" and nested closer to one another than predicted on the basis of random point nearest neighbor distances . Sooty terns selected to nest with a narrow range of cover the nest (means of 80 •- 90% for study sites) compared to available cover (means of 70-95% for ran •- dom points) . Tall vegetation with some cover provides protection from the sun, rain and predators . Temperatures were significantly different under vegetation of different heights,

Culebra NR 83 - "Nest Site Selection by Laughing Gulls (Larus atricilla) in Culebra, Puerto Rico" (41522-4) Joanna Burger and Michael Gochfeld- Department of Biological Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey,

Nest site selection in Laughing Gulls (Larus atricilla) was examined for birds nesting on three island cays of the Cul~ebra National Wildlife Refuge, Puerto Rico . Laughing gulls nested in colonies with royal, sandwich, and bridled terns, brown noddies and brown boobies, although nearest neighbors tended to be conspecifics . On all three cays the gulls nested on rocks or on the ground under low shrubs, vines or sedges, Generally the laughing gull's choice of nest sites differed from random points with respect to percent cover,' vegetation height, visibility, .'and distance from clearings . Compared to the random points gulls nested under dense vegetation of inter- mediate height with high visibility from their nests and low cover from predators and the hot sun . Dense and tall vegetation made it difficult for gulls to fly directly from their nests, and many nests were located near rocks or clearings from which gulls could exit quickly, Laughing gulls nesting, on .' :the'Culebra cays'generally nested in taller, denser .vegetation than gulls nesting along the Atlantic Coast of mainland United States and these differences might partially reflect temperature differences . ~Inter- nest distances in the Culebra laughing gull colonies, were less than those in New Jersey salt marshes,' but greater than in the densely-packed Florida colonies,

E . Administration w 1 . Personnel Information for this heading is covered under the complex narrative report,

2 . YouthPrograms

The first Youth Conservation Corps Program on Culebra NWR began this year with ten island youths participating in an eight week nonresi- dential camp, The crew helped out with basic headquarters establishment including construction of a garage for boat storage and small shop, The refuge office was also remodeled and an attractive entranceway was constructed, Other projects included the removal or burial of several thousand pounds of litter and debris from outlying cays and islands which had accumulated over the past 50 to 60 years, The east boundary of the Mt, Resaca unit, fenced by the U .S . Navy in the, late 1950's, was cleared of brush and repaired where needed and was extended north to Playa Brava, Finally over a mile of trail was cleared of brush out to the sooty tern colony on the Flamenco Peninsula where, in addition, 1600 terns were banded .

Appraised values for YCC projects and activities for 1983 based on con- tracting in the private sector were as follows :

Litter Removal on Outlying Cays and Islands 5 . ; .$ 1,536

Seabird Banding and Seabird and Marine Turtle Inventories ; ; $ 3,370

Hurricane Anchoring, Remodeling and Maintenance $ 4,976

First Aid Training $ 80

Trail Maintenance and Improvement $ 2,786

Fence Line Clearing, Construction and Posting $ 4,940

Deck/Entrance, Shop and Garage Construction $ 9,070

Total Appraised Value $26,758

Enrollee Salaries and Materials Costs $17,,300

Savings Through Investment in the YCC Program $ 9',458

The YCC program here was instrumental in gaining acceptance of the U .S . Fish and Wildlife Service and establishment of the refuge .. on the island after the naval withdrawl . Through the program we were not only able to educate the youths and their parents and relatives on the values of resource protection, but were able to instill pride in Culebra's resources and a desire to know more about them . 23

3 . Other Manpower Programs

On several occassions the Culebra Conservation and Development Authority aided the refuge with personnel from their agency . The Authority provided operators for cay landings during seabird surveys and for the Cayo Matojo vegetative clearing project, Most importantly, however, was a two month loan of Don Ricardo Pega, a laborer for the Authority, who helped manage the YCC program . Don Ricardo, a 64 year old islander, knew the rudiments of most every project and gained the respect and admiration of all envolved, He also instilled quite a work ethic in all the youths .

4 . Volunteers Programs

During 1983, the refuge's first volunteer program was formed to aid the refuge staff with construction and remodeling projects, grounds maintenance, wildlife surveys and clerical help . Eight volunteers donated 1134 .5 hours of work time towards our efforts on the island and at the close of calendar year 1983 the program was expanding . Culebra NWR will undoubtedly rank high in total volunteer help in 1984 . Move over Ding Darling,

Two volunteers were awarded special appreciation certificates for over 300 hours of time each donated to the refuge . Valerie Feliciano provided clerical help during her period as a volunteer and Maggie Griffin-Taylor helped in all projects on the refuge not to mention lots of moral support as the manager's wife . Jim Watt's signature on the certificates made it all worthwhile for them both .

Maggie Griffin-Taylor receives a volunteer appreciation certificate from Project Leader Furniss for her work on the refuge, Taylor, AN-CU-2-83, 24

5, Funding

Funding and budgeting for the Culebra NWR is handled by the Caribbean Islands Complex Office at Cabo Rojo NWR . Refer to the "Funding" selection in the complex overview for history and discussion of funding adequacy,

6 . Safety

As part of the station safety program, staff at the Culebra . NWre- viewed safety materials routed through the complex by the project leader . With the station start up in late 1982 ; equipment such as first aid kits and fire extinguishers were purchased and placed in key areas . The refuge boat was fully equipped as per Coast Guard regulations with emergency gear in the event of problems at sea . A new VHF marine radio was purchased and installed providing contact with the Coast Guard and Puerto Rican DNR authorities,

Weekly safety meetings are held during the YCC camp to convey important safety considerations to the expanded seasonal staff,

7 . Technical Assistance

-Assistance was provided to the U .S . Navy on Vieques Island during the absence of the FWS Vieques Land Manager while he was at refuge academy training and on vacation .

-Range management advice was provided to Juan de La Cruz Padron, part owner of Cayo Norte which is the only privately owned island in the archipelago . His island is currently badly overgrazed by 250+ goats .

-Planning advice assitance pertaining to the tourism industry and other issues was provided to the Culebra municipality on several occassions .

-Assistance was provided to the U,S, Coast Guard on rescue operations 0 for stranded boats and in one case a rescue at sea of survivors . -Assistance was provided to the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez during a Commonwealth-wide sea turtle survey during June, We provided information that was unknown prior to 1983,

-Assisted the Puerto Rican DNR with input on needed resource management activities on their Culebra lands,

8 . OtherItems

-The arrival of refuge operations equipment including vehiclesi,and boat occurred on January 14th, Active refuge management commenced on this date for the first time in the 74 year history of the refuge,

-A station inspection was performed by Project Leader Furniss, Refuge Supervisor Obe rheu and Chief of Refuges Gillette on March 6th .

-Paco Feliciano, a squatter on refuge lands, died March 8th, Mr . Feliciano had a Special Use Permit for his structures until the event . 25

his death . The structure was immediately torn . down and FWS ownership reasserted after a meeting with family members,

-A Special Use Permit was issued to the municipality of Culebra for traditional camping privileges during Holy Week on Culebrita, No campers used the island during the holiday week,

-On May 10th, Bob Gilmore of the Washington Office visited the refuge to review the current status of the Caribbean Refuges with Project Leader Furniss .

-A meeting with the mayor of Culebra occurred on May 16th for reconsi- deration of a NOAA Marine Sanctuary Proposal which had met with considerable opposition by local islanders in 1982 . It was requested that the mayor contact NOAA for a deadline extension of the project proposal, The proposal presentation was handled badly by NOAA in 1982 and we wished a deadline extension to show islanders the economic and resource benefits of a marine sanctuary in Culebran waters . The deadline came and went with no action taken by the municipality .

-Seabird biologists Joanna Burger and Michael Gochfeld of Rutgers Uni- versity visited the refuge for a two week period during June to study

sooty tern and laughing gull nesting habitat characteristics,-Heavy equipment arrived on August 1st to begin lot preparation for the relocation of illegal squatters on Commonwealth land,

-Refuge Supervisor Oberheu, Project Leader Furniss and Refuge Manager Taylor met with the Culebra municipal assembly on October 19th to discuss FWS involvement in the complex land ownership and restrictions question on Culebra, The meeting was successful in that the assembly came to an understanding of our involvement on the island,,

-On October 20th, Refuge Supervisor Oberheu ; Project Leader Furniss and Refuge Manager Taylor met with Commonwealth Secretary of Natural Re- sources, Hilda Diaz-Soltero, for the first annual review of the Coop- erative Management Agreement for Cul . ebra's natural resources between 0 the two agencies,

-Manager Taylor attended the 1983 Colonial Waterbird Group Meeting in San Juan on October 28th, A paper, "Nesting Habitat .Improvement for Sandwich and Royal Terns" was presented,

-Sarah Bennett, representative of "EARTHWATCH 4 visited Culebra to view leatherback turtle nesting study sites on October 31st,

-On November 8th, Manager Taylor assisted archeological consultants to the Navy on a reconnaissance of Navy lands on Culebra,

-On November 30th, Manager Taylor and Project Leader Furniss provided a tour of the refuge to Mr, and Mrs, Fred Mohrman, Mr, Mohrman is the Chief Clerk of the House Interior Appropriations Committee, '26

-On December 6th, Manager Taylor attended the .1983 Caribbean Fisheries Council Meeting held on Culebra,

F . Habitat Management

1 . General

Habitat management on the refuge is based on refuge objectives outlined in section D . 2,

1983 marked the first year of active habitat management on this refuge, Work was facilitated by four important factors!

a) A full-.time refuge manager was stationed on the island, b) A working cooperation was established between the USFWS and the Culebra Conservation and Development Authority ; This cooperation provided„the refuge staff with additional labor for various projects,, c) An eight week YCC camp was initiated on the island,,, d) The 1982 Culebra land transfer of four island land tracts into .the refuge provided jurisdiction for habitat management ;

The basic limiting environmental factor in dry subtropical areas is rainfall, On Culebra ; limited or excessive rainfall can have drastic effects on nesting seabirds ; nesting waterfowl; nesting sea turtles and an increasing white-.tail.ed deer population among the island's varied wildlife populations, During 1983,'' rainfall generally followed established patterns, Scattered rainshowers throughout the year pro- . vided good browse for deer and kept the island'^s badly overgrazed rangeland in some type of cover, Stock ponds dispersed throughout the island held water year round and kept the island deer herd dispersed,

Area lagoons experienced fluctuating water levels from these periodic showers which alternately exposed and inundated mudflats providing ex ••- cellent shorebird, marsh bird and waterfowl foraging and loafing habitat, 0 On the negative side, a heavy rain in April contributed to heavy topsoil loss from surrounding overgrazed hillsides which adversely affected fringe reef ecosystems around the island, This rain was known to have washed out at least one leatherback nest on Playa Resaca and possibly more nests on both Playa Resaca and Playa Brava, Washouts occur when lagoons behind the beaches receive heavy runoff from Mount Resaca . .Fortunately, no major deluge occurred during the main seabird nesting . season of May 1st through August 30th, Shower activity throughout the summer rejuvinated guinea grass cover on Peninsula Flamenco for nesting sooty terns and provided occassional breaks from the summer heat for all nesting seabirds, Spring and summer showers also decreased the chances of wildfires during the sooty tern nesting season,

Another important limiting environmental factor for seabirds is the abundance and proximity of the fisheries food source, The abundance and proximity of marine food sources to the seabird colonies is largely known, Colony sizes have remained fairly constant in recent years and any population declines appear habitat related, . We assume therefore, that the food resource has been constant also, Whether or not the overall population is limited by lack of an adequate food source is '27

not known . Future research planned for Culebra seabirds will ad- 0 dress this subject, 2 .. Wetlands

Seasonally flooded brackish lagoons comprise the wetlands on the Culebra NWR . Twelve refuge lagoons located behind beach areas in mangrove associations, are fed by runoff from mountainsides or storm surge from heavy seas . The lagoons range in size from .1 . ha to almost 2 ha . Periodic rains provided all but the smallest lagoons with some water year-round . Fluctuating water levels afforded excellent habitat for shorebirds and marshbirds and the larger lagoons held up to 50 white-cheeked pintails at times, The lagoons also are important habitat for several amphibian and reptilian species, most conspicuous of which is the green iguana (Iguana ij uana) an introduced species from Central America . No management is applied to these lagoons at this time nor is any expected in the future .

3 . Forests

The largest remaining tract of semi-evergreen to diciduous forest on the island comprises the Mt . Resaca unit of the refuge . This subtropical forest includes the tree species Guapira fragons, Bucida buceras, Bursera simaruba, Mastichodendron foetidissimum,and Spondias mombir . These trees reach heights of 50 feet or more and have diameters of up to 3 feet, Most other tree species are about 30 feet high with average diameters of 10 inches or less . Interspersed with this forested area are natural thorn thickets occurring on dryer sites . These impenetrable thickets reach heights of 15 feet with stems less than 3 inches in diameter . One of the most unique woodland associate tions in Puerto Rico is also included in the Mt . Resaca unit . Large boulder areas here produce park-like open forests of cupey and jaguey trees whose roots are entangled amongst the boulders, Adding to this unusual sight are aerial stilt roots descending from tree branches high overhead engulfing the boulders below, The rock surfaces host planti-rig of orchids, bromeliads and the endangered endemic permonia (P . wheeleri) .

0 Isla Culebrita and Cayo Luis Pena, the two largest offshore islands of the refuge, contain well developed deciduous-semi-evergreen forests . Common tree species include gumbo limbo, mampoo, pigeonberry, Jamaica dogwood, roble, fiddlewood and Caribbean princewood .

Management of our forest areas centers on flora protection . Many rare endemic species, possibly some not yet discovered, occur here ; With this in mind, the boundary fence surrounding the Mt . Resaca unit is being upgraded or replaced . During July, YCC crews revamped the east boundary of the unit and posted it to prevent cattle trespass and to discourage plant collectors . This is the first phase of refencing which will eventually surround the entire unit .

4 . Grasslands

Partially a result of nearly 40 years of naval bombardment and asso- ciated fires on the Peninsula Flamenco unit, this once forested area . has been converted to a grassland subclimatic state . Up until 1974-1975, the Navy restricted grazing in the area and upon the Navy's departure 28

the lands were left open to human exploitation . Hundreds of head of cattle were turned out on the almost pure stand of guinea grass (Panicum maximum), which is the island's prime forage grass and in- dicator of excellent range condition . Within two years this resource, along with most ground cover was completely eliminated from the-peninsula . Invader species including giant milkweed, . mesquite and acacia rapidly expanded in the area and by March, 1982 when the USFWS assumed managerial responsibilities, range condition had de- teriorated past the "poor" designation, Livestock had literally consumed all forage to the bare ground . Subsequent rains resulted in considerable topsoil loss down the steep slopes of the peninsula onto surrounding reefs further impacting on the island's fragile in- terelated ecosystems .

The greatest loss from livestock overgrazing was the destruction of 84% of the sooty tern nesting habitat located at the tip of the peninsula . Coupled with heavy egging by locals, the colony size was re- duced from a high of 170,000 birds in 1971 to 18,000 in 1981 .

During 1983, management efforts concentrated on removal of 30 head of 0 cattle still remaining on the refuge unit . Range condition had im- proved considerably since fencing the area in 1982 and partial removal of livestock . The current "fair" condition of the range consists of hurricane grass, a low grass cover, and mesquite/acacia expansion appears checked . At years end all but 12 animals remained on the unit . These were raised on the unit with no exposure to active cattle management . They avoided capture by entering impenetrable mesquite thickets, Local'Culebrans appear unfamiliar with mounted cattle drives and prefer to drive cattle using human chains of "beaters" to move the cattle into holding pens . Up to 35 beaters worked the area at one time in an almost carnival atmosphere . In December a large livestock trap, was constructed around a manmade stock tank which holds water well into the dry season . The remaining cattle should move into the trap as other water sources along the peninsula dry up .

5 . Other Habitats

0 Mangroves

With the transfer of 776 acres of navy land on the main island of Culebra, two separate mangrove units were incorporated into the refuge . The Puerto de Manglar unit of the refuge is a mangrove fringe coastal area surrounding the bioluminescent body of water called Puerto de Manglar . Four mangrove species ; red, black, white and button comprise the unit, with red mangrove dominating . This unit includes two mangrove islands, one of which was i nhabited .by a squatter who began his occupation during the: Navy years . Upon contact with the individual it was learned that he was suffering from terminal cancer and a humanitarian Special Use Permit was issued to him for the use of the cay until his death . In March, 1983 the man died and his structure was dismantled and4cay restored to natural condition with the help of his family members . 29

Puerto de Manglar is protected by a fringe coral reef across its en-. trance with access to the bay but a small break in this formation . The bay is further protected by the Culebrita barrier reef located .5 miles offshore, The area is best known for its phenominal_marine life f productivity with the fringing mangroves providing a primary nutrient source, Thalassia or turtle grass in the bay provides excellent foraging habitat for green turtles and healthy supply of conch exists near the bay entrance . Refuge ownership of the mangroves protects the coastal fringe of the bay from development, Proposed development on the steep slopes surrounding the bay however,` may have a negative impact on this fragile ecosystem if approved by the Puerto Rican Planning and Zoning Board, The refuge staff has been active during the zoning meetings ex- pressing concern for potential negative impacts to the area, Develop- ment strategies have been discussed .

The Ensenada Honda Unit, also known as "El Cayo", after an old townsite which once occupied high ground within the unit, is the most extensive coastal mangrove area on Culebra . All four species of mangroves known to the area also occur here, Several mangrove islands within the unit 0 provide pleasant boating through the area . Fencing and posting of the mangrove units needed to prevent cattle and human entry, must await s urveys .to delineate ownership lines, Boundary disputes in the "El Cayo" area could become volatile if FWS ownership ;is not asserted in the near future . Weekend and holiday boaters from Puerto Rico present continuing litter and reckless boat operation problems in both areas . Increased boater contact by staff has alleviated the situation somewhat and excellent cooperation with the U,S . Coast Guard during the year has provided needed enforcement capability, Wake bouys are cur rently being considered for these mangroves . ;y

Cays

Vegetative clearing was initiated on an experimental basis on Cayo Matojo which is a colony site for sandwich and royal terns . These tern species, which are exclusively bare ground nesters, have suffered over the past ten years from rapid vegetation expansion into their colony sites . A 0 large colony which once occurred on Cayo Lobito is believed to have shift- ed to Cayo Matojo between 1971 and 1981 due to elimination of suitable nesting habitat there . Clearing on the cay was very successful in that both sandwich and royal terns moved into most of the manipulated areas . The drop in sandwich tern numbers since 1981 was slowed and a gradual increase is expected .a s the project is expanded in future years .

While clearing on Cayo Matojo, an Audubon's shearwater was encountered incubating a single egg beneath dense vine cover . This was the first nesting record for the species in Puerto Rico . This type of nesting habitat has never been documented for the species which generally is a rock cavity nester . As a result, our clearing management has been altered to leave nesting islands for the Audubon .

Beaches

Beaches on the refuge include those on the Peninsula Flamenco, Isla Culebrita and Cayo Luis Pena . Most of these have recorded hawksbill) turtle nesting and at least one beach on Culebrita has had a documented loggerhead 30

nesting, These beaches for years were favorite picnic and camp site locations while the Navy controlled the areas . As can be expected large amounts of trash and debris have collected there over the years . Playa Este, one of the most important hawksbill nesting beaches on Culebrita accumulates large amounts of drift trash and debris from passing boats and neighboring St, Thomas, Not only was cleanup necessitated from an aesthetic point of view, but turtle nesting and hatchling emergence was undoubtedly being affected from debris accumulations, During the summer, literally tons of trash were hauled out of the areas or buried and enforcement of refuge regulations against camping, open fires and littering are being enforced,

G . Wildlife

1, Wildlife Diversity

Culebra, as most oceanic islands, is limited in terrestrial wildlife diversity, The island does however support an assortment of 25 reptilian and amphibian species including four species of endangered sea turtle . Mammalian species are limited to two introduced rodent species, the house S mouse and the Norway rat, . and an expanding introduced white-tailed deer population, Culebra is fortunate to have avoided introduction of the mongoose, a species known to have eliminated nesting bird populations, around the world, Four species of bat are known for the area ; the fish= erman bat, the big brown bat, the Brazilian free-tailed bat and ; the velvety free-tailed bat,

Great diversity is found in the island's bird fauna with a list comprising over 90 species and still growing, Most striking . of this fauna are the seasonal presence of thirteen species of seabirds which number in the hundreds of thousands during the summer months,

2 . Endangered and/or Threatened Species

Sea Turtles

Four species of endangered sea turtles are present in the Culebra archi- 0 pelago, These include the leatherback, the Atlantic green, the hawksbill and the Atlantic loggerhead, 1983 marked the first year of regular beach surveys for evidence of nesting activity, Selected beaches where turtle nesting was known to occur were targeted for patrols between March 31st and June 16th and between October 16th and November 20th, Due to staff and time limitations, year-round surveys were not possible, Beaches surveyed included Playas Flamenco, Resaca ; Brava ; Zoni Larga, Norte, Tortuga, Este and Oeste (fig, 2),

A total of 90 turtle crawls were counted between March 31st and November 20th, 1983 . Most of these occurred on Playas Brava and Resaca during the months of April, May, and June, Of the 90 crawls counted, 63 or 70% were leatherback crawls and 24 were unidentified crawls,(Table 2),,

CULEBRA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

F S,, GNe W'-~_ C E N CULEBRA ISLAND GROUP-PUERTO pIr0 Trs SPORT FS~EL LDLFE DEPARIME N If INTERIOR 65 2 65'5' w to . Gr

Figure 2 . Beaches Included in the 1983 Turtle Activity Surveys

0 C E A N O A T L A N T / C O

. OAT BPLITMO I AKO. •A tA I .. GRMEIw e vnme s, .,~, I I I I I I 18 •2 0 18.2( I cA,o LoeP I I G1,4 I f I ffq I I I Ye I I O C E • h 0 • . 7 I h 7 1 C 0 I [CULEBRA R O . LEGEND o A o . XAA PUERTO CO CY REFUGE LANDS RICO 0111NI IV I DE VIEQUES r Q.

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IB • IS' IB •1 5'

r J c~ EXECUTIVE ORDER BOUNDARY OF FEBRUARY 27,1909

NOTE PUBLt_, OWNED ISLANCS VICINITY MAP TIf EXECUTIVE ORDER 0 S O BOUNDARY . EXCEPTING ISLA DE SCALE ~. ._-' MILES CULEBRA, ARE A PART OF TIE REFUGE I 65.25' 65 .20' 65 . 15'

COMPILED IN THE DIVISION OF REALTY FROM SURVEYS BY USGS MEAN DECLINATION 0 2500 5000 -0000 ISOOC 27000 FEET 1969 Scale 0 vz z 5 A MILES ATLANTA . GEORGIA APRIL, 1969 4R-PR-52-403

Table 2 . Number of Marine Turtle Activities Recorded for Nesting Beaches in the Culebra Archipelago,

Beach Leatherback w/Nest Pit Leatherback False Unidentified

Playa Flamenco 2 0 0 Playa Resaca 22 1 0 Playa Brava 37 2 0 Playa Zoni 2 0 5 Playa Larga 0 0 0 Playa Norte 0 0 1 Playa Tortuga 0 0 4 Playa Este 0 0 10 Playa Oeste 0 0 4

Total (90) 63 3 24

Playa Resaca experienced a definite late April to mid-May peak in leatherback activity with a peak nesting week of May 8th to the 15th when seven crawls were counted . Numbers of crawls were again mounting when the survey had to be discontinued in mid-June . The nesting peak on Playa Brava came a week earlier with a high of eight crawls counted from May 1st to 8th . Several other high peaks are evident, however, indicating more dif- ficulty in predicting emergence of more than three individuals, The peak for total crawls in the Culebra area occurred the week of May 8th (fig . 4) .

Et is probable that some nests were missed during the March 29th to June 19th period on Playas Resaca and Brava and more crawls could definitely have gone uncounted after June 19th on these beaches . Although only three false leatherback crawls were counted . this figure may have been low due to the fact that nest pits were not examined for contents . Again due to time constraints, evidence of hatchling emergence was not obtained except for two leatherback hatches observed on Playa Resaca on June 13th . Figure 3 . Total. Nesting Activities and Peak Dates for Leatherbacks on Playa Remaca, Culebra - 1983 .

At least 63 leatherback turtle activities were recorded on Culebra beaches during spring and summer, 1983, chart . AN-CU-3-33 .

Nest losses included the washout cf at least one leatherback nest on Playa Resaca in late May, Other washouts were undoubtably missed . Playas Resaca and Brava are probably two of the most stable beaches ou Culebra, The beaches rise sufficiently from surf line to vegetation line to prevent most inundation, Washouts occur after heavy rains fill the lagoons located behind the beaches and then overflow into the sea, Another type of nest loss which took its toll was egg poaching, 15 nests were poached or probably poached during the survey time period, mostly on the leatherback beaches of Playa Resaca and Brava,

Nesting on Culebrita was no doubt more extensive than indicated . Playa Oeste was not checked by foot until October 24th and four smal crawls were found which were not evident surveying the beach from the boat, All crawls on Culebrita were small and proceeded well into vegetation behind the beach, Two nesting seasons are evident for these turtles which are probably mostly hawksbill, The first season ex- tends from early April to mid-May and the second from early October into December, Although the fall beach surveys were limited, these yielded good records of turtle activity .

While patrolling Culebra waters throughout the year, turtles were regularly seen . All were either hawksbill or green . Areas where turtle sightings were common included Tortuga Bay of Culebrita, Canal de Luis Pena, Puerto de Manglar and Canal Tiempo . These turtles ranged in all sizes but always above about a 14" straight line carapace .

-BrownPelican

The Culebra archipelago is an important roosting and feeding area for endangered brown pelicans which are locally abundant . Up to 60 birds roost and feed in Puerto de Manglar and groups of 10 to 15 individuals are seen regularly feeding off beaches and rocky points . 25 individuals stayed on Cayo Lobito during the summer months which led to suspicions of a nesting colony there . Unfortunately this failed to materialize . The closest nesting brown pelican colony is 12 miles to the southwest on Cayo Conejo off the coast of Vieques . An unusually large group of 120 birds was seen on Playa Norte of Cayo Norte in September,

-CulebraGiantAnole

This giant anole species remains as elusive as ever, Documentation of existence of the species has not been made since 1932, Several locals claim to have seen it in . recent years leading to speculation that the species still exists, Two reports of sightings made to the refuge office turned out to be those of an introduced iguana species . A pro- s posed detailed study and search for the Culebra giant anole, ..said to occur in the Mt . Resaca forest tract unit of the refuge, will hopefully put to rest arguments as to it's continued existence,

-Peregrine Falcon

The Caribbean island chain is' an important wintering area for the tundra subspecies of the threatened peregrine falcon, Three or four pairs generally arrive in November and remain until March . Sightings of peregrines this year included one on Cayo Lobito,,„one on Cayo Luis Pena and two on Cayo Geniqui, The two on Cayo Geni .qui~ presumably a pair, were observed preying on fledgling brown boobies, Year-round colonies of tropicbirds and boobies in the Culebra archipelago provide incentive for wintering birds to remain in the area,

-Endangered Plants

Endangered flora of Culebra and surrounding islands are all endemic species and include ;

.-Peperomia (P . Wheeleri) ;,Mt . Resac a*Forest -Caesalpinia culebrae ,, Coastal on Culebrita ,Justici-a culebritae Local forb species on Culebrita -Tillandsia lineatispica Local forb species on Culebra -ptocereus grantianus Local cactus species on Culebra

3. Waterfowl

Waterfowl species on Culebra are transient in nature except for a locally endangered population of 350-400 white-cheeked pintails . This year's species included blue-winged teal, ruddy ducks, shovelers and scaup . 0 34

With the exception of blue-winged teal which dispersed to various earthern stock tanks upon arrival,; ruddiest shovelers and scaup never totaled more than about 50 birds of each species at any one time during the winter . Bluewings, the number, one .duck .pf Puerto Rico, averaged 65-70 individuals .

Water levels remained fairly constant this year resulting in concentrations of up to 250 white-cheeked pintails on Flamenco and Zoni lagoons . Other white-cheeked pintails were dispersed on peri- pheral water sources throughout the island, Overall, the population averaged about .100 birds throughout the year . :A major influx of waterfowl particularly the white-cheeked pintail ; was noted during the second week of November with the onset of hunting season in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, There is no hunting allowed on Culebra .

4 . Marsh and Water Birds

Five species of herons, the tri-colored, the green-backed, the great blue, the little blue and the yellow-crowned night heron were noted during the 1983 . Yellow-crowned night herons are by far the most common, often observed feeding on land crabs in the mangroves . The only heron or egret rookery known on Culebra is a cattle egret rookery located in mangroves on the north end of Ensenada Honda containing 300-350 nests .

Other common marsh bird species noted on Culebra during the year included clapper rails ; pied-billed grebes ;'common gallinules and Amer- ican coots . The locally endangered-Caribbean coot was not recorded on Culebra this year,

Water bird colonies on outlying cays include a•t hriving brown booby colony, colonies of red-footed and masked boobies, and white-tailed and red-billed tropicbirds . Visits to Cayo Geniqui to survey, brown and red-footed boobies were made on February 10th, March 22nd, June 26th, October 26th and November 21st, Various other attempts were made at surveying this island but had to be abandoned due to heavy sea conditions . Population peaks and nesting peaks occurred in late October for brown boobies with 450 individuals and 169 nests counted . A low of 200 individuals and 59 nests were recorded in late June for the same species, The red-,.footed colony due_ to limited available habitat (ficus trees) averaged 5 nests during -survey periods . An aerial survey of Cayo Alcaraza during November showed 11 pairs of nesting masked boobies . 35

A peak of 169 brown booby nests was recorded in October, 1983 . This downy chick has at least another 137 days until fledging . Taylor, An-CU-4-83 .

Two colonies of white-tailed tropicbirds are located at Cayo Luis Pena . Irregular surveys of these colonies revealed a total of 34 nests hidden amongst boulder tallus within 2 meters of sea level . 33 adults and 15 chicks were banded, Two red-billed tropicbird nests were found in the white-tailed tropicbird colony . Fledging rate was estimated at 40% .

The first record of a nesting Audubon's shearwater for the Common- wealth of Puerto Rico was recorded in March on Cayo Matojo . An adult was encountered incubating a single egg,

0 5 . Shorebirds, Gulls, Terns and Allied Species

Shorebird populations on Culebra were monitored monthly with eleven species recorded, Larger concentrations (200-250) of both greater and lesser yellowlegs and black-necked stilts were observed from January through May .

The annual June seabird colony surveys on outlying cays and islands of the refuge revealed similar nesting levels to Cameron Kepler's baseline surveys conducted for the U .S . Navy in 1971 . This is aside from the dramatic drop in numbers for the sooty tern colony on Peninsula Flarienco (table 3) .

Table 3, Total Individuals of Nesting Seabirds at the Culebra NWR for 1971, 1981, 1982 : and 1983 .

9 Species 1971 1981 1982 1983 Sooty Tern 187,570 17,900 30,680 30,420

Noddy Tern 1,110 1,090 1,420 1,360

Laughing Gull 1,290 1,318 810 1,370

Bridled Tern 720 975 900 850

Royal Terri 310 210 252 336

Sandwich Tern 1,470 840 500 356

Roseate Tern 650 400 690 550

s The Flamenco sooty tern colony suffered heavy abuse after the departure of the Navy from Culebra . Overgrazing and the loss of three entire cohort years through egg robbing by locals left the colony decimated .

The sandwich tern colony has suffered a 76% decline since 1971 . Fortunately, it appears habitat management has slowed this decline and hopefully in 1984 we will see recovery for the species in the Cul.ebra area . We attribute the increase in royal terns directly to our habitat management work . Our roseate tern colony on Cayo Molinos, one of the few remaining in the Caribbean region and of great concern to us, fluctuates from year to year but appears to be holding steady .

6 . Raptors

Nesting raptors on Culebra include the American kestrel and the red- tailed hawk . Kestrels were very common throughout the island while red-tails appeared concentrated along the northern slopes of Mt ; Resaca (2-3 pair) where seabird nesting on Cayo Matoj .o provided ample food sources . A red-tailed hawk was observed feeding on a laughing gull on Cayo Matojo in September . The red-tails also found ample prey at the sooty tern colonies on Peninsula Flamenco and Cayo Yerba during the summer months .

Peregrine falcons and ospreys are winter visitors to the island and seem to prefer coastal areas and outlying cays, Three pairs of each species frequented our area this year . Other raptor sightings included a shorteared owl on Peninsula Flamenco and a merlin on Cayo Lobito,

7 . Game Mammals

The island is host to an expanding white-tailed deer population . The introduction in 1966 of six deer from the southeast has led to a herd today estimated at 150+ animals . Although data from the St . Croix 37

deer herd describes year-round fawning, we find a high fawning rate during early summer much the same as North American populations, No concrete information has been obtained as to the health and vigor 9 of the herd, however, the abundance of island browse, an increase in animal sightings, an apparently dispersed population and good physical appearance of the animals sighted, would lead us to believe the population is healthy and growing, Evidence of some genetic problems within the herd have been noted by refuge staff and reported by islanders . A two month old fawn was brought to headquarters in late August and appeared to have some sort of hip displasia, Other similar situations have been reported . The fawn died later and other mis- fortunates have undoubtedly come to the same fate . This problem, if it is genetic, will work itself out eventually . An aerial deer survey and trapping program is planned for 1984 with the help of DNR biologists and veterinarians from the USDA office in Puerto Rico . This should help give us the information needed to properly manage the island herd .

8 . MarineMammals

Whale sightings are common in February and March while traveling the 17 miles to Puerto Rico and back on the ferry . One pilot whale and four humpback whales were noted by refuge staff during these months . Whales generally follow a route along the south coast of Puerto Rico, south of Culebra and the Culebrita barrier reef and southward of St . Thomas .

Bottlenose dolphins are another familiar sight while boating in the Culebra area . A large school of about 40 animals was observed in Canal de Luis Pena in mid-April .

9 . OtherResidentWildlife

Mud flats in and around lagoons and throughout the mangrove areas are hosts to thousands of land crabs . Many are seen on area beaches where females move to the sea to deposit eggs . After metamorphosis, young crabs return to the flats to begin the cycle anew .

During the rainy season the crabs are driven from their burrows and thousands can be seen as one walks through these areas, Land crabs are a traditional Puerto Rican food source and during this time scores of people take them with traps and hooks, Heavy harvestings in Puerto Rico has severely depleted this resource in many areas, Land crabbing is prohibited on refuge lands and this presents a continual law enforcement problem due to its inherent popularity .

10 . Marking and Banding

Annual sooty tern banding was restricted to the Flamenco colony for logistical reasons . 500 adults were banded in mid-June and 600 chicks were banded in July . Rutgers University researchers also banded 132 roseate chicks on Cayo Molinos in mid-June .

While surveying Cayo Luis Pena during the year for white-tailed and red-billed tropicbird nests, 48 were banded ; 33 adults and 15 chicks . Two of the chicks banded were red-billed tropicbirds . Future band re- coveries at these colony sites should give us information as to nest- . 38

ing intervals, nest site selection (if the same birds are using the same nesting cavities), pair bonding and age at first nesting,

H . Public Use

1 . General

Upon establishment of refuge personnel on Culebra, emphasis has been placed on informing the public as to the role of the U .S . Fish and Wildlife Service on the island and our objectives . Disseminating information, about refuge boundaries and regulations, has begun through broadcasts over the local radio station and personal contacts with the public . The refuge leaflet was written and should be printed in 1984, The refuge sign plan includes signing of all major units with entrance and informative signs . This plan was nearing completion at year's end . Posting of offshore islands and cays was accomplished in 1981 and as boundary surveys precisely define main island refuge boundaries, posting will immediately follow,

2 . OutdoorClassrooms-Students

Seven field trips during 1983 provided the opportunity for students to experience and in many cases see for the first time the unique ecosystems of Culebra . One of the most successful trips was a boat ex- cursion through the mangroves of our El Cayo Unit, Mangrove ecology is virtually unknown on the island and abuse of this coastal ecosystem is widespread . By the end of the morning students were able to identify the various species and recount tales of "jumping barracudas" and yellow-crowned night herons or Wvaboas" munching on land crabs, More importantly, students were able to describe a simple food chain and the importance of mangroves in this system,

Other field trips included trips to Playa Brava to measure leatherback crawls and talk about turtle ecology (two of these groups included children of known egg poachers),

During June and July visits to the Flamenco sooty tern colony, students were instructed on the results of man's exploitations in the area . Graz- ing management was stressed as well as a tern colonies vulnerability to disturbance and egging . Students witnessed hatches and natural preda- tion in the colony and helped in banding the birds, 39 t

School kids learned the basics of mangrove ecology during a morning field trip through the El Cayo mangroves . Mangroves are the most exploited of all Culebra's habitats . Taylor . AN-CU-5-83 .

3 . Outdoor C lass rooms-Teachers

By working with a concerned biology teacher at the local school, environmental education curriculums including reef, forest, and mangrove ecosystems were developed with FWS aid in the form of speakers, guest speakers and audio-visual aids . Approval from the school principal was finally achieved through several meetings aimed at convincing him our interests were purely educational and not aimed at spreading federal propaganda, B y the end of the year, the principal was quite supportive of our efforts and had invited us to participate in the school curriculum the following year .

4 . Other Interpretive Programs

On ten occassions various groups were familiarized with the refuge through programs or outings . These ranged from meetings with the local and Puerto Rican tourists bureaus to an outing with Culebra handicapped youths into the Mt . Resaca unit .

Additionally, six refuge programs were presented on the local radio station to explain the FWS role on the island and various ongoing programs .

5 . Trapping

Illegal land crab trapping on refuge lands is a continuing problem which will only be resolved through fencing and posting our boundaries . 40'

Land crabs, which are abundant in mangrove flats on the island, have declined in recent years in Puerto Rico, Trappers fetch up to $20 .00/ dozen anywhere in Puerto Rico . Enforcement efforts began in the Playa Brava area when the east boundary of the tit, Resaca unit was fenced in July .

6 . Camping

Camping on refuge lands is not allowed although traditionally, local islanders frequented Culebrita and Cayo Luis Pena,during holidays . Regulations against camping are enforced, however; during Holy Week (Semana Santa) the municipality of Culebra was issued a collective Special Use Permit for persons wishing to camp at Punta Arenisca on Culebrita, a traditional camping site . The area was not used and it is doubtful that we will again issue such a permit .

7 . OtherNon-Wildlife Oriented Recreation

Beaches on Culebrita and Cayo Luis Pena are open to the public from sunup to sundown as are the islands themselves, Our greatest amount f of public use is through visitor day trips to these beaches and extensive weekend and holiday use by boaters from Puerto Rico . Problems such as open fires and littering continue and hopes are that planned signing of the units and increased patrolling will a-11evtiiate them . As many as 500 visitors may visit our beaches on a 3-day holiday weekend for stays of usually less than five hours .

8 . Law Enforcement

Law Enforcement focused on curbing poaching of marine turtle eggs on Playas Resaca and Brava and poaching of tern eggs at major colony sites including the Flamenco sooty tern colony,

During the leatherback nesting season patrols were made every other day from April 1st through the first week in June on PLayas Resaca and Brava, This law enforcement activity definitely curtailed egg poaching on these major nesting beaches and at season's end it was estimated that 16% of the leatherback nests had been poached . This amount of poaching ; although disturbing, was a major improvement over the total loss to egg poachers these beaches suffered prior to 1983 .

Two incidents occurred on April 13th and June 13th involving the' same individual who was a known egg poacher on the island . On April 13th three men were encountered returning from Pl .aya Brava with full sacks, The three were ; followed for some distance but were lost in darkness . Upon returning to our vehicle ; the only road leading out of the area was patrolled and minutes later the individual's car was encountered and stopped . A search of the vehicle ; with the owner^s permission, was made yielding no evidence, Apparently the eggs had been hidden beforehand . On June 13th, the same individual was observed punching a rod into nest pits but was unsuccessful in locating eggs . No violation notice was issued in either case,

Daily patrols of the Flamenco Peninsula and offshore cays were made during the peak egg laying periods for terns, No illegal activity was noted or reported during 1983, Declines in poaching activity can also be

attributed to public education which was stressed at schools and over the radio .

0 Enforcement of refuge regulations on Cayo Luis Pea and Culebrita, the only refuge areas open to the public, have resulted in many warnings due to the absence of regulatory signing and unavailability of refuge leaflets in these areas, Frequent violations include camping, fires and littering, Upon sign and leaflet dispenser installation on these islands, violations of this sort should subside,

Trespassing ; along the east boundary of the Mt, Resaca unit by land crabbers was alleviated by fencing and posting of this boundary during the summer . Trespassi:hg on the Flamenco Peninsula unit was alleviated by gate construction and some reposting done in March .

Gun hunting is prohibited by the Commonwealth on Culebra thus eliminat- ing related enforcement problems . Nonetheless, illegal migratory game bird and deer hunting exists, We have yet to apprehend island violators . 0 I . Equipmentand Facilities 1 . NewConstruction

With the help of the YCC crew, a new 45' X 12^ garage was constructed to house the refuge boat, A small shop was also included, This building amounted to an addition to the office trailer placed on an existing cement pad complete with water ; sewer and electrical hook-up vacated by the U .S . Navy . The building now provides the current needed storage for the boat and tools which were stored in the office . .

The office trailer (obtained from the FAA on excess in 1982) was completely remodeled, due to the rotting walls and floors . A kitchen area at the rear of the trailer was also remodeled and bunks and shelve space constructed to house visiting research biologists .

A deck and entranceway was constructed between the office trailer and residence trailer which are twenty feet apart, Eventually we hope to cover and screen in this deck to provide additional living space for refuge and research personnel,

2 . Rehabilitation

The east boundary . fence of the Mt . Resaca unit constructed by the Navy in the 1950's, was repaired and in some sections replaced . This was necessitated by frequent cattle and land crabber tresspass .

3 . Equipment Utilization and Replacement

Major refuge equipment consists of a 1982 AMC Jeep, a 1979 Dodge 4 X 4 crewcab and a 1979 21' Boston Whaler and 200HP Johnson motor and trailer .

The jeep being virtually new is in excellent condition and was rust- proofed shortly after purchase . The Dodge crewcab (not rust-proofed) has had several problems including transmission and clutch . It is a .constant battle to curb rusting on the vehicle which has directly resulted

4+2

in the replacement of the starter, The boat is in excellent shape, however, the Johnson':s reverse gear had to be replaced in June . The boat transmission is frequently thrown in reverse without pausing in neutral while maneuvering in reef areas . This operator problem has been corrected . The boat trailer was completely revamped due to rust accumulation and all wheel bearings replaced,

4 . CommunicationsSystems

A new VHF marine radio (purchased in September) now provides needed contact with the U .S . Coast Guard in, emergency situations . Contact with the Puerto Rican DNR is also rpovided by the radio for immediate aid in enforcement and emergency situations .

J . Other Items

1 . Due to the diverse commonwealth and federal agency land holdings on the island brought about by the excess of Navy land during the late 70's and early 80's, cooperation at the field level is a necessity . On several occassions the Culebra Conservation and Development Au- 0 thority aided the refuge with personnel to accomplish habitat -improvement projects and other work projects including fencing and vehicle repairs . Refuge gasoline is purchased from the Authority by cooperative agreement and secretarial services are provided as well . The refuge headquarters area at Lower Camp is a1so leased from the Authority . Law enforcement aid was furnished by the DNR rangers stationed on the island whenever it was needed,

The DNR and the USFWS meet yearly on or about October 1st to discuss gains and accomplishments made in accordance with the land transfer quitclaims deed and the Cooperative Management Aqreement for the Con- servation and Development of the Natural and Cultural Resources on the Island of Culebra . This agreement directs special emphasis on the island's federally listed endangered species .

In essence, the agreements mandate management of public lands in such a manner as to "preserve and protect the natural resources of the area" . The yearly meetings are designed to review accomplishments of each agency and to identify related problems for correction,

2 Credits

This report was written by John P . Taylor, edited by Sean Furniss and typed by Carmen Mendez-Santoni,

K . Feedback

It is timely to note here under this heading, the atmosphere in which I and my wife arrived on this small island, After 40 years of naval occupation on Culebra, residents finally believed they had rid themselves of federal authorities, The land transfer had long been talked about, but the reality of another federal agency with authority on the island never really occurred to locals until I stepped_ off the ferry on December 11, 1982 . As I later learned, community groups had gathered to discuss the Fish and Wildlife Service invasion of their island . The local radio station reported the advance of the refuge''s rusting out '79 Dodge crewcab loaded down with everything from office supplies to shovels and picks,

We've come along way on Culebra during the past year and we can attribute our accomplishments to patient explanations both durin and after working hours (if there is such a thing as after hours and infant island evironmental education program which is growing day by day, Our most important accomplishment for the year has been to remind the older generation of the diverse wildlife resources and fragile ecosystems which surround them and to plant the seed of responsible stewardship for these resources in the new, CARIBBEAN ISLANDS REFUGES

DESECHEO NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT Calender Year 1983

t NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM Fish and Wildlife Service U,S, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR t

0 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page

GENERAL SUMMARY 43-44

A . HIGHLIGHTS - Nothing to Report

B . CLIMATIC CONDITIONS - Nothing to Report

C . LAND ACQUISITION - Nothing to Report

D . PLANNING - Nothing to Report 0 E . ADMINISTRATION - Nothing to Report F, HABITAT MANAGEMENT - Nothing to Report

G . WILDLIFE - Nothing to Report

H . PUBLIC USE - Nothing to Report

I, EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES - Nothing to Report

J, OTHER ITEMS - Nothing to Report

K . FEEDBACK - Nothing to Report

f DESECHEO NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

Desecheo NWR 0 General Summary The refuge is located in the Mona Passage, about 15 miles west of the northwest corner of the island of Puerto Rico . It is bounded on the north by the Atlantic and on the south by the Caribbean . Desecheo NWR encompasses the entire 360 acre Desecheo Island, The island is extremely rugged and rocky . It is a volcanic cone that emerges abruptly from the sea .

V1, 14

Looking southward down into the east valley of Desecheo Island from an elevation of 683 f t . to sea level, over a distance of 2395 ft . Furniss . AN-D-1-83 .

Desecheo Island was part of the original Crown Lands that came to 1 the United States at the end of the Spanish-American War . It was originally reserved by Executive Order of President Taft in Decem- ber 1912 for use as a forest and bird preserve . At that time it was the site of the world's largest brown booby colony as well as a breeding area for laughing gulls, brown noddies . magnificent fri- gate birds and red-footed boobies .

The island was transferred, through the Presential Proclamation of President F . Roosevelt, to the insular government of Puerto Rico on June 16, 1937 for use as forest and bird preserve . In April 1940, Desecheo was transferred to the U .S . War Department for use as a bombing and gunnery range . In July 1964 the land was declared excess and the National Institutes of Health acquired the island . Fifty-six rhesus monkeys were introduced to the island to establish a free ranging monkey colony to be cropped for medical research . By 1969, continuing studies of the monkeys indicated extensive pre- dation on the boobies by the free ranging monkeys . Beginning in 1970, efforts were initiated to remove monkeys . None of the trips resulted

in more than partial removal of the animals,

In December 1976, Desecheo and the monkeys became part of the National Wildlife Refuge System .

The National Wildlife Federation passed a resolution in March 1977 requesting that FWS remove the monkeys and restore the brown boobies . In September 1983, the American Ornithologists Union's number one resolution passed at the centenial meeting in New York requested that FWS take positive steps in removing monkeys from Desecheo Island .

Summary of Management, Wildlife and Public Use

No personnel are assigned to Desecheo NWR . The area is administered by the complex headquarters for the Caribbean Islands NWR's .

Desecheo was formerly known as the location of the world's largest colony of Brown boobies (15,000 birds) . Currently no brown booby breeding is known to occur on the island . Both brown and red-footed boobies are known to be on the island and an estimated 3-400 red- footed boobies are believed to be breeding . Peregrine falcons are seen irregularly at Desecheo as they stop off to harvest a red-footed booby chick or two during their winter visits to Puerto Pico . Rhesus monkeys and feral goats inhabit the island . Three endemic species of lizards are found at Desecheo Island .

Illegal visitation to the area continues, Members of the public continue to visit Desecheo in spite of the knowledge of its use by drug runners and alien smugglers . The area's distance from Puerto Rico combined with the lack of staff make the area difficult to manage . Not even the shoot-outs between the bad guys and the good guys (other federal law enforcement aqents) have kept people awa s

The Desecheo ground lizard at 14 inches is the largest of the three endemic lizards found on the island . Furniss AN-D-2--83 . CARIBBEAN ISLANDS REFUGES

BUCK ISLAND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT . Calender Year 1983

NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM Fish and Wildlife Service U,S, .DEPARTMENT .OF THE INTERIOR

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

GENERAL SUMMARY 46-43

A . HIGHLIGHTS - Nothing to Report

B, CLIMATIC CONDITIONS - Nothing to Report

C, LANDACQUISITION - Nothing to Report

D, PLANNING - Nothing to Report

E, ADMINISTRATION - Nothing to Report

F, HABITATMANAGEMENT - Nothing to Report

G, WILDLIFE - Nothing to Report

H . PUBLIC USE - Nothing to Report

I. . EQUIPMENTANDFACILITIES - Nothinc to Report

J, OTHERITEMS - Nothing to Report

K, FEEDBACK - Nothing to Report

1 BUCK ISLAND NATIONAL _WIL~LIFE REFUGE 46

Buck Island NWR General Summary

Buck Island lighthouse sits above the cactus covered slopes of the island providing a guiding light to St . Thomas . Furniss AN-BI-1-83 .

Buck Island is one of the two Capella Islands located approximately two !riles south of the island of St . Thomas U .S . Virgin Islands . The island and the refuge consists of about 45 acres of cactus and brush covered land . About 35 .5 acres were obtained in 1969 from the U .S . Navy and the remaining 9 .5 acres were obtained in 1981 from the U .S . Coast Guard . The original justification statement for establishment of the refuge could not be located but probably was based upon "its value for migratory birds" . A limited variety of species have been noted on the island on the island, including several pairs of breeding red-billed tropicbirds . Incidential use of the area is made divers a~ ;d snorkelers visiting the reef areas and wrecks around the island . M No personnel are assigned to this station . The island was visited in March 1983, for the first time in four years . The Regional Office has recommended that a $20,000 rat control program be undertaken at Buck Island in order to rehabilitate the area for seabirds .

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Red-tailed tropicbirds are one of the few species breeding at Buck Island NWR . Furniss AN-BI-2-83,

M 'CARIBBEAN ISLANDS REFUGES

GREEN CAY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT . Calender .Year 1983

NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM Fish and Wildlife Service U,S, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

48-49 GENERAL SUMMARY

'A . HIGHLIGHTS - Nothing to Report

B . CLIMATIC CONDITIONS - Nothing to Report

C, LAND'ACQUISITION - Nothing to Report

D . PLANNING - Nothing to Report

E . ADMINISTRATION - Nothing to Report

• F . HABITAT MANAGEMENT - Nothing to Report

G . WILDLIFE - 'Nothing to Report

H . PUBLIC USE - Nothing to . Report

I . EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES- Nothing to Report

J, OTHER ITEMS - Nothing to Report

K . FEEDBACK - Nothing to Report

0 VIRGIN ISLANDS

Green Cay NWR General Summary

Green Cay an integral part of our endangered species program at St . Croix . Furniss AN-GC-1-83,

The refuge consists of the entire 13 .77 acre island of Green Cay located one quarter mile off the north shore of St . Croix, U .S . Virgin Islands . The area is covered by about 8 acres of woodlands and 6 acres of brushlands . This island was purchased from Mrs . Virginia Bright on December 15, 1977 in order to protect the endangered St . Croix ground lizard . Green Cay preserves almost 75% of the remaining habitat being used by the endangered lizard, In addition to providing ground lizard habitat, brown pelicans, great M egrets, great blue herons and little blue herons nest here . The only identified archaeological site on the Caribbean Refuges is found at Green Cay . The site consists of an indian shell midden which was used about 1,000 A .D .

No personnel are assigned to this station . A single visit to the area was made in May 1983 during the annual inspection trip with Supervisor Oberheu . Current Public visitation is estimated to be less than 30 visits per year . A cooperative program with the National Park Service authorizes them to patrol the island as they make their twice a day boat patrols to Buck Island National Monument .

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The CILsive St . Croix ground l - iz_,rU rian ;, it1', to keep surviv- ing under natural conditions at Green Cay . Furniss . AN-GC-2-83 .

0 .CARIBBEAN ISLANDS REFUGES

VIEQUES FIELD STATION

ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT Calender Year 1983

NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM ,~ F1s_h. and Wildlife Service U,S ti DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

TABLE OF CONTENTS

GENERAL SUMMARY 50

A, HIGHLIGHTS 51

B, CLIMATIC CONDITIONS 51

C, LAND ACQUISITION .Nothing to Report

D, PLANNING

1, Land Use Plans 52 2, Research and Investigation 52-53 0 E, AMINISTRATION 1, Personnel 53 3, Safety 54 4, Technical Assistance 54-55

F, HABITAT MANAGEMENT 55

G . WILDLIFE

1 . Wildlife Diversity 55-56 2 . Endangered and Threatened Species 56 3 . Waterfowl 56 4 . Raptors 57 9 . Marine Mammals 57

H . PUBLIC USE

1 . General 57 2 . Interpretive Programs 57-58 3, Law Enforcement 58

I . EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES 58-59

J . OTHER ITEMS - Nothing to Report

K . FEEDBACK Nothing to Report

Vieques Field Station

General Summary

The Vieques Field Station was established at the request of the U .S . Navy who, as result of a ten million dollar lawsuit, decided that they needed some at home supervision to insure that they were staying within all the environmental guidelines . It started as a basic short term technical assistance program, with a little input from the Secretary of the Navy to DOI, Due to some problems en- route to the termination of our first two year contract, we now have an open ended agreement . It is an interesting situation and seems to be becoming fairly institutionalized in the Navy .

The island of Vieques is about 8 miles east of Puerto Rico . It has both subtropical dry and subtropical moist habitats . The island is fairly arid, due to very high evapotranspiration rates . The eastern end has been greatly modified and is largely covered by exotic scrub, 0 while the western end is modified to a lesser extent and has significant stands of second growth native forest . There are approximately 42 beaches on the island which are used by turtle poachers .

Vieques FieldStation

A. Highlights

Nineteen eighty-three marked the third year of the Vieques Management Agreement between the Fish and Wildlife Service and the U .S . Navy, Under that agreement . FWS provides the Navy with technical expertise needed to manage wildlife resources on Vieques Island, Puerto Rico . In December, the agreement was extended idefinitely,

A "Memorandum of Understanding Regarding the Island of Vieques" was signed in October between the U .S . Navy and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico . Under that agreement, the Navy made certain concessions regarding resource management on the island, and the Commonwealth agreed to halt all litigation against the Navy . Many of the environmental aspects of the MOU were structured around recommendations made by the Vieques 0 Field Station . The last of the archeological field work on Navy's Vieques holdings was completed in 1983 . Virtually all of 23,000 acres have been in- tensively surveyed ; remaining work will involve nominations to the National Register of Historic Places and formulations of a Cultural Resources Management Plan for the island, Total cost of archeological work since 1978 will have been nearly a million dollars,

The Navy's Land Use and Management Plan for Vieques finally reached the upper echelons of Navy power for approval in 1983 . It is presently awaiting approval i n- the' Pentagon office and 'slioul d' be implemented i n 1984 .

B . Climatic Conditions

The east end of Vieques Island is classified as subtropical dry, while the west end is subtropical moist . Rainfall averages about 45 inches (1,140 mm) between the two extremes .

ft Climatological Data - CY 1983

Temperature ° F inches of Month Max . Min . Mean Rainfall

Jan . Feb . Mar . 90 68 79 0 .27 Apr . 89 68 79 7 .47 May 88 69 80 6,79 June 89 69 81 3 .29 July 90 69 81 5 .98 Aug . 89 71 81 6 .05 Sept . 92 71 82 2 .66 Oct . 92 71 82 3 .02 Nov . 80 5 .78 0 Dec . 80 2 .31

C . LandAcquisition - Nothing to Report .

D . Planning

1 . LandUsePlans

The Vieques Land Use and Management Plan, which will set land use policy for the Navy's 23,000 acres (9,200-ha) . on Vieques had been in preparation for three years when it was finally drafted in July 1982 . It was sent at that time to the celestial echelons of Navy authority for approval . By the end of 1983, it had been okayed by Roosevelt Roads, and is now awaiting final approval by the Pentagon annex . They are expected to stamp it in early 1984 for implementation that year .

With over two hundred archeological and historical sites on its Vieques holdings, the Navy let a consulting contract in 1983 for the formulation of a Cultural Resource Management Plan to replace the interim plan presently in effect . That plan will be completed 0 in 1984, and the Vieques Field Station will be responsible for field- level implementation .

With the signinq of the Navy/Commonwealth "Memorandum of Understand- ing Regarding the Island of Vieques" in October 1983, the stage was set for a small forestry project (about 1,000 acres or 400 ha) to be implemented on Navy property . Pending further discussions, that plan should be implemented in 1984 .

2 . Research andInvestigation

The field work for a three-year study of the population biology and food habits of the brown pelican in Puerto Rico ended in May 1983 . The study was being conducted by the Puerto Rico Department of Na- tural Resources and included a breeding colony of pelicans located on Cayo Conejo, off the coast of Vieques .

The survey of the archeological and historical resources on the Navy's Vieques holdings, which had been conducted irregularly since 1978, was finally completed in December 1983 . Several tons of artifacts and ft soil, carefully excavated over the past six years at a cost of nearly one million dollars, were boxed and sealed off in an old Navy Ammuni- tion magazine for posterity . The feeling is that when the jungle overtakes the bunker and hides it, no one will think to search for the artifacts, and they will thus be saved from the ravages of researchers who might otherwise disrupt the Navy's daily routine by wishing access to them . Archeological work will be completed in 1984 with the nomi- nation of appropriate sites to NRHP status and the completion of a Cultural Resources Management Plan .

A manatee study originally planned for 1982 was rescheduled for 1983, and then pushed on to 1984 . The study is to be funded by the Navy, planned by the FWS manatee lab out of Gainsville, and performed by contract personnel from the Florida State Museum, Knowledgeable 53

sources are placing their bets on 1985 .

The U .S . Geological Survey continued its survey of the water resources of Vieques which it began in 1982 . The field work was completed in 1983, and the data analysis will run one more year .

The U .S . Department of Agriculture-Veterinary Services continued its African tick eradication program on Vieques and Puerto Rico in con- junction with the Puerto Rico Agricultural Development Administration . The Vieques Field Station is the Navy's point of contact for the USDA program where it involves cattle on the Navy's 10,000 acre outlease area .

Assorted persons from the United States, Puerto Rico and even Israel made stops in Vieques, either for research purposes or to assess the area for possible research . Studies involved ranged from a taxonomic study of tortoises to a survey of marine ecosystems on coral reefs .

E . Administration

1 . Personnel

The Vieques Field Station is manned by a GS-9 Assistant Refuge Manager . His principal responsibility is to provide technical assistance to the Navy regarding the management of their natural resources on Vieques Island .

In 1983, we attempted to diversify the background and activities of the Field Station Manager . He attended the Refuge Academy-Basic Train- ing Course in April-May, and a bi-monthly personnel exchange program was intituted with Culebra NWR .

The office staff on Vieques was expanded in January 1983, with the addition of Mabita, a 10-month old Doberman Pinscher, which promptly had puppies on the office floor .

Also, the Station was saddened by the departure of Maria, the faithful Field Station horse, who was retired from the staff in March . With the arrival of the new jeep in 1982, old Maria had outlived her usefulness and was put out to pasture for breeding . We understand she likes her new job better .

The Vieques Field Station was funded by the Navy for Calender Year 1983 for $36,000 . The renegotiated agreement, to begin in 1984, is for an indefinite period . Funding for the first year of that agreement will be $42,000 . Fifteen percent of the funding is retained by the Regional Office for administrative overhead,

an analysis of the harvest potential of indigenous forests, 0 The Field Station also served as liaison and point-of-contact for island residents, Federal and Commonwealth resource management personnel, assorted transient scientists, bird watchers, natural- ists and others who, for some reason were interested in Vieques,

Free-ranging cattle are the island's greatest environmental problem . Damage to mangrove ecosystems, such as browse lines and destruction of root systems are one example . Adamcik . AN-VFS-2-83 .

F . Habitat management

The Field Station provided field-level coordination of the construc- 'ion of a new bridge over an ephemeral mangrove outlet to facilitate ft tine periodic reopening of the channel to the sea to provide for flushing and thus rejuvenate the mangrove lagoon, which was not flushing properly because the culvert which the new bridge replaces was too small to do so . (Whew!) .

G . Wildlife

1 . Wildlife Diversity

Wildlife on Vieques, as on almost any i sland . i s mostly birds (about 120 species) and bats (about 5 species) and reptiles/amphibians (about 15 species) . It is still suspected that the very rare Jutilla_ a strange and primitive rodent-like mammal . ray yet lurk about in the unexplored recesses of the island's interior but I doubt it . Other terrestrial mammals are mostly exotic or feral, and include wild horses and cattle, feral dogs and cats, and one feral pig . There are also macho mongeese . (It's true! In the late Spring it's not at all uncommon to see a pair of mon eese with a whole gaggle of little mon- goslings just wandering about}? . 56

2 . Endangered and Threatened Species

Six Federally listed endangered and threatened species can be found on Navy holdings and/or in surrounding waters ; the brown pelican, West Indian manatee, loggerhead turtle, green turtle, hawksbill 0 turtle and leatherback turtle .

A brown pelican nesting colony on Cayo Conejo, just off the Navy's bombing range, was still monitored in 1983 by the FWS under its cooperative agreement with the Navy in 1983 . As the population study on the pelicans ended in early 1983_ reproductive data are not available for this year .

The Vieques Field Station provides beach checks of target beaches prior to Navy manei ;vers to prevent damage to sea turtle nests .

A Brown Pelican chick is oblivious to nearby bombing activ - ties, indicated 'Sy the operations control center in the back- qround . Between ti :e N3vv end the pelicans on Vieques, we sometimes wonder which is the more endangered . Adamcik . AN-VFS-3-83 .

3 . Waterfowl

Waterfowl on Vieques are few mostly blue-winged teal, the white- cheeked pintail, the Caribbean coot, and gallinules . There are recorded observations of the wily West Indian whistling duck and the red-breasted merganser . Hunting on Navy holdings is prohibited, and no reliable data exists as to population fluctuations among these species . 57

4 . Raptors

Possibly four pairs of red-tailed hawks nest on the Navy holdings ; short-eared owls are present but are uncommon, American kestrels are regularly sighted and winter residents include ospreys ; merlins and peregrine falcons, An unconfirmed but reliable report of three transient turkey vultures on the eastern tip of Vieques was made in September, a first sighting for the island,

5 . Marine, Mammals

West Indian manatees are present but- rarely sighted in the channel between Vieques and Roosevelt Roads Naval Station, Perhaps forty percent of the Puerto Rican population may be located in that area, The long-awaited manatee study which may or may not begin in 1984 would provide us with some hard data regarding the distribution and living habits of these gentle but much maligned creatures .

i Unidentified whales are sighted occasionally along the south coast of Vieques, especially in February and March, And of course, the bottle-nosed porpoise is fairly common around the island .

H . Public Use

1 . General

The, principal recreational activity permitted on Navy lands is use of beaches for swimming and fishing, Limited group camping is permitted on selected beaches, but because of the nature of Navy activities on Vieques relating to bombing and killing ; recreational uses will remain limited .

2, Interpretive Programs

Programs are presented to groups on an irregular basis depending upon request and relevance to the resource management program on Vieques .

In April, the Field Station Manager gave a general interpretive tour 0 of Vieques to a group of advanced fifth and sixth graders from the Roosevelt Roads elementary school, Also, in October 1983 as in .1982, he assisted local grade school teachers on a field trip for fifth and sixth grade science classes to mangrove areas on Navy property .

Local fifth and sixth grade science classes experience first- hand the fauna of a mangrove ecosystem . Adamcik, AN-VFS-4-83 .

The Field Station Manager also cooperated with personnel of the Armed Forces Radio and Television Network stationed on Roosevelt Roads in the production of a documentary of Vieques Island for Navy Video News . Much of the documentary will be oriented towards the Navy's environmental programs on Vieques . Autographed photos of all Field Station staff are available upon receipt of a SASE and five American dollars .

Law Enforcement

There is no law on Vieques . ft I . -_quipc_ient and Facilities

The Navy supplies and maintains the basic office structure, with help from the Field Station Manager as time perrritsz most furnishings come from complex headquarters,

In January 1983, fourteen months after the initial request, the Field Station was blessed with its own private telephone line, In 1984, we hope to obtain a real office chair for the Field Station Manager . The one he presently uses was assembled from various pieces of other chairs over two and one-half years ago, Little things come hard on the edge of civilization, 59

The Field Station did receive a new 3M Thermofax copier and reams of of copy paper, as well as a new Nikon 35mm SLR camera in 1983 . We 0 expect the film soon, A major problem of honeybee infestation between the office walls had plagued the Station since its inception, The problem was turned to good advantage in 1983 by the installation of a plexiglass sheet in place of one of the wall panels, producing a see-through beehive for interpretive purposes, (It also allows monitoring of the honey supply for harvest purposes) .

J . Other Items - Nothing to Report .

K. Feedback - Nothing to Report,

0 r