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2011 Assessment of Four Potential Common Murre Restoration Projects

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2011 Assessment of Four Potential Common Murre Restoration Projects Assessment of Four Potential Common Murre Restoration Projects in Northern California A Report to the Stuyvesant Trustee Council and U.S Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Arcata Field Office, Arcata, California Fulfillment, in part, of Agreements BAA080012 and L08AC13270 Between the Humboldt State Sponsored Programs Foundation and U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Arcata Field Office Prepared by Humboldt State University, Department of Wildlife U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex Carter Biological Consulting Michael W. Parker1,4, Gerard J. McChesney2, Harry R. Carter3 and Richard T. Golightly1 1Humboldt State University, Department of Wildlife, 1 Harpst Street, Arcata, California 95521 USA 2U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex 9500 Thornton Avenue, Newark, California 94560 USA 3Carter Biological Consulting, 1015 Hampshire Road, Victoria, British Columbia V8S 4S8 Canada 4Current Address: 39913 Sharon Avenue, Davis, California 95521 USA FINAL REPORT October 2011 Suggested Citation: Parker, M.W., G.J. McChesney, H.R. Carter, and R.T. Golightly. 2011. Assessment of four potential Common Murre restoration projects in northern California. Unpublished Report, Humboldt State University, Department of Wildlife, Arcata, California; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Newark, California; and Carter Biological Consulting, Victoria, British Columbia. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................... 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................................................................. 2 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 3 PROJECT ASSESSMENTS ......................................................................................................... 4 Trinidad Seabird Colonies – Re-colonization of Common Murre at Sea Lion Rock .................. 4 Brief Colony History ............................................................................................................... 4 Restoration Considerations ................................................................................................... 4 Sea Lion Rock Social Attraction Project ............................................................................. 4 Potential Benefits ............................................................................................................ 5 Potential Concerns ......................................................................................................... 6 Potential for Success ...................................................................................................... 6 Whaler Island Restoration (Crescent City Harbor) ................................................................... 6 Brief Colony History ............................................................................................................... 6 Restoration Considerations ................................................................................................... 8 Potential Benefits ............................................................................................................... 8 Potential Concerns ............................................................................................................. 8 Potential for Success ......................................................................................................... 9 Cape Vizcaino Area seabird colonies - Acquisition and Management ...................................... 9 Brief Colony History ............................................................................................................... 9 Current Status of Murres and Brandt’s Cormorants at Vizcaino Complex ........................... 10 Methods ........................................................................................................................... 10 Results ............................................................................................................................. 11 Common Murre ............................................................................................................. 11 Cape Vizcaino ........................................................................................................... 11 Rockport Rocks ......................................................................................................... 11 Brandt’s Cormorant ...................................................................................................... 12 Cape Vizcaino ........................................................................................................... 12 Rockport Rocks ......................................................................................................... 12 Restoration Considerations ................................................................................................. 12 Land Acquisition - Option A .............................................................................................. 13 Land Protection via Acquisition – Option B ...................................................................... 14 Potential Benefits ............................................................................................................. 15 iii Potential Concerns ........................................................................................................... 15 Potential for Success ....................................................................................................... 15 Human Disturbance Reduction Program - Del Norte and Humboldt Counties ........................ 15 Brief History of Recent Human Disturbance Reduction Programs in California .................. 15 Restoration Considerations ................................................................................................. 16 Human Disturbance Reduction Program ......................................................................... 16 Restoration Actions .......................................................................................................... 18 Potential Benefits ............................................................................................................. 19 Potential Concerns ........................................................................................................... 19 Potential for Success ....................................................................................................... 19 CONCLUSIONS .......................................................................................................................... 19 LITERATURE CITED .................................................................................................................. 21 APPENDICES ............................................................................................................................. 42 iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Stuyvesant Trustee Council sponsored this report. Members of the Trustee Council include: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Lead representative, Carolyn Marn, Sacramento Field Office; alternate representative, Lynn Roberts, Arcata Fish and Wildlife Office); and California Department of Fish and Game (Lead representative, Laird Henkel, Office of Spill Prevention and Response; alternate representative Steve Hampton, Office of Spill Prevention and Response). This report also satisfies, in part, agreement numbers BAA080012 and L08AC13270 between the Humboldt State University Sponsored Programs Foundation and Bureau of Land Management – Arcata Field Office. Additional administrative support was provided by staff at the USFWS – San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex and Humboldt State University Sponsored Programs Foundation. In particular, we thank Pia Gabriel (Humboldt State University), Mendel Stewart (USFWS – SFBNWRC), John Bradley (USFWS – SFBNWRC) and David Fuller (BLM, Arcata Field Office) for administrative support. Special thanks go to several individuals who assisted with the development and refinement of the assessments contained in this report: Rick Hanks (BLM – California Coastal National Monument), Dave Fuller (BLM – Arcata Field Office), Eric Nelson (USFWS – Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex), Lynn Roberts (USFWS – Arcata Fish and Wildlife Office), Richard Young (Crescent City Harbor District), Robert Douglas (Mendocino Redwood Company), Paul Violett (Soper-Wheeler Company), and Maryellen Sheppard (Property Appraiser and Real Estate Consultant, Fort Bragg, California). Aerial Surveys from 2005 to 2010 were conducted by the following people: Pilot: Wayne Burnett (CDFG – Air Services; Photographers: Phil Capitolo (all years except 2009), Gerry McChesney (2005-2008), Lisa Eigner (2009-2010); and Data Recorders: Danielle LeFer (2005, 2006), Deasy Lontoh (2007), Zach Coffman (2008), Phil Capitolo (2009), Gerry McChesney (2010). 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In response to difficulties with implementing a Common Murre (Uria aalge) restoration project at Redding (or Reading) Rock, Humboldt County, the Stuyvesant Trustee Council commissioned an assessment of the general feasibility of implementing four other potential murre restoration projects in northern California that were included in the Stuyvesant Restoration
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