2019 Annual Report Nature Reserve of Orange County

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Natural Communities Coalition 13042 Old Myford Road Irvine, CA 92602

www.occonservation.org NATURE RESERVE OF ORANGE COUNTY ANNUAL REPORT 2019

Table of Contents

BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION ...... 1

RESERVE MAPS ...... 1

Coastal Reserve Map ...... 2 Central Reserve Map ...... 3

1.0 ORGANIZATIONAL GOVERNANCE AND ANNUAL REPORT OVERVIEW ...... 4

1.1 Board of Directors Milestones in 2019 ...... 4

2.0 SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM STATUS AND WORK PLAN 2019-20 ...... 5

2.1 Introduction ...... 5 2.2 Work Plan Table ...... 8 2.3 Project Descriptions ...... 10 2.4 Habitat Restoration and Enhancement Summary Tables ...... 90

3.0 CONSERVATION CUSTODIAL FUNDS ...... 91

3.1 2019 Pacific Pocket Mouse Custodial Fund ...... 91 3.2 2019 Cowbird Fund ...... 91

4.0 RESERVE MANAGEMENT PLANS AND POLICIES ...... 92

4.1 Wildland Fire Management Plan ...... 92 4.2 Habitat Restoration and Enhancement Plan ...... 97 4.3 Recreation Management Plan ...... 97 4.4 Grazing Management Plan ...... 98 5.0 IMPACTS TO COASTAL SAGE SCRUB HABITAT ...... 98

5.1 Authorized Take in the Reserve System by Participating Landowners as Reported to NCC in 2019 ...... 98 5.2 Take by Non-Participating Landowners – In-Lieu and Other Mitigation Fee Options ...... 107

6.0 ACCOUNTING OF FUNDS RECEIVED AND DISPERSED ...... 107

7.0 BOUNDARY CHANGES/MINOR AMENDMENTS ...... 107

8.0 LANDOWNER/MANAGER PROGRESS REPORTS AND WORK PLANS ...... 108

8.1 California Department of Fish and Wildlife Coal Canyon Ecological Reserve ...... 108 Laguna Laurel Ecological Reserve ...... 113 Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve ...... 118

8.2 California Department of Parks and Recreation Crystal Cove State Park ...... 126

8.3 Orange County Parks Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park ...... 134 Irvine Ranch Open Space ...... 141 Irvine Regional Park ...... 152 Laguna Coast Wilderness Park ...... 158 Peters Canyon Regional Park ...... 165 Santiago Oaks Regional Park ...... 171 Talbert Regional Park ...... 177 Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve ...... 183 Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park ...... 188

8.4 Orange County Public Works/OC Flood Control District Orange County Public Works Projects ...... 193 8.5 Orange County Waste and Recycling Orange County Waste and Recycling ...... 201

8.6 City of Irvine Open Space Preserve ...... 206

8.7 City of Newport Beach Buck Gully Reserve ...... 213

8.8 Irvine Company Irvine Company ...... 219

8.9 University of California, Irvine Ecological Preserve ...... 224

8.10 Irvine Ranch Water District San Joaquin Reservoir ...... 231 Syphon Reservoir Preserve ...... 235

8.11 Transportation Corridor Agencies Bonita Creek ...... 239 Coyote Canyon ...... 243

8.12 Southwest Resource Management Association Portola South ...... 247

Acknowledgements The Natural Communities Coalition appreciates and thanks the reserve landowners and land managers whose hard work and collaboration makes a significant contribution to the health of the Reserve and this Annual Report.

Cover Photo Western Spadefoot (Spea hammondii) Creation of new breeding sites and restoration of adjoining upland habitat in the San Joaquin Hills are recognized as essential to the long-term conservation of western spadefoot toad in the County of Orange Central-Coastal Subregion NCCP/HCP reserve system. Towards these efforts, a project is underway to construct breeding ponds in Laguna Coast Wilderness Park and Crystal Cove State Park with grant funding provided by the Wildlife Conservation Board.

Photo by USGS. Used with permission from Baumberger et al., 2019, Draft Final Terrestrial Habitat Use of Western Spadefoot (Spea hammondii) in Southern California 2018-2019. USGS, Western Ecological Research Center. BACKGROUND

The Implementation Agreement for the County of Orange NCCP/HCP Central and Coastal Subregion specifies that an Annual Report be prepared each year to describe activities of the non-profit management corporation and of landowners and land managers within the reserve system. The annual report contains a progress report for the preceding year and a work plan for the following year. This report is being submitted to the US Fish and Wildlife Service and California Department of Fish and Wildlife to fulfill that requirement for the years 2019/2020. Guidelines provided by the Wildlife Agencies were used in the preparation of this report.

INTRODUCTION

The Natural Communities Coalition is the 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that was formed to manage the Natural Community Conservation Plan/Habitat Conservation Plan (NCCP/HCP) for the Central and Coastal Subregion of Orange County. Its mission is to “Coordinate with landowners, managers and other partners to ensure the persistence of the Reserve’s natural communities, including the full spectrum of native plant and animal species, through protection, study and restoration of native habitats and natural processes”. Thirty-nine sensitive species are protected, including nine plant and thirty animal species. The primary vegetation type in the Reserve is coastal sage scrub, coexisting in an intricate mosaic of oak woodland, native grassland, chaparral, Tecate cypress and riparian communities.

NCC helps coordinate science and land management activities of reserve landowners and managers in the nearly 38,000-acre reserve system. Additionally, it conducts biological research and monitoring, and implements habitat restoration and enhancement programs in coordination with landowners and managers. The overall biological goal of the Reserve program is to conserve healthy, functioning ecosystems at a landscape level. This is accomplished through adaptive management, a flexible approach that is open to change based on new scientific information.

RESERVE MAPS

Two maps of the Reserve system, Coastal Subregion and Central Subregion, and associated non-Reserve open space have been included in this annual report for easy reference.

1 Coastal Reserve Anaheim

Orange

22 ¬« ¬«261 ¬«241

Tustin ¬«55

Irvine Huntington Beach Costa Mesa 405 1 ¨¦§ 2 3 Lake Forest

8 4 133 Newport Beach 6 ¬« Laguna Woods Mission Viejo ¬«73 5 6 Laguna Hills 7 6 Aliso Viejo

NROC 9 City Boundaries Laguna Beach Management Units Laguna Niguel 10 1. Talbert Nature Preserve (OC Parks) 1 2. Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve (CDFW) ¬« San Juan Capistrano 3. UC Irvine Ecological Preserve (UCI) 4. San Joaquin Reservoir (IRWD) 5. Buck Gully (City of Newport Beach) 6. Laguna Coast Wilderness Park (OC Parks) 7. Crystal Cove State Park (CA) Dana Point 8. City of Irvine Open Space Preserve-South 9. Aliso & Wood Canyons Wilderness Park (OC Parks) 10. Salt Creek Corridor (City of San Juan Capistrano) 0 2 4 Mi ¯

2 Central Reserve NROC City Boundaries ¬«91 Management Units 1. Santiago Oaks RP (OC Anaheim Parks) 4 2. Irvine Regional Park (OC Parks) 3. Irvine Ranch Open Space 4. Coal Canyon Ecological 3 Reserve (CDFW) 5. Peters Canyon RP (OC 1 ¬«241 Parks) Orange 6. City of Irvine Open Space 3 Preserve-North 7. Bowerman Landfill (OC Waste and Recycling) 2 8. Siphon Reservoir Preserve (IRWD) 3 9. Whiting Ranch WP (OC Parks) 5 10. Portola South (SRMA)

¬«261

6 Tustin 3

7 8

9 Irvine ¬«133 ¨¦§5

Lake Forest 10 ¨¦§405

Mission Viejo 0 1 2 Mi ¯

3 1.0 NCC ORGANIZATIONAL GOVERNANCE AND ANNUAL REPORT OVERVIEW

1.1 Board of Directors Milestones in 2019

March • Board of Directors unanimously approved the NROC 2018 Annual Report and 2019 Work Plan for submission to the Wildlife Agencies.

• The tax returns for the October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018, fiscal year were presented to and approved by the board.

• NCC Board of Directors reestablished the Land Management Committee.

• NCC Board of Directors approved the revised Habitat Restoration and Enhancement Plan for use on Reserve lands.

June • NCC staff, land managers and contractors provided the Board of Directors a tour of past and ongoing coastal sage scrub habitat restoration efforts at Crystal Cove State Park.

September • Published “Using Mobile Device Data to Estimate Visitation in Parks and Protected Areas: An Example from the Nature Reserve of Orange County, California” in the Journal of Park and Recreation Administration.

• Board of Directors approved the 2018-19, fiscal year budget.

December • NCC Board of Directors approved the September 30, 2019, audited financials as presented by Windes, Inc.

• Construction began on upland habitat restoration and seasonal pool creation for Western spadefoot toad (Spea hammondii)

4 2.0 NCC SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM STATUS AND WORK PLAN 2019-20

2.1 Introduction The primary responsibility of NCC is to facilitate implementation of an effective management program that maintains the long term net habitat value of the coastal sage scrub habitat mosaic within the Central-Coastal Subregion. Through its biological monitoring and research program, NCC gathers key information on the status and trends of the biological resources and operation of natural systems found within the Reserve. Knowledge gained from these activities informs development of the Reserve’s science-based management program implemented by the signatories of the NCCP/HCP, with support from NCC, in an adaptive framework.

Habitat restoration and enhancement is critical to maintaining and enhancing the long-term viability and function of the habitat within the Reserve, and serves a key role in the Reserve’s management program. As defined by the NCCP/HCP, any activity designed to enhance existing biological functions, or restore biological functions that were present historically but no longer are present within the Reserve is treated as a restoration or enhancement activity. Traditionally, the focus of NCC’s habitat restoration program has been on the restoration of the conditions that support the target species and habitat, however, the program has the flexibility to be expanded to include the enhancement or restoration of the full range of habitats included within the Reserve, as well as, the monitoring and associated adaptive management of ongoing operation and maintenance activities, public access and recreation uses, and fire management programs.

The Work Plan Table (Section 2.2) and accompanying Project Descriptions (Section 2.3) provide updates on the progress and accomplishments of twenty-five projects sponsored by NCC during the 2019 calendar year. Four of these projects are now recognized as complete. All others are ongoing or new projects scheduled to be implemented in 2020. Project Descriptions were written to facilitate development of a project database that allows for the standardization of tracking project status, cost, matching contributions, landowner involvement, and accomplishments. In addition, the information provided in the summary table allows projects to be directly linked to project reports, GIS data, and contracts, as well as assigns projects to different program classes and areas, and by resource.

The total approved Work Program budget for FY 2019-20 is $1,870,400. Consistent with the State’s NCCP Program and NCC Strategic Plan, the budget for FY 2019-20 includes funding for multi-year science and land management initiatives developed to support a broad-based ecosystem approach to the protection and long-term management of biological diversity present within the Reserve. Multi-year initiatives are organized across the six focus areas of wildland fire, recreation, habitat restoration, invasive species, wildlife management, and biological monitoring.

Designed to address the critical issues and threats facing the Reserve identified through the Science Panel Workshop in 2013, multi-year initiatives build upon the existing knowledge-base of land managers, scientists, and resource professionals.

5 Following discussions with members of the NCC Board, Technical Advisory Committee, key partners and stakeholders, the importance of identified multi-year initiatives was ultimately recognized and seconded by participants of the Science Integration Meeting hosted by NCC in early 2016 and then again by NCC board members and key partners in the NCC 2019 - 2021 Strategic Planning Workshop held in September, 2018.

Multi-year initiatives supported by the present-year budget include a number of resource management and monitoring activities in direct support of the mission of the Reserve. These include: a partnership among OCFA, UCCE, OC Parks, State Parks, and IRC, to monitor and treat invasive beetles threatening oak and riparian woodlands; partnership with UC Irvine on development of strategies for monitoring changes in the coastal sage scrub habitat mosaic; a NCC staff led initiative to work with partners and experts on creation of dashboard metrics of relevance to partners, the public, and elected officials concerning the health of the Reserve; work with UC Los Angeles on the continued development of management strategies to improve breeding opportunities for western spadefoot; and partner-supported, repeat, region-wide surveys for Cactus Wren and California Gnatcatcher.

The budget continues to support empowerment of the Core Management Team, made-up of resource professionals from IRC, OC Parks, and State Parks, as they direct implementation of a coordinated, unified approach to the management of invasive plants first described and adopted by the Back Country Council in 2013 and most recently advanced by the California Invasive Plant Council under contract with NCC. With respect to recreation management, the budget allows NCC staff to continue to engage national leaders in the field of recreation ecology from Utah State University and Oregon State University to work with OC Parks, State Parks, and other partners on development of a long-term recreation management plan for the Reserve, providing the much needed balance between human-use and resource protection within the Reserve.

Lastly, the new budget affords NCC staff the opportunity to implement key elements of the Wildland Fire Management Plan over the next few years. Such elements include limiting fire spread and rates of ignitions along the wildland-urban interface and roadsides, implementing the Fuel Management Standards, and other fire management activities associated with natural resource protection. Considering some of these elements fall outside of the Reserve, progress will require partner and contractor-based training, and establishment of new partnerships with other agencies, such as Caltrans, through implementation of priority initiatives identified by COAST and the county-wide Community Wildfire Protection Plan.

In summary, the concentrated effort to develop multi-year initiatives of relevance to the long- term management needs of the Reserve has been more than five years in the making. From meeting minutes to communications with the Board, workshop reports to programmatic elements memorialized in the NROC Annual Report, all relevant information shared during this process is now archived on the NCC Website.

6 Multi-year initiatives supported by the budget reach further than previously funded activities as they create a partner-based collaborative supporting science-based decision making and novel communication processes. Through implementation of the initiatives identified in the new fiscal budget, a foundation is set in place providing stability in terms of the direction of the science program and partners with access to a diverse and talented team of natural resource management professionals and scientists working on focus areas of highest priority to the Reserve.

7 2.2 2019-2020 NCC Work Plan Table

Project Name 2018-19 2019-20

†

Fund** City of Irvi ne Project Status Project The Irvine Company Irvine The Orange County Parks County Orange Project Progression* Project City of Newport of Beach City Crystal Cove State Park State Cove Crystal Matching Funds Secured Funds Matching Irvine Ranch Water District Ranch Water Irvine Metropolitan Water District Water Metropolitan CA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife and Fish of Dept. CA University of California, Irvine Transportation Corridor Agencies Corridor Transportation Orange County Waste and Recycling Waste County Orange

1 Rare Plant Monitoring & Mgmt O R $80,000 -- X X X X X X X X X X X 2 Cactus Scrub UCI Rest/Measure M O R Y $10,000 $2,000 X 3 Invasive Plant Program Mgmt O R $55,000 $146,500 X X X X X X 4 Invasive Plant Control O R $130,000 $129,500 X X X X X X 5 Cowbird Trapping O C $40,000 $40,000 X X X X 6 Mountain Lion Project O E $10,000 $10,000 X X X X X X X 7 NCC Database Mgmt O E -- -- X X X X X X X X X X X 8 Target Bird Monitoring O E Y -- $207,000 X X X X X X X X X X X 9 HREP Update C R $60,000 -- X X X X X X X X X X X 10 Cactus Salvage Portola/Orchard O R $110,000 $100,000 X X X X Hills 11 Land Manager Training O R $10,000 $25,000 X X X X X X X X X X X 12 Western Spadefoot Mgmt O R Y $230,000 $300,000 X X X X X X X X X X X 13 Rec Mgmt & Human Valuation O R $175,000 $185,000 X X X X X X X X 14 Rec Mgmt & Mobility Data C R $157,500 $115,000 X X X X X X X X 15 Vegetation Monitoring & E Y $135,000 $268,400 X X X X X X X X X X X O Communication 16 SHB Mgmt & Monitoring C R Y $220,000 -- X X X X X X X X X X X 17 Fuel Mod Field Tour O R $10,000 $5,000 X X X X X X X 18 NDVI Fuels Map O E Y $24,000 $24,000 X X X X X X X X X X X

8 Project Name 2018-19 2019-20

†

19 UCI EP Fuel Mod O R $34,000 $32,500 X 20 Canyon Fires Rare Plant Survey O R Y $50,100 $25,000 X X 21 Laguna Canyon Fuels Mod N R Y -- $5,000 X X 22 2018 Fires Rare Plant Survey N E Y $25,000 $15,500 X X 23 Health Assessment N E $150,000 $150,000 X X X X X X X X X X X 24 Local Seed Network N R $10,000 $10,000 X X X X X X X X X X X 25 Grazing Plan - Best Practices C R $30,000 $75,000 X X X X X X X X X X X

Endowment: $344,000 $674,900 Restoration: $1,371,600 $1,155,500 Cowbird: $40,000 $40,000 Total: $1,755,600 $1,870,400

* Green = Project is on or ahead of schedule; Yellow = Project requires additional attention by NCC staff and/or contractors; Red = Project requires substantial attention by NCC staff and/or contractors, project is in jeopardy of not progressing; White = Project is approved, but not initiated ** R = Restoration & Acquisition Fund; E = Endowment Fund; C = Cowbird Fund † C = Complete; O = Ongoing; N = New; P = Postponed

9 2.3 Project Descriptions

List of Acronyms

AIS = Aerial Information Systems BMPs = Best Management Practices CCSP = Crystal Cove State Park CDFW = California Department of Fish and Wildlife CEB = Center for Environmental Biology CNB = City of Newport Beach CNPS = California Native Plant Society COAST = County of Orange Area Safety Taskforce COI = City of Irvine EEMP = Environmental Enhancement Management Program HCP = Habitat Conservation Plan HREP = Habitat Restoration and Enhancement Plan IRC = Irvine Ranch Conservancy IRWD = Irvine Ranch Water District LAG = Local Assistance Grant LCF = Laguna Canyon Foundation LCWP = Laguna Coast Wilderness Park MOU = Memorandum of Understanding MWD = Metropolitan Water District NCC = Natural Communities Coalition NCCP = Natural Community Conservation Plan NROC = Nature Reserve of Orange County OCFA = Orange County Fire Authority OCIM = Orange County Invasive Management OCP = Orange County Parks OCWR = Orange County Waste and Recycling SDMMP = San Diego Management and Monitoring Program TAC = Technical Advisory Committee TCA = Transportation Corridor Agencies TIC = The Irvine Company TNC = The Nature Conservancy UCI = University of California, Irvine UCLA = University of California, Los Angeles UCR = University of California, Riverside UNB = Upper Newport Bay USDA = US Department of Agriculture USFWS = US Fish and Wildlife Service USGS = US Geological Survey VegCAMP = Vegetation Classification and Mapping Program WCS = Wildlands Conservation Science

10 Reporting Template for NCCP-related Science and Land Management Projects

Project Title Abbreviated project title limited to 100 characters Contractor(s)/Researcher Contractors or researchers associated with the project Time Period Years project has been active and current project end date Total Project Cost Total project costs since start date (NCC + matching funds) Amount Budgeted NCC 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 budgeted amounts Fund Endowment, Restoration, or Cowbird Funds (NCC-specific category) Matching Contribution(s) Agency (Dollar Amount) Landowner Involvement Landowners whose land is accessed for purposes of conducting the project Project Status Project may be Complete, Ongoing, or New Project Progression Project is on or ahead of schedule (Green), Project requires additional attention by staff and/or contractors (Yellow), Project requires substantial attention by staff and/or contractors, project is in jeopardy of not progressing (Red), Project is approved, but not initiated (White) Program Class Identify program class from the following categories: Monitoring/Research, Land Management, Planning, Education/Training, Database Management Program Area Identify program area from the following categories: Wildland Fire, Weed Control, Habitat Restoration, Recreation, Sensitive Biological Resources, Invasive Wildlife Control Resource Natural resource benefiting from project implementation Project Purpose Brief description limited to 50 words Available Report(s) Project reports associated with the project (project description linked to associated reports in online library through the unique project ID) Available GIS Product(s) GIS data associated with the project (project description linked to associated GIS files in online library through the unique project ID) Overview Project background limited to 1000 words (static between years) Progress Progress made to date (includes a description of past-year activities as well as activities to be achieved in the new calendar year) Key Milestones Schedule Project milestones (with due dates identified): Date milestone achieved Key Findings Updated each year as applicable Notes Updated each year as applicable

11 1. Rare Plant Monitoring & Mgmt

Project Title Rare Plant Monitoring & Mgmt Contractor(s)/Researcher UC Irvine Time Period 2014-2021 Total Project Cost $158,393 Amount Budgeted 2018-2019: $80,000, 2019-2020: -- Fund Endowment - Monitoring Matching Contribution(s) TNC: $75,323 Landowner Involvement OCP, OCWR, COI, CCSP, CDFW, CNB, UCI, IRWD, TCA, TIC, MWD Project Status Ongoing Project Progression Requires additional attention by NCC staff and/or contractors Program Class Monitoring/Research Program Area Sensitive Biological Resources Resource Rare Plants Project Purpose Inventory, map, and monitor the distribution of rare plants, describe stressors and threats to individual species, and identify and implement management measures Available Report(s) Rare Plant Monitoring & Management in Orange County – Project Update. Prepared by UCI. Jul., 2018.

Analysis and Prioritization of Orange County Rare Plant Occurrences in the NCC Reserve System. Prepared by UCI. Jun., 2019. Available GIS Product(s) RarePlantGeodatabase.gdb

Overview

NCC has agreed to partner with UC Irvine’s Center for Environmental Biology (CEB) to create and support a multi-year, post-doctoral research position at the University for the purpose of addressing the development and implementation of the inventory and analysis phase of NCC’s Rare Plant Monitoring and Management Program. Through the position, the researcher would work on issues related to vegetation change and dynamics in the Reserve with emphasis on the compilation and analysis of rare plant abundance, distribution, and dynamics. The long-term goal of this project is to produce decision tools (such as a distribution model) that guide cost- efficient, standardized monitoring by technical stakeholders to understand the state of rare biological diversity in the Reserve, along with conservation, restoration, and mitigation activities of land managers.

Progress

As of January 2014, a post-doctoral scholar was hired by the University to work on the project for a 12 to 24-month period. NCC staff, working with the University developed a tentative project scope and deliverables for inclusion in a future agreement with the University. In February 2014, a data arrangement between the University and NCC was agreed to by representatives from both institutions and development of an aggregate rare plant geodatabase for the Subregion was initiated.

12 In February 2015, a multi-year scope of work was developed by UCI and provided to NCC for review and comment. Working with the Director of Sponsored Projects, from the UCI Office of Research, an agreement between the University and NCC for the first phase of the project was completed in June 2015. Through discussions between the University and NCC, the project became a vehicle to operationalize a Master Agreement between NCC and UCI, covering all relevant future science-based collaborations between the two organizations.

In 2016, an updated Research Specific Agreement was developed by CEB and provided to the Technical Advisory Committee for review and comment. The document describes the updated activities and deliverables associated with year-two of the collaborative project to be undertaken in 2017. Strategic areas of effort addressed by the project include: database development; database application; monitoring, planning, reporting; and data needs and threat assessment.

In 2017, CEB reorganized staff responsibilities in support of the project and made recommendations for modifications to the previously agreed upon task list and accompanying deliverables, recommending a shift from a finite project schedule to a longer-term monitoring approach. With regards to deliverables and action items completed in 2017, CEB staff coordinated technician training and data assessment with recent field surveys conducted by Fred Roberts at CCSP. As part of this effort, data collected at CCSP in 2016 and 2017 was used to assess data gaps and quality of information contained in the larger regional database, with the intention of the new data being integrated into the larger database in 2018.

In December, 2017, CEB hosted a meeting to get feedback from stakeholders concerning work completed to date by the Center on database management and distributional modeling. At the meeting, Hailey Laskey, a graduate student in the University’s Masters in Conservation and Restoration Science program, shared visualization aids and logic constructs developed from the now compiled database to assist with decision-making and species prioritization. During the meeting, stakeholders provided input with regards to the process underlying the distributional modeling (through environmental correlates and niche documentation) and degree visualizations could assist in the decision-making process surrounding prioritization, monitoring, and management.

Full compilation of the rare plant GIS database was completed in 2018. The database, covering more than 90 species of rare plants, designated as rare by California Native Plant Society (and other agencies), includes data from multiple sources, including the USFWS, The Nature Conservancy, IRC, CA Natural Diversity Database, and Calflora. Following the data validation phase, available spatial information on the distribution and density of individual species coupled with information on species attributes were combined to produce individual range maps for each species.

In 2019, CEB reached out to partners to share progress made towards documenting the spatial characteristics of the rare plants in Orange County, with mention of future monitoring and management for priority species. Following outreach, NCC has requested CEB to work with the OC Park GIS Department to ensure successful archiving of the new database and create novel distribution vehicles for sharing the organized data which now totals close to 354 GB in size.

13 A prioritization meeting with members of the Technical Advisory Committee and stakeholders, will be scheduled to discuss and identify the highest priority rare plant species and future survey areas with the purpose of guiding near-term monitoring, management and science activities tied to rare plants.

Building upon fieldwork initially conducted in 2016 and 2017, field teams from CEB continued their data collection efforts at inland sites in 2019. Fieldwork is to involve partnering with regional experts conducting surveys in areas impacted by recent fires in the inland portion of the Subregion and further evaluating opportunities to link rare plant surveys with existing, long-term vegetation monitoring sites.

Key Milestones

1. Data Entry and Compilation (Due: 30 June 2016): Completed on schedule 2. Data Collection Guidelines (Due: 30 June 2016): Completed on schedule 3. Database Interoperability (Due: 30 June 2017): Completed in 2018 4. Database Refinement (Due: 31 December 2017): Completed in 2018 5. Preliminary Alliance Relationships (Due: 31 December 2017): Postponed 6. Distributional Modeling and Prioritization of Management Activities (Due: 31 December 2017): Completed in 2019 7. Initial Field Surveys (Due: 31 March 2017): Coordinated with Fred Roberts in 2017 at CCSP 8. Annual Progress Report and Downscaled Database Refinement (Due: 31 December 2017): Project update was provided in July, 2018, with a project report presentation in June, 2019 9. Development of Derived Monitoring Schemes (Due: 31 December 2017): Postponed until a time uncertain 10. Development of a Reporting and Synthesizing Activities Assessment (Due: 31 December 2017): Postponed until a time uncertain 11. Viability Analysis and Scenario Development (Due: 31 December 2018) Postponed until a time uncertain 12. Development of Plans to Anticipate Evolving Data Use (Due: 31 December 2018) Postponed until a time uncertain Notes

A total of $121,000 in NCC funds is temporarily restricted for the development of a rare plant management and monitoring plan and initial implementation of identified management strategies. The $60,000 in funding allocated by the NCC Board in 2013 was rolled forward to the FY 2015-16, in anticipation of an agreement being executed in spring of 2016. The earmarked funding was to complete the first phase of program development. In September 2016, the NCC Board approved an additional $90,000 in funding to support advancement of the program through the end of 2017.

14 2. Cactus Scrub UCI Rest/Measure M

Project Title Cactus Scrub UCI Rest/Measure M Contractor(s)/Researcher Land IQ; Nakae & Associates Time Period 2011-2020 Total Project Cost $373,400 Amount Budgeted 2018-2019: $10,000, 2019-2020: $2,000 Fund Restoration Matching Contribution(s) OCTA: $359,400 Landowner Involvement UCI Project Status Ongoing Project Progression On schedule Program Class Land Management Program Area Habitat Restoration Resource Coastal Sage Scrub Project Purpose Restoration of 8.5 acres of coastal cactus scrub at UC Irvine Ecological Preserve Available Report(s) 2019 Performance Monitoring Report – Measure M Cactus Scrub Restoration for the UC Irvine Ecological Preserve. Prepared by Land IQ. Oct., 2019. Available GIS Product(s) --

Overview

The Measure M Cactus Scrub Restoration Project is funded under the OCTA Measure M environmental mitigation program. This project involves the restoration of approximately 8.5 acres of highly disturbed and non-native grassland habitat to coastal cactus scrub within the UC Irvine Ecological Preserve (UCIEP). The $359,000 Measure M grant awarded to NCC runs through 2019.

Progress

The project is considered to be progressing on schedule and nearing completion. The 8.5 acres of cactus scrub restoration was initiated in late 2011 with seeding occurring in late 2012. The Measure M restoration combined with the EEMP cactus scrub restoration totals 12.5 acres of cactus scrub restoration at the UCIEP less than seven years old. The Measure M site has performed well and is regularly visited by the two target bird species, Cactus Wren and California Gnatcatcher.

The Measure M restoration site is developing within reasonable expectations for native plant growth, cover and species distribution especially after considering the historic drought conditions from 2011 through 2016. With above normal rainfall in late 2016 through early 2017, native vegetation cover increased substantially in 2017 along with non-native annual grasses, largely Bromus madritensis and Festuca myuros. The site is expected to continue to develop without the need for further maintenance. A final round of quantitative monitoring of the site was conducted in spring 2019 to facilitate final sign-off of the project by the Wildlife Agencies.

15 Key Milestones

1. FINAL Habitat Restoration Plan (Due: 31 December 2010): Finalized on 2 December 2010 2. Initial Field Surveys (Due: 30 November 2011): Site surveys completed in spring and fall of 2011 3. Site Preparation (Due: 30 November 2011): Site preparation completed in October 2011 4. Phase I: Site Installation (Due: 31 December 2011): Cactus material and container plants installed in November 2011 5. Phase II: Site Installation (Due: 31 December 2012): Seed application completed in October 2012 6. First Annual Site Maintenance (Due: 31 December 2012): Completed on schedule 7. Annual Progress Report (Due: 31 December 2012): Completed on 28 September 2012 8. Second Annual Site Maintenance (Due: 31 December 2012): Completed on schedule 9. Year 1 – Annual Performance Monitoring Report (Due: 31 December 2013): Completed on 30 November 2013 10. Third Annual Site Maintenance (Due: 31 December 2014): Completed by September 2014 11. Fourth Annual Site Maintenance (Due: 31 December 2015): Completed by May 2015 12. Year 2 – Annual Performance Monitoring Report (Due: 31 December 2014): Completed in October 2014 13. Year 3 – Annual Performance Monitoring Report (Due: 31 December 2015): Completed in December 2015 14. Year 4 – Annual Performance Monitoring Report (Due: 31 December 2016): Completed in September 2016 15. FINAL Performance Monitoring Report (Due: 30 June 2017): Completed in June 2017 16. Performance Standards Achieved (Due: 30 June 2017): Site achieved performance standards for total native plant cover, native functional groups, and overall survivorship of the planted cactus material in April 2017 17. Performance Monitoring Memo Addressing Native and Non-Native Vegetation Cover (Due: 30 June 2019): Completed in October 2019

Key Findings

Overall, survivorship of the planted cactus and container species (blue elderberry) was greater than 95%. Changes in cactus height were greatest for cacti planted as individual pads, which increased in average height from 37 cm to 59 cm between 2015 and 2017. Planted segments averaged a height of 63 cm and planted clumps averaged a height of 79 cm in 2017. The mean number of total cladodes for planted pads over the restoration areas was 47. As the installed pad material consisted of a single pad in 2011, the change in numbers demonstrates exceptional growth.

16 Native shrub cover was 53% and native herbaceous cover was 30% achieving the performance standard of an average of 75% native plant cover. Thirty-nine native shrub, herbaceous, and cactus species were detected in 2017, up from 24 noted in 2013. Flowering and seed production of native species was observed across the restoration site including the planted elderberry.

The increase in absolute cover of non-native vegetation between 2015 (17%) and 2017 (71%) was attributed to the large volume precipitation that fell as in late 2016. Non-native annual grass cover is expected to decrease without additional maintenance, while native shrub and cactus cover continues to increase in subsequent years as drier conditions again prevail for the region.

The Measure M restoration site has achieved the objectives of the project based on the monitoring results. The cactus scrub restoration is developing within reasonable expectations for native plant growth, cover and species distribution, especially considering the historic five-year drought conditions experienced during plant establishment from 2011 through 2016. The site is being used by the California Gnatcatcher and Cactus Wren for foraging, and at least once for nesting in the past three years. The restoration site not only supports establishment of native species from original planted and seeded material but demonstrates recruitment of local native species. Flowering and seed production of native species and the presence of juvenile plants that have germinated in the current growing season demonstrate the vegetation is capable of contributing native cover to the site, which is an indication of establishment and sustainability of the cactus scrub community.

Notes

In May of 2017, the OCTA Environmental Oversight Committee, which includes representatives of the California Department of Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, participated on a tour of the Measure M site. Sign-off by the Wildlife Agencies on the mitigation funded by OCTA is expected to occur and will follow sharing of the results of additional season of quantitative monitoring completed in the spring 2019 and a final field visit by the Wildlife Agencies.

3. Invasive Plant Program Mgmt

Project Title Invasive Plant Program Mgmt Contractor(s)/Researcher Hamilton Biological; Calflora, CalIPC, IRC, CNPS Time Period 2004-2020 Total Project Cost $713,000 Amount Budgeted* 2018-2019: $55,000, 2019-2020: $146,500 Fund Restoration Matching Contribution(s) -- Landowner Involvement OCP, OCWR, COI, CCSP, CDFW, CONB, UCI, IRWD, TCA, TIC, MWD Project Status Ongoing Project Progression On schedule Program Class Land Management/Planning Program Area Weed Control Resource All

17 Project Purpose Management (i.e., mapping, coordination, and reporting) of NCC and partner-sponsored weed control activities Available Report(s) Five-year Invasive Plant Management Plan for the Coastal Portion of the County of Orange Central & Coastal Subregion NCCP/HCP. Prepared by California Invasive Plant Council. Jan., 2017.

2017 Early Detection/Rapid Response Survey Report Coastal Orange County NCCP Reserve. Prepared by Hamilton Biological. Dec., 2017.

2018 Early Detection/Rapid Response Survey Report Central Orange County NCCP Reserve. Prepared by Hamilton Biological. Nov., 2018.

Five-year Invasive Plant Management Plan for the Central Portion of the County of Orange Central & Coastal Subregion NCCP/HCP. Prepared by California Invasive Plant Council. Feb., 2019.

Calflora Weed Manager (www.calflora.org) Available GIS Product(s) -- *Change in budget from previous year reflects a rearrangement in content of individual project and not in the funds allocated to activities in the project. See project #4 for corresponding adjustment in summary and budget.

Overview

Implementation of NCC’s invasive plant control program requires multi-agency coordination and collaboration. Through the program, artichoke thistle and other invasive plant species have been controlled across thousands of acres of the NCCP-Reserve. Since the formal program was initiated in the year 2000, close to $3.5M in funds have been spent on implementation of the program, resulting in the spot application of herbicide to thousands of individual plants and reducing the distribution of target invasive species (principally artichoke thistle) from thousands to hundreds of acres within the Coastal Reserve. With the formal program having been largely successful at accomplishing its principal goal of reducing the cover of artichoke thistle, NCC, together with partnering organizations, are redefining the goals of the program focusing on additional priority species and the creation of a new firewall to prevent the presence and establishment of problematic emergent species within the Reserve.

With the creation of the Core Management Team (CMT) in 2016, consisting of representatives from State Parks, OC Parks, and the IRC, coupled with advanced planning conducted under the guidance of the California Invasive Plant Council (Cal-IPC), NCC is better positioned to facilitate Subregion-wide planning and implementation of the invasive plant program over the course of the next decade. To this end, NCC has contracted with the Cal-IPC to develop a coordinated, unified approach to prioritizing invasive plant control efforts across the NCCP-Reserve.

18 The draft plan describes an overarching conceptual framework proposed for managing invasive plants in the Reserve, a five-year work plan for the Coastal and Central Reserves (and adjoining conservation lands), and Early Detection/Rapid Response (EDRR) Structure. The overarching framework provides a foundation for transparent decision-making and assessment, and helps ensure coordination between land managers as they execute specific elements of the plan falling within their purview.

Progress

As of early 2015, Cal-IPC had completed the planning phase of the project, determining the next steps in developing expert recommendations for: (1) strategic prioritization for invasive plant management; and (2) early detection/rapid response protocol for new invasive plant populations. The work plan and budget for analyzing information and developing recommendations for invasive plant management and EDRR was presented to partners in February, 2015. The project is considered to be on schedule as team members begin to execute the next generation of planning and early phases of implementation. The formal control program described in the Reserve’s revised HREP concluded in 2015. In 2016, under the guidance of Cal-IPC and in collaboration with the Core Management Team, NCC facilitated creation of a new overarching five-year management plan for the coastal portion of the Subregion. Development of a similar, over-arching five-year management plan for the inland portion of the Subregion was initiated in 2017 and was finalized in early 2019.

In support of advancing the initial planning efforts, Harmsworth conducted field surveys and prepared detail maps of the distribution of priority invasive plant populations for Irvine Regional Park, Peter’s Canyon, El Modena Open Space, and Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve in 2015, and Santiago Oaks and Talbert Park in 2016. Revisions to mapping efforts completed by Harmsworth between 2011 and 2015 were reviewed and amended as needed in 2016. To complement field surveys and existing spatial data on the distribution of invasive plants, aerial weed surveys were completed in 2014, 2016, and 2017, covering approximately 48,000 acres of conserved open space. Analysis of available spatial data was conducted by Cal-IPC in 2016, 2017, and 2018, in support of the over-arching planning work.

In 2016, Harmsworth was again tasked with managing NCC-sponsored control efforts in Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, UC Irvine, and El Toro, and assisting the County in managing County- sponsored control efforts within the Reserve at the additional NCCP-enrolled County Parks, specifically, Aliso & Wood Canyons Wilderness Park, Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve, Talbert Regional Park, Santiago Oaks Wilderness Park, Irvine Regional Park, Peter’s Canyon Regional Park, and Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park. Within these parks, all mapped veldt grass, garland chrysanthemum, and Sahara mustard, and areas with at least 10% cover of artichoke thistle were targeted for treatment in 2016. In 2016, as in 2014 and 2015, NCC reached an agreement with the IRC to actively manage and coordinate NCC-sponsored weed control activities on the lands under their management, specifically, City of Irvine, City of Newport Beach, and Irvine Ranch Open Space.

19 In early 2017, Cal-IPC finalized a comprehensive five-year plan for the coastal portion of the County of Orange Central-Coastal Subregion NCCP/HCP. The plan includes three major components: an overall conceptual framework for invasive plant management, a targeted management plan, and an early detection and rapid response plan. Together these provide detailed guidance and recommendations for land managers on the weed management priorities in specified management units. An over-arching five-year plan for the central (or inland) portion of the Subregion is the later stages of development and scheduled to be finalized in spring 2019.

In 2017, members of the CMT began use of Calflora’s Weed Manager to archive and report control and mapping activities across the lands under their management. Activities reported included the early detection surveys implemented by Hamilton Biological within the coastal portion of the Subregion and the associated control activities, funded by NCC, targeting discovered populations of emergent invasive species implemented by Henry DiRocco. By the close of 2017, each organization affiliated with the CMT had created their own group to organize activities under their management in one central place for purposes of reporting and sharing observations, treatment history and other program features with members, prior to making information associated with new records available to all Calflora users.

In 2018, members of the CMT expanded their individual organization’s use of Calflora’s Weed Manager, enlisting more staff and volunteers to use the smartphone-based application to record new observations and control work tied to new discoveries and ongoing management of known populations. Also in 2018, Hamilton Biological completed, the first-time ever, comprehensive early detection surveys for priority emergent species across much of the trail system covering the inland portion of the Subregion, surveying trails on both NCCP-Reserve and Conservation Easement Land. In 2018, Henry DiRocco, working through Sage Environmental Group, continued his work managing the treatment of populations of emergent plant species discovered in 2017 and 2018, in the coastal and central portions of the Subregion. Also in 2018, Cal-IPC identified a number of ongoing needs tied to implementation of the new coastal and draft central management plans, sharing these needs with key managers from OCP, California State Parks, and IRC. Several ongoing needs remain, as described below.

1. Reporting on each year’s work – At the end of each season, OCP, CSP and IRC need to report on that year’s work. This reporting is made primarily through the Calfora online mapping tool. This reporting gets aggregated into a single report to NCC, describing work performed as well as progress toward long-term goals. There are challenging issues associated with reporting, such as how weed populations are defined and measured. Need: An individual or agency needs to be tasked with coordinating data submittal and aggregating data into a report for NCC.

2. Assessing species – New species need to be assessed to characterize impact, which is used in prioritizing management. Cal-IPC uses a Plant Assessment Form (PAF) for species already having an observable impact, and a Plant Risk Evaluation (PRE) for species suspected of being problematic. Need: Cal-IPC needs to draft PAFs/PREs for new plants and get these reviewed by its expert committee.

20 3. Planning each season’s work – Each November-January the Core Management Team (CMT) should meet to set a plan for the next year’s management and EDRR activities. This involves reviewing the management plans for the subregion and using that framework for setting priorities in light of priorities set in previous years, the results of treatment in previous years and funding available. Need: An entity to coordinate the CMT in the process of designing annual work plans.

4. Configuring Calflora – CMT partners are using Calflora’s Weed Manager as a shared data platform. The tools are still evolving, and the CMT collaboration will benefit from working with Calflora and like-minded collaborations (e.g. OneTam) to help Weed Manager’s features best serve their needs. Needed features include: being able to easily see each other’s data; having new EDRR reports be universally communicated; being able to print maps, and having appropriate reports. Need: for someone to be tasked with coordinating communications with Calflora and other regional partnerships.

5. Coordinating Newport Bay weed work – Partners are aware of several Volutaria tubuliflora populations around Newport Bay, and there are now reports of invasive sea lavender. Ongoing surveys across multiple landowners are needed, with management follow-up. Need: someone tasked with coordinating survey and management work.

In November, 2018, NCC staff participated in the Cal-IPC Symposium held in Monterey, California. At the meeting, staff presented on the evolution of the Reserve’s invasive plant control program with special focus on the role of early detection and rapid response serving as a “firewall” to prevent the presence and establishment of problematic emergent species. In a special session held in conjunction with the symposium, staff affiliated with Calflora, Cal-IPC, One Tam, Mid-Peninsula Open Space District, Placer County, together with NCC and local partners from Orange County (such as LCF, State Parks, and IRC), discussed the utility and future evolution of Weed Manager. The goal of the meeting was to strengthen state-wide coordination among principal, multi-agency groups using Weed Manager and discuss higher- level web database functionality and improvement priorities.

In 2020, Hamilton Biological and Sage Environmental will again be working in tandem to implement the early detection surveys in both coastal and inland areas of the Subregion and the subsequent rapid response treatments of populations discovered in 2019 and prior years. Contract work is to be closely coupled to active landowner and land manager activities implemented consistent with the over-arching 5-year plans for the individual land areas and parks located in the coastal and central subareas of the Subregion. Calflora’s Weed Manager is again to be made available for another 12-month period to the member organizations of the Core Management Team to help track and share information tied to invasive plant management activities. IRC will again be under contract to serve as the lead agency responsible for training partners on use of Weed Manager in 2020.

Key Milestones

1. Prepare and Submit Final Five-year Management for Coastal Reserve (Due: 30 September 2016): Completed in Jan., 2017

21 2. Compare Results of 2011 and 2016 Helicopter Surveys (Due: 30 June 2017): additional information was provided to Cal-IPC from Wildlands Conservation Science after flying additional acreage in 2017, Report completed Feb. 2019 3. Prepare and Submit Final Five-year Management Plan for Central Reserve (Due: 31 December 2017): Completed Feb., 2019 4. Develop Field Schedule in Communication with CMT and Cal-IPC (Due: 1 March 2018): Field schedule for fiscal-year field activities completed in Jan., 2018. 5. Funding Agreement to be Reached with Calflora (Due: 1 March 2018): Agreement reached with Calflora in Feb., 2018 6. Contract with Biological Consultant to Conduct Surveys for Emergent Invasive Plants (Due: 1 March 2018): Hamilton Biological was hired in Mar., 2018 7. Reach Agreement with IRC for Calflora Coordination and Training of Partners on Weed Manager (Due: 1 March 2018): Agreement reached in Feb., 2018 8. Annual EDRR Reporting Template (Due: 30 June 2018): Delivery of draft template to CMT occurred in Jun., 2018 9. Complete and Submit FINAL Report for Early Detection Surveys (Due: 31 December 2018): FINAL report completed by Hamilton Biological in Nov., 2018

Key Findings

By the close of 2017, a total of three groups were formed under Calflora’s Weed Manager (http://www.calflora.org/entry/weed-mgr.html) and populated with members for the IRC, California State Parks, and OC Parks. A total of 32 members were added under the IRC group and 1,345 records posted online and made publicly available through Calflora. Twenty members were listed under the California State Parks group with 169 records made publicly available. Thirteen members were listed under the group for OC Parks. In 2017, Cal-IPC was active in uploading to Calflora baseline datasets of known populations of invasive plants collected from partner datasets and as a result of aerial surveys conducted in 2011, 2014, 2016, and 2017. Information on the number of acres of gross and infested areas, number of plants, cover value, and location and source accompany each record, when available.

An illustrated plant list of the priority one (to be eradicated Reserve-wide) and two (eradicate in certain watersheds) invasive plant species was posted by the IRC and is now available through Calflora (http://www.calflora.org/app/ipl?list_id=px927). Conversations between IRC, Cal-IPC, and members of ONE TAM, the lands collaborative from Marin County, have advanced discussions among members of the CMT about reporting options and metrics used to communicate ongoing activities tied to invasive plant management.

In the spring and summer of 2017, Hamilton Biological conducted botanical surveys to detect and confirm new and existing populations of emergent invasive species within the coastal portion of the Subregion. The surveys, funded by NCC and designed largely by the Core Management Team (Jutta Burger-IRC, Jennifer Naegele-OC Parks, and Lana Nguyen-CCSP), were a first for the region.

22 Performed across the entirety of the South Coast Wilderness (~18,000 acres), fieldwork resulted in approximately 200 miles of trails being surveyed on foot. A total of forty-four priority emergent weed species were detected accounting for close to 1,700 new records. All information associated with the finds were uploaded to Calflora's Weed Manager for sharing with the respective land manager and communication to the rapid response contractor under contract with NCC, Henry DiRocco.

In 2018, Cal-IPC created an Annual EDRR Reporting Template to facilitate advancement of the program. The template identifies the following key metrics to be reported by the OC Parks, State Parks, and IRC following completion of surveys in areas, roads, and trails identified as most vulnerable to new introductions of invasive plants:

• Miles surveyed by trail • Number of populations and net area (by species) • Number of populations (by species) determined to be a high priority for immediate action • Location, species addressed, status, action taken as part of the treatment response

Hamilton Biological conducted botanical surveys within the central portion of the Subregion. Fieldwork resulted in approximately 188 miles of trails being surveyed on foot. A total of 18 high- priority emergent weed species and 16 moderate priority species were detected accounting for close to 450 new records. Similar to 2017, all information associated with the finds were uploaded to Calflora's Weed Manager for sharing with the respective land manager and communication to the rapid response contractor, Sage Environmental.

Notes

The continued importance of information sharing and outreach among partnering agencies conducting invasive plant management activities was again recognized by NCC staff in 2018. The need for coordination reflects the complexity of the invasive plant management program and ongoing need for effectiveness monitoring and information sharing, reporting, and coordination of treatment activities among land managers, contractors, and involved community groups. In support of information sharing, the NCC board approved, in 2018, “Best Practices” and “IPM Procedures & Protocols” for implementation of invasive plant control across the NCCP/HCP Reserve. Consistent with the approved best practices and over-arching goals of the now adopted invasive plant management approach, a role is envisioned for partnering agencies, going forward, to provide and review shared information and environmental documentation of herbicide use within the Reserve by managers and contractors.

4. Invasive Plant Control

Project Title Invasive Plant Control Contractor(s)/Researcher Nakae & Associates; Sage Environmental; Laguna Canyon Foundation; H. DiRocco Time Period 2000-2020 Total Project Cost $3,057,200 Amount Budgeted* 2018-2019: $130,000, 2019-2020: $129,500

23 Fund Restoration Matching Contribution(s) -- Landowner Involvement OCP, COI, CCSP, CNB, CLB Project Status Ongoing Project Progression On schedule Program Class Land Management Program Area Weed Control Resource Coastal Sage Scrub Project Purpose Implementation of top weed control priorities identified in the NROC HREP and new 5-year invasive plant management plans for the County of Orange NCCP/HCP Central & Coastal Subregion Available Report(s) Early Detection Rapid Response Program End-of-Season Report for NCC-funded Targeted Weed Control. Prepared by Sage Environmental Group. Dec., 2018.

Initial Treatment Completion Report for Canary Island St. John’s Wort Project. Prepared by Laguna Canyon Foundation, Jul., 2018.

Second year treatment completion report for Canary Island St. John’s wort project, City of Laguna Brach, County of Orange, CA. Prepared by LCF, Sep., 2019.

NCC-Funded Target Weed Control “Rapid Response” Program Report for 2019. Prepared by Sage Environmental, Jul., 2019.

Calflora Weed Manager (www.calflora.org) Available GIS Product(s) -- *Change in budget from previous year reflects a rearrangement in content of individual project and not in the funds allocated to activities in the project. See project #3 for corresponding adjustment in summary and budget.

Overview

Implementation of NCC’s invasive plant control program has resulted in the control of artichoke thistle and other invasive plant species across thousands of acres of the Reserve. Since the formal program was initiated in the year 2000, approximately $3.5M in funds have been spent on implementation of the program, resulting in the spot application of herbicide to thousands of individual plants and reducing the distribution of target invasive species (principally artichoke thistle) from thousands to hundreds of acres within the Coastal Reserve. With the program having been largely successful at accomplishing its principal goal of reducing the cover of artichoke thistle, NCC is actively working with partnering organizations to redefine the goals of the program focusing on the long-term sustainability of the control efforts. This project is progressing in conjunction with the invasive plant program management activities described in project # 3.

24 Progress

In 2017, the level of NCC-funded weed control activities implemented across the Reserve was similar to the prior two years. The main focus was on controlling artichoke thistle, veldt grass, and other targeted invasive species in LCWP, CCSP, UCI Ecological Preserve, and the City of Newport Beach’s Buck Gully.

New to the program, in 2017, NCC hired an emergent invasive plant control contractor, Henry DiRocco, to treat new discoveries of high-priority species found during early detection surveys completed along trails and roads by Hamilton Biological in the same year. The effort is the first expression of the rapid response component of the now formalized Early Detection - Rapid Response Program for the NCCP-Reserve in the coastal portion of the Subregion. Ensuring a rapid response is available following early detections of emergent invasive plant species provides the greatest likelihood of successful containment of otherwise problematic invasive plant populations.

During the active field season of 2017, Hamilton Biological shared locality and other descriptive information tied to new discoveries to land managers and Henry DiRocco almost on a daily basis using Calflora’s Weed Manager. Following communications with the appropriate land managers, upon arrival at a newly discovered population, Henry DiRocco would confirm identification of the previously observed plants and perform a wider survey of the immediate surroundings to ensure complete coverage for any outlying plants. Treatment of the discovered plants occurred either through hand-pulling, mechanical removal, and/or herbicide treatment, when allowed. Site information and treatment history was uploaded to Calflora by Henry for recording purposes.

In late 2017, NCC signed an agreement with LCF, partnering with the City of Laguna Beach, to survey, remove, and monitor Canary Island St. John’s wort present within Laguna Canyon. The partnership with LCF extends control efforts for the species outside of the Reserve and across neighboring City and private properties otherwise harboring hundreds to thousands of individual plants already controlled by NCC and OC Parks in LCWP. Consistent with the agreement, in 2018, LCF directed the treatment of St. John’s wort across approximately 2.9 acres of occupied habitat in May and June. Following completion of the first-year of treatment, a multi-year plan and timeline for continued treatment of mapped populations was completed in July and approved by both the City of Laguna Beach and NCC covering the next four years of activity by LCF from 2019 through 2022.

In 2018, Nakae, working under the management of NCC, was again tasked with controlling the population of veldt grass present at LCWP and CCSP. Similar to 2017, in 2018, Nakae worked closely with State Parks to treat populations of priority invasive plants mapped during the 2014 aerial surveys located along the coastal terrace of CCSP and populations of artichoke thistle present in the backcountry of the park. In 2018, Nakae again worked with staff from UCI, to perform a sweep of invasive plants at the UCI Ecological Preserve. Nakae also returned to Buck Gully in 2018, to control perennial invasive plants under the guidance of the IRC.

25 In 2018-19, NCC contracted with Henry DiRocco (working under Sage Environmental Group, then as an independent contractor), to revisit and treat populations of high-priority emergent invasive plant species discovered in 2017-19 during the early detection field surveys conducted in coastal and inland portions of the Subregion, respectively. Henry DiRocco was on-call to treat any populations of high-priority species requiring immediate treatment following their discovery within the coastal and inland portions of the Subregion surveyed by Hamilton Biological. Similar to years past, in 2019, Nakae and Sage Environmental were under contract to continue treating high-priority species.

In addition to the agreement with LCF to treat St. John’s wort, NCC is partnering with LCF to manage treatment of Sahara mustard across select areas of LCWP. Management of Sahara mustard has been ongoing in the area for four years (beginning in 2015) under the guidance of OC Parks in partnership with LCF. The work has been successful and is looking to be expanded to cover additional populations distributed across nearby roadways of Boat, Water Tank, Laguna Bowl, and Big Bend.

Key Milestones

1. Coordinate with CMT on Field Schedule (Due: March each year): Completed on time 2. Enter into a Contract with Nakae & Associates (Due: 1 March 2018): Completed on schedule 3. Enter into Multi-year Agreement with LCF (Due: 1 October 2018): Completed on schedule 4. Enter into a Contract with Emergent Invasive Plant Control Contractor (Due: 1 March 2018): Sage Environmental Group was hired under contract in Feb. 2018 5. Implement Invasive Plant Control Activities (Due: 31 December 2018): Invasive plant control activities completed by Nakae by the end of Aug., 2018; Sage Environmental’s control activities were completed by the end of Sep., 2018; LCF completed control activities by Jun., 2018 6. Complete and Submit FINAL Report for Rapid Response Contract Work (Due: 31 December 2018): FINAL report completed by Sage Environmental in Nov., 2018 7. Complete and Submit Initial Treatment Report for St. John’s Wort (Due: 31 July 2018): Report submitted by LCF in Jul., 2018 8. Enter into a Contracts with Nakae & Associates, H. DiRocco, and Sage Environmental (Due: 1 March 2019): Completed on schedule 9. Implement Invasive Plant Control Activities (Due: 31 December 2019): Invasive plant control activities completed by Nakae & Assoc. and Sage Environmental were completed by the end of Nov., 2019 10. Complete and Submit 2nd year Treatment Report for St. John’s Wort (Due: 31 July 2018): Report submitted by LCF in Sep., 2019 11. Complete and Submit Report for Rapid Response Contract Work (Due: 31 December 2019): Report completed by Sage Environmental in Jul., 2019

26 Key Findings

In April and May 2017, Nakae treated approximately 24 populations of veldt grass in LCWP and CCSP, cutting off flowering stalks and spraying the leaf blades. Population densities were generally low, with average cover values of about 10% across a cumulative total area of approximately 40 acres. At CCSP, populations of artichoke thistle were again treated in 2017. Sweet fennel, tree tobacco, black mustard, London rocket, ice plant, purple false broom, and artichoke thistle were treated by spot spraying and hand-weeding throughout the Ecological Preserve at UCI.

Discovered populations of significance treated by Henry DiRocco in 2017 at LCWP include Sahara mustard (Brassica tournefortii), devil’s thorn (Emex spinosa), stinknet (Oncosiphon piluliferum), tamarisk (Tamarix ramosissimas), and crown daisy (Glebionis coronoaria). Populations of milk thistle (Silybum marianum) and purple veldt grass (Ehrharta calycina) were treated at CCSP, and giant reed (Arundo donax) and bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare) was treated at Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve.

Surveys covering a search area of approximately 335 acres by LCF in fall 2017 yielded eight clusters of St. John’s wort, totaling about 4.0 acres across the survey area. Approximately, 80% of the mapped population appeared to be located on privately-owned parcels. In summer, 2018, all known populations of St. John’s Wort were treated within the project area. Mapped treatment areas equaled 6 acres, 50% larger than the initial survey estimate, as most of the extra acreage covered widely scattered individuals.

In 2018 and 2019, Sage Environmental was successful in identifying, tracking, and implementing treatments until site monitoring showed no further germination for several populations of emergent species discovered through early detection surveys. Specifically, along the coast, the contractor treated populations of Cape-ivy, castor bean, giant reed, fountain grass, Moroccan knapweed, pampas grass, Russian thistle, Sahara mustard, stinknet, and tree tobacco. At inland sites, treated populations included artichoke thistle, fennel, perennial pepperweed, Sahara mustard, stinknet, stinkwort, and yellow star thistle.

Notes

Over the last five plus years, the total workload for NCC spray contractors has been reduced as the County and IRC continue to expand their control efforts in areas of the Reserve traditionally treated by NCC. New maps of invasive plant populations prepared by Harmsworth and Associates in 2015 and 2016 have provided OC Parks with increased opportunity to direct their spray contractors to treat priority areas. Additionally, two natural resource coordinators were added to OC Parks staff in the NRM Division. With increased usage of Calflora’s Weed Manager, greater efficiencies in information sharing are being experienced by partners leading to increased coordination among land managers and consultants searching for and treating invasive plant populations of management concern.

27 5. Cowbird Trapping

Project Title Cowbird Trapping Contractor(s)/Researcher Leatherman Bioconsulting, Inc. Time Period 1999-2020 Total Project Cost $728,500 Amount Budgeted 2018-2019: $40,000, 2019-2020: $40,000 Fund Cowbird Matching Contribution(s) -- Landowner Involvement OCP, COI, TIC Project Status Ongoing Project Progression On schedule Program Class Land Management Program Area Invasive Wildlife Control Resource Least Bell’s Vireo Project Purpose Reduce incidence of cowbird nest parasitism for sensitive bird species, specifically California Gnatcatcher and Least Bell’s Vireo Available Report(s) 2019 San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor Brown-Headed Cowbird Trapping Program Report. Prepared by Leatherman Bioconsulting, Inc. Oct., 2019. Available GIS Product(s) --

Overview

Per an agreement between the Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA), USWFS, CDFW, and NCC, the responsibility of implementing the San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor Brown- headed Cowbird (BHCB) Trapping Program was transferred from TCA to NCC in 1999. As part of this agreement, TCA also provided an endowment to NCC to cover the costs of implementing the program. The trapping duration, and number and location of traps employed each year as part of the program is determined through a combination of evaluating prior year trapping success as well as the annual performance of the endowment. Additional funds, independent of the original program endowment, from the County of Orange and the Irvine Company have provided for the deployment of three to four traps a year during this time period.

Progress

Since 1993, the number of traps operated through the program has ranged from a low of 7 in 2004 and 2005 to a high of 24 in 1994. Since 2006, the number of traps in operation has ranged from 10 to 12. Beginning in 2008, traps were operated during the period extending from 15 March through 15 July. Approximately 4,950 BHCBs have been captured and removed from the local population over the last 20+ years of implementing the program. Over the same time period, tens of thousands of non-target birds have been captured in the traps as by-catch from implementing the program. The annual mortality rate for these non-target species over this same time period is between one and two percent. No threatened or endangered species are reported to have been captured. Formal measures evaluating effectiveness of BHCB trapping on target bird nesting success are not available.

28 In 2016, NCC staff completed an analysis of available trapping and capture data for the San Joaquin Hills BHCB Trapping Program. Results are reported below under “Key Findings”. The purpose of the analysis was to provide fodder for discussion with the Wildlife Agencies (and prospective third-party contractors) regarding next steps for moving forward with a programmatic review consistent with the NCC Strategic Plan.

In September, 2016, funding was approved by the NCC Board to review the program and make recommendations for improving the program for the San Joaquin Hills. Additional data considered for analysis as part of the review included data collected from TCA's Eastern Transportation Corridor BHCB Trapping Program and programmatic information from MCB Camp Pendleton. One issue with the current program, identified by NCC Board members, is the program, as currently structured, does not allow for any definitive conclusions to be drawn about the success of the program with regards to improving the nesting success of the Least Bell's Vireo and California Gnatcatcher.

In 2017, in accordance with the 2016-18 Strategic Plan for the NCC, staff reviewed and identified potential changes in the management program for the BHCB. In addition to reviewing program logistics and capture history for both the San Joaquin Hills and the Eastern Transportation Corridor, in 2017 staff was in communication with the USFWS, CDFW, researchers, contractors, and partnering organizations who are familiar with BHCB trapping efforts both locally and across the region. To learn more, at the recommendation of Dr. Barbara Kus of the U.S. Geological Survey, staff attended the American Ornithological Society Meeting held at Michigan State University, in East Lansing, Michigan from 31 July through 5 August 2017.

Dr. Kus is a research scientist and regional expert on the Least Bell’s Vireo and Southwestern Willow Flycatcher, the focal species for the greater trapping program in southern California. At the American Ornithological Society Meeting a one-day symposium, entitled, “Forty-five Years of BHCB Control: What have we learned?”, was organized and led by Mary Whitfield, of the Southern Sierra Research Station, and Dr. Kus. The symposium addressed the history of BHCB trapping across much of the western United States from Texas to Michigan, Arizona to California.

At the symposium, BHCB control to reduce brood parasitism was recognized as a key component of management to protect a number of endangered and threatened species, including the Black-capped Vireo in Texas, Kirtland’s Warbler in Michigan, Golden-cheeked Warbler, Least Bell’s Vireo in California, and Southwestern Willow Flycatcher. Participants shared case studies and discussed how to use BHCB control effectively to achieve conservation goals and document responses of hosts to BHCB control. Much was learned by staff at the meeting, including the significance of past trapping efforts as well as the limitations of exclusively relying on trapping as a management tool to promote the continual recovery of listed host species.

29 Although the vireo has shown substantial recovery since listing, experts recognize the need for long-term management of Least Bell’s Vireo in southern California will exist beyond a potential future de-listing of the species. Much of the recovery over the last 20 years is attributed to annual trapping of BHCB at breeding sites which eliminated or reduced parasitism and significantly increased seasonal productivity of nesting pairs of vireos. The need to continue trapping efforts beyond delisting is recognized. Also recognized is conditions are changing and current parameters guiding deployment of traps together with new threats need to be reconsidered and addressed in order to support the continued recovery of the vireo. For example, beyond nest parasitism by BHCB, obstacles identified limiting population growth of the vireo includes present-day and future degradation of riparian habitats.

In order to address both the short and long-term needs of both the Least Bell’s Vireo and California Gnatcatcher within the Subregion, creation of a vision for reorganization of the program was initiated in 2018 and is being recommended for consideration in 2020. If successful, the reorganization, instituted by NCC, may become a model for other organizations and agencies to consider in time and help to change the long-term outlook for management of the species in southern California.

Key Milestones

1. Coordination on Trapping Schedule and Placement (Due: 1 March 2018): Completed on schedule 2. Implementation of Trapping Program (Due: 15 July 2018): Completed on schedule 3. FINAL Annual Trapping Program Project Report (Due: 31 December 2017): FINAL Report completed in October 2018 4. Initial Trapping Program Review Report Provided to Executive Committee (Due: 30 September 2017): Report provided in October, 2017 5. Meetings with TCA and the Wildlife Agencies to discuss Reorganization of the Trapping Program (Due 31 December 2018): Meetings occurred in March and June, 2018 6. Coordination on Trapping Schedule and Placement (Due: 1 March 2019): Completed on schedule

Key Findings

Key findings are not available at this time, as the greater project is still ongoing. Information presented below, comes from a preliminary analysis of available capture and trapping data completed in 2016. Additional findings are expected to be available following the formal review of the program scheduled to conclude in 2020. It is important to note, the effectiveness of removing BHCB on the reproductive success of the program’s target bird species, that is, the Least Bell’s Vireo and California Gnatcatcher, is unknown, as formal measures for evaluating the effectiveness of BHCB trapping on target bird nesting success have not been developed.

30 Results of analysis completed in 2016:

Per-trap-day numbers of BHCB captured and removed have ranged from a low of 0.04 BHCB (in 2014 and 2016) to a high of 0.21 (in 2002). Over the last six years the per-trap-day numbers have consistently been below 0.10. In the prior 18 years, the per-trap-day numbers were below 0.10 only three times, suggesting a real decline in trapping efficacy or BHCB numbers over the last five years relative to the proceeding eighteen.

The total number of species captured by year is closely related to the number of traps deployed. Although trapping efficiency is believed to be improved by adjusting the trapping period and location, the number of BHCB captured per trap day through time is decreasing. It is important to note, the first spike in BHCB captured occurred in 2002, the same year the number of traps were reduced significantly (from 20 to 8) and the trapping period was most constricted (23 May to 15 July). Otherwise, the number of days of the trapping period and general timing of the trapping effort has been more or less constant since 1999.

Interestingly, the number of non-target birds captured per trap day is also decreasing through time. The similar decrease in non-target birds suggests a change in behavior (such as a learned behavior to avoid the traps by individual birds) or similar decline in local population status. A change of behavior is reasonable, as unlike the BHCB, non-target birds are not sacrificed upon capture but released. One question to ask is whether, other regional, repeated measures (like the Christmas Bird Count) show similar local declines which would suggest greater forces are in play.

The number of females captured per trap day appears to increase in the early years of the program, and then begin a downward trajectory after reaching a high-point in 2002. The number of male and female BHCB captured per trap day appears to be closely aligned.

The overall decrease in the number of BHCB captured per trap day over the 24-year period suggests BHCB may be avoiding traps more frequently than in the past, or the number of BHCB available to be trapped has decreased. If the local population size of BHCB has dropped, the decline could be due to trapping efforts (that is the removal of 4,854 BHCB over the 24-year history of the program), the loss of range lands and pasture used as foraging grounds by the species with the removal of cattle from the Subregion, or changes in the behaviors of parasitized host populations.

Notes

Similar to 2018, the program continued in 2019 with operation and maintenance of BHCB traps in open space areas in the vicinity of the San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor, including lands located within the Reserve. A total of 13 BHCB traps were in use from March 15 to July 15. Most trap locations are expected to be similar to their locations in 2019. However, as in previous years, the contractor, working together with NCC and the Wildlife Agencies, will be actively evaluating alternative location for trap placement to maximize the number of BHCB captured, the protection of target species status species, and the safety of the daily trap monitors.

31 6. Mountain Lion Project

Project Title Mountain Lion Project Contractor(s)/Researcher UC Davis (Vickers) Time Period 2011-2020 Total Project Cost $115,000 Amount Budgeted 2018-2019: $10,000, 2019-2020: $10,000 Fund Endowment Matching Contribution(s) -- Landowner Involvement OCP, OCWR, COI, TIC, CDFW, IRWD, TCA, TIC Project Status Ongoing Project Progression On schedule Program Class Monitoring/Research Program Area Sensitive Biological Resources Resource Mammalian Carnivores Project Purpose Inform land management strategies around: (1) landscape connectivity and conservation; (2) health and disease; and (3) minimizing conflicts between cougars and people. Available Report(s) UC Davis - Southern California Cougar Project 2016 Annual Report. Prepared by UC Davis Wildlife Health Center. Jan., 2017.

Interim Report: NCCP LAG # P1750301, Awarded to the UC Davis Wildlife Health Center. Prepared by UC Davis Wildlife Health Center. Jan., 2019. Available GIS Product(s) --

Overview

The ongoing study of the mountain lion (Puma concolor) in southern California is headed by Dr. Walter Boyce and Dr. Winston Vickers of the Wildlife Health Center at UC Davis. Dr. Vickers is the field lead for the project. The project is currently in its third phase which began on January 25, 2013, and is a follow-up to the first two phases of the study which ran from late 2000 to mid- 2012. This mountain lion or cougar research focuses on: (1) landscape connectivity and wildland conservation, including road crossings and the effects of fire; (2) genetics, health, and disease, especially focused on diseases transmitted between cougars and other species, exposure to rodenticides, and genetic assessment of the population; (3) minimizing conflicts between cougars and people; (4) and predation on bighorn sheep and interactions with deer in the Peninsular Mountain Ranges. The study area encompasses Orange, Riverside, and San Diego Counties. Cougars have been captured, sampled, and GPS-collared over a wide portion of these counties from the northern Santa Ana Mountains in Orange County to southern San Diego County. Cougars from the study have utilized lands as far north as the Highway 91 and 241 Toll Road junction in the northern Santa Ana Mountains in Orange County, and as far south as the Parque Nacional Constitución de 1857 located approximately 50 miles south of the border in Mexico.

32 The area used by study cougars has also extended from the Pacific Ocean in the west to the Santa Rosa Mountains to the east. The project is important for NCC as the cougar is a top predator and serves a role as an ecological regulator. Cougars help to control deer populations as well as to regulate other carnivores, which has important consequences to the composition and structure of natural communities within the reserve system.

Progress

To address the goals of the third phase of the study, the researchers continued field efforts to complete capturing, sampling, and GPS collaring of cougars under a Scientific Collecting Permit from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The portions of the study area where the focus of field capture work was primarily directed in 2013 and 2014 were the Santa Ana Mountain Range in Orange and Riverside Counties, Western San Diego County, and the Palomar Mountains in San Diego and Riverside Counties. In addition, researchers conducted extensive camera monitoring of wildlife corridors and crossings in the Santa Ana Mountains during the 2012-2013 field season. Included in this list of areas, are all of the major wildlife crossings along the studied sections of the 241 Toll Road in Orange County. Cameras are monitored on a monthly basis and all photos recorded in a database for analysis and reporting purposes. The IRC and OCP also contribute photos of cougars that are recorded on their lands, and collaborate with the researchers to identify individual animals in those photos if they have previously been captured by the study team. Camera monitoring continued in 2014 as did additional trapping efforts directed at keeping between two to four lions collared in the northwestern Santa Ana Mountains.

In 2015, the focus of the program was on assessment of mountain lion habitat use and connectivity in northern San Diego and southern Riverside and Orange Counties, with special focus on the prioritization of lands in north San Diego County associated with the Pechanga Corridor considered critical to maintaining connectivity between the Palomar and Santa Ana Mountains populations of lions.

In 2016, the team, led by Winston Vickers, engaged in an extensive genetic analysis involving all of the lions sampled to date across San Diego, Riverside and Orange Counties (around 150 animals). The genetic work allows for construction of extensive pedigrees/family trees to help define how animal movement has occurred over the time of the study and before. The work is a collaborative effort largely funded by SANDAG and The Nature Conservancy.

In 2017, a Population Viability Analysis was advanced by collaborator, John Benson, providing perspective on the long-term viability of lions within southern California, given the current constraints on movement and threat presented by state-issued depredation permits. Kathy Zeller published papers on landscape resistance and connectivity using telemetry and genetic data from collared lions in 2017. Kyle Gustafson also published a paper in 2017 on genetic diversity of tracked lions, measuring the impact of one migrant who successfully crossed I-15 and sired offspring with female lions in the Santa Ana Mountains. Lastly, in 2017, a Local Assistance Grant was awarded to Dr. Vickers and his partners to evaluate opportunities for enhancing connectivity across I-15. The grant period begins in 2018 and runs for two years.

33 Working under the awarded grant in 2018, Dr. Vickers and other members of the project team initiated assessments of wildlife crossing infrastructure for an approximately 7-mile portion of I- 15 in the Santa Ana Mountains – Eastern Peninsular Ranges linkage region south of and inclusive of Temecula Creek. Additionally, collaboration with Cal Poly Pomona engineering faculty and students, and communication with Caltrans biologists, engineers, and maintenance personnel, was continued in 2018 with conversations focusing on proposed crossing improvements tied to use of directional fencing, culvert or bridge modifications, sound buffering concepts, or new structure construction. Focused attention has been given and is expected to continue on both overpass solutions and undercrossing designs at the Temecula Creek location going forward in 2019.

Key Findings

The mortality data collected during the study suggests that cougars throughout southern California face significant, and likely increasing, threats secondary to habitat loss and fragmentation, continued expansion of the human population, roads, and development. Some sources of mortality for cougars may be mitigated through education, investment in proper road crossings and fencing, habitat conservation, prevention of habitat fragmentation, and proper domestic animal husbandry. The research team is actively pursuing a number of these mitigation measures in collaboration with partnering organizations throughout the study area. As an example of the mitigation measures being implemented, in 2014 and 2015, in consultation with the project principal investigators, TCA installed exclusion fencing along the sides of several miles of the SR241 Toll Road specifically to limit mountain lion access to sections of the road where lions and other wildlife had been struck at a high incidence by vehicles when attempting to cross.

Genetic and corridor analyses completed in 2016 highlight the importance of male lions as genetic dispersers, with home ranges averaging approximately 145 square miles in size. The isolating nature of urban development and creation of major state highways has isolated extant populations of mountain lions. In the Santa Monica Mountains, the population of lions is relatively small, and bounded by U.S. Route 101, limiting the likelihood of continued persistence of the population beyond the next 50 years. Similarly, although connectivity still exists within the Santa Ana Mountains, Interstate 15 has effectively isolated the population from lions in San Diego County and Western Riverside County. Genetic analyses of 146 lions in the region showed 7 lions crossed I-15 over the last 15 years. Four males crossed west to east, and three males from east to west. Only a single migrant produced offspring and contributed to gene flow across the I-15 barrier. The emigration of this individual lion introduced new alleles into the Santa Ana population, decreasing inbreeding measures in the local population, at least temporarily.

Least Cost Path analysis highlights the importance of the San Luis Rey River, Santa Margarita River, Temecula Creek, and Pechanga Creek to maintaining or enhancing connectivity and ensuring adequate gene flow and long-term persistence of the Santa Ana population of lions.

34 Publications in peer-reviewed scientific literature resulting from the work include the following:

Gustafson KD, Vickers TW, Boyce WM, Ernest HB. A single migrant enhances genetic diversity of an inbred puma population. Royal Society Open Science (2017) 4:170115. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.170115

Zeller KA, Vickers TW, Ernest, HB, Boyce WM. Multi-level, multi-scale resource selection functions and resistance surfaces for conservation planning: Pumas as a case study. PLoS ONE (2017) 12(6): e0179570. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0179570

Zeller KA, McGarigal K, Cushman SA, Beier P, Vickers TW, Boyce WM. 2017. Sensitivity of resource seletion and connectivity models to landscape definition. Landscape Ecol (2017) 32:835. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-017-0489-8

Notes

The project is a collaborative effort with many partners assisting in funding and logistics. NCC was a minor financial contributor to the project in 2011 ($25,000) and 2012-2019 ($10,000 each year). In 2020, NCC will again make another contribution ($10,000) to UC Davis in support of the project. Over the years, NCC funding has allowed the principal investigators to expand analyses, spend extra time on capture or camera work, and replace equipment not otherwise covered by other funding.

7. NCC Database Mgmt

Project Title NCC Database Mgmt Contractor(s)/Researcher UC Irvine; OC Parks Time Period 2014-2019 Total Project Cost -- Amount Budgeted -- (2019-20) Fund Endowment Matching Contribution(s) -- Landowner Involvement OCP, OCWR, COI, CCSP, CDFW, CNP, UCI, IRWD, TCA, TIC, MWD Project Status Ongoing Project Progression Delayed due to changes in direction and NCC staffing Program Class Database Management Program Area Multiple Resource Multiple Project Purpose Develop a coordinated approach to the long-term management of ecological data within the NCCP Reserve that focuses on system integration, interoperability, and user efficiency Available Report(s) Nature Reserve of Orange County - NROC Geodatabase Design. Produced for Orange County Community Resources, Orange County Parks. Produced by VESTRA Resources, Inc. Jan., 2014. Available GIS Product(s) --

35 Overview

For NCC to effectively use science to inform adaptive resource management, the integration of data collection, processing, analysis, storage, retrieval and sharing is paramount among participants in the NCCP/HCP. While every partner in the NCCP/HCP operates independent systems for storage and access to data relevant to the Reserve, the integration of these tools and long-term coordination and management of the collaborative process is critical to NCC’s mission to coordinate effective management of the natural resources present within the NCCP- Reserve.

Progress

The County, as the signatory responsible for hosting and managing the spatial data (GIS) associated with implementation of the NCCP/HCP, is to receive and archive all reports, data, and meta-data, and share spatial data and models generated by NCC-funded projects. Because of the high level of complexity of the data in general and the variation of data collected and methodologies used across all the studies, NCC, in the designed schema employed by the County’s contractor in 2014 and 2015, chose to organize ecological data archived with the County into a two-tiered hierarchy. The highest level is a set of point feature classes organized into taxonomical types, and the second, or detailed, level is organized based on NCC projects. At the detailed level, users will find the geospatial data collected by the project as well as the project documents, tables, and any other information specific to that project. NCC staff has been discussing with UCI/Center for Environmental Biology (CEB) concerning the steps needed to effectively integrate data management and use efforts among the partners in the NCCP/HCP. Specifically, a ‘Design-Build’ process has been proposed that includes needs assessment, specific database interoperability, early-adoption by user partners, use analysis, emerging versus historical data challenges, and mutual appreciation of current partner efforts. Development of this process was influenced, in part, by several key discussions between IRC, NCC, OC Parks, UCI/CEB, Technical Advisory Committee, and Board of Directors (August- October 2013).

Although a database interoperability project has yet to be initiated with CEB, in an effort to further the mission of increasing data integration across the Reserve, NCC, in partnership with OC Parks, made significant progress in terms of organizing the available NCCP-related data housed by the County. In 2014, working with the County’s hired consultant, VESTRA Resources, a leader in design and management of GIS/IT systems, NCC participated in design of a GeoDatabase schema for storing existing NCC data. As designed, the schema is intended to allow for options to meet NCC’s longer term goal to provide an automated web-based solution that will allow investigators to search through existing data and provide new information in a structure that will efficiently integrate into the NCC data storage schema. In the future, NCC, together with the County and UCI, is considering development of a viewing and delivery solution utilizing this new data structure.

36 In support of this vision, NCC met with UCI Libraries and CEB in November, 2015, and then followed up with a meeting amongst NCC, UCI Libraries and the GIS Manager for OC Parks, in February, 2016. Specifically, the meetings evolved around the concept of sharing NCCP data currently housed with OC Parks with the UCI Libraries. The Office of the President of the University of California recently sponsored creation of a data sharing service for the UC System, called DASH. UCI Libraries are pursuing development of this service in order to support the description, publishing, and preservation of ecological data (citing it with a permanent identifier), assigning of relevant geolocation to data, and increased search and browse capabilities. The recent push by the University of California to increase visibility and accessibility to ecological data creates a unique opportunity to potentially pair the two systems, UCI Libraries and OC Parks, to improve the distribution and use of ecological data collected by signatories to the NCCP and supporting partners over the last twenty years.

In 2016 a couple of pilot projects were advanced to support implementation of data sharing within the Reserve. In June, NCC submitted to UCI Libraries reports and available data collected as part of the vegetation classification and mapping project completed in 2015. The submission included the full geo-database and three reports, one for each phase of the project to be archived and made available to a wider audience. Following receipt, the dataset was reviewed, reformatted and added to OC Data Portal (and dash UCI) by UCI Libraries in November. The second project advanced in 2016 involves archiving of the NCC collection of 15,000 digital images of natural landscapes and resources of central and coastal Orange County. Archiving involves the donation of the collection to the UCI Libraries Special Collections and Archives Division for purposes of preserving the collection in perpetuity and increasing visibility of the collection with partners, researchers, and the public.

In 2017, NCC continued discussions with UCI Libraries, OC Parks, CEB, as well as invested time in further development of the online library of project reports hosted on the NCC-website. Initially, the web-based library of reports is to cover the last five years of funded work, and then subsequently, be advanced to cover the full 20+-year history of the organization, which includes upwards of an estimated 200 annual projects. Also in 2017, NCC staff worked with a CEB Voth Fellow to facilitate data transfer from NCC to UCI DASH. In July, reports, Excel data files, and GIS files associated with the 2008 and 2013 Vegetation Change study led by UCI and then UC Berkeley were transferred. Photos and tabular data collected by AECOM in 2012 as part of the vegetation classification that occurred in Orange County in support of the larger vegetation mapping project were transferred in August. Also in August, the report and data tables, and GIS files tied to the 2014 Aerial Invasive Plant Survey (which occurred across the coastal portion of the Subregion) were transferred to UCI. In October, report and data files tied to the 2010 Tecate Cypress Management Plan were provided to UCI for transfer into DASH.

In support of advancing data management, through an approved agreement with NCC, the Center for Environmental Biology is under contract to compile, curate, and disseminate common data used by partners of NCC, and signatories of the NCCP/HCP for effective decision-making. Data includes trail maps, soil types, land-use history descriptors, weather overlays, fire histories, ecological syntheses, climate and development future scenarios, and measurement locations.

37 Data is to be consolidated to a common location to be accessed by NCC approved organizations and individuals so as to enhance data sharing and the effective use of information for adaptive management. The data is expected to take the format of GIS layers, and be available on-line. Additionally, the Center’s recent involvement with development of the Reserve’s long-term vegetation monitoring program, uniquely positions them play a leadership role in the long-term management and distribution of ecological data tied to rare plants, oak woodlands, grasslands, chaparral, and coastal sage scrub.

In 2018, discussions among members of the Technical Advisory Committee focused on the importance of data management, and specifically new ways to share and archive metadata. During these discussions, the need for land managers to have access to sensitive resource information in real-time to improve communication among managers and with agencies as well as for tracking long-term trends, was recognized. Identification and centralized posting of metadata describing environmental datasets available for sharing was suggested as an alternative solution to the creation and management of a singular database housed by a single entity.

In 2020, consistent with the new NCC 2019-2021 strategic plan, NCC staff will coordinate with NCCP/HCP landowners and managers to develop a list of available environmental data and associated metadata. A list of available datasets archived by partner organizations together with the relevant metadata is scheduled to be complete and housed on the NCC website by 2021 to facilitate sharing among partners and signatories. Going forward, work associated with the project, at least in the near-term, is expected to be performed by staff and/or though partner contributions.

8. Target Bird Monitoring

Project Title Target Bird Monitoring Contractor(s)/Researcher USGS; SDMMP; Leatherman BioConsulting, Inc. Time Period 2014-2024 Total Project Cost $577,000 Amount Budgeted 2018-2019: --; 2019-2020: $207,000 Fund Endowment Matching Contribution(s) TNC ($117,000) Landowner Involvement OCP, OCWR, COI, CCSP, CDFW, CONB, UCI, IRWD, TCA, TIC, MWD Project Status Ongoing Project Progression On schedule Program Class Monitoring/Research Program Area Sensitive Biological Resources Resource Target Bird Species – California Gnatcatcher and Cactus Wren Project Purpose Develop a comprehensive monitoring program for both the California Gnatcatcher and Cactus Wren Available Report(s) Natural Communities Coalition California Gnatcatcher Study 2016. Prepared by Leatherman Bioconsulting, Inc. Nov., 2016.

Cactus Wren Habitat Assessment and Focused Surveys County

38 of Orange Central & Coastal NCCP/HCP Subregions 2018. Prepared by Leatherman Bioconsulting, Inc. Dec., 2018.

Natural Communities Coalition Pre-Translocation Cactus Wren Survey 2018. Prepared for CDFW. Prepared by Dana Kamada and Milan Mitrovich. Dec., 2018. Available GIS Product(s) 2018 CACW Study Metadata; 2018 CACW Study GIS Deliverable Package

Overview

In support of development and implementation of NCC’s long-term Target Bird Species monitoring program, NCC has launched a collaborative planning project with the US Geological Survey (USGS), San Diego Management Monitoring Program (SDMMP), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), and Colorado State University (CSU), focused on identifying goals, strategies, and objectives, in support of the long-term management and assessment of the NCCP Program in supporting conservation of the two target species. In the development of the plans, emphasis is to be placed on the identification of robust, but cost-efficient, monitoring strategies that are well-coordinated with other southern California NCCPs.

Progress

In 2014, under the leadership of the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), several planning sessions were completed in support of the development of a long-term coordinated monitoring program for the California Gnatcatcher designed to determine status and trend of the species in habitat occupancy over time. The process of developing a regional monitoring program involved a team of biologists from USGS, USFWS, SDMMP, NCC, TNC, and CSU evaluating previous survey efforts to select the most efficient and cost effective survey method and to determine the sampling design. Data were reviewed from the Western Riverside County Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Program, Nature Reserve of Orange County, and from USFWS surveys in San Diego County. To support study design, SDMMP developed a habitat suitability model for purposes of defining a sampling framework for the monitoring project.

In July, 2015, the USFWS, USGS, and SDMMP hosted a workshop to advance planning and coordinate sampling effort, timing, and site selection among all of the participating agencies in preparation for the anticipated 2016 field season. Protocols for standardizing the field surveys were shared and discussed among meeting participants. In December, 2015, partnering with The Nature Conservancy, NCC developed a RFP to solicit proposals from qualified contractors for completion of surveys in the Central and Coastal Subregion in 2016. Following review of submitted proposals, NCC entered into a contract with Leatherman BioConsulting, Inc. to complete the surveys in January, 2016.

In 2016, Leatherman BioConsulting, Inc. surveyed 180 spatially balanced and randomly selected plots on three separate occasions from March to the middle of April to determine occupancy by the California Gnatcatcher. Beginning in May, each plot was surveyed for vegetation, describing the structure, density, and composition of the site.

39 A catalog of over 700 photographs, consisting of four photos of each plot, was also created and submitted to allow for comparison with the conditions of the plots during future studies. Occupancy and vegetation data, along with the catalog of photos was submitted to the USGS for analysis of regional estimates of California Gnatcatcher occupancy following the close of the field season in June.

Analysis of local and regional estimates of occupancy were performed by the USGS in 2017. In September, results were presented by Dr. Barbara Kus (USGS) to stakeholders at the California Gnatcatcher Regional Monitoring Workshop hosted by the USFWS in Carlsbad. At the workshop, in addition to discussing the results of the surveys, revisions to the underlying habitat suitability model were presented by Dr. Kris Preston (SDMMP), and lessons learned discussed by all in attendance. Following the presentations and ensuing discussions, regional surveys for the California Gnatcatcher were tentatively scheduled to be repeated in 2020 and 2024.

Following successful execution of the coordinated, regional survey for the California Gnatcatcher, NCC partnered with The Nature Conservancy in 2017 to survey all mapped habitat across the Coastal and Central Subregion for the presence of Cactus Wren in 2018. Prior to the 2018 field season, more than five years had passed since NCC last funded work to monitor presence, reproduction, dispersal, or survival of the Cactus Wren. Field surveys were designed to include surveys in areas recently burned in the Canyon 2 Fire (October, 2017), providing the first assessment of the impact of the fire on Cactus Wren. New information collected across the Subregion builds on previous work allowing for assessment of change in the population and creation of a new baseline from which to guide future management actions, including the siting of cactus scrub restoration within the Subregion and translocation directed towards bolstering of isolated populations in the Coastal Reserve.

In 2018, the envisioned baseline occupancy surveys of Cactus Wren across the Subregion, identified as the first phase of new work directed in support of the management of Cactus Wren over the next five years, was implemented. New information on the current status of Cactus Wren within the Subregion allows for evaluation of changes in population levels in response to management actions, recent fires, and patterns of urbanization over the last couple of decades. Surveys implemented in 2018 covered more than 2,190 acres of mapped cactus scrub judged suitable for occupancy and involved repeat (3) visits to 870 sites sampled in previous years to provide a high-degree of certainty of the spatial distribution of sites occupied by adult Cactus Wren within the Subregion.

Also in 2018, focused surveys, in support of an envisioned future investment in translocation of first-year Cactus Wren from productive populations in the Central Reserve and adjoining open space areas to multiple locations in the Coastal Reserve, were initiated. Survey activities overlapped the occupancy monitoring completed in 2018 and involved monitoring of both potential donor populations and reference sites. In future years, additional monitoring is expected to be funded in support of planned translocation efforts, and is to include: monitoring in support of planning activities, re-sighting of translocated birds, and monitoring of the populations at the receiver and reference sites continuing for multiple years beyond the translocation events.

40 In support of conservation measures being undertaken within the greater southern California region, NCC, together with The Nature Conservancy, San Diego Management and Monitoring Program, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, is hosting a symposium in March, 2019. The focus for the symposium is on formulating a regional conservation strategy for the Cactus Wren in southern California. Presentation and discussion topics are to include:

• Status and distribution of Coastal Cactus Wren (a five-year update) • Emerging science: the biology of the Coastal Cactus Wren (with a focus on small populations) • Summary and ranking of threats to Coastal Cactus Wren persistence • Regional population goals and objectives: panel discussion • Management and recovery actions: panel discussion

Key Milestones

1. California Gnatcatcher Survey Team Training (Due: 31 January 2016): Completed in early March 2016 2. Plot Assessments (Due: 15 February 2016): Completed by mid-March 2016 3. California Gnatcatcher Surveys (Due 30 April 2016): Three rounds of surveys were completed between 15 March and 30 April 4. Vegetation Survey (Due 31 May 2016): Vegetation surveys were completed 2 May through 9 June 5. Data Compilation and Submission (Due: 30 September 2016): Data submission was completed in August 2016 6. California Gnatcatcher Report Preparation and Submission (Due: 30 September 2016): Final project report describing the results of the field surveys was completed in November 2016 7. California Gnatcatcher Regional Data Analysis and Report Preparation (Due: 30 June 2017): Preliminary analysis completed and results presented in September, 2017; final report postponed until 30 September, 2019 8. California Gnatcatcher Analysis of Subregion Data and Report Preparation (Due: 30 September 2017): Preliminary analysis completed and results presented in September, 2017; final report postponed until 30 September, 2019 9. Cactus Wren Survey Team Training (Due: 31 March 2018): Completed on schedule 10. Cactus Wren and Cactus Scrub Surveys (Due: 30 June 2018): Completed in early Jul., 2018 11. Cactus Wren Pre-Translocation Surveys (Due: 30 June 2018): Completed on schedule 12. Cactus Wren Report Preparation and Submission (Due: 30 September 2018): Final report completed in Dec., 2018. 13. Cactus Wren Translocation Assessment Report Submission (Due: 31 December 2018): Final report delivered on schedule 14. Cactus Wren Symposium: Hosted by NCC. March 5, 2019. 15. California Gnatcatcher Survey Team established with B. Leatherman contract. Completed in November 2019.

41 Key Findings

Although key findings are not available at this time for the California Gnatcatcher as NCC is still awaiting a final report from the USGS for the California Gnatcatcher monitoring project, preliminary results from the 2016 field surveys are presented below. Analysis of the collected California Gnatcatcher data and a formal report from the USGS is expected to be completed by the end of summer of 2020.

California Gnatcatcher was detected at a total of 53 (of the 180) plots during the three rounds of focused surveys. Highest occupancy rates were observed in the Coastal Reserve, where 31 of 80 plots were found to be occupied. In the Central Reserve and across conservation easement lands 22 of 100 plots were found to be occupied. The difference in observed rates of occupancy are attributed to the presence of mature coastal sage scrub habitat along the coast, versus the more open structure and smaller shrubs present throughout the inland sites, much of which still appears to be recovering from the wildland fires of 2007.

Comparison of observed rates of occupancy between surveys conducted in 2011 and 2016 show little difference in observations for the Coastal Reserve with 34% of surveyed areas occupied in 2011 and 39% in 2016. Larger differences in observed rates were notes between 2011 and 2016 for the Central Reserve (13% and 25%, respectively) possibly reflecting the increased recovery of the area over the last five-years following the 2007 fires.

The likelihood a California Gnatcatcher was detected when present at a survey site within the County of Orange Central and Coastal Subregion was 69%, or very similar to the estimated detectability for the greater region which extends from Ventura to the Mexico-U.S. border. Occupancy within the Subregion was estimated to be 30%, or 54 of the 180 surveyed sites, which is very close to the actual number of sites where Gnatcatcher was observed to be present (53) during the surveys. Occupancy within the Subregion was substantially higher than the regional estimate (23%) or estimate for San Diego County (20%).

In Orange County California Gnatcatcher presence was closely associated with the presence of increasing cover of California sagebrush, California buckwheat, sunflower, and bare ground, but not higher elevation along the coast or inland.

Interestingly, unlike San Diego County, fire history did not affect occupancy estimates within the Subregion. This observation is consistent with what has been noted for the coastal portion of the Subregion, as surveys conducted in the late 1990s showed the California Gnatcatcher approaching pre-fire densities within the footprint of the 1993 Laguna Fire. Additionally, comparisons in the location of gnatcatcher detections between 2011 and 2016 indicate additional recovery has occurred in Crystal Cove over the five-year period. The suspected increase in gnatcatcher numbers at Crystal Cove was confirmed by park-specific field surveys conducted in 2017 following the above average rain-year of 2016-17.

42 The more recent fires in the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains in 2006 and 2007, impacted higher elevation sites. A number of California Gnatcatcher locations were spared, as they are most abundant on the edges at lower elevation sites. The absence of fire along the coast for more than 20 years together with the general spatial separation of the inland populations from the more recent fires may explain the absence of a clear fire-effect in the analyzed data.

With regards to the Cactus Wren surveys completed in 2018, of the 860 surveyed sites, one hundred fifty-four (154) sites were found to be occupied during the first round of surveys, 157 sites were found to be occupied during the second round of surveys, and 165 sites were found to be occupied during the third round. A total of 238 sites (27.4%) were occupied at least one time.

The number of occupied sites in the Coastal Reserve over the 12 years between the studies declined from 68 (in 2006) to 66 (in 2018), representing a decrease of only 2.9%. While this suggests the population is relatively stable, the data indicate that seven planning areas with occupied sites in 2006 no longer have occupied sites.

The number of occupied sites in the Central Reserve over the 10 years between the studies increased from 80 (in 2008) to 113 (in 2018), representing an increase of 41.3%. While the Weir Canyon Planning Area suffered a 50% decline in the number of occupied sites (from 14 in 2008 to 7 in 2018), this was likely attributable to the recent Canyon Fire 2 that burned 100% of the planning area. The remaining eight planning areas in the Central Reserve showed no change (Lomas West) or increased in the number of occupied sites.

The number of occupied sites in the TNC Easements over the 5 years between the studies decreased from 79 (in 2013) to 56 (in 2018), representing a decrease of 29.1%. Most of the loss of occupied sites was in the Anaheim and Blind Canyon Planning Areas where 83 of the 88 sites surveyed were within the burn area. Combined, these two planning areas had 54 occupied sites in 2013 but only 26 occupied sites in 2018, representing a 48.1% decrease in those two areas alone. Otherwise, the remaining five planning areas showed an overall increase of 16.6% (from 25 in 2013 to 30 in 2018).

Notes

After twenty years of serving as the flagship species for the NCCP Program in southern California, the first regional California Gnatcatcher survey was completed in 2016. The goals of the survey were to improve estimation of the current spatial distribution of the California Gnatcatchers across conserved and military lands from Ventura County to the US-Mexico border, and provide a base-line of long-term monitoring data for future repeat surveys expected to occur in 2020 and 2024.

Discussions among partners and agencies revolving around the long-term management goals and objectives for the Cactus Wren within the Subregion occurred at the symposium held March 5, 2019. In addition to translocation, continued management of habitat, through targeted restoration and the thinning of over-topping shrubs in otherwise high quality cactus scrub, is expected to play a large role in the future management of the bird within the Subregion.

43 Outside of the Central & Coastal NCCP Subregion, emphasis on the importance of maintaining regional connectivity and ensuring the long-term protection of extant populations along the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains was recognized.

9. HREP Update

Project Title HREP Update Contractor(s)/Researcher Land IQ Time Period 2015-2019 Total Project Cost $300,000 Amount Budgeted $60,000 (2018-19); -- (2019-20) Fund Restoration Matching Contribution(s) -- Landowner Involvement OCP, OCWR, COI, CCSP, CDFW, CONB, UCI, IRWD, TCA, TIC, MWD Project Status Complete Project Progression On schedule Program Class Planning Program Area Habitat Restoration Resource Coastal Sage Scrub Project Purpose Update the Habitat Restoration Enhancement Plan, identifying and prioritizing habitat restoration opportunities and constraints by management area across the NCCP-Reserve Available Report(s) Habitat Restoration and Enhancement Plan Update (DRAFT). Prepared for Natural Communities Coalition. Prepared by Land IQ. Jan., 2019

Appendix A – Ecological Niche Modeling of Vegetation Alliances Supplemental Data (DRAFT). Prepared for Natural Communities Coalition. Prepared by Land IQ. Jan., 2019

Appendix B – Guidelines for Vegetation Type-Specific Habitat Restoration Plans (DRAFT). Prepared for Natural Communities Coalition. Prepared by Land IQ. Jan., 2019

Appendix C – General Habitat Restoration Specification Guidelines (DRAFT). Prepared for Natural Communities Coalition. Prepared by Land IQ. Jan., 2019 Available GIS Product(s) --

Overview

The project advances the NCC Habitat Restoration and Enhancement Plan (HREP) by funding a team of professional restoration ecologists to assess habitat restoration opportunities and constraints across the NCCP-Reserve working at both the scale of the Reserve as well as individual Management Units. Efforts are to include facilitation of a stakeholder-driven process for identifying and prioritizing identified restoration opportunities, and identification of a process and best practices for habitat restoration at the landscape scale. Updating of the HREP is expected to be a three-year process, with year-one focused on building consensus across the

44 landowners, land managers, and key partners on the landscape-level priorities for restoration within the Reserve System.

Progress

Although the need for additional time and attention to be given to the project by NCC staff is recognized, with draft documents now completed and submitted for review and formal approval of HREP Update expected to be given by the NCC board in March, the multi-year project is considered to be complete from the perspective of NCC staff. Additional background information on progress follows.

In 2014 and 2015, NCC staff hosted multiple planning sessions with Land IQ (contractor identified to facilitate update of the HREP) to discuss project goals, objectives, and approach. A draft scope of work was developed by Land IQ covering the three-year project. NCC reviewed the scope, highlighting opportunities to integrate the restoration planning initiative with other overlapping science and land management initiatives supported by NCC. Following revision of the original scope of work, and supporting timelines for implementation, NCC entered into an agreement with Land IQ to complete the first year of an envisioned three-year effort in September, 2015. Specifically, the first-year comprises a number of tasks directed at completing a regional conceptual design and management visions to guide the development of park-level habitat restoration planning.

In 2016, Land IQ participated in strategic planning efforts and meetings including the Science Integration Meeting hosted by NCC on 25 February 2016. At the Science Integration Meeting the team identified the types of broad restoration opportunities to be considered for pursuit in the upcoming years. Opportunities were identified based on needs and success measures based on review of the existing Habitat Restoration Enhancement Plan, new datasets, feedback from other NCC planning efforts and practitioner expertise.

In 2016, Land IQ developed a GIS-based model of monthly soil moisture patterns (storage, demand, and deficit) of the Reserve’s complex topography and soil, combined with other correlates (e.g., soil texture, past land use), to identify site-specific ecologically appropriate vegetation community restoration targets. Conversations with UC Irvine followed development of the models and centered on the results of the modelling efforts, climate change forecasts and adjustment of restoration targets, and identifying characteristics of sites that are believed to be stable and or increasing in native cover. In 2016, Land IQ also advanced development of Best Management Practices (BMPs) based on lessons learned from active and historic restoration projects and practitioner expertise; initiated analysis of costs tied to successful landscape-scale restoration methodologies; and participated in preliminary discussions with NCC staff about 1 to 2 large projects for immediate pursuit of grant funding.

In 2017, Land IQ finalized a generalized, adaptive management approach for landscape-scale habitat restoration for large projects (~100 acres) that is cost-effective, adapts to site-specific uncertainty of outcome, and primarily relies upon natural rainfall for implementation. The approach includes adaptive management principles such as monitoring feedback and decision points.

45 Implementation specifications for each method identified is to be provided as a reference and address site selection, site preparation and weed management, seed sourcing, plant palettes, seeding rates, seed installation, planting techniques, monitoring methods and post-installation weed management.

Land IQ advanced the modeling of vegetation alliances across the planning area in 2017, including examining changes under climate change scenarios. Model outputs were intended to support identification of ecologically appropriate restoration targets in otherwise, historically disturbed sites. To aid interpretation of the modeling efforts, Land IQ examined the stability of shrub-herbaceous cover within the Reserve over a twenty-year period. Analysis helps to identify the environmental characteristics of stable, increasing, and decreasing vegetation types. Information from completed analyses is to inform the identification of ecologically appropriate habitat restoration targets across the Reserve.

NCC staff and Land IQ began meeting on monthly basis in 2017 to discuss project progression and review project deliverables as they were advanced. Meetings culminated in a working session with partners hosted by NCC in October. The working session provided stakeholders with an overview of the purpose and strategic planning implemented to date on development of the plan, a detailed review of the adaptive management approach, and background on the modeling techniques used to inform development of priority maps for restoration within the planning area. The approach highlighted by the work and project deliverables discussed at the meeting were well received.

In 2018, a second meeting was held in January 2018 to discuss the method for prioritizing opportunities for restoration of native vegetation communities in the Reserve. The method identifies degraded areas in the reserve that are most likely to need active habitat restoration efforts, based on their potential for passive recovery in the future and recovery from wildfire. In spring and summer of 2018, Land IQ continued to refine the landscape-scale habitat restoration approach and develop the written HREP plan and corresponding geospatial map products. In December, Land IQ provided an update to the NCC board on the progression of the project, highlighting major findings to date and sharing the underlying structure of the updated plan. Following completion of the draft plan, NCC staff shared the HREP Update with members of the Technical Advisory Committee, partners, and stakeholders in January, 2019, for purposes of review and comment.

Following finalization of the updated plan (which is expected in spring and involves both approval by the NCC board of directors and Wildlife Agencies), NCC is prepared to host multiple training sessions, highlighting the utility of the new product in aiding and designing landscape- scale restoration within the reserve. In support of this effort, in 2020, Land IQ and NCC will continue to work with local stakeholders, partnering agencies, and land owners/managers, to make a consensus selection of priority project opportunities to be recommended for further development. The selected projects will become case studies for training purposes, with the highest-ranking multi-benefit and multi-partner projects advanced for purposes of pursuing outside funding.

46 Key Milestones

1. Strategic Planning Document (Due: 31 March 2016): Document prepared in Jun., 2016 and shared with the TAC in Jul., 2016 2. Geospatial Database, Existing Conditions Report and Bibliography (Due: 30 June 2016): Continually advanced throughout the planning process 3. Summary Profiles and Conceptual Models (Due: 30 June 2016): Completed 4. Regional Habitat Restoration Potential Report and Geodatabase (Due: 30 June 2016): Completed 5. Regional HREP Goals and Objectives Workshop (Due: 31 August 2016): Completed Oct., 2017 6. NCC Habitat Restoration BMPs (Due: 31 August 2016): Shared with partners in Oct., 2017 7. Draft Park-Level HREP Objectives & Priorities (Due: 31 August 2016): Shared with partners in Jan., 2018 8. Park-Level HREP Plans, including Work Packages for Management Units (Due: 31 March 2018): Continually advanced throughout the planning process 9. Draft HREP Document (Due: 31 March 2018): Draft HREP document with appendices was provided to partners for review and comment in Feb., 2019 10. Final HREP Document (Due: 31 August 2018): Final HREP document is scheduled to be shared with the NCC board in 2020

Key Findings

Together, the HREP provides guidance to land managers on opportunities and targets for habitat restoration, a landscape-scale habitat restoration approach based on principles of adaptive weed management and seed-based restoration that minimizes fixed cost inputs by relying on natural rainfall, and best practice for implementing restoration projects by specific vegetation types (e.g. scrub, grassland, forbland, woodland). Additional findings follow.

• Use of spatial environmental niche modeling allows partners to identify, at a course- scale, a range of plant community alliances expected to be appropriate restoration targets for degraded sites in the Reserve. • GIS-based modeling allows for vegetation community distributions to be well understood at the scale of acres, however, predictions concerning how plant species will respond at the scale of meters is difficult because data on soils, topography, and disturbance conditions are not available at this scale. For this reason, a restoration specialist never knows how a vegetation community will develop within a particular project site without experimentation and adaptation to local conditions. Microsites—the variation at the scale of meters—are critically important in determining what species will grow where. The plan, therefore, presents a set of ecological principles and best practices, starting with adaptive weed management and leading to seed-based planting, that plan for local site variation within a hierarchical system of vegetation niche mapping.

47 • Even with careful planning and an adaptive management approach, restoration has inherent uncertainty. Unknown past land uses may impact soil and site conditions at a fine scale. The local watershed may be altered, impacting hydrological conditions. Climatic changes, such as increasing soil aridity earlier in the season, require consideration. Highly variable events, such as rainfall and Santa Ana wind conditions, influence a site from year-to-year, along with associated wildfires. The plan, therefore, seeks to manage these uncertainties by incorporating predicted future climatic conditions and providing a planning and implementation process that is resilient to even these uncertainties. • The experience of the past 15 years reveals particular challenges within the Reserve and for southern California landscape restoration in general. The major goal is for rangeland recovery, an increase in the function and quality of habitat, by restoration of degraded areas (e.g. nonnative annual grasslands) to native vegetation communities. Some passive restoration has been observed, while other annual grassland areas are stuck. Work performed under the present project allows for study of the underlying environmental conditions associated with both conditions to inform the restoration strategy, and help prioritize habitat restoration locations. Notes

Funding for years two and three of the project (2017, 2018) was approved by the NCC Board in the fall of 2016. Final approval of the updated plan by the NCC board and, subsequently, the Wildlife Agencies is expected to be received in 2020.

10. Cactus Salvage Portola/Orchard Hills

Project Title Cactus Salvage Portola/Orchard Hills Contractor(s)/Researcher Land IQ; Nakae; Stice Company Time Period 2014-2021 Total Project Cost $1,215,000 Amount Budgeted $2018-2019: $110,000, 2019-2020: $100,000 Fund Restoration Matching Contribution(s) -- Landowner Involvement OCP, COI, CCSP, TIC Project Status Ongoing Project Progression On schedule Program Class Land Management Program Area Habitat Restoration Resource Coastal Sage Scrub Project Purpose Salvage topsoil and cactus material from development sites for use in the restoration of coastal sage scrub and cactus scrub within the NCCP/HCP Reserve Available Report(s) 2019 Performance Monitoring Report Year 4 – Crystal Cove State Park Cactus Salvage and Cactus Scrub Restoration Project. Prepared by Land IQ. Mar., 2020.

2019 Performance Monitoring Report Year 3 – Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park Cactus Salvage and Restoration Project.

48 Prepared by Land IQ. Mar., 2020.

2018 Performance Monitoring Report Year 3 – Crystal Cove State Park Cactus Salvage and Cactus Scrub Restoration Project. Prepared by Land IQ. Jan., 2019.

2018 Performance Monitoring Report Year 2 – Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park Cactus Salvage and Restoration Project. Prepared by Land IQ. Jan., 2019.

Restoration of Nesting Habitat for the Coastal Cactus Wren Using Salvaged Cactus on Irvine Ranch Conservancy – Managed NCCP Lands. Prepared by the Irvine Ranch Conservancy. Feb., 2016. Available GIS Product(s) --

Overview

Separate opportunities emerged in 2014 and 2015 to work with partnering organizations, specifically the IRC, OC Parks, State Parks, and the Irvine Company to salvage topsoil and cactus from future development sites located outside of the NCCP-Reserve for use in the restoration of coastal sage scrub and cactus scrub within the NCCP-Reserve. These opportunities involve conducting salvage operations within the geographic areas of Portola Hills, Portola Center, and Orchard Hills. Working together with IRC, TNC, contractors, and the landowners, topsoil and cactus are to be salvaged from the sites for distribution within the Central and Coastal Reserves. Specifically, captured topsoil is being considered for delivery to active restoration areas within the Central Reserve within the County-owned Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park and Irvine Ranch Open Space. In addition to Whiting Ranch and Irvine Ranch Open Space, salvaged cactus is to be considered for delivery to sites within the Coastal Reserve to complement existing cactus scrub restoration fostering recovery of the Cactus Wren population.

Progress

In 2014, cactus (34 clumps and 1,000 pads) were salvaged from the Portola Hills development site and delivered to the active West Loma and Mule Deer restoration sites managed by the IRC on behalf of OC Parks, and City of Irvine, respectively. Also, in 2014, cactus (73 clumps of prickly pear and cholla, and 689 segments of prickly pear, and 9.021 pads) was captured from the same salvage site and moved for planting at CCSP, following site preparation activities across 9.7 acres of degraded habitat above Muddy Canyon. The new restoration at CCSP complements 4.0 acres of ongoing, NCC-sponsored, cactus scrub restoration occurring in the State Park.

At Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park, 6.8-acres of planned cactus scrub restoration was postponed until the fall of 2015, as local conditions (i.e., saturated soils) prevented access to the restoration site by heavy equipment for purposes of site preparation.

49 In an effort to save mature cactus present at the Portola Center development site prior to clearing activities, mature cactus clumps were salvaged in February 2015 and planted in a fallow field adjacent to the McFadden Ranch House at Whiting Ranch. The total amount of salvaged cactus clumps planted at the McFadden Ranch House (500) is expected to support approximately 20 acres of new cactus scrub restoration within Whiting Ranch and neighboring areas of the Central Reserve over the next few years.

Expanding upon the salvage activities conducted in 2014, in the fall of 2015, cactus scrub restoration was initiated across 5.7-acres of disturbed non-native grassland habitats at Whiting Ranch. In October and November, work conducted by NCC contractors resulted in a total of 62 clumps of mature cactus being moved from the McFadden Ranch House and 4,290 pads and 372 segments collected and transported from the Orchard Hills development area to support restoration efforts at Whiting Ranch. The establishment maintenance period commenced after the installation was completed and is to continue for approximately five seasons, and will include two irrigation events and weed control for two years prior to seeding. The level of maintenance required for each of the five years will depend on weather conditions and site development.

In the late winter of 2015-16 a fourth salvage project was initiated. Working with IRC, OC Parks, and the Irvine Company, NCC partnered to salvage 4,000 CY of native topsoil and mature cactus plants and pads from the development site owned by the Irvine Company located in North Irvine (Orchard Hills) for purposes of restoring approximately seven acres of coastal sage scrub habitat (at West Loma, Hicks Canyon, and Portola Staging Area) and select breeding sites for the Cactus Wren within the NCCP-Reserve at six sites (Buck Gully, Quail Hill, Mule Deer/North Laguna Canyon, West Loma, Limestone Canyon, Portola Orchard). Through this operation, a total of 118 mature clumps and 600 pads of cactus from Orchard Hills were salvaged and planted. Coordination with, and funding from, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), resulted in additional clumps and pads being transported and planted on easement lands bordering the Reserve at West Loma in both 2014 and 2015.

In 2016, site maintenance at CCSP continued with weed control events in February, March, and June. Open areas were sprayed and the basins, containing the planted cactus were hand weeded. The dominant weeds controlled were non-native grasses and mustard species. Performance monitoring was conducted in spring 2016 and consisted of qualitative evaluation of cactus growth and survivorship, estimated plant cover, species abundance, and photo documentation. The new restoration project at Whiting Ranch was monitored by Land IQ throughout 2016. Maintenance activities included spraying of weed species, largely mustard and annual grasses.

Performance monitoring occurred in the spring 2017 at both at CCSP and Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park. Additionally, at CCSP, mustard and non-native grasses germinating from the existing seed bank were mowed and weeded by hand in March 2017. At Whiting Ranch, non- native grasses and mustard were spot-sprayed and hand-weeded in February, May, and October 2017.

50 In early 2018, the restoration sites at CCSP and Whiting Ranch were both seeded. At CCSP, the seeding effort was focused on 7.5 acres of bare ground not covered by existing large native shrubs or planted cactus. Of the 7.5 acres, 1.9 acres was hand-seeded on 30 January, followed by hydro-seeding of the remaining 5.6 acres on 2 February. Seed source for Crystal Cove included both locally collected seed (collected between 2015 and 2017) and seed provided by S&S Seeds, originally collected at Camp Pendleton, Ranch Mission Viejo, and the Irvine Ranch.

At Whiting Ranch, the 5.7-acre site was hand seeded in January, 2018. A total of 4.7 acres was seeded with a cactus scrub seed mix and 0.9 acres was seeded with the perennial grassland seed mix. The specified seed mixes were broadcast by hand twice across the restoration area including in-between planted cactus clumps, segments, and pads. Performance monitoring was conducted in April at Whiting Ranch with qualitative evaluation of cactus growth and survivorship, estimated plant cover, species diversity, and photo documentation.

Following seeding of both restoration sites in 2018, weed control and site maintenance continued in 2018 and 2019, and will continue for an additional year at Whiting Ranch (through 2020).

Key Milestones

1. Field assessments of Portola Hills and Portola Center salvage sites (Due: 1 July 2014): Completed on schedule 2. Initial field surveys of prospective restoration sites at CCSP and Whiting Ranch (Due: 1 July 2014): Completed on schedule 3. Secondary field surveys of prospective restoration sites at CCSP and Whiting Ranch (Due: 31 October 2014): Completed on schedule 4. FINAL Habitat Restoration Plan for CCSP (Due: 31 October 2014): Completed in October, 2014 5. FINAL Habitat Restoration Plan for Whiting Ranch (Due: 31 October 2014): Completed in October, 2014 6. Phase I Salvage, transfer, and planting of cactus at West Loma and Mule Deer Sites: (Due: 31 December 2014): Completed in November 2014 7. Site Preparation CCSP (Due: 31 December 2009): Site preparation completed in December 2014 8. Site Installation CCSP (Due: 31 December 2014): Cactus material salvaged and installed in December 2014 9. Field surveys and site flagging at Whiting Ranch (Due: 15 January 2015): Completed in January, 2015 10. Cactus salvage at Portola Center and planting-in at the McFadden Ranch House at Whiting Ranch (Due: 15 February 2015): Completed on schedule 11. Site preparation Whiting Ranch (Due: 30 September 2015): Completed on schedule 12. Field assessments of Orchard Hills salvage site (Due: 1 October 2015): Completed on schedule 13. Cactus salvage at Orchard Hills and planting-in at Whiting Ranch and six additional sites within the NCCP-Reserve (Due: 15 December 2015): Completed in November 2015

51 14. Site installation of large campus clumps at Whiting Ranch (Due: 31 December 2015): Completed by 15 December 2015 15. Soil salvage site prep West Loma, Hicks Canyon, and Portola Staging Area (Due: 15 December 2015): Completed by 31 December 2015 16. Soil salvage capture, delivery, spreading, and erosional control measures (Due: 31 December 2015): Completed by 31 January 2016 17. Installation Report Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park (Due: 31 December 2015) Completed on schedule 18. Year 1 – Annual Performance Monitoring Report for CCSP (Due: 31 December 2016): Completed in November 2016 19. First and Second Annual Site Maintenance CCSP (Due: 31 December 2015 & 2016): Completed on schedule in both 2015 and 2016 20. First Annual Site Maintenance Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park (Due: 31 December 2016): Completed on schedule 21. Third Annual Site Maintenance CCSP (Due: 31 December 2017): Completed in March 2017 22. Year 1 – Annual Performance Monitoring Report for Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park (Due: 31 December 2017): Completed in November 2017 23. Year 2 – Annual Performance Monitoring Report for CCSP (Due: 31 December 2017): Completed in November 2017 24. Second Annual Site Maintenance Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park (Due: 31 December 2017): Completed on schedule 25. Seeding Event for CCSP (Due: 1 February 2018): Completed on schedule 26. Seeding Event for Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park (Due: 1 February 2018): 27. Year 2 – Annual Performance Monitoring Report for Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park (Due: 31 December 2018): Completed on schedule 28. Year 3 – Annual Performance Monitoring Report for CCSP (Due: 31 December 2018): Completed on schedule 29. Year 3 – Annual Performance Monitoring Report for Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park (Due: 31 December 2019): Completed 30. Year 4 – Annual Performance Monitoring Report for CCSP (Due: 31 December 2019): Completed

Key Findings

Key findings are expected to evolve over time as the project is ongoing. In 2014 and 2015, a total of 22.5 acres of cactus scrub (15.4 acres) and coastal sage scrub (7.1 acres) restoration have been initiated within the NCCP-Reserve through soil and cactus salvage efforts. Additionally, over the same period, in support of the creation of new nesting opportunities for the Cactus Wren, 1,600 pads, 100 segments, and 152 cactus clumps were strategically planted across six sites within the NCCP-Reserve.

52 In 2018, the restoration project at CCSP was noted as developing within an expected range of growth and is on track towards the development of cactus scrub habitat. Planted cactus material exhibited new growth and flower development, and flowering, seed development, and recruitment of native species was observed. Germination of seeded areas was observed. Performance monitoring conducted in April 2018, Native vegetation was estimated to cover 20 to 25% of the site, with cactus cover total approximately 10 to 15 percent of the site. Sixty-five to seventy percent of the site was non-vegetated (bare ground and plant litter), and 5 to 10% of the site was covered by exotic vegetation.

In 2018, the restoration project at Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park was noted as developing within an expected range of growth and demonstrates a trend towards the establishment of the cactus scrub community. Native cover was estimated to be approximately 25 to 30% of the site in 2018. Estimated cover of cactus species was approximately 15 to 20% of total native cover. Fifty-five to 60% of the site was non-vegetated, and 10 to 15% of the site was covered by exotic vegetation. Survivorship of the planted cactus material was greater than 95% after two full growing seasons. Native seed, sown in January, was shown to be germinating months later during performance monitoring conducted in April.

Even at an early stage of establishment, bird activity was observed within and near the restoration area at Whiting Ranch in November 2016 when a pair of Cactus Wren (possibly a family group) was observed utilizing the upper central edge of the restoration site.

In May 2019, at the Whiting Ranch site, a cactus wren pair and active nest were observed within the restoration area. The pair were entering and exiting the nest on a large cactus clump, with a second nest (suspected decoy) observed approximately 20 feet away.

Notes

In 2014, $500,000 was approved for the salvage and restoration projects related to development of the Portola Hills and Portola Center sites. The allocated funding was to cover to cost associated with the salvage and initial establishment of cactus and topsoil. Additional funding was recognized as being required to cover the long-term maintenance costs of the restoration resulting from the salvage efforts. A minimum of 20-acres of cactus scrub restoration is expected to be implemented through the multi-year initiative.

In 2015, an additional $400,000 was approved by the Board to support soil and cactus salvage within the Reserve. The recently identified opportunities to salvage topsoil are envisioned to be the first, in a series of opportunities likely to be presented over the next five years tied to future development. Working through the partnerships established over the last two years, the intent of NCC staff is to work within the timelines and guidelines established by the Irvine Company, to salvage up to 15,000 Cubic Yards of soil in a given year, repeating the effort no more than three times over a five-year period, recognizing soil salvage is to be used to support habitat restoration in the Reserve and not used at sites already highlighted for mitigation or contractual obligations.

53 In 2016, $160,000 was approved by the Board to support the final three years (2017, 2018, and 2019) of maintenance of the 9.7-acre site at CCSP. Maintenance activities largely involve hand weeding of the site.

In 2017, $110,000 was approved by the Board to support the final three years (2018, 2019, and 2020) of maintenance of the 5.7-acre site at Whiting Ranch. Maintenance activities largely involve continued hand weeding of the site.

The temporary planting of 500 mature, salvaged cactus clumps at the McFadden Ranch House at Whiting Ranch in 2014 has provided for the support of ongoing and future cactus scrub restoration within the Park and adjoining conservation lands.

11. Land Manager Training

Project Title Land Manager Training Contractor(s)/Researcher Land IQ, Nakae & Associates Time Period 2014-2020 Total Project Cost $70,000 Amount Budgeted 2018-2019: $10,000; 2019-2020: $25,000 Fund Restoration Matching Contribution(s) -- Landowner Involvement OCP, OCWR, COI, CCSP, CDFW, CONB, UCI, IRWD, TCA, TIC, MWD Project Status Ongoing Project Progression On schedule Program Class Education/Training Program Area Habitat Restoration Resource Coastal Sage Scrub Project Purpose Provide land manager training in the field of habitat restoration and fuels management Available Report(s) -- Available GIS Product(s) --

Overview

The land manager training program is to provide both classroom and field-based training in the field of habitat restoration and fuels management. As envisioned, training would involve site visits to active habitat restoration sites and fuel modification zones both within and outside the NCCP/HCP Reserve, demonstration projects, as well as field and lab based lectures on pertinent restoration and fuel management topics, including, but not limited to: soils, mycorrhizae, site selection, site preparation, seed collection, use of topsoil, seed and planting, irrigation, vegetation thinning, and site maintenance. The training program would be offered to land managers, landowners, and key partners involved with the Central/Coastal OC NCCP/HCP.

54 Progress

The first expression of the program providing land managers with training on priority natural resource issues is now considered to be complete. Consistent with the new strategic plan for NCC, a second expression of the program is scheduled to be initiated in 2020 and continue through 2021.

In 2014, NCC, together with Land IQ, sponsored a two-day training workshop on the role of soils in habitat restoration for land managers, researchers, and conservation practitioners. The workshop featured the soil scientist, David Kelley, and was structured to offer a morning in-class lecture experience followed by an afternoon field program on both days. The relationship between soils and southern California plant communities was highlighted, as well as techniques in soil assessment and habitat restoration methodologies. The in-class lectures were held at the IRWD Community Meeting Room. Upper Chiquita Canyon served as the focus area for the field lectures and hands-on training.

In the spring of 2015, NCC, together with Land IQ, sponsored a second workshop on soils and restoration in partnership with CCSP. The two-day training workshop was designed to highlight two long-running restoration projects on the bluffs at CCSP and San Onofre State Beach. The two projects emphasize the role of soil compaction and microbes in the restoration of coastal sage scrub. Over the course two-days in April, participants, together with David Kelley and the team from Land IQ, explored both restorations and discussed the specific strategies used to overcome the unique challenges presented by each site. In addition to David Kelley and the team from Land IQ, David Pryor, retired environmental scientist with State Parks, attended the workshop to share his experience with participants as the project lead both at San Onofre and the bluffs at CCSP.

No training activities were offered in 2016. A third workshop, initially consider for the fall of 2016, on the use of native seeds in restoration has been postponed indefinitely. In lieu of the workshop, informal communications have taken place among partners and knowledgeable restoration contractors on the potential for development of a native seed storage cooperative, and collection and use policy for the Reserve. In 2018, consistent with the new NCC 2019 – 2021 strategic plan, a new initiative centered on creation of a local seed network was identified as a stand-alone project and is expected to be developed by staff in 2020 and beyond (see project number 24).

In May, 2017, following approval of the Wildland Fire Management Plan and Stakeholder Implementation Guide, NCC staff hosted a workshop for landowners and stakeholders discussing the evolution and important components of the Wildland Fire Management Plan. Contractors, Michael Huff (Dudek) and Carol Rice (Wildland Res Mgt), involved with development of the plan and individual stakeholder guides, participated in the meeting, addressing questions and providing the audience with an overview of the process involved with plan development.

55 Following finalization of the Habitat Restoration and Enhancement Plan Update (which involves both approval by the NCC board of directors and Wildlife Agencies) scheduled to occur in 2020 (see project number 9), NCC is planning to host multiple training sessions highlighting the utility of the new product in aiding and designing landscape-scale restoration within the reserve. In spring of 2020, NCC staff will be reaching out to members of the TAC and partners to solicit feedback on the type of training that is most valued. One initiative under consideration for implementation is the creation of case studies around two or three restoration projects identified by partners as important to one-day advance. The training sessions would be structured around the projects to help participants visualize how best to utilize the new products available through the update. At the same time partners are exposed to the new tools, work involved with developing and putting on the training will allow for advancement of a potential restoration site from concept to actual plan, allowing the project to become viable to compete for funding when the opportunity arises.

Key Milestones

1. Organize and Host Soils Workshop (Due: 31 December 2014): Workshop organized and completed in November, 2014 2. Organize and Host Soils Workshop II (Due: 15 May 2015): Workshop organized and completed in February, 2015 3. Organize and Host Fuels Management Workshop (Due: 15 December 2017): Workshop delayed per retirement and hiring of OCFA Fire Resource Planner 4. Organize and Host Training Session on Habitat Restoration and Enhancement Plan Update (Due: 31 December 2019): Postponed to an uncertain time

Key Findings

Following creation and implementation of the first three years of land manager-based workshops, NCC staff has found workshop participants to often cite the experience itself or specific lessons covered during the workshops as influential in changing their perception or understanding about how best to approach restoration and fuels management. With regards to restoration, the complexity and importance of considering soils prior to initiating a seeding or planting event was clearly a take-home message well received.

In the weeks following both workshops on soils and restoration, when asked to provide comments, participants expressed appreciation for the opportunity to learn from the extremely knowledgeable professionals teaching the multi-day classes. Participants appreciated also being given instruction and lectures in both the classroom and field settings. Comments received from the first workshop helped to direct the location and topics covered in the second workshop and reinforced the belief by NCC staff that bringing together a diverse group of professionals to address and consider a common land management challenge helps to strengthen comradery and the concept of teamwork across an otherwise multi-agency, multi- jurisdictional lands collaborative.

56 Notes

In collaboration with COAST and other partners, NCC is continuing to engage in developing a strategic plan and individual projects to reduce roadside ignitions and limit the spread of fires into wildlands. Working with partners, COAST submitted grant applications seeking support in developing a strategic plan. Thus far, COAST has not been successful in securing grant funding. NCC is identifying and prioritizing strategies for roadside vegetation management, restoration, fire detection, roadside operations and maintenance standards, and public education. Future training opportunities tied to advancement of this work are numerous and will be explored by NCC staff, as appropriate, in the coming years.

12. Western Spadefoot Mgmt

Project Title Western Spadefoot Mgmt Contractor(s)/Researcher UCLA, USGS, Land IQ, Nakae & Associates Time Period 2016-2022 Total Project Cost $1,135,000 Amount Budgeted 2018-2019: $230,000, 2019-2020: $300,000 Fund Restoration Matching Contribution(s) $757,000 (Wildlife Conservation Board) Landowner Involvement OCP, OCWR, COI, CCSP, CDFW, CNB, UCI, IRWD, TCA, TIC, MWD Project Status Ongoing Project Progression On schedule Program Class Research/Monitoring Program Area Sensitive Biological Resources Resource Western Spadefoot Project Purpose Identify movement corridors or hotspots of genetic diversity for purposes of directing the location and informing the restoration strategy for construction of new breeding pools to augment the viability of the Western Spadefoot in Central-Coastal OC Available Report(s) Project Update Western Spadefoot Population Genetics. Prepared by University of California, Los Angeles. July, 2016.

NCCP LAG Program Proposal Application - Upland Habitat Restoration & Seasonal Pool Creation – Western Spadefoot (Spea Hammondii). Prepared by Natural Communities Coalition. Prepared for CDFW. Sep., 2018

Historical Ecology of Spadefoot Toads in the San Joaquin Hills. Prepared by Land IQ. Dec., 2019.

Spadefoot Toad Breeding Pond Design. Prepared by UCLA Dec., 2019.

Habitat Restoration and Monitoring Plan for the San Joaquin Hills Upland Habitat Restoration & Seasonal Pond Creation for Western Spadefoot (Spea hammondii). Prepared by Land IQ. Dec., 2019. Available GIS Product(s) --

Overview

Initial funding covers a two-year study conducting cutting-edge genetic analysis of western spadefoot breeding sites within and around the Nature Reserve of Orange County. The work is to include analysis of comprehensive historical specimens sampled over the last two decades from throughout southern California, and new samples to be non-destructively collected in 2016 and 2017 breeding seasons from Central-Coastal OC. Collectively, this effort will use population and landscape genetics methods to: quantify population size and connectivity as it has existed across the region historically, and in present-day; evaluate whether current, relatively passive management has led to healthy and stable populations; and, identify regions within the migratory capacity of the species where newly constructed vernal pool breeding sites stand the best chance of augmenting the viability of the species across Orange County, focusing on Central-Coastal. Field visits in 2016 and 2017 will follow significant rainfall events. Survey locations are to be determined using GIS tools, expert advice and experience, and knowledge of known historical sites. All laboratory work and analysis of genetic data will be completed at UCLA.

Envisioned second phase of work is centered on construction of seasonal pools and upland restoration in select areas of the San Joaquin Hills utilized by western spadefoot for breeding. Creation of new breeding sites and restoration of adjoining upland habitat in the coastal subarea is recognized as essential to the long-term conservation of western spadefoot in the Subregion. Already limited by the total amount of available habitat, breeding, when successful, in the San Joaquin Hills has occurred along ridge tops in road ruts, modest cattle ponds (relicts from historic ranching operations), and a handful of natural seasonal pools. With reduced precipitation falling during winter months, the few, small pools are challenged to maintain hydro- periods of long enough duration to allow the toads to successfully breed, limiting new recruitment into the population and further compromising the overall number of adult spadefoot toads present along the coast. As larval development requires ephemeral pools to persist long enough to complete development, increasing the water holding capacity of individual pools through construction measures allows for longer periods of larval development resulting in larger juveniles with greater fat reserves at metamorphosis, equating to higher fitness levels and survivorship as adults. Through thoughtful design and siting of constructed pools, larger pools are to be coupled with a number of moderate and smaller sized pools expected to fill and hold water during wet years. Increasing breeding opportunities for spadefoot toads in the San Joaquin Hills is expected to both contribute to increases in overall population size and long-term persistence of metapopulation dynamics appearing to be present along the coast.

58 Progress

In 2016, field surveys of known breeding locations within Central-Coastal OC were completed following rain events in both early and late 2016. Although the amount of rainfall was limited in early 2016, researchers from UCLA, working with the US Geological Survey and The Nature Conservancy, were successful in collecting tissue from several locations in the central portion of the Central-Coastal Subregion.

Lab work conducted in 2016 at UCLA included DNA extraction from available tissues collected in Orange County in 2016 and previously (totaling approximately 600 samples), preparation of DNA libraries, and submission of completed libraries for sequencing. Data analysis completed in 2016 included range-wide population genetic analyses using genetic data from 5 loci and generated ecological niche models. Results of the work indicated S. hammondii is comprised of two genetically and ecologically distinct northern and southern clusters that, pending further analysis, may be recommended for recognition as unique species. Results were presented in a talk on July 8 in New Orleans at the Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists.

The wet winter of 2016-17, brought about by above-average precipitation in November, December, and January, resulted in approximately an additional 500 tissue samples being collected from low-lying areas of protected open-space in Orange County, including CCSP, Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, Limestone Canyon, Riley Wilderness Park, and Caspers Wilderness Park. Lab work and data analysis associated with the new samples was initiated in 2017 and continued through the summer of 2018.

In 2018, results of the work on the conservation genomics of the species were shared by UCLA with project team members and communicated by NCC staff to the NCC Executive Committee. Completed lab work, the collection of hundreds of tissue samples from Orange County over the last two years, together with expected returns of sequence data from roughly 80,000 loci, has contributed a first-look at precise determinations of genetic structure, genetic diversity, and landscape resistance in Orange County. Results, coupled with recent pond-enhancement work led by The Nature Conservancy, and recently funded fieldwork on terrestrial habitat use of the spadefoot to be completed by the USGS, are expected to contribute significantly to the identification of locations where newly constructed wetlands are most likely to augment the long- term viability of the species within Central and Coastal Orange County.

In support of moving forward with phase two of the project, which involves the creation of new breeding pools, a project team including, UCLA, USGS, Land IQ, Nakae & Associates, and partnering agencies from California State Parks and OC Parks was formed in late 2018. The project team spear-headed pursuit of grant-funding tied to the Local Assistance Grant program new funding made available through the Wildlife Conservation Board tied to Proposition 68. Formation of the team and subsequent communication among members was facilitated by NCC staff to allow for coordination among members on work tasks, deliverables, timelines, and information transfer.

59 In early 2019, following the approval from the Wildlife Conservation Board, team members incorporated the following sources in early planning: new science from UCLA on conservation genomics of the species and species-specific pond models, habitat suitability maps (produced by USGS, OC Parks, and NCC), soil and vegetation maps, including soil clay composition (produced by UCLA), habitat restoration models (generated by Land IQ), and pool design for optimal hydroperiod (generated by UCLA). Meetings supported development of general specifications for seasonal pool design and planning work aiding site selection performed by the project team in spring and summer of 2019.

In total, requested funding allows the project team to complete 15 to 18 acres of intensive restoration, focusing the work in 3 to 5 sites (selected after field assessments conducted by the greater project team in spring 2019). Construction of 16 or more well-sited, seasonal pools of various sizes (consistent with what spadefoot toads are known to use in other areas), totaling close to the creation of 16,000 square feet of surface water in wet years, are to be distributed across selected restoration sites. Uprooting, transportation, and planting of 125-150 mature, 3 ft tall clumps of salvaged prickly pear cactus (presently growing in a NCC cactus farm in the reserve) along with 2,000 salvaged cactus pads will be planted at two or three of the restoration sites along Moro Ridge and Bommer Ridge, areas along the two ridges that historically supported a number of Cactus Wren, but have yet to recover from the 1993 Laguna Fire. Funding from the state (together with matching funds from NCC) will cover described activities through March 2022, facilitating the seasonal pools two-years post construction and associated upland restoration through planting and seeding, and three full years of site maintenance. NCC is committed to additional maintenance and monitoring of the upland restoration and created pools through 2025, three-years beyond the limits of the grant period.

Key Milestones

1. Pond surveying and tissue sampling (Due: 1 June 2017): Completed on schedule 2. DNA extraction and RADseq library preparation (Due: 31 December 2016): Completed 3. Analysis of genetic sequence data (Due: 1 August 2017): Completed 4. Interim Report Preparation (Due: 1 November 2016): Completed in July 2016 5. Draft Report Preparation (Due: 31 October 2017): Manuscript in development 6. Final Report Preparation and Delivery of GIS Data (Due: 31 December 2017): Manuscript in development 7. Submit Application for NCCP LAG Funding (Due: 14 September 2018): Submitted on Schedule 8. Host Project Coordination Meeting with Partners and Field Tour of Project Sites with Wildlife Conservation Board (Due: 31 January 2019): Completed in Feb., 2019 9. Attend Meeting of Wildlife Conservation Board in Sacramento (Due: 7 March 2019): Completed 10. Project Coordination and Initial Planning (Due: 31 July 2019): Completed 11. Siting and Pool Design Report (Due: 31 December 2019): Completed 12. Production of Restoration Plan (Due: 31 December 2019): Completed 13. Production of Installation Memo (Due: 30 June 2020):

60 14. Second-Year Upland Restoration and Completion of Seasonal Pool Construction (Due: 15 March 2022): 15. Final Monitoring Report - Habitat Restoration (Due: 15 March 2022): 16. Final Report - Effectiveness Monitoring of Pools and Western Spadefoot (Due: 15 March 2022):

Key Findings

Although findings are largely not available at this time as the project is ongoing, the landscape genomic assessment of the species by University of California, Los Angeles, reinforces the need for increased conservation of remaining populations in southern California. Results support recognition of western spadefoot from southern California as a separate species, both genetically and ecologically distinct, from populations in the Central Valley and Coast Ranges. Additionally, the population from the San Joaquin Hills of the coastal subarea of the County of Orange Central & Coastal Subregion NCCP/HCP (Subregion) is recommended for recognition as a distinct management unit within the southern California species complex, as these spadefoots are uniquely endemic to Orange County, genetically distinct from all other sampled populations in the greater southern California region.

Notes

Expected products or deliverables from UCLA are to include a map of all surveyed sites with presence or absence of spadefoot toads noted; genetic-based estimates of the current and historical effective population sizes of identified population units (breeding pools, pond complexes, whole study area); maps of spadefoot genetic connectivity and diversity, both currently and historically; and recommendations of localities for potential establishment of new breeding ponds or migration corridors, based on observed genetic connectivity and diversity.

The USGS was awarded a Local Assistance Grant from the Department of Fish and Wildlife in 2017, for fieldwork to be completed in 2018 and 2019 documenting terrestrial habitat use of the spadefoot in Coastal and Central Orange County. The novel information expected to result from the funded study on use of terrestrial habitat, adult migration patterns and distances, and timing of movement with regards to environmental cues is expected to inform how much and what kinds of terrestrial habitat to protect around breeding sites of the western spadefoot. New information on preferred habitat associations is to help NCC properly site the creation of novel breeding habitat planned to be initiated in the coming years in response to the historic habitat loss and future changes in climate potentially affecting natural vernal pool phenology.

13. Recreation Mgmt & Human Valuation

Project Title Recreation Mgmt & Human Valuation Contractor(s)/Researcher Utah State University; Oregon State University Time Period 2017-2020 Total Project Cost $492,000 Amount Budgeted 2018-2019: $175,000, 2019-2020: $185,000 Fund Restoration Matching Contribution(s) --

61 Landowner Involvement OCP, OCWR, COI, CCSP, CDFW, CONB, UCI, IRWD, TCA, TIC, MWD Project Status Ongoing Project Progression On schedule Program Class Planning Program Area Recreation Resource Coastal Sage Scrub; Target Species Project Purpose Identify highest ranking recreation management priorities related to natural resource protection present within the NCCP-Reserve Available Report(s) 2017 Data Collection Review and Project Progress. Presentation to Natural Communities Coalition. Presented by Utah State University and Oregon State University. Dec. 2017.

2018 Data Collection Review and Project Progress. Presentation to Natural Communities Coalition. Presented by Utah State University and Oregon State University. Dec., 2018.

2019 Recreation Use and Human Valuation on the NROC, CA. Project Progress and Data Collection Summary. Prepared by USU. Oct., 2019.

2019 Recreation Use and Human Valuation on the NROC, CA. Appendices. Prepared by USU. Oct., 2019.

2019 Using Mobile Device Data to Estimate Visitation in Parks and Protected Area: An Example from the NROC, CA. Prepared by Monz et al., published in Journal of Park and Recreation Administration. Available GIS Product(s) --

Overview

Managers of urban-proximate wildland settings must often strike a careful balance with providing nature-based recreation experiences with the maintenance of ecological integrity. With over 3 million residents within a 30-minute drive of the natural areas of central and coastal Orange County, the demand for recreation experiences is ever present, and increasing. Equally important is the increasing need and desire for the conservation of natural resources and preservation of the rich natural heritage of an iconic area of the California coast. Resource management planning and implementation strategies in natural areas are often more successful when informed by interdisciplinary research that combines both ecological and social science approaches in a location specific manner. The Natural Communities Coalition has partnered with national leaders in the field of recreation ecology from Utah State University and Oregon State University to implement a multi-year project designed to address ecological aspects, human benefits and values, and contemporary management approaches tied to recreation within the region.

62 Fourteen management units within the Nature Reserve of Orange County are considered a high priority for assessment and monitoring of recreation use and associated management uses. The majority of units fall under the management of OC Parks, California State Parks, and the IRC. The project will employ both continuous assessment and sampling approaches to establish baselines conditions. Work is to include field assessment of the location and condition of trails, sites, and other areas of visitor use, determination of the spatial distribution of use, and assessment of visitor attributes and preferences, demographics, motivations, values and judgements of resource and social conditions. Work will be conducted in two distinct phases. The first phase is three years in duration, with social and biophysical field sampling to begin spring 2017 and continue through 2019. Progress

In early 2017 a scope of work was finalized to serve as a general guidance for an agreement between the Natural Communities Coalition and Utah State University. The scope covers the first phase of research that is to cover a three-year period beginning in 2017 and extending to 2020.

In March, 2017, Chris Monz (from Utah State University), together with members of his team, traveled to Orange County to hold a "kick-off" meeting for the multi-year, recreation management research effort. The meeting was hosted by NCC and held at the Irvine Ranch Historic Park (OC Parks Headquarters). At the meeting, Chris laid out the strategy for the 2017 field season. Specifically, addressing his strategy for establishing baseline social and ecological conditions for recreation resources across priority areas within Central-Coastal OC in the first year of fieldwork. Representatives from OC Parks, State Parks, IRC, and UCI were present at the meeting.

During the same visit to Orange County in March, the team visited a number of prospective staging areas from which the researchers could survey park visitors. The list of visited sites follows.

• Nix Nature Center (Laguna Coast Wilderness Park) • Willow Staging Area (Laguna Coast Wilderness Park) • El Moro (CCSP) • Coastal Terrace (CCSP) • Ridge Park Trail Head • Bommer Canyon Trail Head (City of Irvine Open Space South) • Aliso & Wood Canyons Wilderness Park Main Entrance • Top of The World Trail Head (Aliso & Wood Canyons Wilderness Park) • Peters Canyon Regional Park • Irvine Regional Park • Augustine Staging Area (Irvine Ranch Open Space) • Black Star Canyon Road • Glenn Ranch Road Staging Area (Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park) • Borrego Wash Staging Area (Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park)

63 Working with each of the respective land-owning organizations, and the research team, NCC staff identified a subset of the listed locations that worked best for staging the team's survey work. Surveys were completed by the research team over the course of 7 weeks in May and October of 2017.

In June, 2017, the NCC Science Coordinator made a presentation detailing the project scope entitled “Recreation Management and Human Valuation, the Fusion of Social and Ecological Sciences” at the International Urban Wildlife Conference held in San Diego. In December, 2017, Chris Monz together with Ashley D’Antonio and Abby Sisneros-Kidd presented their first-year results and discussed the direction of activities planned for 2018 at a working session organized for members of the Technical Advisory Committee and key partners. The meeting focused on the results of the questionnaires and movement data collected from visitors earlier in the year.

In 2018, Chris and his team completed a second-year of fieldwork in May involving on-site surveys focused on visitor evaluation of their experience, GPS-based tracking and spatial distribution of mountain bikers, and initial measures of ecological impacts of recreation. Field work completed in May was followed-up by participation by Chris Monz at the September, NCC Strategic Planning Workshop.

In December, 2018, Chris Monz presented their second-year results at a working session organized for members of the Technical Advisory Committee, representatives of landowning agencies, and land managers. Organized largely as a working session, Chris and his team provided updates to everyone on the results of their analysis of responses received from close to 2,000 interviews of park visitors conducted in 2017 and 2018 and movement data collected from over 1,200 park visitors during the same time period. During the presentations the team reviewed project milestones completed in 2017 and 2018, including: on-site surveys of visitors across ten different sampling locations focused on descriptive information and motivations, as well as evaluations of experience; GPS-based tracking of visitor spatial behaviors paired with survey information to illustrate areas of high visitor density and variation in movement patterns between visitors motivated by either fitness-based experiences or nature immersion.

Planning conducted in 2018 and extending into early 2019 was focused on ensuring alignment of the project goals and objectives with the approved NCC 3-year strategic plan (covering the calendar years 2019, 2020, and 2021). The new plan includes a number of objectives which, upon their completion, provide the basis for development of a landscape-level recreation management plan for the region.

Highlights of the listed objectives identified during the planning process include: • Written report detailing fine-scale aspects of visitor use and the results of park user interviews • Development of a method for assessing trail use and resulting ecological conditions by September • Identification of thresholds of acceptability of key indicators and a range of management actions to be taken if thresholds are exceeded • Development of predictive models of human behavior and forecast recreational needs across lands enrolled in NCCP/HCP Habitat Reserve

64 • Definition of preliminary guiding principles for identifying spatial extent of core areas of the reserve important for wildlife and justification of restricted or low visitor use • Guidance on the spatial and temporal separation of recreational uses to inform management and trail design

Findings from the present study, in addition to informing decisions tied to the allocation of staff time and resources (concerning signage, patrols, location and size of parking lots and facilities), are expected to impact management decisions centered on defining the spatial extent of low, moderate, and high-intensity use-areas within the reserve and neighboring conservation lands, defining thresholds of acceptability of key indicators of resource and social conditions across these areas (together with accompanying management actions to be taken when thresholds are exceeded), and exploring the spatial and temporal separation of recreation uses (including biking, hiking, walking, equestrian, and dog walking) as part of a larger redesign of the existing trail system.

In 2019, and beyond, the team from Utah State University and Oregon State University is expected to contribute to advancement of these ideas and objectives through additional field work and further study, including assessment of ecological condition, involving both mapping and assessment of conditions in select locations, and remote sensing analysis, exploration of visitor thresholds of both resource and soil condition, definition of visitor norm curves and thresholds of acceptability, and greater integration of existing human-use data with other datasets, such as wildlife habitat, to inform conservation goals.

Key Milestones

1. Finalization of Scope of Work (Due: 1 January 2017): Completed on schedule 2. Execution of Agreement between NCC and USU (Due: 31 January 2017): Completed on schedule 3. Project Initiation Meeting with Managers and Stakeholders (Due: 30 March 2017): Completed on schedule 4. Field Sampling (Social and Biophysical) (Due: 30 September 2017): Completed in May and Oct., 2017 5. First-annual Working Session with Board Members, Managers, and Stakeholders (Due: 31 December 2017): Completed on 6 Dec., 2017 6. Data Analysis and First Annual Report (Due: 30 March 2018): Delivery of first written report postponed to 30 September 2019; report to include reporting and discussion of the results of the first two-years of data collection and analysis 7. Second-year Field Sampling (Due: 30 September 2018): Completed on schedule 8. Second-Annual Working Session with Board Members, Managers, and Stakeholders (Due: 31 December 2018): Completed in Dec., 2018 9. Data Analysis and First Annual Report (Due: 30 Sep 2019): Completed Oct., 2019

65 Key Findings

The 2017 survey provided a reliable measurement tool to evaluate visitor motivations. Following analysis of the results of hundreds of completed surveys, the primary motivations of visitors were found to be solitude and escape, learning about and experiencing nature, and spiritual renewal. Motivations differed across areas by visitor type. Almost two to one, park visitors could be described as more nature-oriented than exercise-oriented visitors. Visitors reported a strong attachment to place, poor understanding of conservation history of visited parks, and belief in the importance of conservation, but still wanting to be a participant in the story and have the chance to experience the land.

Emerging themes from existing data highlighted in 2018, include: visitor motivations vary, and may be influencing spatial behavior patterns; visitor spatial behaviors may be resulting in resource impacts tied to the behavior of mountain bikes, especially velocity, proliferation of social trails, and an overlap between areas used for recreation and sensitive wildlife habitat.

Notes

The research project, as designed, is to have four overall dimensions: 1) a determination of visitor use levels and spatial distributions; 2) an assessment of biophysical resource conditions; 3) an understanding of visitor perceptions, values and judgements; and 4) providing scientific expertise in park planning and management.

14. Recreation Management & Mobility Data

Project Title Recreation Mgmt & Mobility Data Contractor(s)/Researcher StreetLight Data; Utah State University Time Period 2018-2020 Total Project Cost $415,500 Amount Budgeted 2018-2019: $157,500; 2019-2020: $115,000 Fund Restoration Matching Contribution(s) -- Landowner Involvement OCP, OCWR, COI, CCSP, CDFW, CONB, UCI, IRWD, TCA, TIC, MWD Project Status Completed Project Progression -- Program Class Monitoring Program Area Recreation Resource Coastal Sage Scrub; Target Species Project Purpose Identify human-use patterns most relevant to recreation management priorities within the NCCP-Reserve Available Report(s) Are You Ready to Put Big Data to Work? Presentation to NCC Executive Committee on Streetlight InSight. Presentation by M. Mitrovich. May, 2018. Available GIS Product(s) --

66 Overview

Active management and intelligent design of recreational opportunities in urban-proximate natural parks and wilderness areas are increasingly recognized as essential to balancing the need to provision nature-based recreation experiences to large numbers of urban residents with the maintenance of ecological integrity of rich natural resources present on conserved lands. Mobility data, or big data, made available through satellite-based vehicular navigation systems and smartphone-based applications provides a novel way to measure park use. At the course- scale, across the County of Orange Central and Coastal NCCP/HCP Subregion, mobility data allows for identification of visitor use patterns to parks (and entrance points), providing novel information to managers describing visitor volume, and timing distributed across years, season, day of the week, and time of day. Information on visitor use allows managers to answer a number of questions including whether or not land management resources (that is, staff time and funding) are distributed accordingly to meet demand or if there are degraded ecological (and social) conditions at the most intensively visited parks and entrance locations (e.g., evidence of spider trails or resident-visitor or visitor- visitor conflict). At the fine-scale, mobility data has the potential to help identify which individual trails are most heavily (and alternatively, most lightly) used, how long people stay in a park, and whether spatial and temporal use patterns vary by user group (e.g., bikers versus hikers/walkers). Collectively, the envisioned work complements ongoing research describing motivations, perceptions, and values of visitors performed by Utah State University. When combined, the two recreation management projects are poised to lead to advances in development of a landscape-level recreation management plan for the Reserve System that makes good use of the best available science, allowing for the creation of increased recreational opportunities, while assuring the protection of sensitive natural resources present throughout the enrolled open space. Progress

In early 2018 the Natural Communities Coalition entered into an agreement with StreetLight Data allowing access to the online platform StreetLight InSight. The agreement covers the first phase of research extending across a 12-month period ending in early 2019.

Upon gaining access to the platform, NCC staff analyzed navigation-GPS data made available through StreetLight InSight to identify a number of use-patterns tied to activities beginning and ending in parking lots and along streets serving as entrance points for individual parks. Use- patterns measured included:

• Average (Relative) Daily Volume by Park and Entrance Location • Average Daily Volume by Season, Day of the Week, and Time of Day (using a 24-hr clock) • Origination Location (by Zip Code)

Early results from working with the platform were presented to members of the NCC Executive Committee in May, 2018, and subsequently, a larger national audience at the first-ever StreetLight Data Customer Summit held in September in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

67 In 2019, NCC staff continued to advance work with the online platform, StreetLlight InSight. Specifically, staff is interested in using the platform to generate a “heat map” of visitor use within parks. Such generated information can lead to the identification of trails (both authorized and unauthorized) that are heavily used within the reserve system, allowing for researchers and land managers to evaluate the ecological condition of natural resources in intensively utilized areas and changes in human behavior associated with increased crowding.

It is expected, new modules now available through the platform will allow for the description of fine-scale movement patterns (including measures of velocity of travel) allowing for identification of different user groups (such as hiker and bikers) within parks, and description of temporal and spatial signatures characteristic of the behaviors exemplified by different user groups. When generated, information on condition and visitor behavior complements work by the team of recreation ecologists (conducting field assessments and public interviews) from Utah State University and Oregon State University as they identify thresholds of acceptability of both resource and social conditions, describe management actions when thresholds are exceeded, and engage partners and the public in trade-off analyses highlighting and evaluating consequences of management decisions prior to implementation. Key Milestones

1. Execution of Agreement between NCC and StreetLight Data (Due: 31 January 2018): Completed on schedule 2. Participation in StreetLight Data Customer Summit as a Presenter (Due: 30 September 2018): Completed on schedule 3. Execution of Second Agreement between NCC and StreetLight Data (Due: 31 January 2019): Completed on schedule 4. Finalization and Submission of Manuscript for Publication on Use of Mobility Data for Studies of Recreation Management (Due: 30 April 2019): Completed 5. Finalization of Report on Visitor-Use Patterns by Park (Due: 30 September 2019): In progress

Key Findings

Key findings are not available at this time, as project is still in progress. Initial findings are due to become available in late 2019 (see Project #13), following delivery of the first annual progress report for the project.

Conclusions derived from the first-year of analysis working with StreetLight InSight shared with the NCC Executive Committee and to attendees of the StreetLight Customer Summit in September, 2018, are provided below.

68 Navigation GPS • StreetLight Index (StL Index) values, generated using Navigation-GPS data and the online platform, StreetLight InSight, allow for relative comparisons of visitor use (as measure largely through vehicular origin-destination trips) to be made across 24 park entrances in urban-proximate wildland areas of Orange County – Information provides landowning agencies with first-ever, comprehensive and un-biased look at visitor-use of public open space across the region. • Reported values highlight the exceptionally high number of users gaining entry into the park through informal entrances. This is especially true for the South Coast Wilderness (18,000-acres of coastal wilderness) where an estimated 58% of users gain entry through Ridge Park, Top of the World, and Moulton Meadows Park (three informal entrances) – Argues for strong reconsideration of the spatial allocation of land management resources by landowning agencies. • A four-fold difference in use exists between Top of the World and the main-entrance to Aliso & Wood Canyons Wilderness Park, suggesting new information may inform reallocation of resources dedicated to land management (e.g., facilities, signage, location of ranger offices, timing and location of patrols). The pattern repeats itself when looking at the difference between Ridge Park (informal entrance) and the combined number of users gaining entrance to Laguna Coast Wilderness Park through the four formal staging areas located in Laguna Canyon. • Confirmed (and for the first-time ever, quantified) the dramatic incremental increase in visitor use across parks observed anecdotally by land managers over the last decade as very much real (as reported by changes in the StL Index values over a four-year period from 2014 through 2018). Numbers are significant, showing a substantial increase across years and parks, and help to validate the importance of completing long-term recreation planning in the near-distant future for these urban-proximate wilderness parks – Captures a local expression of the substantial upwelling observed nationally with regards to the increase in public interest in experiencing protected areas; reinforces arguments made to elected officials in city, county, and state government about the need to invest in recreation management planning and the continued protection of natural resources present within the planning area. • Generated detailed weekend and weekday temporal patterns in visitor-use across parks comparing both average daily values and fine-scale differences in visitor use patterns reported over a 24-hour period – Results help to inform land managers when making decisions about the temporal allocation of resources (such as staff time). • Identified (for the first time ever) the origination locations (by zip code) for vehicular trips ending at individual parks – Results highlight the incredible geographic draw of the parks enrolled in the NCCP/HCP to residents from throughout southern California; sends a strong message to Sacramento, County Board of Supervisors, and members of local city councils to continue to invest in the protection and management of natural resources protected within the planning area.

69 Location Based Services (LBS) Data • Identified home locations of park users – Reinforces importance of the sense of place and place attachment expressed by visitors (as revealed from interviews conducted at park entrances by universities); awareness of home locations helps landowning agencies better target outreach efforts and identifies underserved communities; helps strengthen messaging by NCC to elected officials in neighboring cities, as the organization can now report on the number of their residents (or constituents) recreating on lands enrolled in the NCCP.

Validation Studies Performed validation studies on the results of Navigation GPS analyses using three different methods. • Compared calibrated vehicular use data generated by StreetLight InSight, against available count data collected on the ground over a 24-month period at Irvine Regional Park. • Compared calibrated vehicular use data for 24-hour weekend period against known parking constraints (defined by parking lot size and the amount of available street parking) at Ridge Park entrance. • Compared 50 days of calibrated vehicular use data at Irvine Regional Park against the backdrop of two significant environmental events (2,500-arce Canyon Fire and 10,000- acre Canyon Fire 2) that included interruption of regular public use of the park, followed less than two-weeks later by full park closure. Notes

The research project, as designed, is to complement the work conducted by USU and OSU advancing development of a landscape-level recreation management plan for the NCCP/HCP Reserve System.

15. Vegetation Monitoring & Communication

Project Title Vegetation Monitoring & Communication Contractor(s)/Researcher UCI, Conservation Biology Institute, Wildspring ecology Time Period 2017-2020 Total Project Cost $560,000 Amount Budgeted 2018-19: $135,000; 2019-2020: $268,400 Fund Endowment Matching Contribution(s) Voth Family Foundation ($150,000); The Nature Conservancy ($145,000) Landowner Involvement OCP, OCWR, COI, CCSP, CDFW, CNB, UCI, IRWD, TCA, TIC, MWD Project Status Ongoing Project Progression On schedule Program Class Monitoring/Research Program Area Sensitive Biological Resources Resource Coastal Sage Scrub

70 Project Purpose Monitor landscape-level change in vegetative composition and structure through time and create dashboard metrics concerning the health of the Reserve Available Report(s) Kimball, S., Z. Principe, D. Deutschman, S. Strahm, T. E. Huxman, M. Lulow, and K. Balazs. 2018. Resistance and resilience: ten years of monitoring shrub and prairie communities in Orange County, CA, USA. Ecosphere 9(5): e02212. 10.1002/ecs2.2212

Vegetation Monitoring Report. Prepared by UCI, Sep., 2019.

Oak Monitoring Report. Prepared by UCI, Feb., 2020.

Vegetation Community Monitoring: Goals and Objectives. Prepared by CBI. Mar., 2020.

Vegetation Community Monitoring: Goals and Objectives Appendices. Prepared by CBI. Mar., 2020. Available GIS Product(s) --

Overview

Discussed collectively among partnering agencies and organizations over the last couple of years, development of an effective vegetation monitoring program for the Reserve is being led by UC Irvine’s Center for Environmental Biology (CEB). The program, as presently outlined, will provide defensible, objective measures of the extent and quality of coastal sage scrub and associated habitats within the Reserve and adjacent conservation lands. Collected information is to capture changes in vegetative community composition, structure, and dynamics over time, promoting a shared understanding of the vegetative response to drivers and informing decisions related to management.

In a related context, NCC is working with CEB to explore opportunities to leverage the structures and activities of the established National Climate Assessment (supported by the U.S. Global Change Research Program) for purposes of developing a sound and informative assessment of the health of the Reserve. Working at the scale of the Reserve, the assessment would help partners understand, assess, predict, and respond to natural and human-induced processes tied to global change. NCC, together with CEB, recognizes the assessment needs to be clear and supported by good science for communicating successfully with the NCC Board, elected officials, partners, the public, and to support priorities for next step monitoring, science, and management action. At present, the process outlined for development of the assessment of Reserve health includes establishment of an advisory committee, creation of a local knowledge network and supporting activities, hosting of an annual integration congress, writing of an annual policy impact report, and dissemination of findings.

71 Progress

Following the meeting of the Technical Advisory Committee, in August 2016, in which preliminary plans for advancement of a vegetation monitoring and communications program were shared, NCC staff and the Center for Environmental Biology met to identify a way forward for addressing identified short-term needs of both programs. The end result was a scope of work from the Center for Environmental Biology covering the first 12 months of the monitoring and communications program. Specifically, the scope: (1) highlights opportunities to achieve programmatic benchmarks for the vegetation program communicated to the NCC Board as being attainable over the first 12-months, and (2) allows for assembly of a team to address the items identified by partners and the TAC as immediate needs for advancing development of a long-term vegetation monitoring program. Work outlined is a first and significant step towards development of a comprehensive multi-year vegetation monitoring plan for the Central-Coastal Subregion. The work is expected to go a long way to informing discussions with partners and members of the TAC about options for development of a comprehensive long-term plan covering the next 5 to 10 years.

Deliverables and work products to be delivered over the first 12 months: • Assessment of change in CSS cover over the last ten years based on analysis of existing vegetation monitoring data collected by SDSU and other partners; • Based on the results of the assessment, production of a report serving as the first tool for communication on the health of the Reserve; • Identification of knowledge gaps and existing spatial-temporal gaps requiring adjustment of current monitoring approach; • Refinement of existing and planned vegetation monitoring for the next two growing seasons (2017-18, and 2018-19); • Finalization of a consensus conceptual model for data integration relating ecosystem features to data sources and assumptions, applicable to adaptive management of key ecosystem types within the Reserve; • Creation of a work plan and development of a protocol for scaling vegetation dynamics between field-based protocols and remotely sensed efforts; • Meta-analysis and description of alternative data-model techniques to maximize use of existing data; • Establishment of a common, consensus-based conceptual model of critical ecosystem dynamics; • Integration with San Diego to share best practices, evaluate common trends in ecological condition, document early tipping points, and evaluate regional trends; • Compilation, curation, and dissemination of common data used by the many NCC partners for effective decision-making (GIS data layers); and • Data registry, assistance with data sharing and archiving, and documenting partner plans for data collection and use

72 In 2017, CEB completed a multi-year assessment of change in the cover of coastal sage scrub based on analysis of transect data collected within the Subregion over the last ten years by, first, San Diego State University under contract to The Nature Conservancy and Natural Communities Coalition, and second, UC Irvine under contract to TNC. Analysis resulted in production of a draft manuscript shared with stakeholders in October, 2017. Also, in 2017, CEB collected an additional year of transect data and began to work through adjustments of the current monitoring approach, following identification of existing knowledge and spatial-temporal gaps. Plans for vegetation monitoring over the next two growing seasons (2017-18, and 2018- 19) were refined and scheduled for execution.

In June, 2017, a meeting of the NCC Technical Advisory Committee was held to discuss goals and objectives of the vegetation monitoring program for the reserve and greater Subregion. Members were asked to come prepared to share their perspectives concerning the most pressing questions needing to be addressed, as well as key processes understood to be governing change (or stability) of the greater coastal sage scrub habitat mosaic through time. The meeting topic was recognized as being timely as an interest exists by other NCCPs and the Wildlife Agencies to come together in support of a first-ever coordinated, regional vegetation monitoring program for the South Coast Ecoregion. NCC staff and CEB recognized in order to participate in and help lead the regional effort, NCC needed to first better define what is most important for Central-Coastal Orange County. At the meeting, Travis Huxman shared results of the synthesis and analysis of existing vegetation monitoring data and initiated a general discussion about the vegetation monitoring goals and objectives, and process for developing a conceptual model explaining current conditions as well as constraints and opportunities for active management within the Subregion. Committee members, during the meeting, expressed the importance of predicting or understanding temporal and spatial changes in habitat quality, integrity, resilience, target species abundance, vulnerability, composition, and valuation by society.

A follow-up meeting to advance discussion about conceptual model development with regards to vegetative processes and consensus concerning the most important questions to be addressed in support of land management activities was held in July, 2017. During the meeting, the need to operationalize habitat value in the context of covered species was identified, as was the importance of recognizing differences between modeling ecosystem dynamics, which involves analytical and simulation modeling, and creation of a conceptual model of habitat value. The focus of data collection on invasive species and grasses was a consistent theme throughout the meeting, with members of the Committee recognizing a model framework that addressed both invasive species and their management was historically used and embraced by all stakeholders including partners in San Diego.

In support of the planning work and ongoing discussions centered on vegetation monitoring, NCC staff initiated a conversation with CEB and the Wildlife Agencies in August with the purpose of reaching consensus on the over-arching goals and questions tied to the program. The inter-agency dialogue culminated in a meeting in Carlsbad in November and drafting of a guiding principles document by CEB to establish, operate, and optimize the monitoring program.

73 As defined in the document, a coherent, adaptive monitoring program was recognized as essential to understand, document, and potentially prevent the loss of habitat value within the Subregion. Ultimately, to be successful, the monitoring program was recognized as needing to be paired with the over-arching biological goals and threats facing the NCCP-Reserve.

In 2018, an open discussion about next steps in the program's evolution and specific topic areas to be chased-down over the course of the next three years was continued among members of the Technical Advisory Committee, CEB, and Wildlife Agencies. In July, a brief, put together by CEB, describing present-day status of different aspects of the vegetation program together with recommended next steps for future consideration and implementation was shared with partners. Included with the brief was a copy of the manuscript published in the journal, Ecosphere, by Sarah Kimball (and others) detailing the results of analyses performed on ten years of vegetation monitoring data collected from across the Subregion between 2007 and 2016.

In early 2019, NCC partnered with The Nature Conservancy to fund the continued collection of vegetation transect and oak woodland monitoring data by CEB across the Subergion through the spring, summer, and fall of 2019. With collection of an additional year of data, the vegetation monitoring dataset will extend continuously across 13 years (2007-2019), providing information about the ecological dynamics of key habitat types within the reserve over this time period. Similarly, through the continuation of oak woodland monitoring, CEB is better positioned to evaluate change over time of sentinel woodlands within the reserve, assessing changes in population demographics (acorns, seedlings, saplings, adults, and dead trees), physical characteristics of individual trees and trees within 50 m plots (canopy thinning, trunk health, dieback, epicormic sprouting), and pests and pathogens (fungal diseases, canker pathogens, rots, beetles). Analyses of collected data are to be completed by early 2020, allowing for detection patterns of change over time of chaparral, coastal sage scrub, and grassland communities, and identification of oak woodland locations where mortality rates are high and recruitment rates low.

Also in 2019, NCC contracted with Conservation Biology Institute (CBI), to review the transect and oak woodland monitoring, collaborating with CEB and the Wildlife Agencies on creation of an updated sampling and response design and revision of program goals and objectives. Contracted work in 2020 is to include running appropriate power analyses to address issues of inference to provide greater spatial coverage of the coastal subarea, as well as, ensure the program is well-positioned to answer prominent questions tied to the recovery of shrublands following repeat fire and short, long-term effects of drought, habitat recovery following restoration, and sustained treatment of invasive species. A final report summarizing the results of both major initiatives undertaken by CBI is to be delivered at the beginning and close of 2020, respectively.

Key Milestones

1. Assessment of Change in CSS Cover (Due: 30 September 2017): Draft manuscript produced and shared in October 2017; Final manuscript accepted for publication in Mar., 2018 and published May, 2018

74 2. Work-plan for Scaling Vegetation Dynamics Between Field-based Protocols and Remotely Sensed Efforts (Due: 15 October 2017): Postponed to uncertain time 3. Refinement of Vegetation Monitoring (Due: 15 December 2017): In progress 4. Protocols for Integration of Data Streams into the Monitoring Plan (Due: 31 December 2017): In progress 5. Creation of an On-line, Updated, Shared GIS Database (Due: 31 December 2017): Postponed to uncertain time 6. Propagation of Data to OC Data Portal (Due: 31 December 2017): Postponed to uncertain time 7. Delivery of Vegetation Data with Relevant Meta-data (Due: 30 September 2019): In progress 8. Delivery of Vegetation Data Report (Due: 30 September 2019): Completed 9. Delivery of Oak Monitoring Data with Relevant Meta-data (Due: 29 February 2020): 10. Delivery of Oak Monitoring Report (Due: 29 February 2020): Completed 11. Submission of a Final Goals and Objectives Report by CBI (Due: 31 December 2019): Completed 12. Submission of a Final Report by CBI (Due: 31 December 2020):

Key Findings

Not all findings are available at this time, as the project is still in progress. Key results and conclusions made from analysis of existing transect data follow.

• Analysis of monitoring data collected from 2007 through 2016 revealed resilient native shrub communities, and a decline in native perennial bunchgrasses. • Chaparral communities are hypothesized to demonstrate substantial resilience in composition, while CSS appears to demonstrate greater variation in the amount of resistance and resilience. • A slight decline in the cover of native perennial bunchgrasses over the last 10 years, suggests that long-term persistence of native grasslands is a management concern. • Burned transects had significantly more non-native annual grasses than unburned transects in the grassland community in all years, suggesting non-natives were able to take advantage of open spaces and persist in greater numbers through time. • Transitional grass-shrub transects exhibited more of an increase in shrub cover, during recent reductions in precipitation, than areas with higher native cover. The surprising result may be due to lower soil moisture in areas with high shrub density, where established shrubs draw down available soil water. • Coastal locations sampled during the survey period had higher native shrub cover and a greater proportion of native species than inland areas, supporting the idea that proximity to coast may reduce vegetation-type conversion from shrub to grassland, despite the variability present in the CSS transects in the data set. • Resampled oak trees showed reductions in canopy size through time and increases in pathogen loads on a subset of individual trees.

75 Notes

The cost to NCC for the first two-years of the vegetation monitoring project totaled $200,622 with an additional estimated $151,741 in matching funds provided by CEB. The work performed by CEB in 2019 is funded at a nearly 50:50 cost share between TNC and NCC and totals approximately $155,000. The project is again recognized as a Research Specific Agreement (RSA) falling under the approved Master Agreement limiting UCI to 17.5% overhead. The complementary work awarded to Conservation Biology Institute, focused on (1) revising goals and objectives and (2) updating sampling and response design, is funded exclusively by NCC for a 12-month project period at $55,000.

16. SHB Mgmt & Monitoring

Project Title SHB Mgmt & Monitoring Contractor(s)/Researcher UC Riverside; UC Santa Cruz Time Period 2017-2019 Total Project Cost $412,000 Amount Budgeted 2018-2019: $220,000 Fund Restoration Matching Contribution(s) CDFW LAG ($175,000); OC Parks ($85,000); TNC ($25,000); IRC ($17,000, in-kind) Landowner Involvement OCP, OCWR, COI, CCSP, CDFW, CNB, UCI, IRWD, TCA, TIC, MWD Project Status Completed Project Progression -- Program Class Monitoring/Research Program Area Invasive Wildlife Control Resource Riparian Woodland Project Purpose Define a path forward for making informed decisions on best approaches to management of the invasive shot hole borer Available Report(s) Interim Report NCCP LAG #1682904 – Management and Monitoring of Fusarium Dieback – Shot Hole Borer Complex. Prepared by UC Riverside and UC Santa Cruz. Mar., 2018. Available GIS Product(s) To Be Delivered

Overview

The exotic pest complex Fusarium Dieback (FD) is recognized by state and federal agencies as a serious threat to the viability of native riparian and oak woodland plant communities throughout the greater South Coast Ecoregion. FD is formed by two invasive Shot Hole Borer (SHB) beetle species each associated with specific fungal pathogen species (Fusarium spp.). The broad range of alternative hosts has fostered rapid spread throughout urban and wildland forests and commercial avocado groves in Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, and most recently Riverside and Ventura Counties. Recent observations confirm previous predictions indicating native riparian plant communities in southern California are particularly susceptible to invasion and mortality by FD-SHB, leading to creation of a State SHB Coalition organized by CDFW in southern California.

76 At these early stages of the epidemic, preventative and containment measures are believed to have the ability to be effective, providing adequate, rapid assessment of key landscape factors. At present, knowing which management approaches are more effective is limited by the lack of data on how the pest-disease complex spreads across a complex landscape. Monitoring efforts have recently focused on avocado groves (due to immediate investment in research and development by the agricultural industry), but the broader landscape must be considered to allow for regional planning and land management that will reduce or manage this threat within the Central & Coastal Subregion and neighboring protected areas.

In 2016, NCC was awarded a Local Assistance Grant from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) supporting a two-year, initiative directed at the management and monitoring of the pest complex across the 208,000-acre planning area for the County of Orange Central & Coastal Subregion NCCP/HCP. The funded work defines a path forward for making informed decisions on best approaches to management. Working with CDFW, NCC, together with the greater project team, is committed to supporting development of a policy and management response in-line with the magnitude of the identified problem and working collaboratively with agencies and personnel advancing complementary research and management initiatives throughout southern California. Because no control methods are currently available for use in native vegetation, the project will be a success when habitats most vulnerable to the disease complex and important to its spread are identified and control measures supporting elicit rapid and effective management responses evaluated.

Progress

The project was initiated in 2017, following finalization of an agreement with UC Riverside. The greater project team, in addition to NCC, includes, UC Riverside, UC Santa Cruz, OC Parks, The Nature Conservancy, and IRC. The first objective of the two-year initiative is centered on development of a predictive model to identify which native habitats are most vulnerable to FD- SHB invasion and impacts. Based on site conditions, the model will be used to help identify those sites most likely to suffer FD-SHB damage and the riparian corridors serving as transmission vectors. In support of development of the model, data on beetle population dynamics and distribution will be repeatedly collected across 75+ permanent monitoring plots across the study area. The project team recognizes opportunities to collect additional data over the same period in other areas in southern California will support development, parameterization, and validation of an over-arching regional model allowing for better prediction of the risk and spread of FD-SHB throughout OC and the greater region.

The second objective relies on using cultural and molecular techniques to identify beneficial endophytic fungal and bacterial candidates for biocontrol measures from core samples collected from select trees in the monitoring plots. Sampling of trees will allow team members to test for differences in the microbial communities between infested and non-infested trees within host species.

77 Through repeat sampling, team members will be able to determine how endophytic communities change over time and evaluate how widespread the association is between beneficial endophytes that inhibit the growth of Fusarium spp. pathogens and natural limits of the FD-SHB infestation, forecasting use of endophytes as a control measure to slow the rate of spread and ameliorate the effects of the exotic pest complex on the land.

In 2017, researchers established permanent monitoring plots in recently infested and non- infested locations in riparian corridors throughout Orange County. Endophyte screening was begun in the fall with sequencing analyses initiated in early 2018. In total, 115 monitoring plots were established within both FD-SHB infested (56) and non-infested (59) sites throughout the County of Orange Central-Coastal Subregion NCCP. Traps were collected and replaced monthly throughout 2018 by the greater project team including, folks from State Parks, UC Cooperative Extension, IRC, UC Riverside, and UC Santa Cruz.

In November, 2017, NCC hosted researchers from UC Riverside and UC Santa Cruz, to discuss project progression made during the first 10 months of the project. During the meeting researchers reviewed progress made in regards to development of the predicative model and identification of beneficial endophytic fungi and bacteria for biocontrol measures. Additionally, the researchers discussed the greater context of their work, including work performed in San Diego, and the known status of the beetles in southern California. The audience was largely made-up of members from the Technical Advisory Committee and land-managers from State Parks, OC Parks, and the City of Irvine.

In 2018, members of the project team continued to visit trees to follow attack progress and severity. UC Santa Cruz researchers initiated analysis of plot and tree attribute data to inform code development for the predictive model constructed to help determine where the beetle is likely to colonize based on spatial patterns and landscape characteristics. Development of an effective model will allow for accurate predictions of FD-SHB expansion, and assist in prioritization of control efforts.

In 2019, the greater project team continued to visit trees on a monthly basis and refine development of the predictive model updating the parameters of the model to incorporate new information and improve decision making. Endophyte screening and evaluation, initiated in 2018, continued in 2019 and allowed for testing and identification of antagonists believed to inhibit the ability of the beetle to cultivate its fungal food source and produce offspring, increasing the health of the host and limiting the spread of the beetle.

Key Milestones

1. Project Set-up: Coordination & Information Transfer (Due: 31 March 2017): Working session to discuss project progression with stakeholders hosted in November, 2017 2. Permanent Plot Establishment (Due: 30 April 2017): Completed by December, 2017 3. Permanent Plot Monitoring (Due: 31 January 2019): continuing through UCCE 4. Trap Monitoring, Counting, and Morphological Identification (Due: 31 January 2019): In progress 5. Results of Endophyte Screening & Evaluation (Due: 31 January 2019): In progress

78 6. Predictive Model Analysis (Due: 15 February 2019): In progress 7. DRAFT Report Preparation (Due: 15 February 2019): In progress 8. FINAL Report, Risk Model, and GIS Data & Field Workshop (Due: 30 March 2019) Key Findings

Key findings are not available at this time, as the post-grant analysis is ongoing. Project findings are due to be made available once manuscript(s) are accepted for publication.

Notes

Phase I of the multi-phased project was funded, in 2016, by NCC with $302,000 in assistance from project partners. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife awarded NCC a Local Assistance Grant in 2016 for the amount of $175,000 to offset the cost of the first two years (Phase I) of the project; OC Parks committed $85,000; The Nature Conservancy committed $25,000; and $17,000 in in-kind support was committed by IRC.

Future phases of the project are scheduled to be implemented following the close of Phase I allowing for the continued development of the essential building blocks for Integrative Pest Management (IPM). The multi-phased project was purposely designed to be flexible and accommodate additional opportunities as they are identified. Critical IPM components identified by project leads at the project’s onset include the following:

• Identifying which habitats are most vulnerable to FD-SHB and are most important in its spread to elicit rapid and effective management responses (Phase I) • Evaluating preventive and curative biological, mechanical, and chemical control options appropriate for different habitat types (Phase I & II) • Developing, evaluating and improving policies and adaptive IPM strategies with land managers in an iterative process (Phase II) • Training users on symptom identification, and how and when to use appropriate control measures (Phase II)

17. Fuel Mod Field Tour

Project Title Fuel Mod Field Tour Contractor(s)/Researcher NA Time Period 2019-2020 Total Project Cost $0 Amount Budgeted 2018-2019: $10,000; 2019-2020: $5,000 Fund Restoration Matching Contribution(s) -- Landowner Involvement All Project Status Ongoing Project Progression On Schedule Program Class Fire Management Program Area Habitat Restoration Resource All Habitats Project Purpose Maintenance of fuel medication zones that minimize impacts to

79 native habitat Available Report(s) -- Available GIS Product(s) --

Overview

To prevent the spread of wildland fires, management of vegetative fuels is implemented around structures and developments in and adjacent to plant communities to control flame length, rate of spread, and heat intensity. These areas, identified generally as defensible space, abut and overlap the Reserve and account for significant acreage. Fuel treatment design, extent, effectiveness, and impact to adjacent Reserve habitat varies across the landscape. This variability combined with incentives to reduce annual maintenance costs represents an opportunity to influence fuel management to standards that may minimize adverse impacts to the habitat along the Reserve’s edge. The intent of the Fuel modification (Mod) Field Tour Project is to facilitate an open dialogue among land owners/managers and stakeholders regarding vegetation treatment prescriptions in fuel modification areas.

Progress

The first field trip was on February 20, 2018, led by OCFA. The field sites were in Riverside County, with representatives from CalFire leading the discussion on challenges and strategies of fuel modification treatment planning, implementation, and management. Participating agencies were OCFA, CalFire, City of Irvine, Rancho Mission Viejo, and The Nature Conservancy. The stops included grassland prescribed fire units on the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve and a chaparral fuel break installed by CalFire along Main Divide Road.

On March 14, 2019, the WFMC, OCFA (Dave Erickson and Nick Pivaroff), State Parks (Lana Nguyen), and OC Parks (Jennifer Naegele, Matt Major, Alisa Flint, and Eric Hull) met with the landscape manager, Bill Kaitzmaier, from the Shady Canyon community in Irvine. The community has been integrating cactus into its plant palate within fuel modification zones and road edge strips for the last several years. The focus of this trip was on the use, maintenance, and challenges of cactus within the fuel modification zones. Several sites were visited which represented several stages of development of converting annual grassland to a cactus and forb plant community. A few noteworthy tactics that were discussed include:

• Cactus pads were planted at 2-3 ft spacing in circular patches, approximately 12-30 ft in diameter, with foot paths into the middle to allow for weeding. • Weeding is extended 1-2 ft along the perimeter of the patch to limit establishment of non-natives in the interior. • The interior of the patches decrease in non-native establishment over time as the patch develops. • Maintenance of cactus patches is challenging to crews. Extra gear is needed (thick gloves, ankle guards are needed to limit exposure to cactus spines. • Some areas of the community are at the stage where they have become a source of plant material (i.e., pads) for planting in other areas to be improved.

80 OCFA organized a field trip to Camp Pendleton on October 8, 2019. The WFMC, OCFA (Dave Erickson, OC Parks (Jennifer Naegele, Matt Major, Alisa Flint), City of Irvine (Casey Gnadt), and State Parks (Lana Nguyen) met with Battalion Chief (Jeff Cunliffe-Owen) at the Camp Pendleton Fire Dept at the fire station near Oceanside to discuss their prescribed fire program. Chief Owen discussed burn plans and challenges of prescribed fires to reduce fuels and improve habitat.

18. NDVI Fuels Map

Project Title NDVI Fuels Map Contractor(s)/Researcher Eagle Aerial/Quantum Spatial, OCFA Time Period 2020 Total Project Cost $24,000 Amount Budgeted 2018-2019: $24,000; 2019-2020: $24,000 Fund Endowment Matching Contribution(s) CalFire Fire Prevention Grant $5,000,000 Landowner Involvement All, OCFA Project Status Ongoing Project Progression On schedule with new direction Program Class Fire Management Program Area Monitoring, Restoration Resource Oak Woodland, Riparian Project Purpose Map existing GSOB/ISHB infested areas, identify likely new areas to be invaded, support treatments to reduce GSOB/ISHB spread Available Report(s) -- Available GIS Product(s) --

Overview

The Normalized Differenced Vegetation Index (NDVI) is considered a reliable indicator of plant biomass and vegetation primary productivity and time series have been routinely used to measure vegetation dynamics and ecosystem phenology over large geographic areas. Important variables include the magnitude of greening, peak activity, and drying phases of vegetation, providing information on key aspects of vegetation functionality, such as seasonality, productivity and inter-annual variability. These factors are critical for fire resource and management planning since the phenological status of vegetation represents the main driver affecting fuel availability and moisture content.

Originally, the goal was to explore the appropriate spatial and temporal scale and fuel moisture variable (NDVI vs. other similar derived variable) in mapping the condition of fuels. The recent progression of GSOB/ISHB in Orange County resulted in a realignment of the goals and focus the mapping with the OCFA GSOB/ISHB fuels reduction grant. OCFA was awarded a CalFire Fire Prevention Grant to monitor and remove heavily infested GSOB/ISHB trees in 2018. NDVI mapping and spread modeling will be used to identify infested trees and perform a health assessment to facilitate identification of potentially new infested areas and monitor for changes following treatments.

81 Progress

Qualified contractors to collect imagery and analyze spatial data for the study area were reviewed and selected in late 2018. OCFA is leading the project so the focus of the study is the county State Responsibility Area, which is most of the wildlands in the southern half of the county buffered to include an ember intrusion zone (approximately 200,000 acres in total). Eagle Aerial (EA), partnering with Quantum Spatial (QS), are tasked with collecting imagery and ISHB/GSOB spread prediction modeling. In 2019, the first-year mapping flights for collecting RGB and NDVI were conducted in May and October. A similar schedule is forecasted for 2020. The purpose in the timing of the flights are to facilitate analysis of the seasonal changes in vegetation condition, growth, and disease progression.

In April 2019, the WFMC and OCFA assisted QS in examining trees in areas with varying levels of ISHB/GSOB infection. Tree infection data was collected in Aliso & Wood Canyons Park, Trabuco Canyon, and Weir Canyon. Monitoring data to track disease progression, collected by OC Parks, State Parks, and others, was also shared with EA/QS. These data sets, combined with repeat imagery, will be used in developing a spread model to identify potential infection hot spots within the study area to support ongoing treatments by our partners.

19. UCI EP Fuel Modification

Project Title UCI EP Fuel Mod Contractor(s)/Researcher TBD Time Period 2018-2020 Total Project Cost $66,500 Amount Budgeted 2018-2019: $34,000; 2019-2020: $32,500 Fund Restoration Matching Contribution(s) -- Landowner Involvement UCI Project Status Ongoing Project Progression On schedule Program Class Fire Management Program Area Habitat Restoration Resource Coastal Sage/Cactus Scrub Project Purpose Restoration of fuel modification zone at UC Irvine Ecological Preserve Available Report(s) Wildfire Safety and Healthy Habitats: UCI EP Defensible Space Summary Project. UCI EP Prepared by UCI. Dec., 2019.

Wildfire Safety and Healthy Habitats Demo Project. UCI EP Outreach Fuel Mod Poster. Prepared by UCI. Feb., 2019.

UCI Ecological Preserve Defensible Space Project-Volunteer Events Summary Report. Prepared by UCI. Jan., 2019. Available GIS Product(s) --

82 Overview

Generally, modification of vegetation around structures for fire protection does not occur with the Reserve. Yet, there is a large amount of space along the perimeter of the Reserve where vegetation is treated to protect urban communities and other infrastructure. These areas tend to be managed through extensive clearing and maintenance of non-native, sometimes highly invasive plant species. Impacts to the Reserve occur through reduction of native vegetation and spread of invasive species. This project at UC Irvine Ecological Preserve (EP) will serve as a model for vegetation management along the urban community edge (i.e., defensible space and fuel modification zones) that serve duel purposes: minimize impact to native habitat, and provide for defensible space for fire protection. There are several components to this effort including fuels reduction, public education and outreach, and cactus restoration. Ecologically sound fuel reduction, public outreach, and cactus scrub restoration in the EP will provide many opportunities to educate both the public and land managers on techniques that meet multiple land and fire management objectives.

Progress

Field technicians and volunteers prepped the planting sites and harvested and planted approximately 1,500 cactus pads/segments (coast prickly pear and coastal cholla) on 13 separate days during the winter 2018-2019. Several volunteer weeding events were conducted in the spring 2019. Monitoring was performed in October to record cactus pad survivorship, pad development, and plant species abundance. Results are summarized in the annual report.

In 2019, UCI CEB staff held two outreach events at the University Hills Community Center. The events focused on engaging with the community to emphasize the value of the EP as both a resource for people and as important habitat for wildlife. The first was an “Introduction to the Ecological Preserve” event attended by approximately 35 residents where the poster for the defensible space project was displayed, along with fuel modification plan information. The second, in October of 2019, was a fire safety education event in collaboration with OCFA attended by approximately 50 residents. At these events, staff engaged with guests to discuss fire ecology, wildfire risk reduction and fuel modification, as well as the importance of native plants and the role of the NCCP/HCP. Staff solicited feedback in the form of comments and questions from community participants at both events. Overall, comments were positive, falling into two distinct themes: (1) Appreciation for providing timely information and access to relevant fire safety resources; and (2) Excitement about participating in community events. Questions also fell into two distinct groups: (1) General questions regarding community programs at the Ecological Preserve; and (2) Specific questions regarding fire safety. Fire safety questions included questioning plans to remove black mustard as a target weed for fire safety and which species of plants to plant for fire protection, including a question about invasive ice plant as a fire-retardant species.

Next steps to improving the native habitat and vegetation conditions in accordance with fuel modification zone standards include continuing non-native weed control, supplementing native flora through seeding and planting of native species, and continuing data collection pertinent to improving management practices. Weed control would include weed eating and spot spraying of select species in the spring and use of low dose herbicide in the early winter. Seed collection of native species appropriate for use in fuel modification zones would continue and select shrubs would be grown for supplemental seeding and planting in late winter of 2020.

83 20. Canyon Fires Rare Plant Survey

Project Title Botanical Assessment of the 2017 Canyon Fires Contractor(s)/Researcher Fred Roberts Time Period 2018-2020 Total Project Cost $75,100 Amount Budgeted 2018-19: $50,100; 2019-2020: $25,000 Fund Restoration Matching Contribution(s) OCP ($20,000), TNC ($14,000) Landowner Involvement OCP, CDFW, CHSP Project Status Ongoing Project Progression On schedule Program Class Monitoring Program Area Sensitive Biological Resources Resource Rare Plants Project Purpose Inventory, map, and determine the distribution of rare plants in Canyon Fires burn area, and identify management measures Available Report(s) Canyons Fire Interim Rep 2018.10.09 LRes Available GIS Product(s) GIS files and spreadsheets

Overview

Understanding the condition of the biological resources requires a complete and accurate inventory assessment, and a long term monitoring program to track changes in status, abundance, and distribution. Linking these changes to environmental conditions and management activities provides information to guide future management. The recent Canyon Fires in the fall of 2017 provide an opportunity to conduct a rare plant survey in support of the NCCP/HCP Rare Plant Monitoring and Management Program. The purpose of this project is to identify new populations of rare and sensitive plant species and update the status of existing populations within the burn perimeter for two years.

Progress

After a delay in the permit application, Fred Roberts surveyed most of the Canyon Fires burn area in the spring 2018. The 1st-year summary report and data (Google Earth files and spreadsheets) can be accessed at our library on the NCC website. Mr. Roberts and his team conducted a 2nd-year survey within the Canyon Fires burn area as well as the 2018 Santiago and Aliso Fires burn areas (see project #22). The final report is due March 2020.

21. Laguna Canyon Fuels Mod

Project Title Laguna Canyon Roadside Ignition Reduction Restoration Contractor(s)/Researcher -- Time Period 2018-2022 Total Project Cost $3,676,400 Amount Budgeted 2019-2020: $5,000 Fund Restoration Matching Contribution(s) City of Laguna Beach, CalFire grant, OCFA

84 Landowner Involvement OCP Project Status Ongoing Project Progression On schedule Program Class Restoration Program Area Biological Resources Resource Native Habitat Project Purpose Harden roadside strip from annual grassland to cactus-dominated vegetation to reduce fire spread potential from roadside ignitions and improve habitat. Available Report(s) -- Available GIS Product(s) --

Overview

Through the city fire department, Laguna Beach (LBFD) was awarded a grant from the CalFire Fire Prevention Fund to reduce the fire hazard and improve the native habitat in Laguna Canyon. The project consists of hazardous fuels reduction in the urban community-wildland interface along Laguna Canyon Road and restoration in Laguna Coast Wilderness Park. Restoration was included in the project to fulfill the California Climate Investments carbon sequestration requirement of the grant program. NCC will contribute time from staff and funding to a portion of the restoration project, focusing on planting cactus along Laguna Canyon Road to reduce the potential for fire spread into the Reserve from roadside ignitions.

Progress

The CEQA process is ongoing and is expected to be finished in early 2020. As per the CEQA filing, biological survey will be conducted prior to site prep. Site preparation will commence once plant material is delivered and resources are secured. NCC staff, working with California Conservation Corps and OCFA, will plant approximately 2,500 cactus pads within the project area.

22. 2018 Fires Rare Plant Survey

Project Title 2018 Fires Rare Plant Survey Contractor(s)/Researcher Fred Roberts Time Period 2019-2021 Total Project Cost $29,000 Amount Budgeted 2018-2019: $25,000; 2019-2020: $15,000 Fund Endowment Matching Contribution(s) TNC ($4,000) Landowner Involvement OCP, CDFW, CHSP Project Status Ongoing Project Progression On schedule Program Class Monitoring Program Area Sensitive Biological Resources Resource Rare Plants, Invasive Plants Project Purpose Inventory, map, and determine the distribution of rare plants in Canyon 1 & 2, Aliso, and Santiago Fires burn area, and map

85 yellow star thistle and Sahara Mustard in Coal Canyon area. Available Report(s) 2018 Aliso Fire Interim Report. Prepared by Fred Roberts. Dec., 2019.

2018 Santiago Fire Interim Report. Prepared by Fred Roberts. Dec., 2019. Available GIS Product(s) GIS files and spreadsheets

Overview

The 2018 Aliso and Santiago Fires provide an opportunity to conduct a rare plant survey in support of the NCCP/HCP Rare Plant Monitoring and Management Program. This project is similar in scope to the Canyon Fires project (see #20). The purpose is to identify new populations of rare and sensitive plant species and update the status of existing populations within the burn perimeter for two years. At the request of The Nature Conservancy, the contractor also mapped the presence of two invasive species, yellow star thistle and Sahara mustard in the Coal and Gypsum Canyons area.

Progress

The contract with Fred Roberts is ongoing, with the first survey complete and results summarized in interim report. Field work for the 2nd-year survey is expected to commence in the spring of 2020.

23. Health Assessment

Project Title Reserve Health Assessment Contractor(s)/Researcher -- Time Period 2019-2020 Total Project Cost $150,000 Amount Budgeted 2018-2019: $150,000; 2019-2020: $150,000 Fund Endowment Matching Contribution(s) -- Landowner Involvement OCP, OCWR, COI, CCSP, CDFW, CONB, UCI, IRWD, TCA, TIC, MWD Project Status Ongoing Project Progression Delayed due to changes in NCC staffing Program Class Monitoring Program Area Sensitive Biological Resources Resource All Project Purpose Creation of dashboard metrics of relevance to partners, the public, and elected officials reporting on the health of the reserve Available Report(s) -- Available GIS Product(s) --

86 Overview

To improve the ability of NCC and NCCP/HCP participants to report on the ecological health of the Habitat Reserve and effectively manage for target species, communities and natural processes under control of land owners and NCC, the NCC will identify measurable biological objectives for Target and Identified Species, Covered Habitats, and key ecological indicators of habitat value, and commits to implement the highest management priorities, acknowledging the integrated nature of the resources and associated management actions, and communicating the results of these actions in a way that rapidly adapts the results to ongoing land management practices and outreach to signatories and other key audiences. Consistent with the NCC 2019 – 2021 Strategic Plan, NCC staff will develop and adopt a reporting mechanism and timelines for assessing the status and trends of target and select covered species and select habitat types as a way to inform the NCC Board and other key audiences of progress and challenges in the implementation of the NCCP/HCP, as well as a way to adapt priority monitoring and management efforts within the Reserve.

Progress

Following meetings of the NCC Technical Advisory Committee, NCC Executive Committee, and NCC staff, the Science Director has been directed by the NCC board to convene a team of experts to work with land owners/managers, and the Wildlife Agencies to produce a seminal report by June 2020 identifying highest priority Target and Identified Species, Covered Habitats to monitor, biological objectives for each, appropriate population response variables to monitor and thresholds for concern, status and trends of key ecological indicators and highest priority threats and stressors impacting Covered Habitats. Associated dashboard and collateral materials are to be generated by December, 2020, streamlining communication concerning the health of protected natural resources of the Nature Reserve of Orange County.

NCC will develop and adopt a reporting mechanism and timelines for assessing the status and trends of target and select covered species and select habitat types as a way to inform the NCC Board and other key audiences of progress and challenges in the implementation of the NCCP/HCP, as well as a way to adapt priority monitoring and management efforts within the Reserve. At present time, the approach used to conduct the assessment by the Tamalpais Lands Collaborative (TLC or ONE TAM) in evaluating ecological health indicators for Mount Tamalpais' natural resources (http://www.onetam.org/peak-health) is being considered as a model to consider when progressing through the early planning stages of the initiative.

A number of similarities exist between the County of Orange Central & Coastal Subregion and Mount Tamalpais. These include the natural systems present (from plant communities to wildlife and ecological communities), make-up of NCC and ONE TAM (which includes State Parks, National Park Service, Marin Municipal Water District, Marin County Parks, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy), and available resources (from contractors to academics, agency personnel, peer-reviewed science, grey-literature, and personal communications) used to evaluate the condition and trend of health indicators. Additionally, the total land areas involved in both assessments are comparable, and Aerial Information Systems, Inc. is the same contractor used by both organizations to produce the underlying vegetation maps that serve as

87 a foundation for assessment of described plant communities. By describing the condition and trend of key health indicators, and weighing these findings by assigning a confidence level to each assessment, gaps in knowledge and future research questions can be quickly highlighted as well as areas of emphasis with respect to management needs where board members may want to direct future funding can be easily visualized and well-supported by science.

24. Local Seed Network

Project Title Local Seed Network Contractor(s)/Researcher -- Time Period 2020 Total Project Cost $10,000 Amount Budgeted 2019-2020: $10,000 Fund Restoration Matching Contribution(s) -- Landowner Involvement OCP, OCWR, COI, CCSP, CDFW, CONB, UCI, IRWD, TCA, TIC, MWD Project Status Ongoing Project Progression Delayed due to changes in NCC staffing Program Class Land Management Program Area Habitat Restoration Resource All Project Purpose Support scaling-up of habitat restoration across the County of Orange Coastal & Central Subregion NCCP/HCP Available Report(s) -- Available GIS Product(s) --

Overview

Assuming the approach for landscape-level restoration presented in the revised HREP is adopted, questions remain concerning the mechanics of how participating land-owning organizations (from the County to State Parks, the cities, CDFW, and infrastructure agencies) will scale-up restoration across the Subregion over the next decade. In past discussions, potential roles for NCC in helping partners move from tens of acres to hundreds of acres under active management at any one time have centered on the coordination and organization of seed collection and storage activities and, ultimately, creation of a seed collaborative or local seed network supporting seed bulking. Consistent with the 2019-2021 strategic plan, NCC staff, are tasked with convening a business enterprise meeting in 2020 involving local and regional experts in which participants identify initial steps needed to advance planning behind creation of a local native seed network.

Progress

The creation of a local seed network (or cooperative) in support of the scaling-up of restoration is a critical need. A hallmark of a program, going forward, will be the program’s ability to recognize and address the need for standards to be set, needed infrastructure identified, and relationships defined to support scalable (and intelligent) seed collection, storage, & bulking activities within the region over the next decade.

88 To support advancement of the discussed initiative, NCC staff will convene a native seed (and other plant material) business enterprise meeting involving local and regional experts to determine the local current capacity for growing and supplying native plant material for landscape scale effective habitat restoration. Among the objectives for the meeting is to identify the capacity currently existing within the region, how to expand capacity among nurseries and gardens, the standards governing seed collection, production and storage, and the gaps in capacity that could be filled by a NCC-supported business enterprise investment. 25. Grazing Plan – Best Practices

Project Title Grazing Plan BMPs Contractor(s)/Researcher Sage & Associates Time Period 2019 Total Project Cost $20,075.74 Amount Budgeted 2018-2019: $30,000; 2019-2020: $75,000 Fund Restoration Matching Contribution(s) -- Landowner Involvement All Project Status Completed Project Progression -- Program Class Land Management Program Area Habitat Restoration Resource All Project Purpose Address rapid change in use of grazers for control of invasive species and fuels to ensure management outcomes do not have adverse, unanticipated consequences for the Reserve Available Report(s) Sage Associates Summary Report Available GIS Product(s) --

Overview

Consistent with the NCC 2019-2022 Strategic Plan, the NCC staff are to evaluate and engage a contractor to develop a grazing management plan for the NCCP/HCP reserve. The feasibility assessment, which was intended to explore the reserve for potential areas to graze and engage our partners as to their interest in using grazing as a management tool. Outreach and discussion with our partners was conducted through a 2-day field tour. A more comprehensive document, as called for in the County of Orange Central and Coastal Subregion NCCP/HCP, will be developed subsequently following a timeline for completion approved by the NCC Executive Committee. Progress

Initial assessment is complete. Next steps are to develop a work plan for both a general grazing management plan/BMPs and a grazing pilot project based on discussions with partners from the initial assessment.

89 2.4 Habitat Restoration and Enhancement Summary Table

Total acres of new, ongoing, and completed upland habitat restoration sponsored by NCC in 2019 organized by management area

Land Area New Ongoing Completed Total

Laguna Coast Wilderness Park (OCP) 8 -- 6.2* 6.2

Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park (OCP) -- 5.7 4.0 9.7

Crystal Cove State Park 7 9.7 4.0 13.7

San Diego Creek (OCFCD) -- -- 0.2 0.2

Bonita Canyon (TCA ) -- -- 0.6 0.6

Coyote Canyon Landfill (OCWR) -- -- 0.3 0.3

UC Irvine Ecological Preserve -- 8.5 4.0 12.5

Irvine Ranch Open Space (OCP) -- 4.3 -- 4.3

City of Irvine Open Space** -- 2.9 -- 2.9

Total 15 31.1 19.3 50.4

*Includes 3.7 acres of elderberry enhancement OCP = Orange County Parks OCFCD = Orange County Flood Control District TCA = Transportation Corridor Agencies OCWR = Orange County Waste & Recycling **Portola Staging Site

90 3.0 NROC CONSERVATION CUSTODIAL FUNDS

3.1 2019 Pacific Pocket Mouse Custodial Fund Pursuant to a Letter of Agreement between the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Natural Communities Coalition, a fund was created in 1998 to support research, recovery and enhancement efforts for the Pacific pocket mouse.

The agreement obligated Chandis Sherman (now Headlands Reserve LLC) to deposit funds annually for seven years into a segregated custodial account held by NCC, for a total of $350,000. All funding has been received. Funds are dispersed at the direction of USFWS and CDFW for projects in support of pocket mouse research, recovery and enhancement.

The NCC Executive Committee, in consultation with the Wildlife Agencies and Northern Trust financial advisor, authorized NCC staff in May, 2018, to transfer the Pacific Pocket Mouse Custodial Fund from a simple checking account to an investment account to grow the fund. The 2019 calendar year beginning balance of the Pacific Pocket Mouse Custodial Fund was $112,300.10, and the ending balance on December 31, 2019, was $127,973.97.

3.2 2019 Cowbird Fund The beginning balance of the Cowbird Fund January 1, 2019, was $1,709,950.26, and the ending balance on December 31, 2019, was $1,981,226.49. A total of $39,957.47, was spent on the Brown-headed cowbird management program in 2019. The results are summarized in project descriptions (Section 2.0) above.

The 2020 NCC work plan includes a continued assessment of goals, methodology and results to date among all parties engaged in cowbird management in the Central and Coastal Subregion of Orange County. Working with outside experts, these partners and the Wildlife Agencies, the plan is to design an adaptive cowbird management protocol that is more responsive to current and future needs of the species impacted by cowbirds and the ecological health of the Reserve, and to better coordinate management efforts across the subregion.

91 4.0 NCCP/HCP RESERVE MANAGEMENT PLANS & POLICIES

4.1 Fire Management Plan The 2020 work plan is set forth in the approved 2019-2021 NCC Strategic Plan, focusing on the implementation of the Wildland Fire Management Plan (WFMP) and other activities in support of implementation of the NCCP/HCP. Key components include: educate land owners/managers on the theory, science, and implementation of actions specified in the plan; assessment of the status and condition of vegetation management along fuel modification zones; and coordinating management activities with our partners. Important 2019 milestones and activities for 2020 are described below.

• County of Orange Area Safety Taskforce (COAST): a working group of decision makers and executives from fire departments, public utilities, transportation agencies, natural resource management agencies, landowners, non-profit groups, and other community members from across the county. The focus of the group is to jointly identify problems and propose solutions for wildfire prevention. NCC’s Wildland Fire Management Coordinator (WFMC) will continue participating on the taskforce to discuss, plan, and implement initiatives aimed at decreasing fire risk and increasing fire safety throughout the county. Main activities for 2019 included tracking grant opportunities, supporting installation of wildfire alert cameras, and supporting fire prevention grant applications.

• Roadside Ignition Reduction Strategic Plan: After a productive start in 2017, efforts to develop a strategic plan through the COAST Roadside Subcommittee stalled due to changes in Caltrans personnel. The subcommittee met twice in 2018. The first meeting, hosted by IRC, was to discuss the general concept for developing a plan, the different strategies available to reduce ignitions and limit fire spread, and the geographical and infrastructure spatial data requirements. The second meeting was held at the Historic Park to introduce our partners to a new gel product that reduces the ignition potential of vegetation along roadsides. CalFire Fire Prevention Fund grant applications, on behalf of COAST, for funds to develop a strategic plan were declined. WFMC is coordinating with city of Laguna Beach and OCFA on the cactus fire barrier project as part of the larger defensible space fuel reduction grant. Native Opuntia littoralis pads were planted along Laguna Canyon Road adjacent the Caltrans ROW. The goal of the project is to replace the non-native annual grass with cactus and harden the road shoulder to fire spreading into the wilderness from roadside ignitions.

• County-Wide Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP): Through COAST, the plan was completed and signed in mid-2017. A few grants were submitted and awarded in 2018. The grants will fulfill strategies listed in the CWPP. In 2017 most of the effort was focused on the final review of the plan and on introducing participants to grant programs that are available to implement projects. Assisting our partners in fire and fuels management project development and submission to grant programs will continue in 2020. Participating on project implementation will help strengthen professional relationships, and benefit the Reserve by providing more opportunities for collaboration on fire and fuels management. A revision to the project table is being considered under a contract with a fire management consultant.

92 • Assessment of fuel modification zones/Defensible Space Zone Management Plan (OC Parks): The plan’s scope-of-work includes developing best management practices for defensible space zones, treatment protocols and inspections, examples of well-maintained zones, and steps involved in implementing a project that minimizes impacts to habitat. Components of the plan are applicable to newer communities; the focus is on areas adjacent to older communities that may need to update an existing fuel modification plan. Information relevant to the Reserve will be incorporated into the revision of the NROC WFMP. While the contract was put on hold in early 2017, OC Parks added natural resource management staff that will help in future project planning. Efforts to continue addressing components of the plan through other projects will resume in 2020.

• Fire Resource Advisory Information and Contact Protocol: Update fire resource and tactical advisory maps for use during wildfires. Previous version was from 2007. These maps are important reference documents to inform fire suppression tactical response during a wildfire in the Reserve. Several updates were completed in 2018 including a revision to the road network (i.e., description of type), inclusion of rare plant location data at CCSP from 2017 survey, and inclusion of streams with buffer zones. Activities for 2020 include a review of maps with resource managers, updating the geodatabase of sensitive species location data, a transfer of resource data to the OCFA Wildland Resource App, and participation on a new program to increase situational awareness and communication between fire responders and resource managers.

Fire Incidents In contrast to 2018, wildfire activity was low in the state in 2019. Approximately 260,000 acres burned, which is slightly above the five-year average. Statistics were similar in the county where the largest fire was only 26 acres. The few small wildfires that typically occur within and adjacent to NROC are summarized in Table 1.

Less than 1 acre of the Reserve burned in 2019, primarily from the Bommer Fire near the Cattle Camp area in mid-March. Human activity continues to be the main cause of ignitions and this is an obvious concern because of the potential for large, damaging wildfires if these ignitions were to occur during periods of low humidity and high winds.

93 Table 1. Fire statistics for the NROC in 2019. FMU, Fire Management Unit. Date FMU Area Cause Total Acres in Acres NROC 03/16 4.01 Bommer Fire, Bommer Powerline 0.7 0.7 Canyon Failure 04/05 NA, near Vista City Park, adj. Unk, homeless 0.4 - 13.01 Talbert Park encampment 05/09 NA, near Blue Diamond Fire, adj. Remote Control 2.3 - 10.02 Irvine Lake Airplane 7/17 Na, near Black Star Fire, adj Black Fireworks 0.7 - 10.05 Star Road 7/21 Na, near Black Star Canyon Fire, Unk 0.2 - 10.05 adj Black Star Road 9/16 NA, near Fossil Fire, Quail Hill Human Caused 15.9 - 4.04 9/25 4.05 Lake Forest Fire, LCR Unk 0.01 0.01 shoulder 10/24 NA, near Bommer Fire, near Irvine Car-powerline 1.2 - 1001 Lake Accident Total 21.41 0.71

Fuels Management LCAD: A new fuels management site is proposed for the Laguna College Arts and Design facility (LCAD) on Laguna Canyon Road, adjacent to Laguna Coast Wilderness Park. The site was included in the Laguna Canyon fire hazard reduction grant, which was awarded to the city of Laguna Beach through the CalFire Fire Prevention Fund. The Project is finishing the planning phase, with treatments expected to commence in 2020.

Emerald Bay: The Emerald Bay community in north Laguna Beach has a fuel modification zone that overlaps both LCWP and CCSP as well as the Reserve. It is one of two existing zones where fuel modification is allowed in the NCCP/HCP. Following the CalFire grant where the community planted 4,000 cactus pads in the 50 to 100 feet zone, vegetation maintenance occurs on approximately four acres within the Reserve.

CCSP RMP: Crystal Cove State Park is developing their Resource Management Plan through a contract with the Irvine Ranch Conservancy. The WFMC reviewed and provided some edits to the draft plan.

Roadside Vegetation Management: OCFA is contracted by SCE and land owners to perform annual secondary road (dirt roads and trails within the NROC) maintenance which includes road edge vegetation treatments. Approximately five feet on both sides of the road shoulder the vegetation biomass is reduced through mastication and mowing. The map and table below identify the locations of maintenance and approximate acres treated in 2019.

94 Note- The estimated acreage was based on buffing both sides of the road by five feet where maintenance was performed. Vegetation treatments were not performed continuously along the road so these values should be considered an overestimate.

Acres treated along road edges by land owner/management unit. Management Unit Acres treated Crystal Cove SP 14.6 Laguna Coast WP 4.9 Aliso & Wood Canyons WP 6.6 Whiting Ranch WP 11.7 Irvine Ranch Open Space 18.9 Irvine Open Space Preserve 4.7 Coal Canyon Ecol. Reserve 3.7 Total 65.1

Figure 1. Roadside vegetation maintenance locations in 2019 on the Coastal Reserve. Numbers correspond to fire management units (red lines) identified in the Wildland Fire Management Plan.

95 Figure 2. Roadside vegetation maintenance locations in 2019 on the Central Reserve. Numbers correspond to fire management units (red lines) identified in the Wildland Fire Management Plan.

96 4.2 Habitat Restoration & Enhancement Plan (HREP) The HREP was completed and approved by the NCC Board of Directors in 2003, and has periodically been reviewed but not updated since that time. In September, 2015, NCC engaged Land IQ, a consulting firm specializing in habitat restoration, in a three-year effort to review and revise the plan, and propose a list of prioritized sites within the Reserve for specific restoration actions. Key themes being addressed over the course of the project include: landscape-scale restoration actions; sources of uncertainty tied to climate change, fire, seedbank condition; adaptive management; cost-effect methods; natural rainfall driven restoration; maximization of return of investment; integration of planning efforts; measure of success; and stakeholder and resource agency engagement.

During the three plus years on the project, Land IQ has developed GIS-based models supporting identification of site-specific ecologically appropriate vegetation community restoration targets, advanced development of Best Management Practices based on lessons learned from active and historic restoration projects and practitioner expertise, and finalized a generalized, adaptive management approach for landscape-scale habitat restoration across the Reserve. Presentations made to members of the NCC Technical Advisory Committee, Board of Directors, and partners throughout the process were well received and provided the consulting team with appreciated direction and advise for improving the update. The finalized, updated HREP was submitted to the NCC Board of Directors and Wildlife Agencies for approval in March 2019. 4.3 Recreation Management Plan In support of a long-term recreation management program for the NROC, NCC partnered with national leaders in the field of recreation ecology from Utah State University and Oregon State University in 2016 to plan and implement a multi-year research project. As designed, the project is to have four overall dimensions focused on: (1) determining visitor use levels and spatial distributions; (2) assessment of biophysical resource conditions; (3) understanding of visitor perceptions, values, and judgements; and (4) providing of scientific expertise in park planning and management.

Working with signatories of the NCCP/HCP and other partners, the project leads identified fourteen management units within the Nature Reserve of Orange County as a high priority for assessment and monitoring of recreation use and associated management uses. The majority of units fall under the management of OC Parks, California State Parks, and the Irvine Ranch Conservancy. The project, as designed, will employ both continuous assessment and sampling approaches to establish baseline conditions. Work is to include field assessment of the location and condition of trails, sites, and other areas of visitor use, determination of the spatial distribution of use, and assessment of visitor attributes and preferences, demographics, motivations, values and judgments of resource and social conditions. Work will be conducted in two distinct phases. The first phase was three years in duration, with social and biophysical field sampling which ended in 2019, with a summary report provided to our partners. The second phase, focused on informing management and conservation goals, includes development of visitor norm curves, thresholds of acceptability, and mapping tied to resource condition, is expected to be initiated in 2020 and carry through 2022.

97 4.4 Grazing Management Plan Though a Grazing Management Plan was adopted, large scale grazing in the reserve by livestock ceased in 2002. The one exception is the limited experimental use of goats for site preparation prior to grassland habitat restoration by the Irvine Ranch Conservancy.

During the 2019 calendar year, the City of Irvine also employed goats in a limited way for invasive plant control and fuel management.

Signatories to the Coastal and Central Subregion of Orange County NCCP/HCP have shown increased interest in the use of goats for fuel management on lands enrolled in the Reserve. During 2019, NCC staff engaged the services of Sage Associates, to evaluate the need, protocols and infrastructure required for the reintroduction of grazers on the reserve. With the participation of the Wildlife Agencies and land managers in a rapid assessment, a white paper was produced which identified a pilot grazing program.

5.0 IMPACTS TO COASTAL SAGE SCRUB HABITAT IN THE COUNTY OF ORANGE CENTRAL/COASTAL SUBREGION NCCP/HCP 2019

5.1 Authorized Take in the Reserve System by Participating Landowners as Reported to NCC in 2019

Since 2018, the NROC Annual Report has tracked in tabular form impacts to coastal sage scrub habitat within the boundary of the Central and Coastal Subregion of Orange County. The table below is an updated accounting resulting from Wildlife Agencies records and reporting of signatories to the Central and Coastal Subregion NCCP/HCP Implementation Agreement of Orange County for the 2019 calendar year.

As in 2018, Metropolitan Water District and the University of California Regents are not included in the table because they have not utilized any of the credits authorized in the Implementation Agreement for the Central and Coastal Subregion NCCP/HCP for Orange County. The figures in the table are based on Wildlife Agencies’ archives, records from past Annual Reports, input from landowning signatories in response to the Wildlife Agencies’ March 7, 2017 letter, and subsequent written communication from signatories in 2019 to NCC. The County of Orange researched and amended some acreage reported in 2018. Those values are reflected in the following table along with comments.

Aside from the County of Orange amendments to the 2018 Authorized Take report, neither the County nor any other landowning signatory to the Central and Coastal Subregional NCCP/HCP reported any Take to the Natural Communities Coalition in calendar year 2019.

Date Participating Location and/or CSS Remaining Take Comment Landowner Project Name Impacts Authorized Accounting By Take Concurrence Project (acres) Between Wildlife (acres) Agencies & Landowner 12/01/96 OC Parks Laguna Coast 0.1 394.9 Yes Wilderness Park (LCWP) Riding & Hiking Trail 03/05/98 OC Parks Laguna Cyn Rd 0 394.9 Yes Emergency Repair 12/01/98 OC Parks Santiago Oaks 0 394.9 Yes Boundary Amendment Regional Park – approved in 1999 Suncal Encroachment 12/01/98 OCW&R Phase V-A Liner 16.5 378.4 Yes Project at Frank R. Bowerman Landfill (FRB) 12/01/99 OCW&R Phase V-B/C Liner 13.1 365.3 Yes Project at FRB Landfill 12/08/00 OCW&R Phase V-D at FRB 16.0 349.3 Yes Landfill 02/01/02 OC Parks El Modena Orange 0 349.3 Yes Oak Acres Mutual Water Company waterline, Santiago Oaks 12/01/02 OCW&R FRB Landfill 13.04 336.26 Yes Emergency Landslide Remediation 12/01/02 OCW&R FRB Landfill Phase 5.2 331.06 Yes VII-A

99 Date Participating Location and/or CSS Remaining Take Comment Landowner Project Name Impacts Authorized Accounting By Take Concurrence Project (acres) Between Wildlife (acres) Agencies & Landowner 12/01/04 OCW&R FRB Landfill Phase 1.19 329.87 Yes V-D Stockpile 12/01/05 OCW&R FRB Landfill Fuel 0.48 329.39 Yes Mod. Program 12/01/05 OCW&R Canyon II Stockpile 1.56 327.83 Yes 12/01/05 OCW&R FRB Landfill Phase 13.85 313.98 Yes VII-B 12/01/07 OCPW Laguna Cyn Rd. 21.51 292.47 No Unable to locate final accounting of impacts. Will assume 21.51 from BO unless documentation stating otherwise can be submitted. 12/01/07 OCW&R FRB Landslide 19.68 272.79 Yes Back-cut Project 12/01/08 OCW&R Drainage 1 6.04 266.75 Yes 12/01/10 OC Parks Aliso and Wood 0 266.75 No No take associated with this Cyns Wilderness project. Park (AWCWP) Car Wreck Trail 12/01/10 OC Parks Santiago Oaks 0 266.75 Yes Wildlife Agencies recommend Regional Park: coordination with NCC on future Bumblebee, Chutes trail projects and Weir Cyn Trails Improvements 12/01/10 OCW&R FBR Landfill Phase 7.2 259.55 Yes VIII-C 12/01/11 OC Parks AWCWP: Mentally 0 259.55 Yes Wildlife Agencies recommend Sensitive Trail coordination with NCC on future trail project

100 Date Participating Location and/or CSS Remaining Take Comment Landowner Project Name Impacts Authorized Accounting By Take Concurrence Project (acres) Between Wildlife (acres) Agencies & Landowner 12/01/11 OC Parks AWCWP: Wood 0 259.55 Yes Request ongoing communication Cyn Trail Bank, with Wildlife Agencies Wood Creek Dip Crossing and Valido Trail 12/01/13 OC Parks Irvine Ranch Open 0 259.55 Yes Wildlife Agencies recommend Space: Limestone coordination with NCC on future Ridge Trail trail projects 12/01/13 OC Parks Irvine Ranch Open 0 259.55 Yes Wildlife Agencies recommend Space: Marel Spur coordination with NCC on future Trail trail projects 12/01/13 OC Parks AWCWP: Cholla 0 259.55 Yes Wildlife Agencies recommend Trail coordination with NCC on future trail projects 12/01/13 OC Parks LCWP: Los Trancos 0 259.55 Yes Wildlife Agencies recommend Trail coordination with NCC on future trail projects 12/01/13 OC Parks AWCWP: Hillcrest 0 259.55 Yes Wildlife Agencies recommend HOA Drainage coordination with NCC on future trail projects 12/01/13 OC Parks LCWP: Ridge Park 0 259.55 Yes Wildlife Agencies recommend Road Trail coordination with NCC on future trail projects 12/01/13 OC Parks Whiting Ranch 0 259.55 Yes Wildlife Agencies recommend Wilderness Park: coordination with NCC on future Cactus Hill Trail trail projects 12/01/13 OCW&R FRB Landfill: South 0.32 259.23 Yes Basin/Wetland Basin 12/01/13 OCW&R FRB Landfill: WCR 0.72 258.51 Yes

101 Date Participating Location and/or CSS Remaining Take Comment Landowner Project Name Impacts Authorized Accounting By Take Concurrence Project (acres) Between Wildlife (acres) Agencies & Landowner 12/01/13 OCW&R FRB Landfill: East 8.96 249.91 Yes Flank Landslide Remediation 12/01/14 OC Parks LCWP: Marijuana 0 249.55 Yes Wildlife Agencies recommend Grove coordination with NCC on future projects of this nature 12/01/14 OC Parks AWCWP: Cholla 0 249.55 Yes Wildlife Agencies recommend Trail coordination with NCC on future trail projects 12/01/14 OC Parks LCWP: Lizards Trail 0.7 248.85 Yes 12/01/14 OC Parks LCWP: Emerald 0 248.85 Yes Wildlife Agencies recommend Cyn Bridges and coordination with NCC on future Trail Improvements trail projects 12/01/14 OC Parks Little Sycamore 0 248.85 Yes Wildlife Agencies recommend Bridge and Trail coordination with NCC on future Improvements trail projects 12/01/14 OCW&R FRB Landfill: Phase 1.5 247.35 Yes VII-C 12/01/14 OCW&R East Loma 2.22 245.13 Yes Landslide 12/01/14 OCW&R FRB Landfill: East 5.44 239.69 Yes Flank Landslide Remediation 12/01/15 OC Parks AWCWP: Main 0.79 238.90 Yes Entrance Facility Improvements 12/01/15 OCW&R FRB Landfill: Office 1.3 237.60 Yes Facility Expansion 12/01/15 OCW&R FRB Landfill: Phase 1.91 235.69 Yes VIII-B1

102 Date Participating Location and/or CSS Remaining Take Comment Landowner Project Name Impacts Authorized Accounting By Take Concurrence Project (acres) Between Wildlife (acres) Agencies & Landowner 01/01/04 OC Parks LCWP: Nix Nature 0.35 235.34 No Constructed after NCCP/HCP. Center To be reviewed by County and Wildlife Agencies in 2019 01/01/02 OC Parks Upper Newport Bay 2.7 232.64 Yes Interpretive Center 01/01/10 OCPW Alton Pkwy 0 232.64 Yes 01/01/98 OC Parks LCWP: Camarillo 0.01 232.63 Yes Trail 01/01/08 OCPW San Diego Creek 1.6 231.03 Yes Maintenance Project 01/01/17 OCW&R FRB Landfill: Phase 8.72 222.31 Yes VII-B2 2018 OC Parks Whiting Ranch WP 0.06 222.25

County of Total Beginning Orange Take Balance 172.75 395

103 Date Participating Location and/or CSS Remaining Take Comment Landowner Project Name Impacts Authorized Accounting By Take Concurrence Project (acres) Between Wildlife (acres) Agencies & Landowner 07/1997 Irvine Laidlaw Gasline 0.07 1.93 Yes Company 06/1999 Irvine Tustin Ranch 0.16 1.77 Yes Company Estates 01/2001 Irvine Chambord Entry 0.07 1.7 Yes Company Wall 10/2002 Irvine Coyote Cyn Gas 0.0001 1.6959 Yes Company Probes 02/2003 Irvine Bommer Cyn East 0.094 1.6019 Yes Company Fork Ranch Road 06/2008 Irvine Santiago Hills 0.5484 1.0535 Yes Company Phase II: Infrastructure Improvements- Irvine Regional Park and Peters Canyon Reservoir

Irvine Total Beginning Company Take Balance 0.9465 2

104 Date Participating Location and/or CSS Remaining Take Comment Landowner Project Name Impacts Authorized Accounting By Take Concurrence Project (acres) Between Wildlife (acres) Agencies & Landowner 02/13/97 Irvine Ranch Allen-McColloch 0.005 59.995 Yes Water District Pipeline (IRWD) 02/14/97 IRWD Parcel 4 Sewer and 0.18 59.815 Yes Cart Path north of Spillway 07/27/99 IRWD Shady Cyn 1.6 58.215 Yes Reservoir & Pipeline 09/19/00 IRWD Shady Cyn Sewer 0.14 57.825 Yes 12/01/14 IRWD Baker Water Plant/ 0 45.375 Yes Utilized In-Lieu Mitigation Fee Serrano Creek Program Outlet 12/01/14 IRWD Baker Raw Water 0 45.375 Yes Pump Station and Pipeline Project 12/01/15 IRWD Serrano Summit 0 45.375 Yes Utilized In-Lieu Mitigation Fee Program IRWD Siphon Reservoir 0.04 45.335 Yes CDFW Records. No date Interim Facilities IRWD Irvine Lake Pipeline 0.96 44.375 Yes CDFW Records. No date North Conversion Project Irvine Ranch Total Beginning Water Take Balance District 15.625 60

105

Date Participating Location and/or CSS Remaining Take Comment Landowner Project Name Impacts Authorized Accounting By Take Concurrence Project (acres) Between Wildlife (acres) Agencies & Landowner 2003 Southern Shady Cyn Special 1 1.4 Yes California Linkage: Convert Edison Overhead 66kV to (SCE) Underground (Santiago-Crown- Morro 66kV)

Southern Total Beginning California Take Balance Edison 2.0 2.4

Date Participating Location and/or CSS Remaining Take Comment Landowner Project Name Impacts Authorized Accounting By Take Concurrence Project (acres) Between Wildlife (acres) Agencies & Landowner 08/01/03 Crystal Cove El Morro Conversion 0.04 17.92 State Park Sewer Project (CCSP) 08/04/03 CCSP Historic District 2.48 12.96 Cottages and Infrastructure Project (PPUP implementation) Crystal Cove Total Beginning State Park Take Balance 2.52 12.96

106 5.2 Take by Non-Participating and Participating Landowners – In-Lieu and Other Mitigation Fee Options

The US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife approved a total of four Non-Participating Landowners projects to utilize the In-Lieu Mitigation Fee Option in 2019. There was a total take of 6.209 acres of coastal sage scrub outside of the Reserve and $514,146.18 of mitigation payments. The table below summaries the project impacts and approved mitigation:

Non- Participating Project Acres of Approved In- Date Fee Participating Landowner Description CSS Lieu Received Landowner Approved Mitigation by NCC Take Fee Chandler’s Chandler Mine, 1.77 $146,567.68 01/07/2019 Sand and Orange, CA Gravel, LLC J. Chou Bent Tree 1.099 $91,004.45 07/08/2019 Project, Santa Ana, CA City of Gramercy Trail 0.13 $10,764.86 07/16/2019 Anaheim Project, Anaheim, CA USA Portola Phase 3B, 3.21 $265,809.19 08/21/2019 East, LLC Portola Center, City of Lake Forest, CA

Totals 6.209 $514,146.18

6.0 ACCOUNTING OF FUNDS RECEIVED AND DISPERSED BY NCC

No funds were dispersed to NCCP/HCP participants. However, NCC provided in-kind contributions and science and land management services through its contracts to reserve landowners in the form of invasive plant eradication and habitat restoration on reserve lands. For a detailed breakdown of expenditures and success of the program in 2019, see Section 2 above.

7.0 BOUNDARY CHANGES/MINOR AMENDMENTS IN THE RESERVE SYSTEM

There were no Boundary Amendments requests processed by the NCC Boundary Amendment and Acquisition Committee or approved by the Natural Communities Coalition Board of Directors in 2019.

107 Reporting Year 2019

Land Manager

Park, open space or management unit Coal Canyon ER

Website https://wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/Coal-Canyon-ER

Land owning entity: California Department of Fish and Wildlife

I. Executive Summary

Provide a brief summary of the highlights relating to habitat impacts, restoration, fuel management and public access, as well as significant changes or modifications planned next year. During 2019, fences and trails were routinely monitored and no major impacts to the habitat were observed even though there was evidence of unauthorized motorized vehicles entering Coal Canyon ER. As such, no major changes or modifications are planned for 2020. However, to limit the use of unauthorized motorized vehicles on the access roads and trails, a small bollard may be installed adjacent to the gate entering Coal Canyon ER since use of motorized vehicles has widened the foot path entering the reserve. Trail cameras will be maintained to continue monitoring of unauthorized activities. A second camera may be installed to establish better visitation estimates.

Additionally, two high priority invasive species exist in Coal Canyon ER, Centaurea solstitialis (yellow start thistle) and Brassica tournefortii (Sahara mustard). Eﬀorts to monitor and control these populations by CA Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and partners will occur in 2020. Additional inter-agency coordination will be performed to eﬃciently manage populations across jurisdictional boundaries.

II. Use Policies, Monitoring and Management a. Public Access Description for the Property Open Access (see website above) b. Is there an oﬃcial written policy governing property closure conditions and procedures? Yes i. If yes, attach a PDF of the policy in the space below or provide a brief written summary 19-20-Waterfowl-Upland-Lands-Regs-ﬁnal2_09.12.19-2.pdf

Description of closure conditions and procedures. According to Title 14, Sections 550 and 630, closures can occur for resource protection and other reasons deemed appropriate by CDFW and with approval from the Regional Manager. ii. Has the policy been oﬃcially modiﬁed since the previous year’s annual report? No

108 c. In the table provided below please identify the number of times the property was closed and the circumstances

Duration Full or Date of Reason for Closure of Closure Partial Closure (Days) Closure

Coal Canyon ER became inaccessible due to closure of CHSP entrance. 01/01/201 Heavy rain eroded approximately 20 feet of dirt road at the CHSP 60 partial 9 entrance adjacent to the 91 freeway, making the Reserve accessible only through the Cleveland National Forest entrance d. Is there an oﬃcial written policy governing special events use of the property? Yes i. If yes, attach a PDF of the policy or provide a brief written summary in the space below 19-20-Waterfowl-Upland-Lands-Regs-ﬁnal2_09.12.19-3.pdf

Description of special events use for the property. According to Title 14, section 550, "an activity, use, event or gathering on department land...may be allowed with written authorization from the department, typically in the form of a Special Use Permit. When allowed, special uses occur on a limited basis as defined in the Special Use Permit or other authorizing document. An authorized special use on department land shall not conflict with the normal uses, purposes or management of the department land." ii. Has the policy been officially modified since the previous year’s annual report? No

2. Oversight: Property Dedicated Staﬃng by Position

Position Title Number of Positions FTE

Reserve Manager 1 0.1

Habitat Assistant 1 0.1

Scientiﬁc Aids 2 0.14

3. Property Supervisor Contact Information

Name Title Email Phone

Amanda Swanson Reserve Manager [email protected] 949-640-9961

b. What method(s) is/are used to estimate visitation? Summarize in the box below. We currently have a trail camera set up at the entrance of CCER mainly to track illegal activities rather than public use. Thus, we have do not currently have estimates of public use for CCER. However, trail cameras placed at both entrances to Coal Canyon ER may be used in the future to estimate visitation. c. Compare the estimated number of total visitors this year to the past two years in the space provide below. If estimates for previous years do not exist for the property, please know the goal in future annual reports is to have estimates for three consecutive years to document visitation trends. 2017 Not Available 2018 Not Available d. Were there new types of park users or uses observed over the past year (e.g., geocaching, use of drones, ebikes,

109 etc.) that could warrant a management response or need for development of a new visitor policy? Please list new users and/or uses below. No new types of park users were observed within the past year, although there is evidence that use of unauthorized motor vehicles (i.e. trucks, motorized bikes) has continued to occur. For this reason, a bollard may be installed to curtail unauthorized use of the trails e. Were there any special events held for which special use permits were issued for the property? No f. In the table provided below, please identify any documented impacts to habitat from unauthorized property uses.

Date of Estimated Description of Impact Habitat Type Observation Acres

No impacts to habitat were observed from unauthroized NA NA NA property uses

III. Recreation Facility Construction and Maintenance

Recreational Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no recreational facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

IV. Infrastructure Facility Construction and Maintenance

Infrastructure Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no infrastructural facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

V. Habitat Restoration and Enhancement

VI. Invasive Species Control

1. Did the land owner/manager or their staﬀ, volunteers or contractor treat invasive plant species on the property? No

110 1. Were active surveys conducted on the property for invasive beetles? No

2. Were any invasive beetle occurrences discovered prior to or during the reporting year on this property? No

VII. Fire Management Activities

VIII. 2020 Work Plan

Draft original or amend existing property closure policy? No

Draft original or amend existing property special use policy? No

Draft original or amend existing GDP and/or Master Plan? No

Change in methodology for estimating property visitor use? Yes

Implement new or continue protocols for monitoring changes in trail conditions and/or reporting? Yes

Research (ongoing or new)? No

Recreation facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? No

Infrastructure facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? No

Mitigation habitat restoration to be initiated? No

Non-mitigation habitat restoration initiated? No

Invasive plant control actions to be undertaken by land owner (not NCC)? Yes

Invasive beetle control actions to be undertaken by land owner or contractor? No

Other (please describe):

111 Staﬀ will continue to monitor and manage high priority species Brassica tournefortii (Sahara mustard) and Centaurea solstitialis (yellow star thistle) populations in Coal Canyon ER. Since these species are also found on adjacent properties, inter-agency communication will be conducted to share information and coordinate management.

Installation of new fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? No

Maintenance of existing fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? No

112 Reporting Year 2019

Land Manager

Park, open space or management unit Laguna Laurel ER

Website https://wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/Laguna-Laurel-ER

Land owning entity: California Department of Fish and Wildlife

I. Executive Summary

Provide a brief summary of the highlights relating to habitat impacts, restoration, fuel management and public access, as well as signiﬁcant changes or modiﬁcations planned next year. During 2019, monitoring of trail conditions, fencing, and signage was routinely performed with no major issues observed. Invasive species management included control of Cynara cardunculus (artichoke thistle) and trail edges were managed to maintain hiking access.

No major changes or modiﬁcations are planned for 2020, although CA Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will work closely with the County of Orange to improve monitoring and management of high priority weeds within Laguna Laurel ER. As the County owns Laguna Coast Wilderness Park which surrounds Laguna Laurel ER, CDFW will coordinate closely with the County for weed management, trail monitoring, and obtaining visitor estimates during 2020. Signage, trail conditions and fencing will also be regularly surveyed and maintained as necessary.

113 Date of Closure Reason for Closure Duration of Closure (Days) Full or Partial Closure

NA NA NA NA d. Is there an oﬃcial written policy governing special events use of the property? Yes i. If yes, attach a PDF of the policy or provide a brief written summary in the space below 19-20-Waterfowl-Upland-Lands-Regs-ﬁnal2_09.12.19-5.pdf

2. Oversight: Property Dedicated Staﬃng by Position

Position Title Number of Positions FTE

Reserve Manager 1 0.1

Habitat Assistant 1 0.1

Scientiﬁc Aids 2 0.14

3. Property Supervisor Contact Information

Name Title Email Phone

Amanda Swanson Reserve Manager [email protected] 949-640-9961

b. What method(s) is/are used to estimate visitation? Summarize in the box below. CDFW does not currently have a method in place for estimating public visitation at Laguna Laurel ER. However, we plan to work with the County of Orange to obtain visitation estimates in the future. c. Compare the estimated number of total visitors this year to the past two years in the space provide below. If estimates for previous years do not exist for the property, please know the goal in future annual reports is to have estimates for three consecutive years to document visitation trends. 2017 Not Available 2018 Not Available d. Were there new types of park users or uses observed over the past year (e.g., geocaching, use of drones, ebikes, etc.) that could warrant a management response or need for development of a new visitor policy? Please list new users and/or uses below. No new types of park users or uses were observed in the park during 2019. e. Were there any special events held for which special use permits were issued for the property? No

114 f. In the table provided below, please identify any documented impacts to habitat from unauthorized property uses.

Date of Estimated Description of Impact Habitat Type Observation Acres

No impacts to habitat were observed from unauthroized NA NA NA property uses

III. Recreation Facility Construction and Maintenance

Recreational Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no recreational facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

IV. Infrastructure Facility Construction and Maintenance

Infrastructure Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no infrastructural facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

V. Habitat Restoration and Enhancement

VI. Invasive Species Control

1. Did the land owner/manager or their staﬀ, volunteers or contractor treat invasive plant species on the property? Yes a. Were the results of the invasive plant control eﬀorts for the property conducted by the land owner/manager or their contractor reported to CalFlora? No, not at all i. If no or partially, please complete the table below:

Area of Treatment (Square Treatment Methodology Invasive Plant Name Habitat(s) Impacted Meters)

Mechanical Cynara cardunculus CSS NA

115 1. Were active surveys conducted on the property for invasive beetles? No

2. Were any invasive beetle occurrences discovered prior to or during the reporting year on this property? No

VII. Fire Management Activities

VIII. 2020 Work Plan

Draft original or amend existing property closure policy? No

Draft original or amend existing property special use policy? No

Draft original or amend existing GDP and/or Master Plan? No

Change in methodology for estimating property visitor use? Yes

Implement new or continue protocols for monitoring changes in trail conditions and/or reporting? Yes

Research (ongoing or new)? No

Recreation facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? No

Infrastructure facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? No

Mitigation habitat restoration to be initiated? No

Non-mitigation habitat restoration initiated? No

Invasive plant control actions to be undertaken by land owner (not NCC)? Yes

Invasive beetle control actions to be undertaken by land owner or contractor? Yes

Other (please describe):

116 As Laguna Laurel ER is surrounded by property owned by the County of Orange, CDFW will monitor and manage high priority weeds in collaboration with Orange County Parks. No Priority 1 weeds have been documented in Laguna Laurel ER thus far, but Priority 2 species include artichoke thistle (Cynara cardunculus), perennial veldt grass (Ehrharta calycina), and black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia). Sahara mustard (Brassica tournefortii) has not been documented in Laguna Laurel ER, but populations exist nearby within Laguna Coast Wilderness Park. As such, surveys for high priority weeds will include searches for Sahara mustard.

Installation of new fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? No

Maintenance of existing fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? No

117 Reporting Year 2019

Land Manager Ca Dept Fish Wildlife

Park, open space or management unit Upper Newport Bay ER

Website https://wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/Upper-Newport-Bay-ER

Land owning entity: California Department of Fish and Wildlife

I. Executive Summary

Provide a brief summary of the highlights relating to habitat impacts, restoration, fuel management and public access, as well as significant changes or modifications planned next year. During 2019, several efforts were made to manage multiple invasive species including high priority weeds Limonium ramosissimum (Algerian sea lavender) and European sea lavender (Limonium duriusculum). Additionally, monitoring efforts occurred to assess populations of two state and federally listed species, the Ridgway's Rail and the California Least Tern. There are also two ongoing restoration projects in various stages. The Big Canyon Habitat Restoration and Adaptation-Phase 2B/2C Feasibility Study was drafted during 2019, with planning and permitting scheduled to start in 2020. Additionally, the Upper Newport Bay Ecosystem Restoration Project, which was completed in 2010, is scheduled to have its 10 year monitoring campaign occur in 2020 that will include fisheries surveys, general bird surveys and water quality assessments.

Other efforts that will occur in 2020 to determine the overall condition of Upper Newport Bay including fisheries and water quality monitoring, general and focused bird surveys, vegetation monitoring, and multiple targeted invasive control efforts. While no new restoration projects are currently planned for implementation over the next year, the CA Dept of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is heavily involved in the Big Canyon Habitat Restoration and Adaptation Project-Phase 2A that is schedule to be implemented in Fall 2020 on adjacent City property; as stated above, planning and permitting of subsequent phases (Phases 2B/2C) within Upper Newport Bay ER will begin during 2020. Interpretive signage will also be completed and installed during 2020 on open water buoys throughout Upper Newport Bay ER to improve public education and access.

II. Use Policies, Monitoring and Management a. Public Access Description for the Property Both Open and Hosted Limited Access b. Is there an oﬃcial written policy governing property closure conditions and procedures? Yes i. If yes, attach a PDF of the policy in the space below or provide a brief written summary 19-20-Waterfowl-Upland-Lands-Regs-ﬁnal2_09.12.19.pdf

118 Description of closure conditions and procedures. According to Title 14, under Sections 550 and 630, closures can occur for resource protection and other reasons deemed appropriate by CDFW and with approval from the Regional Manager. ii. Has the policy been oﬃcially modiﬁed since the previous year’s annual report? No c. In the table provided below please identify the number of times the property was closed and the circumstances

Duration of Full or Partial Date of Closure Reason for Closure Closure (Days) Closure

04/04/2019 weed removal and treatment along Back Bay Drive 2 partial

04/10/2019 weed removal and treatment along Back Bay Drive 3 partial

04/19/2019 weed removal and treatment along Back Bay Drive 1 partial

09/21/2019 Coastal Clean-up Day event 1 partial d. Is there an oﬃcial written policy governing special events use of the property? Yes i. If yes, attach a PDF of the policy or provide a brief written summary in the space below 19-20-Waterfowl-Upland-Lands-Regs-ﬁnal2_09.12.19-1.pdf

Description of special events use for the property. According to Title 14, under section 550, "an activity, use, event or gathering on department land...may be allowed with written authorization from the department, typically in the form of a Special Use Permit. When allowed, special uses occur on a limited basis as defined in the Special Use Permit or other authorizing document. An authorized special use on department land shall not conflict with the normal uses, purposes or management of the department land." ii. Has the policy been officially modified since the previous year’s annual report? No

2. Oversight: Property Dedicated Staﬃng by Position

Position Title Number of Positions FTE

Reserve Manager 1 0.7

Fish and Wildlife Technician 1 0.5

Scientiﬁc Aids 2 0.3

3. Property Supervisor Contact Information

Name Title Email Phone

Amanda Swanson Reserve Manager [email protected] 949-640-9961

a. Total number of public visitors to the property based on land owner’s estimate: 17448 b. What method(s) is/are used to estimate visitation? Summarize in the box below.

119 The above number likely understimates the number of individuals that visited the Upper Newport Bay ER during 2019 as we do not currently have a consistent, accurate method of calculating all the visitors who use trails or participate in water activities. However, as CDFW hosts several educational programs and collaborates with multiple partners including the County of Orange and the Newport Bay Conservancy at the Back Bay Science Center and elsewhere around Upper Newport Bay ER, the above estimate is determined by combining the total number of individuals participating in each program or event hosted by both CDFW as well as other partners. c. Compare the estimated number of total visitors this year to the past two years in the space provide below. If estimates for previous years do not exist for the property, please know the goal in future annual reports is to have estimates for three consecutive years to document visitation trends. 2018- 10,553 visitors 2017- 10,423 visitors d. Were there new types of park users or uses observed over the past year (e.g., geocaching, use of drones, ebikes, etc.) that could warrant a management response or need for development of a new visitor policy? Please list new users and/or uses below. There were no new types of park users or uses observed over the past year. e. Were there any special events held for which special use permits were issued for the property? No f. In the table provided below, please identify any documented impacts to habitat from unauthorized property uses.

Date of Estimated Description of Impact Habitat Type Observation Acres

Vehicle drove oﬀ of Back Bay Drive into bed of 07/05/2019 wetland-saltmarsh 0.01 cordgrass which is habitat for Ridgway's Rail

III. Recreation Facility Construction and Maintenance

Recreational Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no recreational facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

IV. Infrastructure Facility Construction and Maintenance

120 Infrastructure Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no infrastructural facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

V. Habitat Restoration and Enhancement

Project Lead Third party Mitigation No Coordination with NCC No Start Date 2020-08-01 Anticipated End Date 2025-12-31 Performance Monitoring Yes Data Archived in GIS Database Yes Data Manager Newport Bay Conservancy CSS Community Acres 2.3 Riparian Community Acres 7 Other Restoration Community Acres 2.4 Other Restoration Community Type wetland-saltmarsh and transitional wetland If this is a formal restoration plan, please provide the name: Big Canyon Habitat Restoration and Adaptation Project-Phase 2B/2C. Acreages are conservative estimates and are based on draft Feasibility Study results for the project area. Planning and permitting for the project will begin in 2020. Project Lead Land owner Provide project name and/or permit number if the project is on behalf of an agency other than the land owner. Upper Newport Bay Ecosystem Restoration Project: Post Restoration Monitoring Mitigation No If this is a formal restoration plan, please provide the name: Post-Restoration Monitoring Program for the Upper Newport Bay Restoration Project Coordination with NCC No Start Date

121 2010-01-01 Anticipated End Date 2020-12-31 Performance Monitoring Yes Data Archived in GIS Database Yes Data Manager CA Department of Fish and Wildlife and Orange County Public Works

VI. Invasive Species Control

Area of Treatment Methodology Invasive Plant Name Habitat(s) Impacted Treatment (Square Meters)

Hand-pulling Limonium ramosissimum wetland-saltmarsh 16285

Other Limonium ramosissimum wetland-saltmarsh 818

Hand-pulling Limonium duriusculum riparian-trail 1000

Hand-pulling Marrubium vulgare riparian along trail 4000

Hand-pulling Helminthotheca echiodes riparian along trail 4000

Hand-pulling Salsola tragus riparian along trail 4000

Hand-pulling Brassica nigra riparian along trail 8950

Hand-pulling Melilotus indica riparian along trail 1000

Hand-pulling Ricinus communis CSS, upper saltmarsh marsh 9000

Hand-pulling Hirschfeldia incana CSS, upper saltmarsh 12950

Synthetic Herbicide Melilotus albus sandy dune/island 8000

Hand-pulling Silybum marianum riparian along road 3000

Synthetic Herbicide Brassica nigra riparian along trail 250

Synthetic Herbicide Hirschfeldia incana riparian along trail 250

Synthetic Herbicide Silybum marianum riparian along trail 500

Synthetic Herbicide Melilotus indica riparian along road 6400

Synthetic Herbicide Cynodon dactylon riparian along road 4000

122 1. Were active surveys conducted on the property for invasive beetles? No

2. Were any invasive beetle occurrences discovered prior to or during the reporting year on this property? Yes i. If yes, identify the species: ISHB ii. Please complete the table limiting your responses to species occurrences or upload a attachment outlining the speciﬁcs below:

Invasive Beetle Infested Geographic Area of the # of Infested Infested Tree Species Name Property Trees

Platanus racemosa ISHB Big Canyon Nature Park 5 iii. Did active management for invasive beetles occur on the property? No

- If no, provide a brief summary or explanation regarding species occurences and justify why no such actions were taken in the space provided and/or upload a speciﬁc attachment below: One informal survey was conducted by the Newport Bay Conservancy in September 2019. However, resources and personnel were limited during 2019 making surveys and management challenging. Greater eﬀorts will be taken during 2020 to survey and manage invasive beetles in coordination with the Newport Bay Conservancy, City of Newport Beach, County of Orange, the Natural Communities Coalition and the Emerging Tree Pest Task Force.

VII. Fire Management Activities

VIII. 2020 Work Plan

Draft original or amend existing property closure policy? No

Draft original or amend existing property special use policy? No

Draft original or amend existing GDP and/or Master Plan? No

Change in methodology for estimating property visitor use? No

Implement new or continue protocols for monitoring changes in trail conditions and/or reporting? Yes

Research (ongoing or new)? Yes

123 If yes, please enter additional details regarding the research pertaining to resources addressed by NCCP/HCP: The following ongoing research projects are taking place in the Upper Newport Bay ER:

-Since about 2010, the eelgrass and oyster restoration project has been ongoing and led by Orange County Coastkeeper, Cal State Fullerton, and Cal State Long Beach. This project continues to explore methods for successful oyster bed and eelgrass restoration through experimental plots established in Upper Newport Bay ER. OC Coastkeeper assesses eelgrass densities, area and growth, water quality, shoreline elevation, oyster bed subsidence and wave attenuation. Data collected by CSUF includes measures of oyster settlement, recruitment, densities, percent shell cover, adult sizes, sedimentation, and bird use of the habitat. Work performed by CSULB includes assessments of infaunal and ﬁsh communities and analyses of oyster tissue and sediment for contamination.

-Call counts of Ridgway's Rails are conducted annually to assess population dynamics. Monitoring is provided under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Dick Zembal. The MOU allows for annual nest searches and egg collection to the breeding program at Sea World; during 2019, 2 eggs were collected from wild nests. Surveys were conducted during the start of the breeding season. The survey data is provided as part of a ﬁnal annual report submitted to CDFW. In 2019, only 63 pairs were counted, a 17.1% decline from 2018. The Ridgway's Rail population at UNBER has drastically been declining since 2016 due to habitat loss; cordgrass cover decreased dramatically during 2016 and minimal recovery has been observed. This may be an restoration opportunity in the future to facilitate recovery of cordgrass habitat for the Ridgway's Rail.

-Belding's Savannah Sparrow surveys occur every five years with 2020 being the next survey year. Surveys are conducted by Dick Zembal under a Memorandium of Understanding. The last survey effort was completed in April 2015 and next survey effort would occur in five years in 2020. In 2015, 278 territories were recorded at Upper Newport Bay, representing a 4% increase from 268 territories identified in 2011. Territories are concentrated in dense pickleweed (Salicornia sp.) in the mid marsh, likely to avoid frequent tidal inundation. However, this makes the population more vulnerable to human and pet trespass, mammalian predators, stands of Algerian sea lavender (Limonium ramosissimum), and habitats dominated by song sparrows. Management efforts for 2020 will continue to focus on control Algerian sea lavender and reducing human trespass.

-The California Least Tern population at Upper Newport Bay ER will be monitored during the 2020 nesting season. During 2019, 20 nests were counted. However, because all monitoring was conducted remotely from an adjacent bluff, accurate counts of chicks and fledglings was challenging. To alleviate harassment by Black Skimmers, two scarecrows were placed on the island; the presence of the scarecrows created a zone with little Black Skimmer activity, providing additional space for nesting CA Least Terns. However, even though the scarecrows created space for the CA Least Terns, assessments of images collected in prior years using trail cameras suggest that severe harassment by Black Skimmers could still occur if chicks or fledglings venture outside of the zone created by the scarecrows. During 2020, the scarecrows and trail cameras will be deployed in April before CA Least Terns arrive on-site. The majority of monitoring will be performed remotely from the adjacent bluff to minimize impact, but on-site nest surveys will be conducted weekly to verify nest locations and maintain trail cameras using the least time-intensive approach.

-In 2010, the Upper Newport Bay Ecosystem Restoration Project was implemented. To meet the monitoring requirements for the project, the final monitoring effort is scheduled to take place during 2020. The 2020 monitoring effort includes includes vegetation, avian, and fisheries surveys, bathymetry survey, and water quality assessments. CDFW is responsible for conducting general avian and fisheries surveys and water quality assessments, all of which will be conducted quarterly.

Recreation facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? No

Infrastructure facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? No

Mitigation habitat restoration to be initiated?

124 No

Non-mitigation habitat restoration initiated? No

Invasive plant control actions to be undertaken by land owner (not NCC)? Yes

Invasive beetle control actions to be undertaken by land owner or contractor? Yes

Other (please describe): CDFW will monitor and treat Priority 1 species in UNBER including invasive Limonium, Volutaria tubuliﬂora, Lepidium latifolium, and Iris pseudacorus. These eﬀorts will be conducted in collaboration with local partners and volunteers. Priority 2 species, Sahara mustard (Brassica tournefortii), was also recently documented on Shellmaker Island. Actions will be taken to monitor and treat this population during 2020.

CDFW will also work with local partners including the Newport Bay Conservancy, City of Newport Beach, County of Orange, the Natural Communities Coalition and the Emergent Tree Pest Task Force to coordinate monitoring and treatment of invasive beetles in UNBER.

Installation of new fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? No

Maintenance of existing fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? No

125 Reporting Year 2019

Land Manager

Park, open space or management unit Crystal Cove SP

Website http://www.crystalcovestatepark.org

Land owning entity: California Department of Parks and Recreation

I. Executive Summary

Provide a brief summary of the highlights relating to habitat impacts, restoration, fuel management and public access, as well as significant changes or modifications planned next year. In 2019, Crystal Cove State Park continued to be managed in a manner consistent with the habitat protection values of the OC NCCP/HCP, the Park’s general plan, and the broader mission of State Parks. No new recreational and infrastructure facilities were constructed in 2019, nor are any planned for the 2020 calendar year. Compared to 2018, fuel management practices and public access policies for the park were unchanged. While public recreational use of Crystal Cove State Park continued to grow modestly in 2019, no significant adverse impacts to habitat were observed. Although not currently permitted in Crystal Cove SP, the growing popularity of electric-bikes is likely to require additional study and management action/policy. Parks continued to survey and treat invasive plants, including implementation of an EDRR program (in partnership with NCC). State Parks also carried out its third year of the 4-acre “Bowl” habitat restoration project and experiment. Annual vegetation monitoring (performed by staff and students from UCI’s CEB program) indicates CSS areas are on a successful trajectory, while grasslands have failed to establish. Land IQ, with funding from NCC and the Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB), initiated habitat restoration for western spadefoot toad on Moro Ridge. In the fall of 2020, IRC and State Parks will initiate site preparation for a 7-acre CSS habitat restoration site in lower Moro. Lastly, we expect completion of the Natural Resources Management Plan (NRMP) for Crystal Cove in 2020.

Description of closure conditions and procedures. 2019 Posted Orders attached. Relevant posted orders include: 925-19-01 Public Health and Safety Closure (p. 3) 925-19-03 Day use areas - Hours of Closure (p. 5) 925-19-29 Temporary Rain Closures (p. 52)

126 ii. Has the policy been oﬃcially modiﬁed since the previous year’s annual report? No c. In the table provided below please identify the number of times the property was closed and the circumstances

Date of Closure Reason for Closure Duration of Closure (Days) Full or Partial Closure

NA Tracking for 2020 report Partial d. Is there an oﬃcial written policy governing special events use of the property? Yes

Description of special events use for the property. Crystal Cove State Park provides opportunities for the public to permit special events that include but, are not limited to, private and commercial use events. Approximately 250 special events were permitted in 2019- not including ﬁlm permits.

Private special events are typically weddings, parties, tours, and sporting events.

Commercial uses include semi-regular activities such as wellness/ﬁtness training, sporting competitions, nature tours, outdoor skills classes and recreational hikes/walks.

CCSP also permits special events to support our Concession/Co-Op partner for fundraising events, education programming and open to the public interpretive events, such as art shows, walking tours and other recreational activities. ii. Has the policy been oﬃcially modiﬁed since the previous year’s annual report? No

2. Oversight: Property Dedicated Staﬃng by Position

Position Title Number of Positions FTE

Sector Superintendent 1 1

Park Aide (seasonal) 45 24

Special Event coordinator 2 1.75

Interpreter 2 1.75

Peace Oﬃcer Ranger/Lifeguard 6 6

Lifeguard (seasonal) 50 15.6

Facilities Maintenance Manager/Supervisor 4 4

Maintenance Park Aide 20 10.75

Environmental Scientist 2 2

Environmental Services Intern 5 3.75

3. Property Supervisor Contact Information

Name Title Email Phone

Eric Dymmel Sector Superintendent [email protected] 949-497-1421

127 a. Total number of public visitors to the property based on land owner’s estimate: 2064525 b. What method(s) is/are used to estimate visitation? Summarize in the box below. The day use estimate includes free and paid day use, park entry by any means including by motor vehicle of any type, on foot, on bicycle, by boat or on horseback. Admission based on the use of annual passes is incorporated into this estimate. Additionally, we maintain 9 trail counters in the Crystal Cove back-country to estimate back-country use, and counts are calibrated to each specific counter location. However, these numbers are NOT included in the total visitation number listed above as it is unclear how many park visitors are included in the official park count. c. Compare the estimated number of total visitors this year to the past two years in the space provide below. If estimates for previous years do not exist for the property, please know the goal in future annual reports is to have estimates for three consecutive years to document visitation trends. Per the official statistical report released by the Department of Parks and Recreation for July 2017 through June 2018, Crystal Cove received an estimated 1,924,517 day use visitors and 118,609 campers for a total of 2,043,126 visitors. The estimate for 2016/2017 was 1,235,889 day use visitors and 123,174 campers for a total of 1,809,483. d. Were there new types of park users or uses observed over the past year (e.g., geocaching, use of drones, ebikes, etc.) that could warrant a management response or need for development of a new visitor policy? Please list new users and/or uses below. E-bike use and to a lesser extent, drone use. The District has posted orders concerning both activities. e. Were there any special events held for which special use permits were issued for the property? Yes i. Provide in the table below a summary of trail-based special events held for which special use permits were issued for the property.

Event Date Type of Trail-based Special Event # of Participants

01/24/19 Expert Active- commercial hike 20

04/13/19 Rock It Racing- sporting competition 300

05/11/19 Whoo’s In El Morro- sporting competition 200

06/09/19 Generic/XTERRA - sporting competition 600

07/19/19 City of Huntington Beach Jr. Lg. 250

07/31/19 City of Seal Beach Jr Lg. 65

08/09/19 City of Huntington Beach Jr. Lg. 250

10/04/19 Paciﬁc High School- inter-mural sporting competition 250

10/27/19 Blindhund Athletic Prod. – sporting competition 300

36 dates REI- commercial outdoor skills classes 200

Twice weekly Blue Pearl Laguna – commercial hike 600

10 total events Wake Up Warriors- commercial hike/ﬁtness class 250 f. In the table provided below, please identify any documented impacts to habitat from unauthorized property uses.

Date of Observation Description of Impact Habitat Type Estimated Acres

NA Continued use of existing unauthorized trails CSS 0.01

128 a. Does land owner or its land managing representative monitor trail conditions annually? Yes i. If yes, summarize methodology in the space below and describe the general trend you observed for the property, and identify any specific trails where conditions are found to be degraded and any actions proposed or taken to address the degradation. Park rangers, lifeguard, and natural resource staff visually inspect trail conditions throughout the year during the course of normal park operations. Following rain events, supervising park ranger(s) or lifeguard(s) assess conditions once roads and trails are dry enough to drive and report back to staff about needed road closures, and where significant damage has occurred. Typically, at the conclusion of each rain season, park staff work with internal heavy equipment or OCFA to repair damaged utility roads. Non-utility roads and trails are repaired by maintenance and natural resource staff using heavy equipment and/or hand tools, as appropriate. Trail assistant volunteers also assisted in 2019 with repairs to the BFI single- track trail in Lower Moro using hand tools only under park staff supervision. ii. Are notes, photographs or other documentation of the monitoring performed archived? Yes

III. Recreation Facility Construction and Maintenance

IV. Infrastructure Facility Construction and Maintenance

Facility & Location Moro Canyon Road (SCE utility road) Start Date 2019-10-15 End Date 2019-10-18 Was facility identiﬁed in an applicable GDP or RMP? Yes Coordination with NCC? No Impacts: Habitats or Sensitive Species

Type Amount (Acres)

CSS 0

Restoration Actions Taken? No Please describe the actions taken or justify why no such actions were taken Culvert repair, performed by OCFA for SCE.

V. Habitat Restoration and Enhancement

Project Lead Land owner Provide project name and/or permit number if the project is on behalf of an agency other than the land owner.

129 Bowl Restoration Project Mitigation No CSS Community Acres 2 Grassland Community Acres 2 If this is a formal restoration plan, please provide the name: Ecological Restoration of “The Bowl” in Crystal Cove State Park: Exploring Approaches to Increase Ecological Value Coordination with NCC No Start Date 2017-02-06 Anticipated End Date 2022-06-30 Performance Monitoring Yes Data Archived in GIS Database Yes Data Manager Lana Nguyen Project Lead NCC Mitigation No Cactus Scrub Community Acres 7 Other Restoration Community Acres 0.22 If this is a formal restoration plan, please provide the name: Habitat Restoration and Monitoring Plan for Crystal Cove State Park Upland Habitat Restoration & Seasonal Pool Creation—Western Spadefoot (Spea hammondii) Coordination with NCC Yes Start Date 2019-11-11 Anticipated End Date 2022-09-01 Performance Monitoring Yes Data Archived in GIS Database Yes Data Manager

130 Land IQ/NCC

VI. Invasive Species Control

1. Were active surveys conducted on the property for invasive beetles? Yes

Invasive Beetle Infested Geographic Area of the # of Infested Infested Tree Species Name Property Trees

Arroyo willow ISHB pelican point area 6

Arroyo willow ISHB lower moro canyon 20 iii. Did active management for invasive beetles occur on the property? Yes

VII. Fire Management Activities

Fuel Management Map Fuel-Management-Area-Map-CCSP.pdf

Project Number Referenced on the Map 01 Coordination with NCC No Habitat Type(s) in Which Modiﬁcation Occurred Annual grassland Disturbed vegetation CSS General Description of Fuel Modiﬁcation Technique Employed Mowing Pruning/thinning Shrub matrix/remove dead material

131 Chemical Approximate Area Treated in Acres 7.3 Management Action Consistent with Stakeholder Guide (WFMP) Yes New Fuel Management Treatment or Maintenance of Existing Maintenance Project Number Referenced on the Map 02 Coordination with NCC No Habitat Type(s) in Which Modiﬁcation Occurred Annual grassland Disturbed vegetation CSS General Description of Fuel Modiﬁcation Technique Employed Mowing Pruning/thinning Shrub matrix/remove dead material Chemical Approximate Area Treated in Acres 6.3 Management Action Consistent with Stakeholder Guide (WFMP) Yes New Fuel Management Treatment or Maintenance of Existing Maintenance

VIII. 2020 Work Plan

Draft original or amend existing property closure policy? No

Draft original or amend existing property special use policy? No

Draft original or amend existing GDP and/or Master Plan? No

Change in methodology for estimating property visitor use? No

Implement new or continue protocols for monitoring changes in trail conditions and/or reporting? Yes

Research (ongoing or new)? Yes

If yes, please enter additional details regarding the research pertaining to resources addressed by NCCP/HCP:

132 Western spadefoot toad research conducted by USGS, to understand both natural movement of resident toads (in 2019) and the impact/benefit of habitat restoration and pool creation (2020-2022). UCI/CEB research into the efficacy of various seeding and weeding techniques on CSS and grassland restoration. Butterfly richness and diversity at the Bowl Restoration Site, conducted by Crystal Cove Conservancy.

Recreation facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? Yes

If yes, what is the nature of the anticipated construction or maintenance project? (Check all that apply) Restrooms

Location where above work is proposed to take place? (GPS approximate center of project location and record below): Pelican lot #4 restroom ( 33°34'45.38"N, 117°50'44.39"W)

Infrastructure facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? No

Mitigation habitat restoration to be initiated? No

Non-mitigation habitat restoration initiated? Yes

If yes, please ﬁll out the following

Habitat Type Approximate Location Area (acres)

CSS Lower moro 7

Additional Information: Work will be conducted by Irvine Ranch Conservancy beginning in fall of 2020. IRC to complete project HMMP in June of 2020.

Invasive plant control actions to be undertaken by land owner (not NCC)? Yes

Invasive beetle control actions to be undertaken by land owner or contractor? Yes

Installation of new fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? No

Maintenance of existing fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? Yes

133 Reporting Year 2019

Land Manager

Park, open space or management unit Aliso & Wood Canyons WP

Website http://www.ocparks.com/parks/aliso

Land owning entity: OC Parks

I. Executive Summary

Provide a brief summary of the highlights relating to habitat impacts, restoration, fuel management and public access, as well as signiﬁcant changes or modiﬁcations planned next year. Tbd

Description of closure conditions and procedures. Please see: Sec. 2-5-46 (d). Trails, trespassing and closed areas. Sec. 2-5-215. Hours. General practices follow: Hours – 7:00 am to Sunset Closures for wet and muddy conditions, as determined by staff Closures for localized red flag conditions, as determined by staff Closures following significant fires, as advised by OC Fire Authority and determined by staff ii. Has the policy been officially modified since the previous year’s annual report? No c. In the table provided below please identify the number of times the property was closed and the circumstances

Date of Closure Reason for Closure Duration of Closure (Days) Full or Partial Closure

Data unavailable Rain 57 Full

134 d. Is there an oﬃcial written policy governing special events use of the property? Yes i. If yes, attach a PDF of the policy or provide a brief written summary in the space below RPRT-Competitive-Race-Events-Policy.pdf

Description of special events use for the property. All special event requests are subject to OC Parks permitting, which includes review by field operations, operations management, and natural resources. Permits are subject to compliance with special conditions tailored to individual events and resources within the park. ii. Has the policy been officially modified since the previous year’s annual report? No

2. Oversight: Property Dedicated Staﬃng by Position

Position Title Number of Positions FTE

Supervising Park Ranger 1 Y

Park Ranger 1 Y

Resource Specialist 1 Y

Maintenance Worker 1 Y

Park Attendant 1 Y

3. Property Supervisor Contact Information

Name Title Email Phone

Brad Barker Supervising Park Ranger [email protected] 949.923.2201

Alisa Flint Natural Resources Program Coordinator alisa.ﬂ[email protected] 949.585.6470

a. Total number of public visitors to the property based on land owner’s estimate: 106705 b. What method(s) is/are used to estimate visitation? Summarize in the box below. Staﬀ estimate based on parking, trail cameras/counters, and volunteers c. Compare the estimated number of total visitors this year to the past two years in the space provide below. If estimates for previous years do not exist for the property, please know the goal in future annual reports is to have estimates for three consecutive years to document visitation trends. Average of 2015-2018 is 144,568 (individual years currently inaccessible) d. Were there new types of park users or uses observed over the past year (e.g., geocaching, use of drones, ebikes, etc.) that could warrant a management response or need for development of a new visitor policy? Please list new users and/or uses below. E-bikes e. Were there any special events held for which special use permits were issued for the property? Yes

135 i. Provide in the table below a summary of trail-based special events held for which special use permits were issued for the property.

Event Date Type of Trail-based Special Event # of Participants

May 25, 2019 Rock It in Aliso & Wood- Foot race Data unavailable

November 16, 2019 Dirt Fondo- Mountain bike ride Data unavailable f. In the table provided below, please identify any documented impacts to habitat from unauthorized property uses.

Date of Observation Description of Impact Habitat Type Estimated Acres

n/a ------

III. Recreation Facility Construction and Maintenance

Recreational Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no recreational facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

IV. Infrastructure Facility Construction and Maintenance

Infrastructure Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no infrastructural facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

V. Habitat Restoration and Enhancement

Project Lead Land owner Provide project name and/or permit number if the project is on behalf of an agency other than the land owner. CDFG SAA No. 1600-2010-0322-R5; RWQCB 401 Certiﬁcation No. 10C-094 Mitigation Yes Riparian Community Acres

136 0.40 Other Restoration Community Acres 0.18 Other Restoration Community Type Wetland If this is a formal restoration plan, please provide the name: Riparian Restoration and Enhancement Plan: Mathis Service Road/Trail Repair Project, Aliso and wood Canyons Wilderness Park, County of Orange, California Coordination with NCC Yes Start Date 2012-01-01 Anticipated End Date 2021-05-31 Performance Monitoring Yes Data Archived in GIS Database Yes Data Manager Rafael Balneg, OC Parks GIS Manager Project Lead Land owner Provide project name and/or permit number if the project is on behalf of an agency other than the land owner. Lower Aliso Creek Arundo Control (Prop 50) Mitigation No Riparian Community Acres 35 If this is a formal restoration plan, please provide the name: Note: Is now included in regular weed control maintenance of the park and will not be reported as a discrete project in future years Coordination with NCC Yes Start Date 2012-01-01 Anticipated End Date 2019-12-31 Performance Monitoring No Data Archived in GIS Database No

137 VI. Invasive Species Control

1. Did the land owner/manager or their staﬀ, volunteers or contractor treat invasive plant species on the property? Yes a. Were the results of the invasive plant control eﬀorts for the property conducted by the land owner/manager or their contractor reported to CalFlora? Partially i. If no or partially, please complete the table below:

Treatment Habitat(s) Area of Treatment Invasive Plant Name Methodology Impacted (Square Meters)

Artichoke thistle, Pampas grass, Synthetic Herbicide Multiple 339,936 Arundo, tree tobacco

Hand-pulling Sahara mustard CSS Entered in CalFlora

1. Were active surveys conducted on the property for invasive beetles? Yes

Invasive Beetle Infested Geographic Area of the Infested Tree Species # of Infested Trees Name Property

Please see attached ﬁle ------iii. Did active management for invasive beetles occur on the property? Yes

Optional: upload a concise attachment regarding species occurrences, invasive beetle names, infested area and number of infested trees and actions taken or justify why no such actions were taken: RPRT-Aliso-Wood-Canyons-Wilderness-Park-Cycle-4.pdf

VII. Fire Management Activities

Fuel Management Map ALWO-FC-1.03-City-Grazing.pdf

Project Number Referenced on the Map 1 Coordination with NCC Yes

138 Habitat Type(s) in Which Modiﬁcation Occurred Annual grassland Disturbed vegetation CSS General Description of Fuel Modiﬁcation Technique Employed Grazing Approximate Area Treated in Acres 27 Management Action Consistent with Stakeholder Guide (WFMP) No New Fuel Management Treatment or Maintenance of Existing Maintenance

VIII. 2020 Work Plan

Draft original or amend existing property closure policy? No

Draft original or amend existing property special use policy? No

Draft original or amend existing GDP and/or Master Plan? No

Change in methodology for estimating property visitor use? No

Implement new or continue protocols for monitoring changes in trail conditions and/or reporting? No

Research (ongoing or new)? Yes

If yes, please enter additional details regarding the research pertaining to resources addressed by NCCP/HCP: Statewide California gnatcatcher surveys Focused California gnatcatcher surveys in post-burn areas Post-ﬁre leaf sampling (UC Riverside) Post-ﬁre seed collection (UC Irvine)

Recreation facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? No

Infrastructure facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? Yes

What is the nature of the anticipated construction or maintenance project? (Check all that apply) Access roads Location where above work is proposed to take place? (GPS approximate center of project location and record below): 33*34'57.67"N, 117*45'38.45"W

139 Identify any project lead(s) (i.e., utility, government department):

Caltrans

Mitigation habitat restoration to be initiated? Yes

If yes, please ﬁll out the following

Habitat Type Approximate Location Area (acres)

Riparian Wood Canyon TBD

Non-mitigation habitat restoration initiated? No

Additional Information: Mitigation for SOCWA Forcemain Improvements; ﬁnal mitigation acreage and timeline for implementation TBD

Invasive plant control actions to be undertaken by land owner (not NCC)? Yes

Invasive beetle control actions to be undertaken by land owner or contractor? Yes

Other (please describe): Park-wide mapping of high priority of weeds in CalFlora Mapping of all EDRR and weed treatment in CalFlora

Installation of new fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? No

Maintenance of existing fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? Yes

140 Reporting Year 2019

Land Manager

Park, open space or management unit Irvine Ranch Open Space

Website https://letsgooutside.org

Land owning entity: County of Orange

Land managing entity if diﬀerent from above: Irvine Ranch Conservancy

I. Executive Summary

Provide a brief summary of the highlights relating to habitat impacts, restoration, fuel management and public access, as well as signiﬁcant changes or modiﬁcations planned next year. The Irvine Ranch Open Space received approximately 16,610 volunteer-led visitors in 2019, which is a slight decrease from 2018. This may be due to the number of closures related to wet and muddy conditions (83 days), as well as closures related to Red Flag conditions (8 days).

Annual inspections of all multi-use trails were conducted to assess erosion, and routine post-winter repairs were performed. The Overlook Multi-Use trail approved in the RMMP was implemented. Construction of the Agua Chinon and Creek trails in Limestone Canyon will be implemented in 2020. Construction of the Overlook Viewing Deck, providing views of Weir, Gypsum, and Fremont canyons, will be implemented in 2020. Planned maintenance for 2020 includes minor tread alignment and trail adjustments to the Limestone Ridge multi-use trail.

Trail width and trailside vegetation quality are monitored yearly, and there has been no signiﬁcant change in trail width over time. Trail conditions are monitored continuously, and maintenance occurs as needed. Restoration and enhancement of multiple habitats is being conducted over approximately 250 acres. A new CDFW-funded Tecate cypress enhancement project will be initiated in 2020. Surveys and control of both invasive plant species and invasive beetles is ongoing and will continue in 2020.

Description of closure conditions and procedures.

141 Unoﬃcial: INTERNAL PROTOCOLS

OC Parks in collaboration with Irvine Ranch Conservancy uses internal protocols for cancellation of activities and closure of access to trails and roads that may occur in order to be consistent with the applicable resource plans. This may follow significant rain events and during periods of high fire danger such as official Red Flag Warnings. The Conservancy will recommend closures for weather and other reasons, subject to the concurrence of the OC Parks Operations Manager. The OC Parks Operations Manager will provide additional guidance on closures based on trail condition assessments and provide status updates using trail status maps. ii. Has the policy been officially modified since the previous year’s annual report? No c. In the table provided below please identify the number of times the property was closed and the circumstances

Duration of Full or Partial Date of Closure Reason for Closure Closure (Days) Closure

01/06/2019 Rainstorm Wet and Muddy Conditions 1 day Full

01/12/2019 Rainstorm Wet and Muddy Conditions 9 days Full

01/31/2019 Rainstorm Wet and Muddy Conditiona=s 12 days Full

02/13/2019 Rainstorm Wet and Muddy Conditions 17 days Full

03/02/2019 Rainstorm Wet and Muddy Condtions 19 days Full

03/21/2019 Rainstorm Wet and Muddy Conditions 4 days Full

05/16/2019 Rainstorm Wet and Muddy Conditions 1 day Full

05/19/2019 Rainstorm Wet and Muddy Conditions 2 days Full

10/10/2019 Red Flag Warning - Extreme Fire Conditions 2 days Full

10/24/2019 Red Flag Warning - Extreme Fire 2 days Full

10/28/2019 Red Flag Warning - Extreme Fire Conditions 1 day Full

10/30/2019 Red Flag Warning - Extreme Fire Condtions 2 days Full

11/17/2019 Red Flag Warning - Extreme Fire Conditions 1 day Full

11/27/2019 Rainstorm Wet and Muddy Conditions 4 days Full

12/04/2019 & 12/23/2019 Rainstorm Wet and Muddy Conditions 6 days / 8 days Full d. Is there an oﬃcial written policy governing special events use of the property? Yes

Description of special events use for the property. OC Parks and IRC have developed internal guidelines in our efforts to adaptively manage human access at the Irvine Ranch Open Space. Currently the Irvine Ranch Open Space allows one large event per month, per geographical management area (for example Black Star Canyon, Fremont Canyon, etc.). A large event is defined from 100 participants up to 600 participants. Additionally, the public activity calendar for each area where a large event is scheduled is blocked out for 1-3 days following the event to allow for a rest period. Trails available for special event use may be adjusted or completely restricted depending on surveyed nest locations or other sensitivities during breeding/nesting season. Special events will be rescheduled or cancelled in areas burned in major wildfires for at least one growing season to allow the area to recover with reduced human presence.

142 ii. Has the policy been oﬃcially modiﬁed since the previous year’s annual report? No

2. Oversight: Property Dedicated Staﬃng by Position

Position Title Number of Positions FTE

Operations Manager 1

Supervising Park Ranger II 1

Park Ranger II 2

Resource Specialist 1

Park Maintenance Supervisor 1

Park Maintenance Worker 1 1

3. Property Supervisor Contact Information

Name Title Email Phone

John Gump Operations Manager [email protected] 949-585-6481

Irvine Ranch Conservancy 4727 Portola Parkway Irvine, CA 92620 714-508-4757

a. Total number of public visitors to the property based on land owner’s estimate: 16610 b. What method(s) is/are used to estimate visitation? Summarize in the box below. Activity attendance numbers are from registration data on www.letsgooutside.org website. The number includes all volunteers and public participants on implemented public and private activities on the Landmarks, including recreation, trail work, restoration, special events, and training.

The Conservancy manages the website www.letsgooutside.org, created to promote public activities within the Landmarks areas, manage public activity registration, manage volunteer assignments, obtain public participant feedback, and create automated reporting functions for all public and volunteer-only activities. The current system allows for the general public to register for public activities online. After online registration, processing is as follows: - Waiver created - Post Activity Report generated by activity Lead conﬁrming attendance of registrants and volunteers. - Waivers veriﬁed and archived in activity database - Monthly attendance reports generated which feed into research projects that correlate human access and wildlife movement in the Irvine Ranch Open Space to help the Conservancy make adaptive management decisions. c. Compare the estimated number of total visitors this year to the past two years in the space provide below. If estimates for previous years do not exist for the property, please know the goal in future annual reports is to have estimates for three consecutive years to document visitation trends. 2019 16,610 2018 17,225 2017 15,418 d. Were there new types of park users or uses observed over the past year (e.g., geocaching, use of drones, ebikes, etc.) that could warrant a management response or need for development of a new visitor policy? Please list new users and/or uses below.

143 Yes, eBikes - when observed were advised by staﬀ that eBikes are not permitted. Had a handful of observations, some eBike users obliged, others claimed ADA exception and were allowed. There may have been a small undetermined number of users with eBikes that were not identiﬁed during Wilderness Access Days and permitted special events. e. Were there any special events held for which special use permits were issued for the property? Yes i. Provide in the table below a summary of trail-based special events held for which special use permits were issued for the property.

Event Date Type of Trail-based Special Event # of Participants

04/06/2019 Into the Wild - Trail Run - Black Star Canyon 156

06/01/2019 Into The Wild - Trail Runs - Fremont Canyon 104

11/02/2019 Into The Wild - Trail Runs - Limestone Canyon 266

05/04/2019 OC Mountain Bike Rides - Limestone Canyon 124

09/07/2019 OC Mountain Bike Rides - Limestone Canyon 121

10/05/2019 OC Mountain Bike Rides - Fremont Canyon 101

07/30/2019 Over the Hump - Limestone Canyon 253

10/27/2019 IRC Friends & Family Day - Mesa (Hiking, Mountain Biking, Equestrian) 80 f. In the table provided below, please identify any documented impacts to habitat from unauthorized property uses.

Esti Date of mate Habitat Observ Description of Impact d Type ation Acre s

Mielke Property (Limestone Canyon bordering Santiago Canyon Road) – Historical encroachment dating back decades. In May 2019 OC Parks did reinstall new fencing Black See around property. OC Parks re-aligned property owners’ fence back on to their Mustard/ Descrip property line and removed roughly 0.4 acres of non-native weeds (black 0 milk tion mustard/milk thistle) from around property as well as performed eucalyptus thistle removals. No impact to native habitat as the historic fuel break maintained around property perimeter has been disturbed for many years prior to County ownership.

a. Does land owner or its land managing representative monitor trail conditions annually? Yes i. If yes, summarize methodology in the space below and describe the general trend you observed for the property, and identify any specific trails where conditions are found to be degraded and any actions proposed or taken to address the degradation. Trail conditions are monitored regularly throughout the year and after any significant rainfall event (>0.25”), and maintenance occurs within the limits of the trail-tread on an as-needed basis. Annual preventative maintenance includes but is not limited to: filling rills and ruts, implementing industry standard natural surface erosion control measures (water bars, grade dips, grade reversals, grade nicks, etc..), trail armoring, and sediment removal from existing erosion control features. Vegetation trimming is limited to maintenance of the scheduled trail widths per the approved RRMP. No trails were observed to have excessive erosion that required any maintenance beyond the routine anticipated annual post- winter repairs. Additionally, trail width and trailside vegetation quality are measured at fixed points throughout the Reserve. At each point, photos are taken in each direction of the trail and to either side (4 total). To date, no significant

144 change in trail width has been identiﬁed. ii. Are notes, photographs or other documentation of the monitoring performed archived? Yes

III. Recreation Facility Construction and Maintenance

Recreational Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no recreational facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

IV. Infrastructure Facility Construction and Maintenance

Infrastructure Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no infrastructural facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

V. Habitat Restoration and Enhancement

Project Lead Third party Mitigation Yes CSS Community Acres 26.1 Grassland Community Acres 34.2 Riparian Community Acres 1.2 Woodland Community Acres 1 If this is a formal restoration plan, please provide the name: West Loma II - HMMP: West Loma Subwatershed Coordination with NCC Yes Start Date 2013-10-21 Anticipated End Date 2022-12-31 Performance Monitoring Yes Data Archived in GIS Database Yes Data Manager Yi-Chin Fang Project Lead

145 Third party Mitigation No CSS Community Acres 37.57 Grassland Community Acres 14.37 If this is a formal restoration plan, please provide the name: West Loma I - Phase II Restoration Plan for Orange County Parks West Loma Subwatershed Coordination with NCC Yes Start Date 2010-01-01 Anticipated End Date 2026-06-30 Performance Monitoring Yes Data Archived in GIS Database Yes Data Manager Yi-Chin Fang Project Lead Third party Mitigation Yes CSS Community Acres 4 Riparian Community Acres 1.76 Woodland Community Acres 0.34 If this is a formal restoration plan, please provide the name: Agua Chinon OCTA - HMMP: Agua Chinon Subwatershed Coordination with NCC Yes Start Date 2013-01-01 Anticipated End Date 2020-08-31 Performance Monitoring Yes Data Archived in GIS Database Yes

146 Data Manager Yi-Chin Fang Project Lead Third party Mitigation Yes CSS Community Acres 6.89 Riparian Community Acres 7.65 Woodland Community Acres 2.42 If this is a formal restoration plan, please provide the name: Agua Chinon OCWR - HMMP: Agua Chinon Wash San Diego Creek Watershed Coordination with NCC Yes Start Date 2013-01-01 Anticipated End Date 2023-06-30 Performance Monitoring Yes Data Archived in GIS Database Yes Data Manager Yi-Chin Fang Project Lead Third party Mitigation No Woodland Community Acres 12 If this is a formal restoration plan, please provide the name: Weir Canyon Oak Enhancement- CDFW Restoring Oak Woodland in Habitat Damaged by GSOB Coordination with NCC Yes Start Date 2018-01-01 Anticipated End Date 2020-03-31 Performance Monitoring Yes Data Archived in GIS Database

147 Yes Data Manager Yi-Chin Fang Project Lead Third party Mitigation Yes CSS Community Acres 30.75 Grassland Community Acres 35.44 Woodland Community Acres 17.79 If this is a formal restoration plan, please provide the name: Bee Flat OCTA - Restoration Plan Framework for Bee Flat Coordination with NCC Yes Start Date 2011-01-14 Anticipated End Date 2020-06-30 Performance Monitoring Yes Data Archived in GIS Database Yes Data Manager Yi-Chin Fang Project Lead Third party Mitigation No CSS Community Acres 7 If this is a formal restoration plan, please provide the name: Orchard Hills Soil Salvage Coordination with NCC Yes Start Date 2015-12-01 Anticipated End Date 2020-06-30 Performance Monitoring Yes

148 Data Archived in GIS Database Yes Data Manager Yi-Chin Fang Project Lead Third party Mitigation No Woodland Community Acres 10.3 If this is a formal restoration plan, please provide the name: Restoring Tecate Cypress in the Santa Ana Mountains Coordination with NCC Yes Start Date 2010-11-01 Anticipated End Date 2020-06-30 Performance Monitoring Yes Data Archived in GIS Database Yes Data Manager Yi-Chin Fang

VI. Invasive Species Control

1. Were active surveys conducted on the property for invasive beetles? Yes

2. Were any invasive beetle occurrences discovered prior to or during the reporting year on this property? Yes i. If yes, identify the species: GSOB ii. Please complete the table limiting your responses to species occurrences or upload a attachment outlining the speciﬁcs below:

149 Invasive Beetle Infested Geographic Area of the # of Infested Infested Tree Species Name Property Trees

Coast Live Oak GSOB Weir and Gypsum Canyon 326 iii. Did active management for invasive beetles occur on the property? Yes

VII. Fire Management Activities

VIII. 2020 Work Plan

Draft original or amend existing property closure policy? No

Draft original or amend existing property special use policy? No

Draft original or amend existing GDP and/or Master Plan? No

Change in methodology for estimating property visitor use? Yes

Implement new or continue protocols for monitoring changes in trail conditions and/or reporting? Yes

Research (ongoing or new)? Yes

If yes, please enter additional details regarding the research pertaining to resources addressed by NCCP/HCP: Trail condition monitoring is being revised to capture larger trail segments and to incorporate drone imagery to provide more information.

Recreation facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? Yes

If yes, what is the nature of the anticipated construction or maintenance project? (Check all that apply) Trails Other

Location where above work is proposed to take place? (GPS approximate center of project location and record below): OVERLOOK TRAIL, UPPER WEIR CANYON: Implementation of the ﬁnal connection segment of the Overlook 4’ wide multi- use trail per the approved RRMP. Beginning and End coordinates: 33.831538, -117.718702, 33.834125, -117.718321 The multi-use trail approximately 1,348 lineal feet creates the ﬁnal connection between Upper Weir Canyon and Gypsum Canyon. OVERLOOK TRAIL VIEWING DECK, UPPER WEIR CANYON: Implementation of the Floating (at-grade) vista point viewing deck at the Overlook multi-use trail. Coordiates: 33.827680, -117.723385 The viewing deck will accommodate a 360 degree vista view of the Weir, Gypsum, and Fremont Canyons, while maintain users within the designated viewing deck to protect and maintain the integrity of the natural habitat. LIMESTONE RIDGE TRAIL, LIMESTONE CANYON: Minor

150 Alignment Adjustments: Implement minor alignment adjustments to the existing Limestone Ridge Trail to mitigate erosion and increase trail sustainability prior to the 2020/2021 winter precipitation. Coordinates: 33.746852, -117.677675. Work to entail approximately 480 lineal feet of alignment adjustments. AGUA CHINON BYPASS MULTI-USE TRAIL, LIMESTONE CANYON: Implementation of the Agua Chinon multi-use trail per the approved RRMP. The Beginning and End coordinates: 33.695152, -117.689578 33.702519, -117.678787. The multi-use trail approximately 1.75 miles creates a multi-use trail bypassing the existing Agua Chinon access road to be closed and restored at a future date TBD. CREEK TRAIL, LIMESTONE CANYON: Implementation of the Creek multi-use trail per the approved RRMP. The Beginning and End coordinates: 33.739046, -117.669976, 33.751034, -117.674348 The multi-use trail approximately 1.25 miles creates a multi-use connector trail between Limestone Ridge and the Red Rock Staging area.

Infrastructure facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? No

Mitigation habitat restoration to be initiated? No

Non-mitigation habitat restoration initiated? Yes

If yes, please ﬁll out the following

Habitat Type Approximate Location Area (acres)

Tecate Cypress Woodand TBD 0.5

Additional Information: Enhancing Tecate Cypress to Promote Population Resilience Fremont and Gypsum Canyon. Exact location is TBD based on habitat suitability model

Invasive plant control actions to be undertaken by land owner (not NCC)? Yes

Invasive beetle control actions to be undertaken by land owner or contractor? Yes

Installation of new fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? No

Maintenance of existing fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? Yes

Other (please describe): - Disturbed weedy area around Mielke property mentioned above - Disturbed weedy area along Black Star Canyon Road parking area where ﬁres have started in the past

151 Reporting Year 2019

Land Manager

Park, open space or management unit Irvine RP

Website http://www.ocparks.com/parks/irvine

Land owning entity: OC Parks

I. Executive Summary

Provide a brief summary of the highlights relating to habitat impacts, restoration, fuel management and public access, as well as signiﬁcant changes or modiﬁcations planned next year. Tbd

Date of Closure Reason for Closure Duration of Closure (Days) Full or Partial Closure

Data unavailable ------

152 d. Is there an oﬃcial written policy governing special events use of the property? Yes i. If yes, attach a PDF of the policy or provide a brief written summary in the space below RPRT-Competitive-Race-Events-Policy-1.pdf

Description of special events use for the property. All special event requests are subject to OC Parks permitting, which includes review by field operations, operations management, and natural resources. Permits are subject to compliance with special conditions tailored to individual events and resources within parks. ii. Has the policy been officially modified since the previous year’s annual report? No

2. Oversight: Property Dedicated Staﬃng by Position

Position Title Number of Positions FTE

Supervising Park Ranger 1 Y

Park Ranger 2 Y

Resource Specialist 1 (covers Irvine, Peters & Santiago Oaks) Y

Maintenance Supervisor (multiple classes) 2 Y

Maintenance Worker (multiple classes) 12 Y

Maintenance Worker 2 N

Oﬃce Technician 1 Y

3. Property Supervisor Contact Information

Name Title Email Phone

Arturo Castillo Supervising Park Ranger [email protected] 714.973.6834

Alisa Flint Natural Resources Program Coordinator alisa.ﬂ[email protected] 949.585.6470

a. Total number of public visitors to the property based on land owner’s estimate: 1000000 b. What method(s) is/are used to estimate visitation? Summarize in the box below. Staﬀ estimate based on monthly trends c. Compare the estimated number of total visitors this year to the past two years in the space provide below. If estimates for previous years do not exist for the property, please know the goal in future annual reports is to have estimates for three consecutive years to document visitation trends. Data currently inaccessible d. Were there new types of park users or uses observed over the past year (e.g., geocaching, use of drones, ebikes, etc.) that could warrant a management response or need for development of a new visitor policy? Please list new users and/or uses below. E-bikes

153 e. Were there any special events held for which special use permits were issued for the property? Yes i. Provide in the table below a summary of trail-based special events held for which special use permits were issued for the property.

Event Date Type of Trail-based Special Event # of Participants

Unavailable Rocket Racing Data unavailable

Unavailable Non Dot Adventures- Mountain Bike Clinic Data unavailable

Unavailable Coast View Athletic Conference- Cross-country run Data unavailable

Unavailable Trail Blazers Group- Trail run Data unavailable

Unavailable Gran Fundo- Bike ride Data unavailable

Unavailable USA Cycling- Mountain bike class Data unavailable

Unavailable Tustin Uniﬁed School District- Cross-country run Data unavailable

Unavailable Santiago Retreat Center- Hike Data unavailable

Unavailable The Orange League- Cross-country run Data unavailable

Unavailable Costa Mesa High School- Cross-country run Data unavailable

Unavailable Trail Blazer- Mountain bike ride Data unavailable

Unavailable Santa Ana College- Cross-country run Data unavailable

Unavailable Vanguard University- Cross-country run Data unavailable

Unavailable Rock It- Foot race Data unavailable

Unavailable St Mary-All Angels School- Cross-country run Data unavailable

Unavailable SVCS- Cross-country run Data unavailable

Unavailable Share Mountain Bike Club Data unavailable

Unavailable Foxhead- Mountain bike ride Data unavailable

Unavailable AAU/OC- Cross-country run Data unavailable

Unavailable Saddleback HS- Cross-country run Data unavailable

Unavailable Rancho Santiago Community College- Cross-country run Data unavailable f. In the table provided below, please identify any documented impacts to habitat from unauthorized property uses.

Date of Observation Description of Impact Habitat Type Estimated Acres

n/a ------

154 Trail conditions are monitored via ranger patrols, maintenance inspections, visitor reports and wildlife cameras. Trends appear stable. Unauthorized connector between Horseshoe and Harding Trails was permanently closed. ii. Are notes, photographs or other documentation of the monitoring performed archived? Yes

III. Recreation Facility Construction and Maintenance

Recreational Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no recreational facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

IV. Infrastructure Facility Construction and Maintenance

Infrastructure Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no infrastructural facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

V. Habitat Restoration and Enhancement

VI. Invasive Species Control

Treatment Area of Treatment Invasive Plant Name Habitat(s) Impacted Methodology (Square Meters)

Spiny Emex, Sahara mustard, Degraded, CSS, riparian Synthetic Herbicide 141,640 Arundo, fountain grass scrub

1. Were active surveys conducted on the property for invasive beetles? Yes

155 Invasive Beetle Infested Geographic Area of the Infested Tree Species # of Infested Trees Name Property

Please see attached ------iii. Did active management for invasive beetles occur on the property? Yes

VII. Fire Management Activities

VIII. 2020 Work Plan

Draft original or amend existing property closure policy? No

Draft original or amend existing property special use policy? No

Draft original or amend existing GDP and/or Master Plan? No

Change in methodology for estimating property visitor use? No

Implement new or continue protocols for monitoring changes in trail conditions and/or reporting? No

Research (ongoing or new)? No

Recreation facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? No

Infrastructure facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? No

Mitigation habitat restoration to be initiated? No

Non-mitigation habitat restoration initiated? No

Invasive plant control actions to be undertaken by land owner (not NCC)?

156 Yes

Invasive beetle control actions to be undertaken by land owner or contractor? Yes

Other (please describe): Park-wide mapping of high priority weeds in CalFlora Mapping of all EDRR and weed treatment in CalFlora

Installation of new fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? No

Maintenance of existing fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? Yes

157 Reporting Year 2019

Land Manager

Park, open space or management unit Laguna Coast WP

Website http://www.ocparks.com/parks/lagunac

Land owning entity: OC Parks

I. Executive Summary

Provide a brief summary of the highlights relating to habitat impacts, restoration, fuel management and public access, as well as signiﬁcant changes or modiﬁcations planned next year. Tbd

Date of Closure Reason for Closure Duration of Closure (Days) Full or Partial Closure

Data unavailable Rain Data unavailable Full

158 d. Is there an oﬃcial written policy governing special events use of the property? Yes i. If yes, attach a PDF of the policy or provide a brief written summary in the space below RPRT-Competitive-Race-Events-Policy-2.pdf

Description of special events use for the property. All special event requests are subject to OC Parks permitting, which includes review by field operations, operations management, and natural resources. Permits are subject to compliance with special conditions tailored to individual events and resources within parks. ii. Has the policy been officially modified since the previous year’s annual report? No

2. Oversight: Property Dedicated Staﬃng by Position

Position Title Number of Positions FTE

Supervising Park Ranger 1 Y

Park Ranger 1 Y

Resource Specialist 1 Y

Maintenance Supervisor 1 Y

Maintenance Worker (multiple classes) 2 Y

Oﬃce Technician 1 Y

Park Attendant 1 N

3. Property Supervisor Contact Information

Name Title Email Phone

Matt Stegner Supervising Park Ranger [email protected] 949.923.2258

Matt Major Natural Resources Program Coordinator [email protected] 657.266.4701

a. Total number of public visitors to the property based on land owner’s estimate: 132774 b. What method(s) is/are used to estimate visitation? Summarize in the box below. Staﬀ estimate based on parking, trail cameras and counters, and volunteers c. Compare the estimated number of total visitors this year to the past two years in the space provide below. If estimates for previous years do not exist for the property, please know the goal in future annual reports is to have estimates for three consecutive years to document visitation trends. 2018: 156,944 2017: 169,027 d. Were there new types of park users or uses observed over the past year (e.g., geocaching, use of drones, ebikes, etc.) that could warrant a management response or need for development of a new visitor policy? Please list new users and/or uses below.

159 E-bikes e. Were there any special events held for which special use permits were issued for the property? No f. In the table provided below, please identify any documented impacts to habitat from unauthorized property uses.

Date of Observation Description of Impact Habitat Type Estimated Acres

n/a ------

III. Recreation Facility Construction and Maintenance

Recreational Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no recreational facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

IV. Infrastructure Facility Construction and Maintenance

Infrastructure Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no infrastructural facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

V. Habitat Restoration and Enhancement

Project Lead Land owner Provide project name and/or permit number if the project is on behalf of an agency other than the land owner. Emerald Canyon Habitat Restoration Project Mitigation No CSS Community Acres 1 If this is a formal restoration plan, please provide the name:

160 n/a Coordination with NCC Yes Start Date 2019-12-02 Anticipated End Date 2024-05-31 Performance Monitoring No Data Archived in GIS Database No Project Lead Third party Mitigation No CSS Community Acres 2 If this is a formal restoration plan, please provide the name: Project: Paciﬁc Pocket Mouse Reintroduction (USFWS) Coordination with NCC Yes Start Date 2016-05-23 Anticipated End Date 2023-05-31 Performance Monitoring Yes Data Archived in GIS Database Yes Data Manager USFWS Project Lead Third party Mitigation No Other Restoration Community Acres 3 Other Restoration Community Type Vernal pools/CSS If this is a formal restoration plan, please provide the name: Project: Upland Habitat Restoration & Seasonal Pool Creation - Western Spadefoot Toad (Natural Communities Coalition) Coordination with NCC Yes

161 Start Date 2019-10-01 Anticipated End Date 2022-10-03 Performance Monitoring Yes Data Archived in GIS Database Yes Data Manager NCC Project Lead Third party Mitigation Yes If this is a formal restoration plan, please provide the name: Project: Laguna Canyon Road Widening (Segments 1-3) (OC Public Works) Coordination with NCC Yes Start Date 2009-08-03 Anticipated End Date 2021-05-29 Performance Monitoring Yes Data Archived in GIS Database Yes Data Manager OC Public Works CSS Community Acres 1.6 Other Restoration Community Acres 6 Other Restoration Community Type Alkali marsh, seasonal wetland, freshwater marsh

VI. Invasive Species Control

162 1. Were active surveys conducted on the property for invasive beetles? Yes

Invasive Beetle Infested Geographic Area of the Infested Tree Species # of Infested Trees Name Property

Please see attached ------iii. Did active management for invasive beetles occur on the property? Yes

VII. Fire Management Activities

VIII. 2020 Work Plan

Draft original or amend existing property closure policy? No

Draft original or amend existing property special use policy? No

Draft original or amend existing GDP and/or Master Plan? No

Change in methodology for estimating property visitor use? No

Implement new or continue protocols for monitoring changes in trail conditions and/or reporting? No

Research (ongoing or new)? Yes

If yes, please enter additional details regarding the research pertaining to resources addressed by NCCP/HCP: Statewide California gnatcatcher surveys Seed collection research (UC Irvine) Wildlife corridor connectivity (Coastal Greenbelt Authority)

163 Recreation facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? No

Infrastructure facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? Yes

What is the nature of the anticipated construction or maintenance project? (Check all that apply) Arterial and other identiﬁed roads Location where above work is proposed to take place? (GPS approximate center of project location and record below): 33*35'00.2"N, 117*45'42.26"W Identify any project lead(s) (i.e., utility, government department):

Caltrans-OC Public Works

Mitigation habitat restoration to be initiated? No

Non-mitigation habitat restoration initiated? Yes

If yes, please ﬁll out the following

Habitat Type Approximate Location Area (acres)

Degraded CSS-grassland West side of Laguna Canyon Road, north of Nix Nature Center 1.8

Additional Information: Grant-based road hardening / habitat enhancement project; lead is City of Laguna Beach Fire Department

Invasive plant control actions to be undertaken by land owner (not NCC)? Yes

Invasive beetle control actions to be undertaken by land owner or contractor? Yes

Other (please describe): Park-wide mapping of high priority weeds in CalFlora Mapping of all EDRR and weed treatment in CalFlora

Installation of new fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? No

Maintenance of existing fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? Yes

164 Reporting Year 2019

Land Manager

Park, open space or management unit Peters Canyon RP

Website http://www.ocparks.com/parks/peters

Land owning entity: OC Parks

I. Executive Summary

Provide a brief summary of the highlights relating to habitat impacts, restoration, fuel management and public access, as well as signiﬁcant changes or modiﬁcations planned next year. Tbd

Date of Closure Reason for Closure Duration of Closure (Days) Full or Partial Closure

Data unavailable Rain Data unavailable Full

165 d. Is there an oﬃcial written policy governing special events use of the property? Yes i. If yes, attach a PDF of the policy or provide a brief written summary in the space below RPRT-Competitive-Race-Events-Policy.pdf

Description of special events use for the property. All special event requests are subject to OC Parks permitting, which includes review by field operations, operations management, and natural resources. Permits are subject to compliance with special conditions tailored to individual events and resources within parks. ii. Has the policy been officially modified since the previous year’s annual report? No

2. Oversight: Property Dedicated Staﬃng by Position

Position Title Number of Positions FTE

Supervising Park Ranger 1 Y

Resource Specialist 1 (covers Peters, Santiago Oaks & Irvine) Y

3. Property Supervisor Contact Information

Name Title Email Phone

Steve Jax Supervising Park Ranger [email protected] 714.973.6612

Alisa Flint Natural Resources Program Coordinator alisa.ﬂ[email protected] 949.585.6470

a. Total number of public visitors to the property based on land owner’s estimate: 97500 b. What method(s) is/are used to estimate visitation? Summarize in the box below. Staﬀ estimate based on monthly trends and parking data c. Compare the estimated number of total visitors this year to the past two years in the space provide below. If estimates for previous years do not exist for the property, please know the goal in future annual reports is to have estimates for three consecutive years to document visitation trends. Data currently inaccessible d. Were there new types of park users or uses observed over the past year (e.g., geocaching, use of drones, ebikes, etc.) that could warrant a management response or need for development of a new visitor policy? Please list new users and/or uses below. E-bikes Drones e. Were there any special events held for which special use permits were issued for the property? Yes i. Provide in the table below a summary of trail-based special events held for which special use permits were issued for the property.

166 Event Date Type of Trail-based Special Event # of Participants

April 22, 2019 Rocket Racing Data unavailable

Summer 2019 Renegade Racing- Run Data unavailable f. In the table provided below, please identify any documented impacts to habitat from unauthorized property uses.

Date of Observation Description of Impact Habitat Type Estimated Acres

n/a ------

III. Recreation Facility Construction and Maintenance

Recreational Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no recreational facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

IV. Infrastructure Facility Construction and Maintenance

Infrastructure Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no infrastructural facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

V. Habitat Restoration and Enhancement

Project Lead Third party Mitigation Yes Riparian Community Acres 14.96 If this is a formal restoration plan, please provide the name:

167 Project: Mitigation for San Diego Creek Flood Control Capacity Restoration Emergency Project (OC Public Works) Coordination with NCC Yes Start Date 2013-01-07 Anticipated End Date 2021-05-28 Performance Monitoring Yes Data Archived in GIS Database Yes Data Manager OC Public Works Project Lead Third party Mitigation Yes Riparian Community Acres 1 If this is a formal restoration plan, please provide the name: Project: Lower Peters Canyon Mitigation (OC Public Works) Coordination with NCC Yes Start Date 2018-10-01 Anticipated End Date 2023-05-26 Performance Monitoring Yes Data Archived in GIS Database Yes Data Manager OC Public Works

VI. Invasive Species Control

1. Did the land owner/manager or their staﬀ, volunteers or contractor treat invasive plant species on the property? Yes a. Were the results of the invasive plant control eﬀorts for the property conducted by the land owner/manager or their contractor reported to CalFlora? Partially i. If no or partially, please complete the table below:

168 Area of Treatment Treatment Methodology Invasive Plant Name Habitat(s) Impacted (Square Meters)

Spiny Emex, Sahara mustard, Synthetic Herbicide CSS 141,640 fountain grass

Synthetic Herbicide Tamarix Wetland transitional 20,234

1. Were active surveys conducted on the property for invasive beetles? Yes

Invasive Beetle Infested Geographic Area of the Infested Tree Species # of Infested Trees Name Property

Please see attached ------iii. Did active management for invasive beetles occur on the property? Yes

VII. Fire Management Activities

VIII. 2020 Work Plan

Draft original or amend existing property closure policy? No

Draft original or amend existing property special use policy? No

Draft original or amend existing GDP and/or Master Plan? Yes

Change in methodology for estimating property visitor use? No

Implement new or continue protocols for monitoring changes in trail conditions and/or reporting? No

169 Research (ongoing or new)? Yes

If yes, please enter additional details regarding the research pertaining to resources addressed by NCCP/HCP: Wildlife camera traps (CS Long Beach)

Recreation facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? Yes

If yes, what is the nature of the anticipated construction or maintenance project? (Check all that apply) Restrooms Trails

Location where above work is proposed to take place? (GPS approximate center of project location and record below): 33*45'40.98"N, 117*46'13.17"W; 33*45'38.08"N, 117*46'08.34."W

Infrastructure facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? Yes

OC Parks - Per park master plan

Mitigation habitat restoration to be initiated? No

Non-mitigation habitat restoration initiated? No

Invasive plant control actions to be undertaken by land owner (not NCC)? Yes

Invasive beetle control actions to be undertaken by land owner or contractor? Yes

Other (please describe): Park-wide mapping of high priority weeds in CalFlora Mapping of all EDRR and weed treatment in CalFlora

Installation of new fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? No

Maintenance of existing fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? Yes

170 Reporting Year 2019

Land Manager

Park, open space or management unit Santiago Oaks RP

Website http://www.ocparks.com/parks/santiago

Land owning entity: OC Parks

I. Executive Summary

Provide a brief summary of the highlights relating to habitat impacts, restoration, fuel management and public access, as well as signiﬁcant changes or modiﬁcations planned next year. Tbd

Date of Closure Reason for Closure Duration of Closure (Days) Full or Partial Closure

Data unavailable Rain Data unavailable Full

171 d. Is there an oﬃcial written policy governing special events use of the property? Yes i. If yes, attach a PDF of the policy or provide a brief written summary in the space below RPRT-Competitive-Race-Events-Policy-1.pdf

Description of special events use for the property. All special event requests are subject to OC Parks permitting, which includes review by field operations, operations management, and natural resources. Permits are subject to compliance with special conditions tailored to individual events and resources within parks. ii. Has the policy been officially modified since the previous year’s annual report? No

2. Oversight: Property Dedicated Staﬃng by Position

Position Title Number of Positions FTE

Supervising Park Ranger 1 Y

Park Ranger 1 Y

Resource Specialist 1 (covers Santiago Oaks, Irvine & Peters) Y

Oﬃce Technician 1 Y

3. Property Supervisor Contact Information

Name Title Email Phone

Travis Martz Supervising Park Ranger [email protected] 714.973.6621

Alisa Flint Natural Resources Program Coordinator alisa.ﬂ[email protected] 949.585.6470

a. Total number of public visitors to the property based on land owner’s estimate: 100000 b. What method(s) is/are used to estimate visitation? Summarize in the box below. Staﬀ estimate based on monthly trends c. Compare the estimated number of total visitors this year to the past two years in the space provide below. If estimates for previous years do not exist for the property, please know the goal in future annual reports is to have estimates for three consecutive years to document visitation trends. Data currently inaccessible d. Were there new types of park users or uses observed over the past year (e.g., geocaching, use of drones, ebikes, etc.) that could warrant a management response or need for development of a new visitor policy? Please list new users and/or uses below. E-bikes Drones e. Were there any special events held for which special use permits were issued for the property? Yes

172 i. Provide in the table below a summary of trail-based special events held for which special use permits were issued for the property.

Event Date Type of Trail-based Special Event # of Participants

Unavailable Into the Wild- Foot Race Data Unavailable

Unavailable Gran Fundo- Bike race Data Unavailable

Unavailable Mountain bike clinic x2 Data Unavailable

Unavailable Share Poker Ride- Mountain bike ride Data Unavailable

Unavailable Mountain bike skills class Data Unavailable

Unavailable Pilgrimage hike Data Unavailable

Unavailable Turkeys on Trail- Run Data Unavailable f. In the table provided below, please identify any documented impacts to habitat from unauthorized property uses.

Date of Observation Description of Impact Habitat Type Estimated Acres

n/a ------

III. Recreation Facility Construction and Maintenance

Recreational Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no recreational facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

IV. Infrastructure Facility Construction and Maintenance

Infrastructure Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no infrastructural facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

V. Habitat Restoration and Enhancement

Project Lead

173 Third party Mitigation Yes Woodland Community Acres 1 If this is a formal restoration plan, please provide the name: Project: Coast Live Oak Mitigation for Olinda Alpha Landﬁll impacts (OC Waste & Recycling) Coordination with NCC Yes Start Date 2011-03-07 Anticipated End Date 2021-05-28 Performance Monitoring Yes Data Archived in GIS Database Yes Data Manager OC Waste & Recycling

VI. Invasive Species Control

1. Did the land owner/manager or their staﬀ, volunteers or contractor treat invasive plant species on the property? Yes a. Were the results of the invasive plant control eﬀorts for the property conducted by the land owner/manager or their contractor reported to CalFlora? Partially i. If no or partially, please complete the table below:

Treatment Habitat(s) Area of Treatment Invasive Plant Name Methodology Impacted (Square Meters)

Artichoke thistle, castor bean, tree Synthetic Herbicide CSS, riparian 408,733 tobacco, fountain grass, Arundo, palms

1. Were active surveys conducted on the property for invasive beetles? Yes

174 Invasive Beetle Infested Geographic Area of the Infested Tree Species # of Infested Trees Name Property

Please see attached ------iii. Did active management for invasive beetles occur on the property? Yes

VII. Fire Management Activities

VIII. 2020 Work Plan

Draft original or amend existing property closure policy? No

Draft original or amend existing property special use policy? No

Draft original or amend existing GDP and/or Master Plan? No

Change in methodology for estimating property visitor use? No

Implement new or continue protocols for monitoring changes in trail conditions and/or reporting? No

Research (ongoing or new)? No

Recreation facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? No

Infrastructure facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? No

Mitigation habitat restoration to be initiated? No

Non-mitigation habitat restoration initiated? No

Invasive plant control actions to be undertaken by land owner (not NCC)?

175 Yes

Invasive beetle control actions to be undertaken by land owner or contractor? Yes

Installation of new fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? No

Maintenance of existing fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? Yes

176 Reporting Year 2019

Land Manager

Park, open space or management unit Talbert NP

Website http://www.ocparks.com/parks/talbert

Land owning entity: OC Parks

I. Executive Summary

Provide a brief summary of the highlights relating to habitat impacts, restoration, fuel management and public access, as well as signiﬁcant changes or modiﬁcations planned next year. Tbd

Description of closure conditions and procedures. Please see attached file: Sec. 2-5-46 (d). Trails, trespassing and closed areas. Sec. 2-5-215. Hours. General practices follow: Hours – 7:00 am to Sunset Closures for wet and muddy conditions, as determined by staff Closures for localized red flag conditions, as determined by staff Closures following significant fires, as advised by OC Fire Authority and determined by staff ii. Has the policy been officially modified since the previous year’s annual report? No c. In the table provided below please identify the number of times the property was closed and the circumstances

Date of Closure Reason for Closure Duration of Closure (Days) Full or Partial Closure

Data unavailable Rain Data unavailable Full

177 d. Is there an oﬃcial written policy governing special events use of the property? Yes i. If yes, attach a PDF of the policy or provide a brief written summary in the space below RPRT-Competitive-Race-Events-Policy-2.pdf

Description of special events use for the property. All special event requests are subject to OC Parks permitting, which includes review by field operations, operations management, and natural resources. Permits are subject to compliance with special conditions tailored to individual events and resources within parks. ii. Has the policy been officially modified since the previous year’s annual report? No

2. Oversight: Property Dedicated Staﬃng by Position

Position Title Number of Positions FTE

Supervising Park Ranger 1 (covers Talbert & Upper Newport Bay) Y

Park Ranger 1 (covers Talbert & Upper Newport Bay) Y

Resource Specialist 1 (covers Talbert & Upper Newport Bay) Y

Maintenance Supervisor 1 (covers Talbert & Upper Newport Bay) Y

Maintenance Worker (multiple classes) 9 (covers Talbert & Upper Newport Bay) Y

Oﬃce Technician 1 (covers Talbert & Upper Newport Bay) Y

3. Property Supervisor Contact Information

Name Title Email Phone

Derrick Ankerstar Supervising Park Ranger [email protected] 714.923.2294

Natural Resources Program Alisa Flint alisa.ﬂ[email protected] 949.585.6470 Coordinator

a. Total number of public visitors to the property based on land owner’s estimate: 654000 b. What method(s) is/are used to estimate visitation? Summarize in the box below. Staﬀ estimate based on monthly trends *Estimate includes both Talbert and Upper Newport Bay c. Compare the estimated number of total visitors this year to the past two years in the space provide below. If estimates for previous years do not exist for the property, please know the goal in future annual reports is to have estimates for three consecutive years to document visitation trends. Data currently inaccessible d. Were there new types of park users or uses observed over the past year (e.g., geocaching, use of drones, ebikes, etc.) that could warrant a management response or need for development of a new visitor policy? Please list new users and/or uses below. Increased homeless encampments

178 E-bikes Drones e. Were there any special events held for which special use permits were issued for the property? Yes i. Provide in the table below a summary of trail-based special events held for which special use permits were issued for the property.

Event Date Type of Trail-based Special Event # of Participants

Unavailable OC Marathon- Run Data unavailable f. In the table provided below, please identify any documented impacts to habitat from unauthorized property uses.

Date of Observation Description of Impact Habitat Type Estimated Acres

n/a ------

III. Recreation Facility Construction and Maintenance

Recreational Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no recreational facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

IV. Infrastructure Facility Construction and Maintenance

Infrastructure Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no infrastructural facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

V. Habitat Restoration and Enhancement

Project Lead Third party Mitigation Yes CSS Community Acres 1.5

179 Riparian Community Acres 18.6 If this is a formal restoration plan, please provide the name: Project: San Diego Creek Flood Control Capacity Restoration Emergency Project (OC Public Works) Coordination with NCC Yes Start Date 2009-10-05 Anticipated End Date 2021-05-28 Performance Monitoring Yes Data Archived in GIS Database Yes Data Manager OC Public Works Project Lead Third party Mitigation Yes Other Restoration Community Acres 1.36 Other Restoration Community Type Salt Marsh / Transitional Brackish Marsh If this is a formal restoration plan, please provide the name: Project: Edinger Bridge over Bolsa Chica Channel (OC Public Works) Coordination with NCC Yes Start Date 2017-12-04 Anticipated End Date 2022-05-27 Performance Monitoring Yes Data Archived in GIS Database Yes Data Manager OC Public Works

VI. Invasive Species Control

1. Did the land owner/manager or their staﬀ, volunteers or contractor treat invasive plant species on the property? Yes

180 a. Were the results of the invasive plant control eﬀorts for the property conducted by the land owner/manager or their contractor reported to CalFlora? No, not at all i. If no or partially, please complete the table below:

Area of Treatment (Square Treatment Methodology Invasive Plant Name Habitat(s) Impacted Meters)

Synthetic Herbicide Pampas grass Marsh scrub, css 64,750

1. Were active surveys conducted on the property for invasive beetles? Yes

Invasive Beetle Infested Geographic Area of the Infested Tree Species # of Infested Trees Name Property

Please see attached ------iii. Did active management for invasive beetles occur on the property? Yes

VII. Fire Management Activities

VIII. 2020 Work Plan

Draft original or amend existing property closure policy? No

Draft original or amend existing property special use policy? No

Draft original or amend existing GDP and/or Master Plan? Yes

Change in methodology for estimating property visitor use? No

181 Implement new or continue protocols for monitoring changes in trail conditions and/or reporting? No

Research (ongoing or new)? Yes

If yes, please enter additional details regarding the research pertaining to resources addressed by NCCP/HCP: Related to park master planning: Focused California gnatcatcher surveys Burrowing owl surveys

Recreation facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? No

Infrastructure facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? No

Mitigation habitat restoration to be initiated? No

Non-mitigation habitat restoration initiated? No

Invasive plant control actions to be undertaken by land owner (not NCC)? Yes

Invasive beetle control actions to be undertaken by land owner or contractor? Yes

Installation of new fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? No

Maintenance of existing fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? Yes

182 Reporting Year 2019

Land Manager

Park, open space or management unit Upper Newport Bay NP

Website http://www.ocparks.com/parks/newport

Land owning entity: OC Parks

I. Executive Summary

Provide a brief summary of the highlights relating to habitat impacts, restoration, fuel management and public access, as well as signiﬁcant changes or modiﬁcations planned next year. Tbd

Date of Closure Reason for Closure Duration of Closure (Days) Full or Partial Closure

Data unavailable ------

183 d. Is there an oﬃcial written policy governing special events use of the property? Yes i. If yes, attach a PDF of the policy or provide a brief written summary in the space below RPRT-Competitive-Race-Events-Policy-3.pdf

Description of special events use for the property. All special event requests are subject to OC Parks permitting, which includes review by field operations, operations management, and natural resources. Permits are subject to compliance with special conditions tailored to individual events and resources within parks. ii. Has the policy been officially modified since the previous year’s annual report? No

2. Oversight: Property Dedicated Staﬃng by Position

Position Title Number of Positions FTE

Supervising Park Ranger 1 (covers Upper Newport & Talbert) Y

Park Ranger 1 (covers Upper Newport & Talbert) Y

Resource Specialist 1 (covers Upper Newport & Talbert) Y

Maintenance Supervisor 1 (covers Upper Newport & Talbert) Y

Maintenance Worker (multiple classes) 9 (covers Upper Newport & Talbert) Y

Oﬃce Technician 1 (covers Upper Newport & Talbert) Y

3. Property Supervisor Contact Information

Name Title Email Phone

Derrick Ankerstar Supervising Park Ranger [email protected] 714.923.2294

Natural Resources Program Alisa Flint alisa.ﬂ[email protected] 949.585.6470 Coordinator

a. Total number of public visitors to the property based on land owner’s estimate: 654000 b. What method(s) is/are used to estimate visitation? Summarize in the box below. Staﬀ estimate based on monthly trends *Estimate includes both Upper Newport and Talbert c. Compare the estimated number of total visitors this year to the past two years in the space provide below. If estimates for previous years do not exist for the property, please know the goal in future annual reports is to have estimates for three consecutive years to document visitation trends. Data currently inaccessible d. Were there new types of park users or uses observed over the past year (e.g., geocaching, use of drones, ebikes, etc.) that could warrant a management response or need for development of a new visitor policy? Please list new users and/or uses below. E-bikes

184 Drones e. Were there any special events held for which special use permits were issued for the property? Yes i. Provide in the table below a summary of trail-based special events held for which special use permits were issued for the property.

Event Date Type of Trail-based Special Event # of Participants

Unavailable Team World Vision- Run Data Unavailable

Unavailable OC Marathon- Run Data Unavailable f. In the table provided below, please identify any documented impacts to habitat from unauthorized property uses.

Date of Observation Description of Impact Habitat Type Estimated Acres

n/a ------

III. Recreation Facility Construction and Maintenance

Recreational Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no recreational facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

IV. Infrastructure Facility Construction and Maintenance

Infrastructure Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no infrastructural facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

V. Habitat Restoration and Enhancement

VI. Invasive Species Control

1. Did the land owner/manager or their staﬀ, volunteers or contractor treat invasive plant species on the property?

185 Yes a. Were the results of the invasive plant control eﬀorts for the property conducted by the land owner/manager or their contractor reported to CalFlora? Yes, completely

1. Were active surveys conducted on the property for invasive beetles? Yes

Invasive Beetle Infested Geographic Area of the Infested Tree Species # of Infested Trees Name Property

Please see attached ------iii. Did active management for invasive beetles occur on the property? Yes

VII. Fire Management Activities

VIII. 2020 Work Plan

Draft original or amend existing property closure policy? No

Draft original or amend existing property special use policy? No

Draft original or amend existing GDP and/or Master Plan? No

Change in methodology for estimating property visitor use? No

Implement new or continue protocols for monitoring changes in trail conditions and/or reporting? No

Research (ongoing or new)?

186 Yes

If yes, please enter additional details regarding the research pertaining to resources addressed by NCCP/HCP: Monthly bird count (Sea and Sage Audubon)

Recreation facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? No

Infrastructure facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? No

Mitigation habitat restoration to be initiated? No

Non-mitigation habitat restoration initiated? No

Invasive plant control actions to be undertaken by land owner (not NCC)? Yes

Invasive beetle control actions to be undertaken by land owner or contractor? Yes

Installation of new fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? No

Maintenance of existing fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? Yes

187 Reporting Year 2019

Land Manager

Park, open space or management unit Whiting Ranch WP

Website http://www.ocparks.com/parks/whiting

Land owning entity: OC Parks

I. Executive Summary

Provide a brief summary of the highlights relating to habitat impacts, restoration, fuel management and public access, as well as signiﬁcant changes or modiﬁcations planned next year. Tbd

Date of Closure Reason for Closure Duration of Closure (Days) Full or Partial Closure

Data unavailable Rain Data Unavailable Full

188 d. Is there an oﬃcial written policy governing special events use of the property? Yes i. If yes, attach a PDF of the policy or provide a brief written summary in the space below RPRT-Competitive-Race-Events-Policy-4.pdf

Description of special events use for the property. All special event requests are subject to OC Parks permitting, which includes review by field operations, operations management, and natural resources. Permits are subject to compliance with special conditions tailored to individual events and resources within parks. ii. Has the policy been officially modified since the previous year’s annual report? No

2. Oversight: Property Dedicated Staﬃng by Position

Position Title Number of Positions FTE

Supervising Park Ranger 1 Y

Park Ranger 1 Y

Maintenance Supervisor 1 Y

Maintenance Worker 1 Y

3. Property Supervisor Contact Information

Name Title Email Phone

Candi Hubert Supervising Park Ranger [email protected] 949.923.2244

Matt Major Natural Resources Program Coordinator [email protected] 657.266.4701

a. Total number of public visitors to the property based on land owner’s estimate: 100000 b. What method(s) is/are used to estimate visitation? Summarize in the box below. Staﬀ estimate based on monthly trends and parking data c. Compare the estimated number of total visitors this year to the past two years in the space provide below. If estimates for previous years do not exist for the property, please know the goal in future annual reports is to have estimates for three consecutive years to document visitation trends. Data currently inaccessible d. Were there new types of park users or uses observed over the past year (e.g., geocaching, use of drones, ebikes, etc.) that could warrant a management response or need for development of a new visitor policy? Please list new users and/or uses below. E-bikes Drones e. Were there any special events held for which special use permits were issued for the property? No

189 f. In the table provided below, please identify any documented impacts to habitat from unauthorized property uses.

Date of Observation Description of Impact Habitat Type Estimated Acres

n/a ------

III. Recreation Facility Construction and Maintenance

Recreational Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no recreational facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

IV. Infrastructure Facility Construction and Maintenance

Infrastructure Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no infrastructural facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

V. Habitat Restoration and Enhancement

VI. Invasive Species Control

1. Did the land owner/manager or their staﬀ, volunteers or contractor treat invasive plant species on the property? No

1. Were active surveys conducted on the property for invasive beetles? Yes

190 Invasive Beetle Infested Geographic Area of the Infested Tree Species # of Infested Trees Name Property

Please see attached ------iii. Did active management for invasive beetles occur on the property? Yes

VII. Fire Management Activities

VIII. 2020 Work Plan

Draft original or amend existing property closure policy? No

Draft original or amend existing property special use policy? No

Draft original or amend existing GDP and/or Master Plan? No

Change in methodology for estimating property visitor use? No

Implement new or continue protocols for monitoring changes in trail conditions and/or reporting? No

Research (ongoing or new)? Yes

If yes, please enter additional details regarding the research pertaining to resources addressed by NCCP/HCP: Wildlife cameras (OC Parks) Oak monitoring in Serrano Canyon ( SDSU, TNC, UC Irvine)

Recreation facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? No

Infrastructure facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? No

Mitigation habitat restoration to be initiated? No

Non-mitigation habitat restoration initiated?

191 No

Invasive plant control actions to be undertaken by land owner (not NCC)? Yes

Invasive beetle control actions to be undertaken by land owner or contractor? Yes

Installation of new fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? No

Maintenance of existing fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? Yes

192 Reporting Year 2019

Land Manager

Park, open space or management unit OCPW

Website http://www.ocpublicworks.com/

Land owning entity: OC Public Works/OC Flood Control District

I. Executive Summary

Provide a brief summary of the highlights relating to habitat impacts, restoration, fuel management and public access, as well as signiﬁcant changes or modiﬁcations planned next year. OC Public Works actively manages six compensatory mitigation sites in the NCCP Reserve, all on OC Parks land and is in the planning stages to implement two additional mitigation sites. OC Public Works did not use any take credits in 2019. OC Public Works anticipates using 1.33 acres of take in the Laguna Coastal Streams watershed for a joint road project [SR-133] with Caltrans.

II. Use Policies, Monitoring and Management a. Public Access Description for the Property No Public Access b. Is there an oﬃcial written policy governing property closure conditions and procedures? No c. In the table provided below please identify the number of times the property was closed and the circumstances

Date of Closure Reason for Closure Duration of Closure (Days) Full or Partial Closure

00/00/0000 Not applicable d. Is there an oﬃcial written policy governing special events use of the property? Yes i. If yes, attach a PDF of the policy or provide a brief written summary in the space below OC-Code-of-Ordinances_Division_2___ENCROACHMENTS.pdf

Description of special events use for the property. OC Flood Control District property is not accessible to the public. Any access by contractors wishing to perform work within District property is subject to provision of an encroachment permit per Orange County, California Code of Ordinances (Title 9 - Water Quality--Orange County Flood Control District / Division 2 --Encroachments).

193 With regard to District owned lands in the NCCP Reserve, tracking of take impacts is the responsibility of OC Public Works/Environmental Resources - Mitigation Program. Encroachment permits authorizing access to District lands is tracked by OC Public Works/ Development Services - Permitting. ii. Has the policy been oﬃcially modiﬁed since the previous year’s annual report? No

2. Oversight: Property Dedicated Staﬃng by Position

Position Title Number of Positions FTE

Manager, Mitigation Program 1 .05

3. Property Supervisor Contact Information

Name Title Email Phone

Jennifer Shook Manager, Mitigation Program [email protected] (714) 955-0615

b. What method(s) is/are used to estimate visitation? Summarize in the box below. OC Flood Control District property is not accessible to the public. Any access by contractors wishing to perform work within District property is subject to provision of an encroachment permit per Orange County, California Code of Ordinances (Title 9 - Water Quality--Orange County Flood Control District / Division 2 --Encroachments). c. Compare the estimated number of total visitors this year to the past two years in the space provide below. If estimates for previous years do not exist for the property, please know the goal in future annual reports is to have estimates for three consecutive years to document visitation trends. Not applicable. d. Were there new types of park users or uses observed over the past year (e.g., geocaching, use of drones, ebikes, etc.) that could warrant a management response or need for development of a new visitor policy? Please list new users and/or uses below. Not applicable. e. Were there any special events held for which special use permits were issued for the property? No f. In the table provided below, please identify any documented impacts to habitat from unauthorized property uses.

Date of Observation Description of Impact Habitat Type Estimated Acres

00/00/0000 Not applicable

194 ii. Are notes, photographs or other documentation of the monitoring performed archived? Yes

III. Recreation Facility Construction and Maintenance

Recreational Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no recreational facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

IV. Infrastructure Facility Construction and Maintenance

Infrastructure Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no infrastructural facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

V. Habitat Restoration and Enhancement

Project Lead Land owner Provide project name and/or permit number if the project is on behalf of an agency other than the land owner. Laguna Canyon Road Widening (Segments 1-3) Mitigation Yes CSS Community Acres 1.7 Riparian Community Acres 4.48 Woodland Community Acres 3.86 Other Restoration Community Acres 10.39 Other Restoration Community Type Alkali marsh/seasonal wetland/freshwater marsh If this is a formal restoration plan, please provide the name: OC Public Works mitigation within Laguna Coast Wilderness Parks / Coordination with NCC No Start Date 2009-08-01 Anticipated End Date 2099-08-01 Performance Monitoring Yes Data Archived in GIS Database Yes

195 Data Manager OC Public Works Project Lead Land owner Provide project name and/or permit number if the project is on behalf of an agency other than the land owner. San Diego Creek Emergency & Completion Project - Talbert Mitigation Yes CSS Community Acres 1.5 Riparian Community Acres 18.86 If this is a formal restoration plan, please provide the name: OC Public Works compensatory mitigation project in Talbert Regional Park Coordination with NCC No Start Date 2009-01-01 Anticipated End Date 2099-01-01 Performance Monitoring Yes Data Archived in GIS Database Yes Data Manager OC Public Works Project Lead Land owner Provide project name and/or permit number if the project is on behalf of an agency other than the land owner. San Diego Creek Emergency & Completion Project - Peter's Canyon Mitigation Yes Riparian Community Acres 14.96 If this is a formal restoration plan, please provide the name: OC Public Works compensatory mitigation project in Peter's Canyon Regional Park Coordination with NCC No Start Date 2013-01-01 Anticipated End Date 2099-01-01 Performance Monitoring

196 Yes Data Archived in GIS Database Yes Data Manager OC Public Works Project Lead Land owner Provide project name and/or permit number if the project is on behalf of an agency other than the land owner. San Diego Creek Emergency & Completion Project - Mason Mitigation Yes CSS Community Acres 4.26 Riparian Community Acres 5.64 If this is a formal restoration plan, please provide the name: OC Public Works compensatory mitigation project in Mason Regional Park Coordination with NCC No Start Date 2009-09-01 Anticipated End Date 2099-01-01 Performance Monitoring Yes Data Archived in GIS Database Yes Data Manager OC Public Works Project Lead Land owner Provide project name and/or permit number if the project is on behalf of an agency other than the land owner. Edinger Bridge over Bolsa Chica Channel Mitigation Yes Other Restoration Community Acres 1.36 Other Restoration Community Type Salt Marsh and Transitional Brackish Marsh If this is a formal restoration plan, please provide the name: OC Public Works compensatory mitigation project in Talbert Regional Park Coordination with NCC No

197 Start Date 2017-12-01 Anticipated End Date 2099-01-01 Performance Monitoring Yes Data Archived in GIS Database Yes Data Manager OC Public Works

VI. Invasive Species Control

1. Did the land owner/manager or their staﬀ, volunteers or contractor treat invasive plant species on the property? No

1. Were active surveys conducted on the property for invasive beetles? No

2. Were any invasive beetle occurrences discovered prior to or during the reporting year on this property? No

VII. Fire Management Activities

VIII. 2020 Work Plan

Draft original or amend existing property closure policy? No

Draft original or amend existing property special use policy? No

Draft original or amend existing GDP and/or Master Plan? No

Change in methodology for estimating property visitor use? No

Implement new or continue protocols for monitoring changes in trail conditions and/or reporting? No

Research (ongoing or new)? No

Recreation facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts?

198 No

Infrastructure facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? Yes

What is the nature of the anticipated construction or maintenance project? (Check all that apply) Arterial and other identiﬁed roads Location where above work is proposed to take place? (GPS approximate center of project location and record below): Safety Improvement projects along SR-133 just north and south of El Toro Road Identify any project lead(s) (i.e., utility, government department):

OC Public Works and Caltrans

Mitigation habitat restoration to be initiated? Yes

If yes, please ﬁll out the following

Habitat Type Approximate Location Area (acres)

Riparian woodland/scrub Peter's Canyon Regional Park (lower reach) 2

Non-mitigation habitat restoration initiated? Yes

If yes, please ﬁll out the following

Habitat Type Approximate Location Area (acres)

Transitional Upland Peter's Canyon Regional Park (just downstream of reservoir) 2

Additional Information: OC Public Works plans to do some invasive species control in the buﬀer areas adjacent to our mitigation polygons to reduce non-native seed load into our mitigation areas and contribute to vegetation thinning for fuel mod purposes.

Invasive plant control actions to be undertaken by land owner (not NCC)? Yes

Invasive beetle control actions to be undertaken by land owner or contractor? No

Other (please describe): OC Public Works Agricultural Commissioner's oﬃce handles invasive species control for unincorporated property and OC Flood Control District.

Installation of new fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? No

Maintenance of existing fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? Yes

199 Other (please describe): OC Public Works Agricultural Commissioner's oﬃce implements fuel mod control for unincorporated property in the non- Reserve open space areas of the canyons.

200 Reporting Year 2019

Land Manager

Park, open space or management unit OCWR

Website https://www.oclandﬁlls.com/

Land owning entity: OC Waste & Recycling

I. Executive Summary

Date of Closure Reason for Closure Duration of Closure (Days) Full or Partial Closure

N/A N/A 0 no closure d. Is there an oﬃcial written policy governing special events use of the property? No

2. Oversight: Property Dedicated Staﬃng by Position

Position Title Number of Positions FTE

Sr. Environmental Resource Specialist 1 FT

3. Property Supervisor Contact Information

Name Title Email Phone

David Tieu Landﬁll Manager [email protected] 949 551-7102

201 b. What method(s) is/are used to estimate visitation? Summarize in the box below. Visitors to the active parts of the landﬁll are not permitted access to habitat areas on the landﬁll. c. Compare the estimated number of total visitors this year to the past two years in the space provide below. If estimates for previous years do not exist for the property, please know the goal in future annual reports is to have estimates for three consecutive years to document visitation trends. 2017 - 0 visitors 2019 - 0 visitors d. Were there new types of park users or uses observed over the past year (e.g., geocaching, use of drones, ebikes, etc.) that could warrant a management response or need for development of a new visitor policy? Please list new users and/or uses below. none e. Were there any special events held for which special use permits were issued for the property? No f. In the table provided below, please identify any documented impacts to habitat from unauthorized property uses.

Date of Observation Description of Impact Habitat Type Estimated Acres

N/A [email protected] N/A 0

III. Recreation Facility Construction and Maintenance

Recreational Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no recreational facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

IV. Infrastructure Facility Construction and Maintenance

Facility & Location Wetland Mitigation Basin Repair Start Date 2019-10-01 End Date 2021-01-31

202 Was facility identiﬁed in an applicable GDP or RMP? No Coordination with NCC? No Impacts: Habitats or Sensitive Species

Type Amount (Acres)

Riaparian 0

Nature of Impact: Temporary (# of Acres) 0.25 Restoration Actions Taken? Yes Please describe the actions taken or justify why no such actions were taken An existing mitigation project for wetland and riparian habitat required repairs to the berm that holds water in a basin to form wetland habitat. A concrete spillway was installed. Approximately .25 acres of habitat was temporary impacted and has been replanted per a HMMP. Documentation: Reports, Notes, Photographs (Provide Reference) wetland-basin-repair.jpg

V. Habitat Restoration and Enhancement

Project Lead Land owner Provide project name and/or permit number if the project is on behalf of an agency other than the land owner. Wetland Basin Mitigation Mitigation Yes CSS Community Acres 3 Riparian Community Acres 4 Other Restoration Community Acres 2.57 Other Restoration Community Type Wetland If this is a formal restoration plan, please provide the name: Frank R. Bowerman Landﬁll Habitat Mitigation and Monitoring Plan Coordination with NCC No Start Date 2015-10-19 Anticipated End Date 2023-10-31 Performance Monitoring

203 Yes Data Archived in GIS Database No Project Lead Land owner Provide project name and/or permit number if the project is on behalf of an agency other than the land owner. West Channel Mitigation Yes Riparian Community Acres 5 Coordination with NCC No Start Date 1989-01-30 Anticipated End Date 2021-06-01 Performance Monitoring Yes Data Archived in GIS Database No

VI. Invasive Species Control

Area of Treatment Treatment Methodology Invasive Plant Name Habitat(s) Impacted (Square Meters)

Hand-pulling Brassica nigra css, riaparian, grassland 20,000

Synthetic Herbicide Brassica nigra css, riaparian, grassland 162,000

1. Were active surveys conducted on the property for invasive beetles? No

2. Were any invasive beetle occurrences discovered prior to or during the reporting year on this property? No

204 VII. Fire Management Activities

VIII. 2020 Work Plan

Draft original or amend existing property closure policy? No

Draft original or amend existing property special use policy? No

Draft original or amend existing GDP and/or Master Plan? No

Change in methodology for estimating property visitor use? No

Implement new or continue protocols for monitoring changes in trail conditions and/or reporting? No

Research (ongoing or new)? No

Recreation facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? No

Infrastructure facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? No

Mitigation habitat restoration to be initiated? No

Non-mitigation habitat restoration initiated? No

Invasive plant control actions to be undertaken by land owner (not NCC)? Yes

Invasive beetle control actions to be undertaken by land owner or contractor? Yes

Installation of new fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? Yes

Maintenance of existing fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? Yes

205 Reporting Year 2019

Land Manager

Park, open space or management unit City of Irvine

Website https://letsgooutside.org

Land owning entity: City of Irvine

Land managing entity if diﬀerent from above: Irvine Ranch Conservancy

I. Executive Summary

Annual inspections of all multi-use trails were conducted to assess erosion, and routine post-winter repairs were performed. Planned maintenance for 2020 includes minor tread alignment and trail adjustments to the Fox Run multi-use trail.

Trail width and trailside vegetation quality are monitored yearly, and there has been no signiﬁcant change in trail width over time. Trail conditions are monitored continuously, and maintenance occurs as needed. Site preparation for a habitat restoration and enhancement project in Bommer continued in 2019 and will be expanded in 2020. Surveys and control of both invasive plant species and invasive beetles is ongoing and will continue in 2020.

Description of closure conditions and procedures. The Conservancy will be responsible for monitoring conditions in the Open Space Preserve, facilities and trails, and will use its best judgment, experience, and knowledge of Best Management Practices to determine when the Open Space Preserve or parts of the Open Space Preserve should be temporarily closed (including consideration of whether adjacent open space areas are closed or open). The Conservancy will immediately inform the Director of Community Services and designated staff, the Open Space Patrol, and City staff in Bommer Canyon via email or text message of the need to temporarily close certain areas. Because of the timely nature of most temporary closures, the City shall respond within one hour of receipt of such messages should it disagree with or require clarification of the Conservancy’s intent to close

206 facilities. In the absence of a response, the Conservancy will proceed with temporary closure.

The Conservancy will also inform adjacent land managers of the closure and coordinate with them on closure activities on daily-access trails. The City Public Safety Department and Open Space Patrol may also initiate closure of the Open Space Preserve or facilities for: police investigations; search and rescue; and other special events related to public safety. The City’s responsibilities regarding temporary closure and re-opening of trails and/or facilities includes deploying City staﬀ to close the main gates and parking areas at trailheads, placing/removing temporary closure barriers at Bommer Canyon Trailhead, Quail Hill Trailhead and any other mutually agreed upon access locations, and assisting the Conservancy in executing the temporary closure when needed and requested. The Conservancy will supply temporary closure signs/barriers as well as create and install seasonal information signs that reference a phone number where the public can obtain updated closure/re-opening information. Public activities led by the Conservancy that are cancelled due to trail conditions will have a cancellation notice posted with the activity on the website and also emailed to all registered participants. The City will enforce terms and conditions of each temporary closure through its Open Space Patrol and Public Safety personnel.

The Conservancy will maintain a telephone hotline with a local or toll-free number for the public to obtain information on any closures and re-opening schedule. The hotline number will be displayed on informational and temporary signage to aid the public in understanding the closure. ii. Has the policy been oﬃcially modiﬁed since the previous year’s annual report? No c. In the table provided below please identify the number of times the property was closed and the circumstances

Duration of Date of Closure Reason for Closure Full or Partial Closure Closure (Days)

01/12/2019 Rainstorm(s) 9 Full

01/31/2019 Rainstorm(s) 24 Full

03/02/2019 Rainstorm(s) 11 Full

05/16/2019 Rainstomr(s) 1 Full

09/16/2019 Closed Quail Hill Loop for Fossil Fire 21 Full

10/10/2019 Red Flag Warning - Extreme Fire Conditions 1 Full

10/24/2019 Red Flag Warning - Extreme Fire Conditions 2 Full

10/28/2019 Red Flag Warning - Extreme Fire Conditions 1 Full

10/30/2019 Red Flag Warning - Extreme Fire Conditions 2 Full

11/27/2019 Rainstorm(s) wet and muddy conditions 16 Full

12/23/2019 Rainstorm(s) wet and muddy conditions 8 Full d. Is there an oﬃcial written policy governing special events use of the property? Yes

Description of special events use for the property. Not Oﬃcial: The City is responsible for processing and administration of special use permits, special event permits, and other access permit requests upon review by the Conservancy for compliance with the NCCP and applicable Recreation and Resource Management Plans. These include but are not limited to individual permits for such activities as photography shoots, recreational or exercise programs, special events in Bommer Cattle Camp that extend into the open space, and other

207 access authorized or managed by the City, which will be coordinated with the Conservancy.

All permits will include access notification requirements for the permit holder which will include notification to the email [email protected]. After permits have been issued, the Conservancy will coordinate notification of permitted access activities by the permit holder with appropriate City staff, City Permits Office, and Open Space Patrol rangers. The Conservancy maintains and will continue to maintain an email address ([email protected]) where advance notification of access to the Preserve by permit holders can be posted and distributed electronically to relevant individuals including City staff. ii. Has the policy been officially modified since the previous year’s annual report? No

2. Oversight: Property Dedicated Staﬃng by Position

Position Title Number of Positions FTE

Parks & Open Space Administrator 1 1

Community Services Administrator 1 1

3. Property Supervisor Contact Information

Name Title Email Phone

Casey Gnadt Parks & Open Space Administrator cgnadt@cityoﬁrvine.org 949-724-7621

Adam Buchanan Community Services Administrator abuchanan@cityoﬁrvine.org 949-724-6644

a. Total number of public visitors to the property based on land owner’s estimate: 7804 b. What method(s) is/are used to estimate visitation? Summarize in the box below. Activity attendance numbers are from registration data on www.letsgooutside.org website. The number includes all volunteers and public participants on implemented public and private activities on the Landmarks, including recreation, trail work, restoration, special events, and training.

The Conservancy manages the website www.letsgooutside.org, created to promote public activities within the Landmarks areas, manage public activity registration, manage volunteer assignments, obtain public participant feedback, and create automated reporting functions for all public and volunteer-only activities. The current system allows for the general public to register for public activities online. After online registration, processing is as follows: • Waiver created • Post Activity Report generated by activity Lead conﬁrming attendance of registrants and volunteers. • Waivers veriﬁed and archived in activity database • Monthly attendance reports generated which feed into research projects that correlate human access and wildlife movement in the Irvine Ranch Open Space to help the Conservancy make adaptive management decisions. c. Compare the estimated number of total visitors this year to the past two years in the space provide below. If estimates for previous years do not exist for the property, please know the goal in future annual reports is to have estimates for three consecutive years to document visitation trends. 2019 7,804 2018 10,888 2017 9,888 d. Were there new types of park users or uses observed over the past year (e.g., geocaching, use of drones, ebikes, etc.) that could warrant a management response or need for development of a new visitor policy? Please list new users

208 and/or uses below. Per landowner, no new types of park users observed in the past year e. Were there any special events held for which special use permits were issued for the property? Yes i. Provide in the table below a summary of trail-based special events held for which special use permits were issued for the property.

Event Date Type of Trail-based Special Event # of Participants

07/20/2019 Wildland Management Education Event 200

Quail Hill Trailhead - Commercial Film Shoot (hikers and bikers on the trail. Use 08/27/2019 10-15 of drone) f. In the table provided below, please identify any documented impacts to habitat from unauthorized property uses.

Date of Observation Description of Impact Habitat Type Estimated Acres

Various Dates Camping Site Found - Quail Hill Black Mustard 25 sq ft

On- going Social Trail - Quail Hill Black Mustard .12 acre

a. Does land owner or its land managing representative monitor trail conditions annually? Yes i. If yes, summarize methodology in the space below and describe the general trend you observed for the property, and identify any specific trails where conditions are found to be degraded and any actions proposed or taken to address the degradation. Trail conditions are monitored regularly throughout the year and after any significant rainfall event (>0.25”), and maintenance occurs within the limits of the trail-tread on an as-needed basis. Annual preventative maintenance occurs during the months of September and October and includes but is not limited to: filling rills and ruts, implementing industry standard natural surface erosion control measures (water bars, grade dips, grade reversals, grade nicks, etc..), trail armoring, and sediment removal from existing erosion control features. Vegetation trimming occurs between August 15th and February 15th and is limited to maintenance of the scheduled trail widths per the approved RRMP. No trails were observed to have excessive erosion that required any maintenance beyond the routine anticipated annual post-winter repairs. Additionally, trail width and trailside vegetation quality are measured at fixed points throughout the Reserve. At each point, photos are taken in each direction of the trail and to either side (4 total). To date, no significant change in trail width has been identified. ii. Are notes, photographs or other documentation of the monitoring performed archived? Yes

III. Recreation Facility Construction and Maintenance

Recreational Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no recreational facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

IV. Infrastructure Facility Construction and Maintenance

Infrastructure Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no infrastructural facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the

209 property

V. Habitat Restoration and Enhancement

Project Lead Third party Mitigation No CSS Community Acres 8 If this is a formal restoration plan, please provide the name: Bommer Canyon Habitat Restoration Plan Coordination with NCC Yes Start Date 2018-08-20 Anticipated End Date 2027-06-30 Performance Monitoring Yes Data Archived in GIS Database Yes Data Manager YiChin Fang

VI. Invasive Species Control

1. Were active surveys conducted on the property for invasive beetles? Yes

Invasive Beetle Infested Geographic Area of the # of Infested Infested Tree Species Name Property Trees

210 Arroyo Willow ISHB Bommer Canyon 26

Black Willow ISHB Bommer Canyon 2

Sycamore ISHB Bommer Canyon 13

Sycamore ISHB Shady Canyon 8 iii. Did active management for invasive beetles occur on the property? Yes

VII. Fire Management Activities

VIII. 2020 Work Plan

Draft original or amend existing property closure policy? No

Draft original or amend existing property special use policy? No

Draft original or amend existing GDP and/or Master Plan? No

Change in methodology for estimating property visitor use? Yes

Implement new or continue protocols for monitoring changes in trail conditions and/or reporting? No

Research (ongoing or new)? Yes

Recreation facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? Yes

If yes, what is the nature of the anticipated construction or maintenance project? (Check all that apply) Trails

Location where above work is proposed to take place? (GPS approximate center of project location and record below): 33.622255, -117.777312 Minor alignment adjustments of the existing Fox Run single-track trail required to mitigate seasonal erosion. Adjustments limited to areas exceeding 10% gradients and performed to eliminate and/or minimize future erosion and potential soil loss/sedimentation.

Infrastructure facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts?

211 No

Mitigation habitat restoration to be initiated? No

Non-mitigation habitat restoration initiated? No

Invasive plant control actions to be undertaken by land owner (not NCC)? Yes

Invasive beetle control actions to be undertaken by land owner or contractor? Yes

Installation of new fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? No

Maintenance of existing fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? No

212 Reporting Year 2019

Land Manager

Park, open space or management unit Newport Beach

Website https://letsgooutside.org

Land owning entity: City of Newport Beach

Land managing entity if diﬀerent from above: Irvine Ranch Conservancy

I. Executive Summary

Provide a brief summary of the highlights relating to habitat impacts, restoration, fuel management and public access, as well as signiﬁcant changes or modiﬁcations planned next year. The Buck Gully trail received approximately 38,578 visitors in 2019. One-way directional trail and signage was implemented for mountain bike users. In 2019, an unauthorized user created an illegal trail cut and damaged approximately 0.5 acre of coastal sage scrub habitat.

Annual inspections were conducted to assess erosion, and routine post-winter repairs were performed. Planned maintenance for 2020 includes trail-tread hardening at the eastern portion of the Buck Gully Trail.

Description of closure conditions and procedures. Cancellation of public activities and temporary closure of access to trails and roads will occur consistent with the applicable RRMPs, NCCP terms and conditions, and other deed restrictions and in connection with significant events, including but not limited to: National Weather Service Red Flag Warnings (or other high wind/high fire-risk periods); active fire; wet or muddy conditions; earthquake; damage due to inappropriate or unauthorized use; or any other event deemed a threat to the Buck Gully Reserve or public safety.

The Conservancy will be responsible for monitoring conditions in the Buck Gully Reserve, facilities and trails, and will use its best judgment, experience, and knowledge of Best Management Practices to determine when the Reserve or parts of the Reserve should be temporarily closed (including consideration of whether adjacent open space areas are closed or open). The Conservancy will immediately inform the designated City staﬀ, and the Park Patrol via email or text message of the need to temporarily close and re-opening certain areas. The City Public Safety Department and Park Patrol may also

213 initiate closure of the Buck Gully Reserve or facilities for: police investigations; search and rescue; and other special events related to public safety.

The City’s responsibilities regarding temporary closure and re-opening of trails and/or facilities includes deploying City staff to close or re-open the trailheads, placing/removing temporary closure barriers at trail entrances located at 5th and Poppy Avenues, along San Joaquin Hills Road and any other mutually agreed upon access locations, and assisting the Conservancy in executing the temporary closure when needed and requested. The Conservancy will supply temporary closure signs/barriers to be used by Park Patrol staff during temporary closures. Public programs led by the Conservancy that are cancelled due to trail conditions will have a cancellation notice posted with the activity on the website (see Communications Section for discussion of the website) and also emailed to all registered participants. The City will enforce terms and conditions of each temporary closure through its Park Patrol and Public Safety personnel. ii. Has the policy been officially modified since the previous year’s annual report? No c. In the table provided below please identify the number of times the property was closed and the circumstances

Duration of Closure Full or Partial Date of Closure Reason for Closure (Days) Closure

10/10/2019 Red Flag Warning - Extreme Fire Conditions 1 Full

10/24/2019 Red Flag Warning - Extreme Fire Conditions 2 Full

10/30/2019 Red Flag Warning - Extreme Fire Conditions 2 Full

11/27/2019 Rainstorm(s) wet and muddy conditions 21 Full

12/23/2019 Rainstorm(s) wet and muddy conditions 9 Full d. Is there an oﬃcial written policy governing special events use of the property? No

2. Oversight: Property Dedicated Staﬃng by Position

Position Title Number of Positions FTE

Recreation and Senior Services Director 1 1

Recreation Supervisor 1 .9

Park Patrol Ranger .25

3. Property Supervisor Contact Information

Name Title Email Phone

Laura Detweiler Recreation and Senior Services Director [email protected] 949-644-3148

a. Total number of public visitors to the property based on land owner’s estimate: 38581 b. What method(s) is/are used to estimate visitation? Summarize in the box below. The Conservancy manages the website www.LetsGoOutside.org. This website promotes public access activities in the Buck Gully Reserve and Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks, manages public activity registration, manages volunteer assignments, obtains public participant feedback, and creates automated reporting functions for activities. The

214 registration system the Conservancy maintains on behalf of the City allows the public to easily find and sign up for offered activities online. Once an individual completes registration for an activity, they receive an automated confirmation e-mail with a map to the location and additional instructions specific to the program they have signed up for (clothing, trail conditions, etc.). The registered individual’s information is also auto-populated into a Release of Liability Waiver that the volunteer or staff member leading the activity can print in advance of the activity. The pre-printed document is used both as the sign-in sheet and the Release of Liability Waiver, streamlining the sign-in process and allowing minimal time before the event can depart. Information is collected and utilized in accordance with the City of Newport Beach Personal Information Privacy Act.

After the activity, the activity leader returns to the website to ﬁll out an online post-activity report form. This form conﬁrms each participant’s attendance in the database. Website functionality includes activity reports that are used to provide quarterly attendance reports, volunteer service hours, numbers of volunteers, number of activities and other information to the City and for NCCP reporting. c. Compare the estimated number of total visitors this year to the past two years in the space provide below. If estimates for previous years do not exist for the property, please know the goal in future annual reports is to have estimates for three consecutive years to document visitation trends. 2019 38,581 2018 34,337 2017 25,551 d. Were there new types of park users or uses observed over the past year (e.g., geocaching, use of drones, ebikes, etc.) that could warrant a management response or need for development of a new visitor policy? Please list new users and/or uses below. New one-way mountain bike user on trail e. Were there any special events held for which special use permits were issued for the property? No f. In the table provided below, please identify any documented impacts to habitat from unauthorized property uses.

Date of Observation Description of Impact Habitat Type Estimated Acres

03/31/2019 Illegal Trail Cut Coastal sage scrub 0.5

Trail damage is reported to IRC’s Infrastructure team, and issues are addressed as soon as possible. Trails are monitored on a regular basis throughout the year, and maintenance occurs within the limits of the trail-tread on an as-needed basis. Annual preventative maintenance occurs during the months of September and October. Maintenance includes but is not limited to: ﬁlling rills and ruts, implementing industry-standard natural surface erosion control measures (water bars, grade dips, grade reversals, grade nicks, etc..). Trail armoring continues to be a key maintenance component for the year- round wet conditions due to upslope runoﬀ. Vegetation trimming occurs between August 15th and February 15th limited to maintenance of the scheduled trail widths per the approved RRMP. No trails were observed to have excessive erosion that required any maintenance beyond the routine anticipated annual post-winter repairs. ii. Are notes, photographs or other documentation of the monitoring performed archived?

215 Yes

III. Recreation Facility Construction and Maintenance

Recreational Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no recreational facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

IV. Infrastructure Facility Construction and Maintenance

Infrastructure Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no infrastructural facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

V. Habitat Restoration and Enhancement

VI. Invasive Species Control

1. Were active surveys conducted on the property for invasive beetles? Yes

Infested Geographic Area of the # of Infested Infested Tree Species Invasive Beetle Name Property Trees

Arroyo Willow ISHB Buck Gully 14

Red Willow ISHB Buck Gully 1

Sycamore ISHB Buck Gully 5 iii. Did active management for invasive beetles occur on the property? Yes

216 VII. Fire Management Activities

VIII. 2020 Work Plan

Draft original or amend existing property closure policy? No

Draft original or amend existing property special use policy? No

Draft original or amend existing GDP and/or Master Plan? No

Change in methodology for estimating property visitor use? Yes

Implement new or continue protocols for monitoring changes in trail conditions and/or reporting? No

Research (ongoing or new)? Yes

Recreation facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? Yes

If yes, what is the nature of the anticipated construction or maintenance project? (Check all that apply) Trails

Location where above work is proposed to take place? (GPS approximate center of project location and record below): 33.597558, -117.858983 Planned trail erosion mitigation approximately 30 lineal feet. Existing trail alignment to be adjusted 3’ to 4’ away from the bank edge of the creek. The abandoned trail tread adjacent to the creek edge to be restored to native vegetation to create root-stabilization and a natural trail-edge barrier. 33.603071, -117.846019 Planned trail erosion mitigation approximately 45 lineal feet. Existing trail alignment to be adjusted 3’ to 4’ away from the bank edge of the creek. The abandoned trail tread adjacent to the creek edge to be restored to native vegetation to create root-stabilization and a natural trail-edge barrier. Continuation of Trail Tread Armoring: Approximately 1,500 lineal feet between coordinates 33.604004, -117.847654 and 33.602787, -117.844104 Areas subject to successive upslope runoﬀ to be armored utilizing a combination of gravel, CMB, and C-Mix incorporated into existing native soil. The process will create a natural all-weather surface to substantially reduce trail degradation and loss of top-soil.

Infrastructure facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? No

Mitigation habitat restoration to be initiated? Yes

If yes, please ﬁll out the following

217 Habitat Type Approximate Location Area (acres)

Coastal Sage Scrub Buck Gully (33.596907, -117.860785) 0.5

Non-mitigation habitat restoration initiated? Yes

If yes, please ﬁll out the following

Habitat Type Approximate Location Area (acres)

Coastal Sage Scrub 33.603062, -117.854806 0.5

Additional Information: This restoration plan summarizes suggested restoration activities associated with a .5-acre illegal trail cut within the Buck Gully Reserve area. The project is suggested to take place over a ﬁve-year timeline, with a potential start date of November 2019 and project completion date of June 2023. Suggested restoration goals for this project include a) establishing native cover within the impacted area as quickly as possible to minimize the potential for non-native weed invasion and erosion. b) installing annual native forb species to replenish the potentially disturbed seed bank c) establishing percent native cover that reﬂects intact adjacent coastal sage scrub vegetation. Restoration activities will include planting native species via container plants, seeding annual forbs via direct seeding, watering container plants as needed, and maintaining the site free of weeds.

Invasive plant control actions to be undertaken by land owner (not NCC)? Yes

Invasive beetle control actions to be undertaken by land owner or contractor? Yes

Installation of new fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? No

Maintenance of existing fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? Yes

218 Reporting Year 2019

Land Manager

Park, open space or management unit Irvine Company

Website https://letsgooutside.org/

Land owning entity: Irvine Company (Irvine Company is the third party in some instances - see below)

Land managing entity if diﬀerent from above: Irvine Ranch Conservancy

I. Executive Summary

Provide a brief summary of the highlights relating to habitat impacts, restoration, fuel management and public access, as well as significant changes or modifications planned next year. The Irvine Company has continued to comply fully with its resource agency permit conditions through ongoing maintenance, monitoring, and reporting on all of its habitat mitigation sites within the Reserve. It also continues to meet the performance standards as required in each of the mitigation monitoring years. The Company's dedication to habitat restoration, specifically riparian habitat, within the Reserve is evident in the sites becoming fully established habitat for special-status species. No habitat impacts, fuel management, or public access occurred in 2019, and no significant changes or modifications are planned in 2020.

Date of Closure Reason for Closure Duration of Closure (Days) Full or Partial Closure

N/A d. Is there an oﬃcial written policy governing special events use of the property? No

2. Oversight: Property Dedicated Staﬃng by Position

Position Title Number of Positions FTE

219 N/A N/A N/A

3. Property Supervisor Contact Information

Name Title Email Phone

Irvine Ranch Conservancy 4727 Portola Parkway Irvine CA 92620 714-508-4757

b. What method(s) is/are used to estimate visitation? Summarize in the box below. N/A c. Compare the estimated number of total visitors this year to the past two years in the space provide below. If estimates for previous years do not exist for the property, please know the goal in future annual reports is to have estimates for three consecutive years to document visitation trends. N/A d. Were there new types of park users or uses observed over the past year (e.g., geocaching, use of drones, ebikes, etc.) that could warrant a management response or need for development of a new visitor policy? Please list new users and/or uses below. None e. Were there any special events held for which special use permits were issued for the property? No f. In the table provided below, please identify any documented impacts to habitat from unauthorized property uses.

Date of Observation Description of Impact Habitat Type Estimated Acres

N/A

a. Does land owner or its land managing representative monitor trail conditions annually? N/A

III. Recreation Facility Construction and Maintenance

Recreational Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no recreational facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

IV. Infrastructure Facility Construction and Maintenance

Infrastructure Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no infrastructural facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

V. Habitat Restoration and Enhancement

Project Lead Land owner Provide project name and/or permit number if the project is on behalf of an agency other than the land owner.

220 The Irvine Co. is both the land owner and third party. Mitigation Yes Riparian Community Acres 7.38 If this is a formal restoration plan, please provide the name: Planning Area 1 Habitat Mitigation and Monitoring Plan, dated Oct 2015 Coordination with NCC Yes Start Date 2015-01-01 Anticipated End Date 2021-12-31 Performance Monitoring Yes Data Archived in GIS Database Yes Project Lead Third party Mitigation Yes CSS Community Acres 3.21 Riparian Community Acres 1.25 Woodland Community Acres 2.42 If this is a formal restoration plan, please provide the name: HMMP: Agua Chinon Subwatershed Coordination with NCC Yes Start Date 2013-01-01 Anticipated End Date 2020-08-31 Performance Monitoring Yes Data Archived in GIS Database Yes Data Manager Yi-Chin Fang Project Lead Third party

221 Mitigation No CSS Community Acres 2.85 Coordination with NCC Yes Start Date 2015-12-01 Anticipated End Date 2020-06-30 Performance Monitoring Yes Data Archived in GIS Database Yes Data Manager Yi-Chin Fang

VI. Invasive Species Control

1. Did the land owner/manager or their staﬀ, volunteers or contractor treat invasive plant species on the property? Yes a. Were the results of the invasive plant control eﬀorts for the property conducted by the land owner/manager or their contractor reported to CalFlora? Partially i. If no or partially, please complete the table below:

Area of Treatment Habitat(s) Treatment Invasive Plant Name Methodology Impacted (Square Meters)

Invasives were treated as part of the HMMP annual Other maintenance within the 7.38 acres and not conducted as part of a widespread invasive treatment control plan.

1. Were active surveys conducted on the property for invasive beetles? No

2. Were any invasive beetle occurrences discovered prior to or during the reporting year on this property? No

VII. Fire Management Activities

222 VIII. 2020 Work Plan

Draft original or amend existing property closure policy? No

Draft original or amend existing property special use policy? No

Draft original or amend existing GDP and/or Master Plan? No

Change in methodology for estimating property visitor use? No

Implement new or continue protocols for monitoring changes in trail conditions and/or reporting? No

Research (ongoing or new)? No

Recreation facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? No

Infrastructure facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? No

Mitigation habitat restoration to be initiated? Yes

If yes, please ﬁll out the following

Habitat Type Approximate Location Area (acres)

Ongoing riparian maintenance and monitoring Orchard Hills NH3 & NH4 7.38

Non-mitigation habitat restoration initiated? No

Invasive plant control actions to be undertaken by land owner (not NCC)? Yes

Invasive beetle control actions to be undertaken by land owner or contractor? No

Installation of new fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? No

Maintenance of existing fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? No

223 Reporting Year 2019

Land Manager

Park, open space or management unit Ecological Preserve

Website http://ecopreserve.ucnrs.org/

Land owning entity: UC Irvine

Land managing entity if diﬀerent from above: UCI Nature, UC Irvine

I. Executive Summary

Provide a brief summary of the highlights relating to habitat impacts, restoration, fuel management and public access, as well as significant changes or modifications planned next year. Two Eagle Scout projects included installing rope fencing leading to and defining existing lookout areas of the Ecological Preserve. Within a year that has helped to reduce spider trails. Trampled areas were seeded and planted with students and volunteer groups to help accelerate revegetation of areas now closed off by ropes. UCI Nature and CEB staff continued to collect data on and maintain the UCI Defensible Space Demonstration Project.Areas between cactus patches will continue to be controlled for weeds and native seed collected for restoration in 2020-2021. A University Hills resident, Michael Berns, offered to make a $10,000 matching challenge to help raise funds for maintenance and increase awareness of the UCI Ecological Preserve. We created a Friends of the Ecological Preserve group and hosted mulitple community events at the University Hills Community Center. These included a Wildfire Awareness, and OC Birds of Prey event, and a general introduction and overview of the Ecological Preserve. UCI Nature staff also hosted field events, including stewardships for the defensible space project. The UCI Nature Natural Lands Management Interns and a Masters student in the Conservation and Restoration Science program initiated a carvivore movement study along corridors around the University connecting blocks of open space to the east with the Ecologcial Preserve and the San Joaquin Marsh and Upper Newport Bay. The Drought Net restoration and climate change study structures were established and seed collected and cleaned during 2019. Planting and further seed collection will continue through 2020. Artichoke thistle, tamarisk, and castor bean were mapped and most individuals treated. Data were collected for long term vegetation transects within the Ecological Preserve for their third year.

II. Use Policies, Monitoring and Management a. Public Access Description for the Property Open Access (see website above) b. Is there an oﬃcial written policy governing property closure conditions and procedures? No c. In the table provided below please identify the number of times the property was closed and the circumstances

Date of Closure Reason for Closure Duration of Closure (Days) Full or Partial Closure

224 01/01/2019 none 0 0 d. Is there an oﬃcial written policy governing special events use of the property? No

2. Oversight: Property Dedicated Staﬃng by Position

Position Title Number of Positions FTE

Executive Director .25 .25

3. Property Supervisor Contact Information

Name Title Email Phone

Megan Lulow Executive Director [email protected] 9495008754

a. Total number of public visitors to the property based on land owner’s estimate: 26780 b. What method(s) is/are used to estimate visitation? Summarize in the box below. Rough estimation based on a few frequent resident users and staﬀ observations. Estimates broken down by weekday use and weekend use and then summed. c. Compare the estimated number of total visitors this year to the past two years in the space provide below. If estimates for previous years do not exist for the property, please know the goal in future annual reports is to have estimates for three consecutive years to document visitation trends. The only major changes we see in use over the last couple of years is that there have been some stewardship and trail maintenance events in 2018 and 2019 that did not occur in 2016 and 2017. It would be helpful to know what is currently recommended for making these estimates. Trail counters, cell phone data? d. Were there new types of park users or uses observed over the past year (e.g., geocaching, use of drones, ebikes, etc.) that could warrant a management response or need for development of a new visitor policy? Please list new users and/or uses below. A couple people harvesting plants were seen and spokend to in 2019 and a couple that were poaching reptiles were seen in 2020. If there are law enforcement that are more dedicated to NCCP lands, or some way we can work with CDFW wardens we would like to pursue forming a relationship so someone can be called on short notice. e. Were there any special events held for which special use permits were issued for the property? No f. In the table provided below, please identify any documented impacts to habitat from unauthorized property uses.

Date of Observation Description of Impact Habitat Type Estimated Acres

drought years/season spider trails grassland/CSS .05

225 degradation. We have staﬀ and users that frequent the trails and report back on problems. During drought season and years we see a tendency for spider trails to form in certain areas. We have been moving signs and in 2019 installed rope fencing in the worst areas. We have since seen improvement in users staying on trails. ii. Are notes, photographs or other documentation of the monitoring performed archived? No

III. Recreation Facility Construction and Maintenance

Facility & Location Locke Court View Point Trail Fence Improvement Start Date 2019-09-21 End Date 2019-09-22 Was facility identiﬁed in an applicable GDP or RMP? No Impacts: Habitats or Sensitive Species

Type Amount (Acres)

none

Coordination with NCC? Yes Restoration Actions Taken? No Please describe the actions taken or justify why no such actions were taken Due to spider trails forming over the years we facilitated an Eagle Scout project to establish rope fencing leading to the view point to better designate authorized trails. Documentation: Reports, Notes, Photographs (Provide Reference) Fencing-maps-20191.pdf Facility & Location Vista Bonita View Point Trail Improvement Fencing Start Date 2019-08-16 End Date 2019-08-18 Was facility identiﬁed in an applicable GDP or RMP? No Impacts: Habitats or Sensitive Species

Type Amount (Acres)

none 0

Coordination with NCC?

226 Yes Restoration Actions Taken? No Please describe the actions taken or justify why no such actions were taken Due to spider trails forming over the years we facilitated an Eagle Scout project to establish rope fencing leading to the view point to better designate authorized trails. Documentation: Reports, Notes, Photographs (Provide Reference) Fencing-maps-20192.pdf

IV. Infrastructure Facility Construction and Maintenance

Infrastructure Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no infrastructural facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

V. Habitat Restoration and Enhancement

VI. Invasive Species Control

Area of Treatment (Square Treatment Methodology Invasive Plant Name Habitat(s) Impacted Meters)

Mechanical Castor Bean Grassland 30

Synthetic Herbicide Tamarisk Grassland 2

1. Were active surveys conducted on the property for invasive beetles? No

2. Were any invasive beetle occurrences discovered prior to or during the reporting year on this property? No

VII. Fire Management Activities

Fuel Management Map 2019-Fuel-Management-Map-overview-1.docx

Project Number Referenced on the Map

227 1 Coordination with NCC Yes Habitat Type(s) in Which Modiﬁcation Occurred Annual grassland CSS General Description of Fuel Modiﬁcation Technique Employed Mowing Approximate Area Treated in Acres 2 Management Action Consistent with Stakeholder Guide (WFMP) Yes New Fuel Management Treatment or Maintenance of Existing New

VIII. 2020 Work Plan

Draft original or amend existing property closure policy? No

Draft original or amend existing property special use policy? No

Draft original or amend existing GDP and/or Master Plan? Yes

Change in methodology for estimating property visitor use? Yes

Implement new or continue protocols for monitoring changes in trail conditions and/or reporting? No

Research (ongoing or new)? Yes

If yes, please enter additional details regarding the research pertaining to resources addressed by NCCP/HCP: 1. UCI Herbarium (IRVC) is participating in the California Phenology Project. Accessioned collections from the UCI Ecological Preserve are being digitized through NSF support. IRVC is re-collecting the Preserve as a part of the Phenology Project, scoring phenological characters for new and historic collections, and digitizing all accessioned material from the Preserve.

2. Local adaptation and response to climate change in Artemisia californica and associated insect communities. Kailen Mooney and his graduate student Jordan Rainbow in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UCI initiated a NSF-funded 3-5 year common garden experiment on the perimeter of the UCI Ecological Preserve adjacent to the north entrance along East Peltason Drive. The site at the Ecological Preserve is one of three analogous research sites along the California coast (Sonoma County and Santa Barbara County). The study design is approximately 60 m x 20 m with a 3’ tall wire fence and 500 Artemisia californica plants. These individuals were genetically sourced from the entire US coastal distribution and have been maintained in equal parts under control conditions (no manipulation), water addition (irrigation with IRWD reclaimed water), and insecticide application (~ every 2 weeks) since spring 2017. The main variables being monitored are: plant performance in terms of growth and ﬂowering, leaf samples for plant water relations traits, and collecting and

228 documenting the insect community composition. In 2020 the project will be maintained as it has been since 2017.

3. Drought Net Restoration Study: Eﬀects of drought on non-native grassland restored to coastal sage scrub using inland and coastal seed sources. Preparation for this restoration study was initiated in 2018 and will be part of a networked study (Drought Net) to examine the impacts of decreased rainfall on natural communities. Overlaid on the basic design of Drought Net, this study will add the following factors to the design: seed sourced from mesic vs. xeric environments in the local region (Orange County), the process of restoration of coastal sage scrub habitat, and the inﬂuence of water addition. The natural community utilized within the basic design of Drought Net is annual grassland, which will also be subjected to a treatment of reduced rainfall via rainfall exclosures.

Construction of rain exclosures, surface run irrigation lines, and perimeter fencing was established for the study summer and fall 2019. Seed collection for the study continued in permited areas in 2019. In winter and fall 2019 a treatment of low dose herbicide was applied and weeds were mowed in preparation for planting container plants for a portion of the study early winter 2020. Anticipated activities in 2020 include continuation of seed collection for the species under study, spraying low dose herbicide to control non-native weeds in the late winter and late spring, and seeding and planting in the late fall/ early winter.

4. Long term vegetation monitoring transects: Six long term vegetation monitoring transects in grassland, coastal sage scrub, and ecotone habitats have been established on the UCI Ecological Preserve. They utilized the same sampling protocols as NCC’s larger vegetation monitoring transects to facilitate comparisons and expand the scope of understanding plant community dynamics to the preserve lands. These transects were monitored again spring 2019.

5. Use and assessement of wildlife crossings and corridors between habitat blocks around UC Irvine campus. A Natural Lands Management intern and a student in the Masters in Conservation and Restoration Science program initiated a study of wildlife crossing and corridor study from a habitat block in the San Joaquin Hills to the San Joaquin Marsh and San Diego Creek. In 2019, study design was developed and cameras and permits were obtained. Sites to place cameras at include: UCI Research Park, San Joaquin Marsh, Culvert& University Drive Intersection, Ridgeline & University Drive Intersection, Anteater, Bonita Canyon, Under MacArthur Bridge, San Diego Creek Bank between Jamboree Rd. and 73 Toll Road. Anticipated activities in 2020 included collecting, processing, and analyzing carnivor images from wildlife cameras and conducting crossing surveys for each camera trap location.

Recreation facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? No

Infrastructure facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? No

Mitigation habitat restoration to be initiated? No

Non-mitigation habitat restoration initiated? Yes

If yes, please ﬁll out the following

Habitat Type Approximate Location Area (acres)

Grassland/cactus scrub defensible space zone 1

Additional Information: Habitat enhancement is part of a fuel modifcation project that includings comparing maintenance and ecological

229 attributes of cactus and native herbaceous species plantings, as well as outreach to the adjacent residential community about ﬁre safety and healthy habitats. The project is a collaboration between NCC and UCI Nature and the Center for Environmental Biology. In 2019 cactus pads were planted across project site blocks and site preparation initiated. Seed collection began for native forbs and grasses conductive to being mowed or existing at appropriate spacing with cactus clumps. In 2020, weed control will continue, irrigation will be installed among select blocks, and native seed will be collected for seeding once suﬃcient seed is obtained.

Invasive plant control actions to be undertaken by land owner (not NCC)? Yes

Invasive beetle control actions to be undertaken by land owner or contractor? No

Other (please describe): Invasive beetle surveys were conducted in 2017 along riparian areas adjacent to, but not within NCCP property on UCI campus. We anticipated re-surveying marked trees that had little to no infection in 2020 and hope to apply available treatments pending if allocated budgets.

Installation of new fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? No

Maintenance of existing fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? Yes

230 Reporting Year 2019

Land Manager

Park, open space or management unit San Joaquin Reservoir

Website http://www.irwd.com

Land owning entity: Irvine Ranch Water District

I. Executive Summary

Date of Closure Reason for Closure Duration of Closure (Days) Full or Partial Closure

01/01/2019 Remains closed to public All Days Full d. Is there an oﬃcial written policy governing special events use of the property? No

2. Oversight: Property Dedicated Staﬃng by Position

Position Title Number of Positions FTE

Natural Resources Manager 1 1

3. Property Supervisor Contact Information

Name Title Email Phone

Ian Swift Natural Resources Manager [email protected] 9494335837

231 b. What method(s) is/are used to estimate visitation? Summarize in the box below. There are no public visitors to this site. c. Compare the estimated number of total visitors this year to the past two years in the space provide below. If estimates for previous years do not exist for the property, please know the goal in future annual reports is to have estimates for three consecutive years to document visitation trends. Same total visitors. d. Were there new types of park users or uses observed over the past year (e.g., geocaching, use of drones, ebikes, etc.) that could warrant a management response or need for development of a new visitor policy? Please list new users and/or uses below. No. e. Were there any special events held for which special use permits were issued for the property? No f. In the table provided below, please identify any documented impacts to habitat from unauthorized property uses.

Date of Observation Description of Impact Habitat Type Estimated Acres

- - - -

a. Does land owner or its land managing representative monitor trail conditions annually? N/A

III. Recreation Facility Construction and Maintenance

Recreational Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no recreational facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

IV. Infrastructure Facility Construction and Maintenance

Infrastructure Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no infrastructural facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

V. Habitat Restoration and Enhancement

VI. Invasive Species Control

1. Did the land owner/manager or their staﬀ, volunteers or contractor treat invasive plant species on the property? No

1. Were active surveys conducted on the property for invasive beetles? No

2. Were any invasive beetle occurrences discovered prior to or during the reporting year on this property?

232 No

VII. Fire Management Activities

VIII. 2020 Work Plan

Draft original or amend existing property closure policy? No

Draft original or amend existing property special use policy? No

Draft original or amend existing GDP and/or Master Plan? No

Change in methodology for estimating property visitor use? No

Implement new or continue protocols for monitoring changes in trail conditions and/or reporting? No

Research (ongoing or new)? No

Recreation facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? No

Infrastructure facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? No

Mitigation habitat restoration to be initiated? No

Non-mitigation habitat restoration initiated? No

Invasive plant control actions to be undertaken by land owner (not NCC)? No

Invasive beetle control actions to be undertaken by land owner or contractor? No

Installation of new fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? No

Maintenance of existing fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve?

233 No

234 Reporting Year 2019

Land Manager

Park, open space or management unit Syphon Reservoir Preserve

Website http://www.irwd.com

Land owning entity: Irvine Ranch Water District

I. Executive Summary

Date of Closure Reason for Closure Duration of Closure (Days) Full or Partial Closure

01/01/2019 Remains closed to public All Days Full d. Is there an oﬃcial written policy governing special events use of the property? No

2. Oversight: Property Dedicated Staﬃng by Position

Position Title Number of Positions FTE

Natural Resources Manager 1 1

3. Property Supervisor Contact Information

Name Title Email Phone

Ian Swift Natural Resources Manager [email protected] 9494335837

235 b. What method(s) is/are used to estimate visitation? Summarize in the box below. There are no public visitors to this site. c. Compare the estimated number of total visitors this year to the past two years in the space provide below. If estimates for previous years do not exist for the property, please know the goal in future annual reports is to have estimates for three consecutive years to document visitation trends. Same total visitors. d. Were there new types of park users or uses observed over the past year (e.g., geocaching, use of drones, ebikes, etc.) that could warrant a management response or need for development of a new visitor policy? Please list new users and/or uses below. No. e. Were there any special events held for which special use permits were issued for the property? No f. In the table provided below, please identify any documented impacts to habitat from unauthorized property uses.

Date of Observation Description of Impact Habitat Type Estimated Acres

- - - -

a. Does land owner or its land managing representative monitor trail conditions annually? N/A

III. Recreation Facility Construction and Maintenance

Recreational Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no recreational facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

IV. Infrastructure Facility Construction and Maintenance

Infrastructure Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no infrastructural facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

V. Habitat Restoration and Enhancement

VI. Invasive Species Control

1. Did the land owner/manager or their staﬀ, volunteers or contractor treat invasive plant species on the property? No

1. Were active surveys conducted on the property for invasive beetles? No

2. Were any invasive beetle occurrences discovered prior to or during the reporting year on this property?

236 No

VII. Fire Management Activities

VIII. 2020 Work Plan

Draft original or amend existing property closure policy? No

Draft original or amend existing property special use policy? No

Draft original or amend existing GDP and/or Master Plan? No

Change in methodology for estimating property visitor use? No

Implement new or continue protocols for monitoring changes in trail conditions and/or reporting? No

Research (ongoing or new)? No

Recreation facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? No

Infrastructure facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? No

Mitigation habitat restoration to be initiated? No

Non-mitigation habitat restoration initiated? No

Invasive plant control actions to be undertaken by land owner (not NCC)? No

Invasive beetle control actions to be undertaken by land owner or contractor? No

Installation of new fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? No

Maintenance of existing fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve?

237 No

238 Reporting Year 2019

Land Manager

Park, open space or management unit Bonita Creek

Website https://www.thetollroads.com

Land owning entity: Transportation Corridor Agencies

I. Executive Summary

Provide a brief summary of the highlights relating to habitat impacts, restoration, fuel management and public access, as well as significant changes or modifications planned next year. Bonita Creek Channel work plan for 2020 includes: exotic species and trash removal, as needed maintenance/modifications of the Austin Sand Filter at Bison Avenue, minimal maintenance along the maintenance path is performed as needed, including cutting back saltbush every two years and exotic species removal of eucalyptus saplings and pampas grass seedlings every five years.

Date of Closure Reason for Closure Duration of Closure (Days) Full or Partial Closure

N/A d. Is there an oﬃcial written policy governing special events use of the property? No

2. Oversight: Property Dedicated Staﬃng by Position

Position Title Number of Positions FTE

N/A 0

3. Property Supervisor Contact Information

239 Name Title Email Phone

Doug Feremenga Manager, Environmental Planning [email protected] 949-754-3496

Valarie McFall Chief Environmental Planning Oﬃcer [email protected] 949-754-3475

Virginia Gomez Environmental Analyst [email protected] 949-754-3487

b. What method(s) is/are used to estimate visitation? Summarize in the box below. None. c. Compare the estimated number of total visitors this year to the past two years in the space provide below. If estimates for previous years do not exist for the property, please know the goal in future annual reports is to have estimates for three consecutive years to document visitation trends. N/A d. Were there new types of park users or uses observed over the past year (e.g., geocaching, use of drones, ebikes, etc.) that could warrant a management response or need for development of a new visitor policy? Please list new users and/or uses below. N/A e. Were there any special events held for which special use permits were issued for the property? No f. In the table provided below, please identify any documented impacts to habitat from unauthorized property uses.

Date of Observation Description of Impact Habitat Type Estimated Acres

N/A

III. Recreation Facility Construction and Maintenance

Recreational Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no recreational facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

IV. Infrastructure Facility Construction and Maintenance

Infrastructure Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no infrastructural facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the

240 property

V. Habitat Restoration and Enhancement

VI. Invasive Species Control

Area of Treatment (Square Treatment Methodology Invasive Plant Name Habitat(s) Impacted Meters)

Other Pampas Gras N/A 0

1. Were active surveys conducted on the property for invasive beetles? No

2. Were any invasive beetle occurrences discovered prior to or during the reporting year on this property? No

VII. Fire Management Activities

VIII. 2020 Work Plan

Draft original or amend existing property closure policy? No

Draft original or amend existing property special use policy? No

Draft original or amend existing GDP and/or Master Plan? No

Change in methodology for estimating property visitor use? No

Implement new or continue protocols for monitoring changes in trail conditions and/or reporting? No

Research (ongoing or new)? No

241 Recreation facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? No

Infrastructure facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? No

Mitigation habitat restoration to be initiated? No

Non-mitigation habitat restoration initiated? No

Invasive plant control actions to be undertaken by land owner (not NCC)? Yes

Invasive beetle control actions to be undertaken by land owner or contractor? No

Installation of new fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? No

Maintenance of existing fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? No

242 Reporting Year 2019

Land Manager

Park, open space or management unit Coyote Canyon

Website https://www.thetollroads.com

Land owning entity: County of Orange

I. Executive Summary

Date of Closure Reason for Closure Duration of Closure (Days) Full or Partial Closure

N/A d. Is there an oﬃcial written policy governing special events use of the property? No

2. Oversight: Property Dedicated Staﬃng by Position

Position Title Number of Positions FTE

N/A 0

3. Property Supervisor Contact Information

243 Name Title Email Phone

Doug Feremenga Manager, Environmental Planning [email protected] 949-754-3496

Valarie McFall Chief Environmental Planning Oﬃcer [email protected] 949-754-3475

Virginia Gomez Environmental Analyst [email protected] 949-754-3487

Date of Observation Description of Impact Habitat Type Estimated Acres

N/A

a. Does land owner or its land managing representative monitor trail conditions annually? N/A i. If yes, summarize methodology in the space below and describe the general trend you observed for the property, and identify any speciﬁc trails where conditions are found to be degraded and any actions proposed or taken to address the degradation. ii. Are notes, photographs or other documentation of the monitoring performed archived? No

III. Recreation Facility Construction and Maintenance

Recreational Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no recreational facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

IV. Infrastructure Facility Construction and Maintenance

Infrastructure Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no infrastructural facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the

244 property

V. Habitat Restoration and Enhancement

VI. Invasive Species Control

1. Did the land owner/manager or their staﬀ, volunteers or contractor treat invasive plant species on the property? No a. Were the results of the invasive plant control eﬀorts for the property conducted by the land owner/manager or their contractor reported to CalFlora? N/A i. If no or partially, please complete the table below:

Area of Treatment (Square Treatment Methodology Invasive Plant Name Habitat(s) Impacted Meters)

1. Were active surveys conducted on the property for invasive beetles? No

2. Were any invasive beetle occurrences discovered prior to or during the reporting year on this property? No

VII. Fire Management Activities

VIII. 2020 Work Plan

Draft original or amend existing property closure policy? No

Draft original or amend existing property special use policy? No

Draft original or amend existing GDP and/or Master Plan? No

Change in methodology for estimating property visitor use? No

Implement new or continue protocols for monitoring changes in trail conditions and/or reporting? No

Research (ongoing or new)? No

245 Recreation facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? No

Infrastructure facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? No

Mitigation habitat restoration to be initiated? No

Non-mitigation habitat restoration initiated? No

Invasive plant control actions to be undertaken by land owner (not NCC)? Yes

Invasive beetle control actions to be undertaken by land owner or contractor? No

Installation of new fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? No

Maintenance of existing fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? No

246 Reporting Year 2019

Land Manager

Park, open space or management unit Portola South

Land owning entity: Southwest Resource Management Association

I. Executive Summary

Provide a brief summary of the highlights relating to habitat impacts, restoration, fuel management and public access, as well as significant changes or modifications planned next year. The Southwest Resource Management Association (SRMA) owns and manages the 100+ ac Portola South open space area in the city of Lake Forest. SRMA provides provides the long-term protection, management, and maintenance of the existing native upland habitat and the established, restored, and enhanced wetland mitigation area within the 101.7-acre Portola South (Viejo Property, as part of the Orange County Central and Coastal Natural Communities Conservation Plan/Habitat Conservation Plan (NCCP/HCP) Reserve, and is intended to function as native habitat in perpetuity and provide natural functions and values. SRMA owns the 101 acres and is providing compliance monitoring during the mitigation period. Once mitigation has been signed off by the regulatory agencies, SRMA will provide the long-term maintenance and management of the site in perpetuity. No significant impacts have occurred, no fuel management takes place on the property and modifications to public access are being conducted to reduce mountain bike trails from being created. The site is not open to general public use or access.

Date of Closure Reason for Closure Duration of Closure (Days) Full or Partial Closure

1/1/2019 to 1/1/2020 Not open to public 365 Full d. Is there an oﬃcial written policy governing special events use of the property? No

2. Oversight: Property Dedicated Staﬃng by Position

Position Title Number of Positions FTE

SRMA Ranger 1 Part-Time

247 3. Property Supervisor Contact Information

Name Title Email Phone

Kerwin Russell Field Supervisor [email protected] 909-553-4349

b. What method(s) is/are used to estimate visitation? Summarize in the box below. None. Site is not open to public use. c. Compare the estimated number of total visitors this year to the past two years in the space provide below. If estimates for previous years do not exist for the property, please know the goal in future annual reports is to have estimates for three consecutive years to document visitation trends. N/A d. Were there new types of park users or uses observed over the past year (e.g., geocaching, use of drones, ebikes, etc.) that could warrant a management response or need for development of a new visitor policy? Please list new users and/or uses below. N/A e. Were there any special events held for which special use permits were issued for the property? No f. In the table provided below, please identify any documented impacts to habitat from unauthorized property uses.

Date of Observation Description of Impact Habitat Type Estimated Acres

4-1-2020 Moutain bike trail CSS .25

III. Recreation Facility Construction and Maintenance

Recreational Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no recreational facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

IV. Infrastructure Facility Construction and Maintenance

Infrastructure Facility Construction or Maintenance Check here if no infrastructural facility construction or maintenance occurred or such facilities do not occur on the property

248 V. Habitat Restoration and Enhancement

VI. Invasive Species Control

Area of Treatment (Square Treatment Methodology Invasive Plant Name Habitat(s) Impacted Meters)

Hand-pulling Palm trees Riparian 3

1. Were active surveys conducted on the property for invasive beetles? No

2. Were any invasive beetle occurrences discovered prior to or during the reporting year on this property? No

VII. Fire Management Activities

VIII. 2020 Work Plan

Draft original or amend existing property closure policy? No

Draft original or amend existing property special use policy? No

Draft original or amend existing GDP and/or Master Plan? No

Change in methodology for estimating property visitor use? No

Implement new or continue protocols for monitoring changes in trail conditions and/or reporting? No

Research (ongoing or new)? Yes

If yes, please enter additional details regarding the research pertaining to resources addressed by NCCP/HCP:

249 Rare plant surveys conducted by Orange County Native Plant Society.

Recreation facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? No

Infrastructure facility construction or maintenance with anticipated temporary or permanent habitat impacts? No

Mitigation habitat restoration to be initiated? No

Non-mitigation habitat restoration initiated? Yes

If yes, please ﬁll out the following

Habitat Type Approximate Location Area (acres)

CSS Where bridges have been created .25

Invasive plant control actions to be undertaken by land owner (not NCC)? Yes

Invasive beetle control actions to be undertaken by land owner or contractor? No

Installation of new fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? No

Maintenance of existing fuel management to be undertaken within the reserve? No

250