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Species-Specific Conservation Analyses and Conditions for Coverage

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Species-Specific Conservation Analyses and Conditions for Coverage Section 4 Tricolored Blackbird Tricolored Blackbird Agelaius tricolor USFWS: Federal Species of Concern (former Category 2 Candidate) CDFG: Species of Special Concern MHCP: Obligate Wetlands Species Conservation Goals Ensure persistence of the tricolored blackbird in the plan area. Enhance habitat quality and increase the number of breeding colonies and total population size in the plan area. Contribute to regional population viability and species recovery. Conservation Strategy Conserve existing tricolored blackbird wetlands breeding habitat and grasslands foraging habitat, and tricolored blackbird point localities in the MHCP. Include within the open space preserve system existing populations of tricolored blackbird and other potential habitat. Provide appropriate upland buffers (minimum of 50 feet and up to 100 feet wide where possible) for all known populations. Protect potential grasslands foraging habitat in vicinity of breeding habitat. Facilitate coordination of local, state, and federal conservation and management actions for this species. Summary of Findings and Conditions for Coverage Findings. [TBD by wildlife agencies in the Biological Opinion after MHCP public review.] Achievement of Conservation Goals. Current levels of conservation expected under the current MHCP FPA and guidelines do not meet the conservation goals for this species. Few large grassland areas or agricultural areas will be conserved near potential nesting habitats. Only about 31% of the extant grasslands in the study area are expected to be conserved, and the plan does not protect agricultural lands from development. Critical grassland areas near marsh habitats are partially conserved and will become further fragmented. Conditions. Not applicable. Background Distribution, Abundance, and Trends. The tricolored blackbird distribution is centered in the Sacramento/San Joaquin valleys of California. The species is a common to abundant, but highly localized resident in SanDiego County (Beedy et al. 1991; Unitt 1984). Within the MHCP area, documented tricolored blackbird locations include San Luis Rey River/Pilgrim Creek; Buena Vista, Batiquitos, and San Elijo lagoons; and Kit Carson Park in Escondido (see MHCP Database Records Map). This species breeds colonially in freshwater marsh and riparian scrub habitats and forms large nomadic flocks in fall and winter. Tricolored blackbirds feed in grasslands and agricultural fields adjacent to the nesting colony. There are no known major populations or critical locations in the plan area; however, because this species is nomadic and colonies occur sporadically, major populations and critical locations are difficult to identify. PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT MHCP VOL. II 4-401 314552000 Note: This map only indicates recorded locations in the GIS database and may not represent the true distribution of the species. This map is intended for general display purposes only. The information Camp Pendleton on this map should not be used for site specific planning. For more specific location information, refer to the 1" = 4,000' scale species distribution maps. Daley Vista Ranch Oceanside Buena Vista Lagoon San Recorded Locations Aqua Hedionda Marcos Lagoon Escondido Carlsbad Natural Habitats Generalized Subarea Plan Boundary Major Roads Batiquitos Lagoon Major Streams Lake Hodges San Pasqual Valley Encinitas Tricolored blackbird MHCP Database Records Feet 0 8,500 17,000 San Elijo Lagoon Kilometers 2.04 4.08 Solana San Diego Beach ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTS Source: MHCP Species San Dieguito April 3, 2001 database, 1999 Lagoon Section 4 Tricolored Blackbird Threats and Limiting Factors. The number and size of tricolored blackbird breeding colonies have declined with loss of wetland habitats. The state population size is less than 10,000, an 89% decline since the 1930s. This species is also vulnerable to contamination of wetlands, human disturbance, and massive nest loss by a large number of avian and mammalian predators (Beedy et al. 1991). Special Considerations. Most San Diego County breeding sites are used on an irregular or inconsistent schedule as a result of this species’ highly nomadic behavior. Conservation Analysis Conservation and Take Levels. The maximum conservation of the riparian ecological community and the lagoon and marsh ecological community (Section 3.2) might benefit this species by protecting potential nesting habitat. However, the low level of conservation of the grassland community required for foraging will not benefit this species. All riparian scrub and freshwater marsh nesting habitat is 100% conserved, while only 31% of grassland foraging habitat is expected to be conserved. The plan neither encourages nor discourages conversion of agricultural lands to other land uses, relative to existing conditions, but availability of agricultural areas for foraging is also likely to decrease over time as cities continue to develop. Most point localities (5 of 7, 71%) will be conserved (Table 4-63). Preserve Configuration Issues. While the MHCP preserve does not affect the ability of this species to disperse to suitable breeding habitat relative to existing conditions, a substantial amount of potential grasslands foraging habitat will not be protected. Much of the grassland habitat that will be lost is within reasonable foraging distance (up to 4miles) of the nesting habitat (Orians 1961). Riparian species are especially vulnerable to edge effects due to the linear nature of riparian habitat (high edge-to- core area ratio). Therefore, substantial upland buffers should be provided wherever possible. Effects on Population Viability and Species Recovery. Implementation of the MHCP will protect a substantial portion of the potential breeding habitat for the species in the plan area, but available foraging habitat within the plan area will decline substantially. Provided that substantial foraging habitat will remain on Camp Pendleton and in unincorporated areas within 4 miles of breeding habitat in the plan area, tricolored blackbird populations are expected to be maintained within the plan area. The MHCP preserve and policies will maintain consistency with other recovery planning and management goals for species. Special Considerations. Sufficient grassland and agricultural foraging habitat is necessary in the general vicinity of nesting colonies. Adaptive Management Program In addition to conserving habitat, the MHCP will integrate the following monitoring and management actions into an adaptive management program for this species. Monitoring results will help refine the management program described below so that management activities can be adjusted to maximize species recovery potential. Management actions for the tricolored blackbird within the MHCP should coordinate with existing programs to ensure compatibility of monitoring results and prevent duplication of efforts. This MHCP conservation analysis assumes the following monitoring and management actions will be implemented by the MHCP adaptive management program. PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT MHCP VOL. II 4-403 314552000 Section 4 Tricolored Blackbird Table 4-63 SUMMARY OF CONSERVATION FOR TRICOLORED BLACKBIRD Habitat Acres Conserved1 Location Points City Net Acres (%) BCLA Acres (%) Conserved2 Carlsbad 1,033 (56%) 967 (57%) 2 (100%) Encinitas 435 (83%) 413 (87%) 1 (100%) Escondido 541 (71%) 428 (83%) 1 (50%) Oceanside 1,271 (51%) 940 (57%) 1 (50%) San Marcos 202 (25%) 74 (35%) None known Solana Beach 3 (100%) 3 (100%) None known Vista 160 (19%) 93 (50%) None known MHCP Total3 3,645 (50%) 2,918 (62%) 5 of 7 (71%) 1 Habitat includes riparian scrub, freshwater marsh, and grassland vegetation communities. Not all grasslands may be within suitable distance to breeding habitat. 2 Approximate number of known location points expected to be conserved based on the applicable calculation rules described in Section 2.2. The percentage in parentheses estimates the overall conservation level as a weighted average for all points, where each point is first assigned a conservation level based on location (e.g., inside or outside FPA) and species type (e.g., narrow endemic or wetland obligate). 3 Numbers may not total due to rounding. PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT MHCP VOL. II 4-404 314552000 Section 4 Tricolored Blackbird Monitoring. Using survey protocols to be determined in the MHCP monitoring plan, periodically monitor conserved populations and potential habitat of tricolored blackbird with an intensity and frequency appropriate to detect changes in population size and habitat quantity and quality. Required Conservation and Management Actions. The following management actions may be required to ensure species persistence within the plan area, contribute to regional species viability, and further recovery. This analysis therefore assumes that one or more of these actions will be implemented if monitoring indicates that such actions are warranted and feasible to meet MHCP and species recovery goals. Any project that will have unavoidable direct or indirect impacts to tricolored blackbird or their habitat shall be required to compensate by one or more of these actions: 1. Restrict activities within the preserve that could degrade tricolored blackbird habitat. These activities include human disturbance, habitat alteration of breeding and foraging areas, predation by introduced feral and domestic animals (e.g., dogs and cats), adverse changes in water level, water quantity and quality, and introduction of pesticides and other contaminants into preserve wetlands. 2. Restrict human access to
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