Calabazas Creek Open Space Preserve Resource Management Plan September 2015
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
DRAFT SONOMA COUNTY AGRICULTURAL PRESERVATION & OPEN SPACE DISTRICT CALABAZAS CREEK OPEN SPACE PRESERVE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN SEPTEMBER 2015 747 Mendocino Avenue, Suite 100, Santa Rosa, CA 95401 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................1 1.1 Background & Plan Purpose ........................................................................................................................1 1.2 Location and Regional Context ..............................................................................................................1 1.3 Data Collection ..............................................................................................................................................2 1.4 Next Steps ........................................................................................................................................................2 2.0 PRESERVE DESCRIPTION ............................................................................................................ 5 2.1 Legal Features ..................................................................................................................................................5 2.2 Geology, Soils and Erosion ......................................................................................................................5 2.3 Topography .....................................................................................................................................................8 2.4 Climate and Precipitation ........................................................................................................................8 2.5 Hydrology ........................................................................................................................................................9 2.6 Plant Communities .....................................................................................................................................13 2.7 Sensitive Habitats ....................................................................................................................................... 16 2.8 Special-Status Plants ................................................................................................................................22 2.9 Invasive Plants ..............................................................................................................................................25 2.11 Mammals .......................................................................................................................................................37 2.12 Birds .................................................................................................................................................................38 2.13 Amphibians ..................................................................................................................................................39 2.14 Invasive Wildlife ........................................................................................................................................39 2.15 Habitat Continuity and Connectivity.............................................................................................40 2.16 Fire Ecology and Its Influence on the Preserve ..........................................................................41 2.17 Cultural Resources ...................................................................................................................................43 3.0 LAND USE AND MANAGEMENT.............................................................................................45 3.1 Historic Land Use and Management ..................................................................................................45 3.2 Current Zoning .............................................................................................................................................45 3.3 Current Land Use and District Management Practices............................................................ 48 4.0 RECOMMENDED MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES .................................................................50 4.1 Summary of Management Issues ........................................................................................................50 Table of Contents — i 4.2 Physical Resources Management (PR) ..............................................................................................56 4.3 Plant Communities (PC) ..........................................................................................................................60 4.4 Sensitive Habitat Management (SHM) ............................................................................................66 4.5 Special-Status Plants Management (SPM) ......................................................................................73 4.6 Invasive Plants Management (IPM) ....................................................................................................75 4.7 Special-Status Animal Management (SAM) ..................................................................................80 4.8 Critical Habitat Corridors (HC) ............................................................................................................83 4.9 Invasive Animals Management (IAM)............................................................................................... 84 4.10 Human Trespass and Illegal Activities Management (HT) .....................................................87 4.11 Cultural Resources (CR) .........................................................................................................................88 5.0 REGULATORY FRAMEWORK ...................................................................................................90 6.0 MONITORING AND ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT ...............................................................92 REFERENCES .......................................................................................................................................95 APPENDIX A Historical Aerial Photography of the Preserve Area .......................................................................105 APPENDIX B Special-status Plants and Wildlife Documented in the Vicinity of the Preserve .............107 APPENDIX C Bird Species Occurring or Expected to Occur on the Preserve ..................................................111 APPENDIX D Invasive Plant Species of Concern Identified on the Preserve. ..................................................113 APPENDIX E.1 List of All Vascular Plant Taxa Identified on the Preserve. ..........................................................120 APPENDIX E.2 Summary of Botanical Survey Methodologies ................................................................................. 132 APPENDIX F Calabazas Creek Open Space Preserve Road Assessment ...........................................................135 APPENDIX G Calabazas Creek Open Space Preserve Sub-basin Characteristics ..........................................144 APPENDIX H Calabazas Creek Open Space Soils Units Mapped Within Preserve ......................................145 APPENDIX I Summary of Cultural Resource Study of Portions of the Preserve .........................................148 APPENDIX J Acronyms and Glossary of Terms ............................................................................................................ 152 APPENDIX K Sudden Oak Death Best Practices ...........................................................................................................154 Table of Contents — ii APPENDIX L CWHR Habitat Assessment Methodology..........................................................................................155 APPENDIX M FIRE ADAPTATION .....................................................................................................................................158 APPENDIX N Wildlife Camera Study .................................................................................................................................160 APPENDIX O Beltane Ranch Grazing Recommendations .........................................................................................163 Table of Contents — iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Special thanks and appreciation to the California Coastal Conservancy and the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council (BARTC), for their financial and technical support. The District would also like to thank the Calabazas Creek Open Space Preserve Volunteer Patrol members who have vigilantly monitored the Preserve since its acquisition in 2004 and provided countless hours towards the conservation and enhancement of the Preserve. This report was prepared by: Vollmar Natural Lands Consulting (VNLC) Berkeley, CA Environmental setting; biological resources; and land management. Restoration Design Group (RDG) Berkeley, CA Team lead and coordination and stream assessment. Pacific Watershed Associates (PWA) Petaluma, CA Comprehensive road assessment Anthropological Studies Center (ASC) Sonoma State University Rohnert Park, CA Cultural resources Green Impact Mill Valley, CA Technical writing DowHouse Healdsburg, CA Graphic design DRAFT including erosion control, invasive plant manage- ment, and removing illegal marijuana grows. In 2008, the California State Coastal Conservancy, with the support of the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council (BARTC), awarded