U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Natural Resource Management Plan Anaho Island National Wildlife Refuge The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife The mission of the National Wildlife Refuge Service is working with others to conserve, System is to administer a national network protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, of lands and waters for the conservation, and their habitats for the continuing management, and, where appropriate, benefit of the American people. restoration of the fish, wildlife, and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans. Cover photograph of Pyramid Lake and Anaho Island. USFWS Cover photographs ofAmerican white pelicans, smoothstem blazingstar, and rattlesnake. Donna Withers/USFWS Natural Resources Management Plan Anaho Island National Wildlife Refuge Nevada Prepared by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Pacific Southwest Region Inventory and Monitoring Initiative 2800 Cottage Way Sacramento, California 95828 916 /414-6464 Authors Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge Complex Nancy Hoffman, Project Leader Donna Withers, Wildlife Refuge Specialist Region 8 Inventory and Monitoring Initiative Giselle Block, Wildlife Biologist Carol Damberg (currently Region 7) Orien Richmond, Wildlife Biologist Kaylene Keller, Ecologist/Data Manager Sharon Dulava, Biological Science Technician Rachel Esralew, Hydrologist Erin Aceituno, GIS Specialist CITATION for this document: Hoffman, N., D. Withers, G. Block, C. Damberg, O. Richmond, K. Keller, S. Dulva, R. Esralew, E. Acetuno. 2015. Natural Resources Management Plan: Anaho Island National Wildlife Refuge. U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific Southwest Region Refuges Inventory and Monitoring Program. 93 p. Contents Abbreviations .............................................................................................................................................................. v Project Summary ........................................................................................................................................................ 1 Chapter 1—Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 3 1.1 Refuge Conservation Planning: Past and Present ................................................................................................ 3 1.2 Physiographic and Ecological Summary ............................................................................................................... 4 Chapter 2—Methods .................................................................................................................................................. 7 2.1 Project Team............................................................................................................................................................... 7 2.2 Conservation Planning Approach ........................................................................................................................... 8 2.3 Selection of Priority Resources of Concern (Conservation Targets) .............................................................. 10 Chapter 3—Scope, Vision, and Conservation Targets ....................................................................................... 11 3.1 Scope.......................................................................................................................................................................... 11 3.2 Vision.......................................................................................................................................................................... 11 3.3 Priority Resources of Concern (Conservation Targets) ..................................................................................... 11 3.3.1 Conservation Target 1—Colonial Nesting Waterbirds .............................................................................................. 13 3.3.2 Conservation Target 2—Colonial Nesting Waterbird Foraging Areas ....................................................................... 18 3.3.3 Conservation Target 3—Anaho Island Ecosystem ..................................................................................................... 19 Chapter 4—Viability Assessment .......................................................................................................................... 23 4.1 Conservation Target 1—Colonial Nesting Waterbirds ..................................................................................... 23 4.1.1 Key Ecological Attribute 1.1—Colonial Nesting Waterbird Diversity ........................................................................ 23 4.1.2 Key Ecological Attribute 1.2—Colonial Nesting Waterbird Reproductive Success .................................................. 23 4.2 Conservation Target 2—Colonial Nesting Waterbird Foraging Areas .......................................................... 24 4.2.1 Key Ecological Attribute 2.1—Aquatic Food Availability ........................................................................................... 24 4.3 Conservation Target 3—Anaho Island Ecosystem ............................................................................................. 25 4.3.1 Key Ecological Attribute 3.1—Landcover Diversity .................................................................................................... 25 4.3.2 Key Ecological Attribute 3.2—Biodiversity ................................................................................................................ 25 4.3.3 Key Ecological Attribute 3.3—Anaho Island Isolation ............................................................................................... 25 Chapter 5—Threat Assessment ............................................................................................................................. 29 5.1 Threat Ranking ......................................................................................................................................................... 29 5.2 Threat Summary by Conservation Target ............................................................................................................. 30 5.2.1 Threats to Conservation Target 1—Colonial Nesting Waterbirds ............................................................................. 30 5.2.2 Threats to Conservation Target 2—Colonial Nesting Waterbird Foraging Areas ..................................................... 30 5.2.3 Threats to Conservation Target 3—Anaho Island Ecosystem .................................................................................... 30 Natural Resource Management Plan Contents Anaho Island National Wildlife Refuge i Chapter 6—Situation Analysis ............................................................................................................................... 33 Chapter 7—Action Plan ........................................................................................................................................... 37 7.1 Conservation Goals .................................................................................................................................................. 37 7.1.1 Conservation Target 1—Colonial Nesting Waterbirds .............................................................................................. 37 7.1.2 Conservation Target 2—Colonial Nesting Waterbird Foraging Areas ....................................................................... 37 7.1.3 Conservation Target 3—Anaho Island Ecosystem ..................................................................................................... 38 7.2 Threat Reduction Objectives ................................................................................................................................. 38 7.2.1 Direct Threats—Water Use and Climate Change ...................................................................................................... 38 7.2.2 Direct Threats—Invasive Species and Climate Change ............................................................................................. 39 7.2.3 Direct Threats—Water Use, Invasive Species, and Climate Change ........................................................................ 40 7.3 Management Strategies to Achieve Goals and Objectives ............................................................................. 40 7.3.1 Strategy Summary....................................................................................................................................................... 40 7.3.2 Strategies and Related Objectives .............................................................................................................................. 41 7.4 Strategy Timeline and Budget ............................................................................................................................... 58 7.4.1 Timeline....................................................................................................................................................................... 58 7.4.2 Budget ......................................................................................................................................................................... 61 Chapter 8—Inventory, Monitoring, and Research .............................................................................................