CONSERVING ALABAMA’S WILDLIFE A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES DIVISION OF WILDLIFE AND FRESHWATER FISHERIES M. BARNETT LAWLEY M.N. “CORKY” PUGH COMMISSIONER DIRECTOR FRED R. HARDERS JAMES J. MCHUGH ASSISTANT DIRECTOR WILDLIFE DIVERSITY COORDINATOR 2005 N ATIONAL A DVISORY A CCEPTANCE T EAM E LEMENT G UIDE FOR A LABAMA National Advisory Acceptance Team Element Guide The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (DWFF) has prepared this guide to Alabama’s Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy (CWCS) for the National Advisory Acceptance Team (NAAT) and others to readily find sections that address each of the eight required elements. The CWCS has six chapters, the first four of which each focus on one of the eight elements (in sequential order: Elements 1-4 = Chapters 1-4). Chapters 5 and 6 each address two elements, 5 and 6 and 7 and 8, respectively. Appendices are provided for chapters 1, 2, 5, and 6. Figures, tables and appendices are labeled throughout the document with the first number referring to the corresponding chapter and the second number as the corresponding figure, table or appendix. For example, Figure 3-2 is the second figure in Chapter 3 and Appendix 1-3 is the third appendix supporting Chapter 1. Frequently cited in the text, and provided to NAAT with this CWCS as an important supplementary reference, is the four-volume publication Alabama Wildlife (Mirarchi 2004, Mirarchi et al. 2004a-c), which is the foundation for this CWCS. Alabama Wildlife is derived from Alabama’s Second Nongame Wildlife Conference, convened in July 2002 as part of the CWCS process to identify those species of greatest conservation need (GCN) by assembling scientific experts and stakeholders to compile the best data on the full array of Alabama’s wildlife. The complete list of GCN species is presented in Appendix 1-3. The Alabama CWCS is available through the ADCNR website (www.outdooralabama.com/research-mgmt/cwcs) as Adobe PDF files. Detailed information about each of the GCN species and key habitats is also available on the ADCNR website for the CWCS, which provided the public the opportunity to submit comments at the species or habitat level as well as to find specific information on the status, ranking and affiliations between individual GCN species and habitat. The process followed to develop the CWCS proceeded through each of the eight required elements and incorporated the guidance provided by the IAFWA and NAAT. DWFF staff, six taxa committees (mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles, fishes, mussels and aquatic snails, crayfishes) and other partners assessed the abundance and distribution of fauna in Alabama, identifying GCN species based on available scientific information (Element 1). The Red-cockaded Woodpecker, for example, was identified as a GCN species following an evaluation of its status, abundance and distribution in the state, and existing conservation efforts that have identified it as a species of highest conservation concern. The Red-cockaded Woodpecker in Alabama is federally endangered and globally and state ranked (by NatureServe) as G3 and S2. Furthermore, the IUCN classifies the Red-cockaded Woodpecker as Vulnerable, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ranks it as Tier 1a (Immediate Action Needed) on its proposed list of priority bird species occurring in the region. The Birds taxa committee of Alabama’s Second Nongame Wildlife Conference ranked the Red-cockaded Woodpecker as Priority 1, Highest Conservation Concern, and that status was adopted in the CWCS. Following its proposal as a GCN species, the public was invited to provide comments (as with all GCN species and key habitats) through the ADCNR website (Element 8). Element Guide: Page 1 of 7 N ATIONAL A DVISORY A CCEPTANCE T EAM E LEMENT G UIDE FOR A LABAMA The Red-cockaded Woodpecker principally inhabits two community types identified in this CWCS: Dry Longleaf Pine Forest and Wet Pine Savanna and Flatwoods. To a much lesser extent it may occur in Dry Hardwood Forest (Element 2). The two pine-dominated and fire- maintained habitats are relatively rare in Alabama (Element 2). Alabama’s Red-cockaded Woodpecker population is threatened by habitat loss and degradation (e.g., residential development, conversion to short-rotation silviculture, fire suppression, fragmentation), nest predation, and cavity competition with other species (Element 3). Needed conservation actions to address these threats were then determined, and found to include restoration of degraded habitat and maintenance of existing habitat through prescribed burning, acquisition of large tracts of remaining habitat, and encouraging private landowners to participate in Alabama’s statewide Safe Harbor Plan for the Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Element 4). A priority monitoring need for this GCN species is to determine population status and trends on federal and private lands (Element 3). The anticipated products of fulfilling this monitoring need are data to fill information gaps to assess the status and/or condition of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers and expansion of this species in the DWFF’s CWCS database (Element 5). These data will also contribute to regional and national conservation efforts in which Alabama is a partner, such as the USFWS Red-cockaded Woodpecker Recovery Plan, Breeding Bird Survey, and the North American Landbird Conservation Plan (Element 7). The conservation and/or increase of populations of Red-cockaded Woodpecker through habitat protection, restoration and/or enhancement was identified as a priority conservation action (Element 4). By monitoring the implementation and degree of success of these conservation actions, DWFF and its partners will be able to quantify the performance measures for each: including the number of known family groups (clusters), the number of landowners enrolled in the Safe Harbor program, and the number of acres restored, enhanced, and/or protected by fee-simple or easements (Element 5). The adaptive management approach will allow DWFF to not only quantify these performance measures, but also compare the results of the species monitoring to infer whether the conservation actions are increasing the number of Red-cockaded Woodpecker clusters and/or nest productivity each year. If the status and condition of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers shows no significant improvement, then the conservation actions can be modified to intensify habitat protection measures, or target key areas and cooperative projects with partners if funds limit the expansion of the conservation measures (Elements 1, 3, 5 and 7). In this way, a feedback loop between monitoring, conservation actions and management objectives will be maintained (Elements 1-5). Detailed information on the selection of GCN species (not just the Red-cockaded Woodpecker), key habitats, conservation actions and more are summarized throughout the CWCS and its appendices. The following table provides a key to finding where each of the eight required elements is addressed in the Alabama CWCS. Element Guide: Page 2 of 7 N ATIONAL A DVISORY A CCEPTANCE T EAM E LEMENT G UIDE FOR A LABAMA CWCS Table or NAAT Guidance Page Page Section Figure Element 1 Information on the distribution and abundance of species of wildlife, including low and declining populations as the state deems appropriate, that are indicative of the diversity and health of the state’s wildlife: Chapter 1 6-10 1A. The Strategy indicates sources of information (e.g., literature, databases, agencies, individuals) on wildlife abundance Bibliography 250 Figure 1-1 9 and distribution consulted during the planning process. Appendix 1-1 268 Appendix 6-2 321 Figure 1-1 9 Table 1-1 10 Table 1-2 12 Chapter 1 10-23 1B. The Strategy includes information about both abundance and distribution for species in all major groups to the extent Table 1-3 14 Appendix 1-3 295 that data are available. There are plans for acquiring information about species for which adequate abundance and/or Table 1-4 16 Appendix 1-4 304 distribution information is unavailable. Table 1-5 16 Chapter 4 55-215 Table 1-6 18 Table 1-7 20 Table 1-8 21 Chapter 1 10-23 1C. The Strategy identifies low and declining populations to the extent data are available. Appendix 1-3 295 Appendix 1-4 304 1D. All major groups of wildlife have been considered or an explanation is provided as to why they were not (e.g., including Chapter 1 4-23 reference to implemented marine fisheries management plans). The State may indicate whether these groups are to be Appendix 1-3 295 included in a future Strategy revision. Appendix 1-4 304 1E. The Strategy describes the process used to select the species in greatest need of conservation. The quantity of Chapter 1 6-9 information in the Strategy is determined by the State with input from its partners, based on what is available to the State. Appendix 1-2 279 Element Guide: Page 3 of 7 N ATIONAL A DVISORY A CCEPTANCE T EAM E LEMENT G UIDE FOR A LABAMA CWCS Table or NAAT Guidance Page Page Section Figure Element 2 Descriptions of locations and relative condition of key habitats and community types essential to conservation of species identified in the 1st element: Figure 2-1 26 Figure 2-2 33 Chapter 2 24-41 2A. The Strategy provides a reasonable explanation for the level of detail provided; if insufficient, the Strategy identifies the Figure 2-3 34 Chapter 4 55-215 types of future actions that will be taken to obtain the information. Figure 2-4 35 Appendix 2-1 314 Table 2-1 37 Table 2-2 41 Figure 2-1 26 Chapter 2 24-41 Figure 2-3 34 2B. Key habitats and their relative conditions are described in enough detail such that the State can determine where (i.e., Chapter 4 55-215 Figure 2-4 35 in which regions, watersheds, or landscapes within the State) and what conservation actions need to take place.