INVASIVE WEED MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR PALO CORONA REGIONAL PARK Prepared for Tim Jensen Planning and Conservation Manager Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District 60 Garden Court #325 Monterey, CA 93940 832 Escobar Street Martinez, CA 94553 May 2014 Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................... v Section 1. Introduction...................................................................................................... 1 1.1. Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District.................................................................... 1 1.2. Palo Corona Regional Park............................................................................................ 1 1.3. PCRP Weed Management Goals and Objectives.......................................................... 1 1.4. Adaptive Management of Invasive Weeds..................................................................... 2 1.5. Glossary of Terms.......................................................................................................... 3 Section 2. Setting ............................................................................................................. 6 2.1. General Setting .............................................................................................................. 6 2.2. Significant Biological Resources.................................................................................... 6 2.2.1 Special-Status Plant Species and Their Habitat.............................................. 6 2.2.2 Special-Status Wildlife Species and Habitat ................................................... 7 2.2.3 High Priority Vegetation Types...................................................................... 13 2.2.4 Wetlands and Aquatic Features .................................................................... 14 2.2.5 High Quality Habitat ...................................................................................... 15 Section 3. Weed Inventory and Results ......................................................................... 16 3.1. Invasive Weed Inventory.............................................................................................. 16 3.1.1 Native Range Field Effort 2012 ..................................................................... 16 3.1.2 Nomad Ecology Field Effort 2013.................................................................. 17 3.1.3 Limitations ..................................................................................................... 20 3.2. Weed Inventory Results ............................................................................................... 21 Section 4. Invasive Weed Prioritization.......................................................................... 26 4.1. Prioritization Methodology............................................................................................ 26 4.1.1 Weed Species Prioritization .......................................................................... 26 4.1.2 Site Prioritization ........................................................................................... 27 4.1.3 Weed Population Prioritization ...................................................................... 28 4.2. Management Priority Recommendations ..................................................................... 29 4.2.1 Management Objectives................................................................................ 29 4.2.2 Priority 1 Weed Populations.......................................................................... 33 4.2.3 Priority 2 Weed Populations.......................................................................... 35 4.2.4 Priority 3 Weed Populations.......................................................................... 36 4.2.5 Other Populations for Control........................................................................ 37 Section 5. Treatment and Prevention Plan..................................................................... 38 5.1. Control Methods........................................................................................................... 38 5.1.1 Mechanical Control........................................................................................ 38 5.1.2 Cultural Control ............................................................................................. 38 5.1.3 Chemical Control........................................................................................... 38 5.2. Control Timing.............................................................................................................. 40 5.3. Additional Resources for Control Information .............................................................. 61 5.4. Best Management Practices ........................................................................................ 61 Section 6. Monitoring Program....................................................................................... 65 6.1. Monitoring of Treatment Projects ................................................................................. 65 6.1.1 Pre-Treatment Baseline Data Collection ....................................................... 65 6.1.2 Post-Treatment Data Collection .................................................................... 68 6.2. Periodic Weed Mapping and Monitoring of Existing Weed Populations ...................... 71 6.2.1 Weed Mapping Update.................................................................................. 71 Invasive Weed Management Plan for Palo Corona Regional Park ii Table of Contents 6.2.2 Monitoring of Existing Weed Populations...................................................... 71 6.3. Early Detection and Rapid Response Protocol ............................................................ 72 6.3.1 Early Detection Species ................................................................................ 72 6.3.2 Survey Methodology...................................................................................... 73 6.4. Data Management and Reporting ................................................................................ 77 Section 7. References.................................................................................................... 78 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Special Status Plant Species Known to Occur in PCRP................................................. 8 Table 2. Special Status Wildlife Species Known to Occur in the PCRP based on CNDDB Occurrences ................................................................................................................. 11 Table 3. Vegetation Communities in PCRP ................................................................................ 13 Table 4. Ponds in PCRP and Invasive Weeds Present .............................................................. 14 Table 5. Cover Classes for Target Weed Species...................................................................... 20 Table 6. Number Classes for Target Weed Species................................................................... 20 Table 7. Target Invasive Weed Species Recorded in PCRP...................................................... 22 Table 8. Target Invasive Weed Species Recorded in Each Management Unit .......................... 24 Table 9. Weed Species Priority Rank ......................................................................................... 26 Table 10. Priority Weed Populations for Management ............................................................... 30 Table 11. Summary of Control and Survey Timing ..................................................................... 40 Table 12. Detailed Control Methods and Control Timing ............................................................ 43 Table 13. Weed Species Phenology........................................................................................... 59 Table 14. Weed Management Monitoring for Priority 1 Weed Species ...................................... 69 Table 15. Early Detection Priority Plant List................................................................................ 72 Table 16. EDRR Survey Frequency and Location ...................................................................... 74 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Location of Palo Corona Regional Park....................................................................... 84 Figure 2. Management Units....................................................................................................... 85 Figure 3. Special-Status Plant Species Occurrences ................................................................. 86 Figure 4. CRF, CTS, and SBB Occurrences............................................................................... 87 Figure 5. Vegetation Communities.............................................................................................. 88 Figure 6. Ponds and Streams .....................................................................................................89 Figure 7. High Quality Habitat..................................................................................................... 90 Figure 8. French Broom Priority Populations .............................................................................. 91 Figure 9. Priority 1 Weed Populations (excluding French Broom) .............................................. 92 Figure 10. Priority