Finding of No Significant Impact and Decision to Expand Waterfowl Hunting on Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is expanding waterfowl hunting on Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge (NWR or Refuge) to include Pond A6 and the tidal portion of Greco Island. This opening will be in accordance with the Refuge’s Hunt Plan and Comprehensive Conservation Plan. The areas proposed for expansion include 460-acre Pond A6, and 500 acres of tidal habitat on Greco Island. Waterfowl hunting on Pond A6 and Greco Island will be open seven days a week, and access to Pond A6 is only available from adjacent sloughs (Guadalupe and Alviso) during appropriate tide windows that allow navigation through the levee openings. Hunting on Greco Island (including the expanded 500 acres) will remain as is currently operated. Selected Action Alternative B—Proposed Action Alternative: Under the Proposed Action Alternative, the Service would expand waterfowl hunting on two units of the Refuge: (1) the tidal portion of Greco Island 500 acres) and (2) Pond A6 (460 acres). The rules and regulations associated with waterfowl hunting, which is already permitted on other areas of the Refuge, would remain consistent with those already in place. Hunting on Pond A6 and Greco Island will be open seven days a week, and access to Pond A6 is only available from adjacent sloughs (Guadalupe and Alviso) during appropriate tide windows that allow navigation through the levee openings. Hunting on Greco Island (including the expanded 500 acres) will remain as is currently operated. Alviso Pond A6 • Located near the Mowry Slough Unit in South San Francisco Bay between Mowry Slough and Coyote Creek • Hunting is allowed seven days a week • Access is by boat only—boats must access from the bay and hunt from the boat inside the pond • Shooting from levees is prohibited • No land or tidal marsh access is allowed, except to retrieve downed birds (due to endangered species present) Greco Island • Located on the west side of the San Francisco Bay, north of Dumbarton Bridge • Hunting is allowed seven days a week 1 • Hunting is allowed by boat in tidal areas (including Redwood Creek, Smith, Steinberger, and Corkscrew sloughs) • No land or tidal marsh access is allowed, except to retrieve downed birds (due to endangered species present) Specific regulations for the other hunt units of the Refuge are in the 2021 Hunt Plan (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2021a). The following mitigation measures are incorporated into the proposed action to avoid potential conflicts to natural and cultural resources: • Population monitoring will be reviewed annually by the Refuge to ensure that harvests are not unacceptably impacting the targeted populations. The program will be modified accordingly. • The Refuge will maintain an effective law enforcement program to protect Refuge resources and the visiting public. Environmental education and outreach will remain a key component and priority for the Refuge. Hunting outreach brochures will be made available to the public at the Refuge offices, through Refuge law enforcement officers and other staff and via the Refuge website. • The use of retrieving dogs will be permitted and encouraged in all areas open to hunting. Dogs must be under control at all times. Dogs will be required to be kept on leash, except when engaged in authorized hunting activities and under the direct voice control of a licensed hunter. • In accordance with the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 470aa), the disturbance of archaeological or historical sites, and the removal of artifacts are prohibited. The excavation, disturbance, collection, or purchase of historical, ethnological, or archaeological specimens or artifacts, or mementos from the Refuge is prohibited. • Boats used for hunting will be limited to navigable sloughs, open waters, and specified managed ponds. Boats must adhere to the California Boating Law. This information will be available to the public at appropriate access points on the Refuge, the headquarters visitor center, Alviso Environmental Educational Center, and via the Refuge’s website. This alternative was selected over the No Action alternative because it meets the Purpose and Need by expanding compatible wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities while maintaining sustainable waterfowl populations. This alternative offers increased opportunities for public hunting and fulfills the Service’s mandate under the NWRS Improvement Act of 1997. The Service has determined that the Proposed Action (the Hunt Plan) is compatible with the purposes of the Refuge; the mission of the NWRS; and meets the Service’s priorities and mandates as outlined by the NWRSAA (16 U.S.C. 668dd (a) (4)), and is consistent with and supports the Refuge’s CCP. Other Alternatives Considered and Analyzed 2 Alternative A—No Action Alternative: Under the No Action Alternative, the Service would not expand the hunt boundary of the Greco Island or open waterfowl hunting on Pond A6. The Service would continue to allow existing waterfowl hunting on approximately 10,000 acres of the Refuge in accordance with state and Refuge-specific regulations. Seasons, hours, bag limits, and other rules for hunting on the Refuge would be unchanged under this alternative, and such details are described by CDFW (California Department of Fish and Wildlife, 2020) and the Refuge website (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2020b). Opportunities for other visitor activities on the refuge would still include all six priority public uses: hunting, fishing, interpretation, environmental education, wildlife observation, and wildlife photography. This alternative was not selected because it would not expand compatible wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities for hunting. Effects of the Selected Action by Resource Category An Environmental Assessment (EA) was prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to provide decision-making framework that 1) explored a reasonable range of alternatives to meet project objectives, 2) evaluated potential issues and impacts to the refuge, resources and values, and 3) identified mitigation measures to lessen the degree or extent of these impacts. The EA evaluated the effects associated with both the No Action and Proposed Action alternatives. It is incorporated as part of this finding. Implementation of the agency’s decision would be expected to result in the following environmental, social, and economic effects: Target species: waterfowl By its very nature, hunting has very few positive effects on waterfowl while the activity is occurring, including the disturbance, injuring, and killing of waterfowl. However, while the action will have adverse effects on individual waterfowl species, regulations are designed to ensure that viable populations of waterfowl are sustained over the long term. Waterfowl sanctuaries will remain available in the areas of the Refuge not open to hunting, thus minimizing the impacts on hunted species. Non-target species The action will have minor, short-term effects to non-target wildlife species. While there would be some short-term disturbances to wildlife related to increased human presence and noise associated with hunting, these impacts are reduced by the availability of adjacent sanctuary areas where both hunted and non-hunted wildlife can feed and rest relatively undisturbed. In addition, hunting on the Refuge is seasonal, restricted (in some hunt units) to only three days a week, and harvest regulations (set by the state and within Federal framework guidelines) are adopted by the Refuge to ensure healthy wildlife populations in the future. 3 Threatened and endangered species Impacts on listed species due to hunting can be caused by human presence, noise, or disturbance via boats. Such disturbances are expected to have minor adverse impacts on the California Ridgway’s rail, salt marsh harvest mouse, Western snowy plover, steelhead trout, and the North American green sturgeon (more details in the Biological Evaluation). Implementation of refuge hunting regulations and minimization/mitigation measures will further reduce these impacts. Because California least terns are not present on the Refuge during the hunting season, which typically opens in mid-October and ends in late January, there are no effects on this species due to the proposed action. Vegetation and habitat Hunting on the Refuge will have minor adverse impacts on vegetation and habitat via trampling of vegetation when retrieving downed birds, unauthorized human access, or the introduction of invasive plant species via hunters’ boots or vehicle tires. Hunting is permitted on foot and by boat, but because the hunter population is relatively small, impacts to vegetation from this type of use are expected to be minimal. Access to hunt areas primarily takes place via existing levees, further minimizing disturbance to wetland areas. Also, the use of hunt blinds deters hunters from disturbing vegetated areas. Because dogs may cause disturbance to wildlife, hunting in tidal areas is restricted to boats only, and hunters are required to have command of their dogs at all times. Visitor Use and Experience The selected alternative will not adversely affect the quality of other wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities and visitor use at the Refuge. Potential user conflicts between hunting and other refuge uses will be minimized by refuge regulations, wildlife sanctuaries, and