GREEN SEA TURTLE (Chelonia mydas) MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, GUAM Prepared for Andersen Air Force Base 36 CES Environmental Flight 18001 Arc Light Boulevard Andersen AFB, GU 96929 and Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence HQ AFCEE/IWPH 25 E Street, Suite E-317 Hickam AFB, HI 96853-5330 Prepared by engineering-environmental Management, Inc. 9449 Balboa Avenue, Suite 111 San Diego, California 92123 Contract No.: F41624-03-D-8599, Task Order 0081 Project No.: AJJY 62-1849 e2M Project No.: 3100-081 May 2007 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS 36 WG 36th Wing AFB Air Force Base AFCEE Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence oC degrees Celsius CNMI Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands DAWR Guam Department of Agriculture, Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources DoD Department of Defense e²M engineering-environmental Management, Inc. EOD Exploded Ordinance Disposal FY Fiscal Year GNWR Guam National Wildlife Refuge INRMP Integrated Natural Resource Management Plan IUCN The World Conservation Union km Kilometers m Meters MPA Marine Preserve Area MOU Memo of Understanding NGO Non-Government Organization NMFS-PIRO National marine Fisheries Service-Pacific Islands Regional Office NOAA National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration Plan Green Sea Turtle Management Plan STRP Sea Turtle Recovery Plan USAF United States Air Force USDA United States Department of Agriculture USGS United States Geological Society USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife Service VCO Volunteer Conservation Officer WPRFMC Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council Green Sea Turtle Management Plan Executive Summary Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence (AFCEE) contracted engineering-environmental Management (e2M) to prepare a Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) Management Plan (Plan) for Andersen Air Force Base (AAFB), Guam. The Plan was deemed necessary to evaluate the efficacy of current management practices and protocols and assess threats to the species and habitat. Overall, the purpose of the Plan is to act as a management tool to assist Federal resource managers in planning green sea turtle protection measures. Guam’s Department of Wildlife and Aquatic Resources (DAWR) has monitored sea turtle activity on the 26 miles of shoreline that make up AAFB beaches since 1984. Monitoring has primarily been conducted twice monthly by inshore-aerial surveys, and supplemented with surveys on the ground. The highest incident of sea turtle nesting in Guam occurs at the exploded ordnance disposal (EOD) beach and on Cocos Island, though there is considerably less activity at EOD beach than at Cocos Island. At EOD beach, the highest distribution of recorded sea turtle activity was in 1993 when 17 occurrences occurred. Most of these, however, were recorded as false crawls. In 2000, 16 crawls were counted on AAFB beaches. In 2005, 11 occurrences of crawls, body pits, nesting, or hatchlings were documented at the EOD beach. Most recently, the 2006 season recorded 5 occurrences of turtles at Tarague Beach (as of August 2006). No activity was recorded at the EOD beach for calendar year 2006 (as of August 2006). Sea turtle interactions or disturbances at AAFB could potentially include aircraft noise; loud activity at the EOD area or small arms range; loud noise at the beach restaurant (Bamboo Willies Restaurant) at Tarague Beach; security lighting at the picnic area at Tarague Beach; security lighting at the boy scout camping area; security lighting at the small arms range; ATV usage on the beaches; recreation/campers at the picnic areas at Tarague Beach; beach users walking on nests or damaging nests in situ with the post of a shade umbrella. Identifying and understanding the complex natural resource challenges facing AAFB while maintaining the primary mission of national defense is the first step to developing a successful management program for AAFB. The most critical management goals for AAFB to implement to protect sea turtles include: reducing predation; reducing artificial lighting effects; establishing a curfew for campers in Tarague Basin; protecting strand and marine habitats; educating conservation officers, patrolling military officials, and visitors; and reducing marine debris. Andersen Air Force Base, Guam May 2007 ES-1 Green Sea Turtle Management Plan THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Andersen Air Force Base, Guam May 2007 ES-2 Green Sea Turtle Management Plan DRAFT GREEN SEA TURTLE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, GUAM TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................. ES-1 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 Purpose and Need for the Plan ................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 Installation Location and Setting ............................................................................... 1-1 1.3 Installation Mission .................................................................................................... 1-1 1.4 Climate ....................................................................................................................... 1-4 1.5 Strand Vegetation ....................................................................................................... 1-4 2. NATURAL HISTORY OF THE GREEN SEA TURTLE (CHELONIA MYDAS) .............................. 2-1 3. REGULATIONS...................................................................................................................... 3-3 3.1 Chelonia mydas Federally Listed Status .................................................................... 3-3 3.2 Applicable Regulations .............................................................................................. 3-3 4. FEDERAL AND LOCAL AGENCY INVOLVEMENT ................................................................. 4-5 4.1 Existing Management Agreement .............................................................................. 4-5 4.2 Haggan-Watch ........................................................................................................... 4-5 5. SPECIES RECOVERY PLAN AND RECOVERY ACTIONS ....................................................... 5-1 5.1 Recovery Objectives and De-listing Criteria ............................................................. 5-1 5.2 Recovery Outline for Enhancing Populations at Nesting Grounds ........................... 5-1 5.3 Recovery Outline for Protecting Nesting Grounds .................................................... 5-2 5.4 Recovery Actions and Management Programs Implemented at AAFB .................... 5-2 6. POPULATION DEMOGRAPHICS ............................................................................................ 6-3 6.1 Archipelago Wide Distribution and Abundance ........................................................ 6-3 6.2 Islandwide Distribution and Abundance .................................................................... 6-3 6.3 AAFB Distribution and Abundance ........................................................................... 6-6 7. POTENTIAL INTERACTIONS, IMPACTS, AND ANTHROPOGENIC THREATS ABOARD AAFB.................................................................................................................................. 7-1 7.1 Evaluation of Potential Mission-Related Interactions and Impacts ........................... 7-1 7.2 Evaluation of Potential Non-Mission-Related Interactions and Impacts ................... 7-1 7.3 Specific Cases of Interactions on AAFB ................................................................... 7-1 7.4 Potential Future Interactions ...................................................................................... 7-1 7.5 Anthropogenic Threats and Natural Stressors ........................................................... 7-1 7.6 Traditional Chamorro Harvest of Sea Turtles ............................................................ 7-4 8. AAFN STRAND DESCRIPTION ............................................................................................. 8-1 8.1 Conservation Accomplishments by AAFB Providing Protection to Sea Turtles ...... 8-1 9. MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................. 9-1 Andersen Air Force Base, Guam May 2007 i Green Sea Turtle Management Plan 9.1 Implementation Schedule and Cost Estimate ............................................................ 9-1 10. LIST OF PREPARERS .......................................................................................................... 10-1 TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED) 11. REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................... 11-1 APPENDICES A – 43 Federal Register 32800, July 28, 1978 B – Department of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources (DAWR), Sea Turtle Form C – Lighting Resources D – DAWR Data Collection Sheet for Clutch Examination After Emergency For Nest 1-6 and 11 at EOD Beach for the 2005 Season E – AAFB Marine Preserve Baseline Study, Conducted June 1994 FIGURES 1-1. Location Map .................................................................................................................... 1-2 1-2. Location of Andersen AFB ............................................................................................... 1-3 7-1. Andersen Air Force Base Beaches and Marine