Enhancing Ecological Productivity of Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern Watersheds: Ozaukee County Fish and Wildlife Habitat Decision Support Tool Wisconsin Coastal Management Program Grant 012.09 C2 NA11NOS4190097 USEPA GLRI Grant # GL00E00608-0 Ozaukee County – Planning and Parks Department 121 West Main Street, PO Box 994, Port Washington, WI 53074 Authors: Andrew T. Struck, Matt Aho, Thomas J. Dueppen, Ryan McCone, Luke Roffler, Beth Stuhr (Ozaukee County – Planning and Parks Department) Gary S. Casper (Great Lakes Ecological Services, LLC) Thomas W. Bernthal, Christopher J. Smith, Joanne Kline (Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources) March 25, 2016 1 | Page Table of Contents Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 5 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 7 Why Wildlife? ........................................................................................................................................ 8 Species Checklists ................................................................................................................................ 10 Constraints .......................................................................................................................................... 11 Focal Species Concept ......................................................................................................................... 11 Baseline Data ...................................................................................................................................... 13 Species Occurrence Data .................................................................................................................... 13 What is a Species Checklist? ............................................................................................................... 14 2. Methods: Empirical Data Tools ............................................................................................................ 17 2.1 Species Distribution Records ......................................................................................................... 17 2.1.1 Breeding Bird Data .................................................................................................................. 17 2.1.2 Fish Data ................................................................................................................................. 22 2.1.3 Mammal, Amphibian, Reptile and Crayfish Data .................................................................... 23 2.1.4 Other Data .............................................................................................................................. 25 2.2 Species Checklist Development .................................................................................................. 26 3. Results: Empirical Data Tools ............................................................................................................... 27 3.1 Species Checklist Results ............................................................................................................... 27 3.2 Species Group Reviews .................................................................................................................. 28 3.2.1 Mammals ................................................................................................................................ 28 3.2.2 Birds ........................................................................................................................................ 29 3.2.3 Reptiles ................................................................................................................................... 30 3.2.4 Amphibians ............................................................................................................................. 30 3.2.5 Fishes ...................................................................................................................................... 31 3.2.6 Mussels ................................................................................................................................... 31 3.2.7 Primary Burrowing Crayfish .................................................................................................... 32 3.2.8 Other Invertebrates ................................................................................................................ 32 4. Methods: Theoretical Data Tools ........................................................................................................ 32 4.1 Species Models .............................................................................................................................. 32 2 | Page 4.2 Land Use Data ................................................................................................................................ 35 4.3 Potentially Restorable Wetlands ................................................................................................... 35 4.4 Stream Reach Prioritization Methodology .................................................................................... 35 5. Results: Theoretical Data Tools ........................................................................................................... 37 5.1 Introduction to Model Comparisons to Occurrence Records ........................................................ 37 5.2 Methods ......................................................................................................................................... 38 5.3 Open Water Model ........................................................................................................................ 41 5.4 Shallow Marsh Model .................................................................................................................... 43 5.5 Watery Wetland near Grassland Model ........................................................................................ 43 5.6 Wet Meadow Model ...................................................................................................................... 44 5.7 Wet Shrub Model ........................................................................................................................... 45 5.8 Wet Forest, Coniferous or Mixed Model ....................................................................................... 46 5.9 Wet Forest, Deciduous Model ....................................................................................................... 46 5.10 Deep Marsh and Shallow Marsh .................................................................................................. 47 5.11 Wet Meadow / Grassland ............................................................................................................ 47 5.12 Wet Forests .................................................................................................................................. 48 5.13 Wetlands near Grasslands ........................................................................................................... 48 5.14 Wetlands near Woodlands .......................................................................................................... 49 5.15 Wetland/Upland Complex ........................................................................................................... 49 6. Comparing Assessed Species of Local Conservation Interest Occurrences with Other Conservation Planning Initiatives ...................................................................................................................................... 52 6.1 MMSD Greenseams .................................................................................................................... 52 6.2 Land Trusts and other NGOs, Public Lands ................................................................................. 53 6.3 SEWRPC Natural Areas and Critical Species Habitat ................................................................... 55 Natural Areas ...................................................................................................................................... 55 Critical Species Habitat ....................................................................................................................... 55 6.4 SEWRPC Environmental Corridors .............................................................................................. 56 6.5 Natural Heritage Inventory and State Wildlife Action Plan ........................................................ 59 6.6 Other ........................................................................................................................................... 59 7. Case Studies ......................................................................................................................................... 61 3 | Page 7.1 Sweet Property ........................................................................................................................... 61 7.2 Mole Creek .................................................................................................................................. 61 7.3 Ulao Creek ................................................................................................................................... 61 8. Wisconsin DNR