City of Carlsbad Preserves 2012-2016 Preserve Management Plan September 2011 Prepared for: Center for Natural Lands Management 215 W. Ash Street Fallbrook, CA 92028 Point of Contact: Markus Spiegelberg, San Diego Area Manager Prepared by: Tierra Data Inc. 10110 W. Lilac Road Escondido, CA 92026 Point of Contact: Elizabeth M. Kellogg, President 2012-2016 Preserve Management Plan September 2011 Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction. 1 1.1 Purpose of This Preserve Management Plan............................................................................................1 1.2 How This Plan Is Organized ....................................................................................................................8 1.3 Administration and Management of the Preserve....................................................................................8 1.3.1 Management Context ......................................................................................................................8 2.0 Biophysical Overview of Properties . 11 2.1 Geographic and Topographical Setting..................................................................................................11 2.2 Property Boundaries and Adjacent Land Use ........................................................................................11 2.3 Climate, Hydrology, Geology and Soils ................................................................................................11 2.3.1 Climate ..........................................................................................................................................11 2.3.2 Water Resources and Hydrology...................................................................................................17 2.3.3 Geology and Soils .........................................................................................................................17 2.4 Cultural Features ....................................................................................................................................20 3.0 Habitat and Species Descriptions . 21 3.1 Vegetation Communities, Habitats, and Plant Species ..........................................................................21 3.1.1 Vegetation Communities...............................................................................................................21 3.1.2 Vegetation Assessments................................................................................................................24 3.1.2.1 CNPS Relevé Assessments ...............................................................................................24 3.1.2.2 Oak Woodlands Assessments ...........................................................................................25 3.1.2.3 Diegan Coastal Sage Scrub Monitoring Plots...................................................................26 3.1.3 Plant Species..................................................................................................................................28 3.1.4 Animal Species..............................................................................................................................28 3.1.5 Sensitive Species Covered by the HMP........................................................................................28 3.1.6 Sensitive Plant Species..................................................................................................................29 3.1.7 Sensitive Animal Species ..............................................................................................................30 3.1.8 Nonnative Plants and Animals ......................................................................................................31 3.2 Summary of Issues and Threats in Carlsbad Open Spaces ....................................................................40 3.2.1 Ecological Threats Models............................................................................................................41 3.2.2 Diegan Coastal Sage Scrub and Chaparral Threats Model ...........................................................41 3.2.3 Coastal California Gnatcatcher Threats Model.............................................................................42 4.0 Management Strategy. 45 4.1 Definition of Terms Used in This Plan ..................................................................................................45 4.2 Management and Monitoring Assumptions...........................................................................................46 4.3 Biological Element.................................................................................................................................46 4.3.1 Vegetation Associations ASMDs..................................................................................................47 4.3.1.1 All Vegetation Associations..............................................................................................47 4.3.1.2 Diegan Coastal Sage Scrub...............................................................................................48 4.3.1.3 Coast Live Oak Woodland................................................................................................48 4.3.2 Covered Species ASMDs ..............................................................................................................49 4.3.2.1 Thread-Leaved Brodiaea...................................................................................................50 4.3.2.2 Nuttal's Scrub Oak, Cliff Spurge, Orcutt's Hazardia, San Diego Ambrosia, Blochman's Dudleya, and Del Mar Manzanita .................................................................50 4.3.2.3 Raptors ..............................................................................................................................51 4.3.2.4 Coastal California Gnatcatcher, Least Bell's Vireo, and Southwest Willow Flycatcher..........................................................................................................................51 4.3.2.5 All Other Covered or Sensitive Animal Species...............................................................52 i September 2011 City of Carlsbad Preserves, Carlsbad, California 4.3.3 Wildlife Corridors .........................................................................................................................52 4.3.4 Nonnative Plants............................................................................................................................52 4.3.5 Exotic and Domestic Animals.......................................................................................................53 4.3.6 Erosion Control .............................................................................................................................53 4.3.7 Reporting, Updating, and HMP Coordination...............................................................................53 4.3.8 Adaptive Management ..................................................................................................................54 4.4 Public Use Element................................................................................................................................55 4.4.1 Public Use ASMDs .......................................................................................................................55 4.5 Fire Management Element .....................................................................................................................56 4.5.1 Fire History....................................................................................................................................56 4.5.2 The Fire Environment ...................................................................................................................58 4.5.3 Goals..............................................................................................................................................60 4.5.4 Fire Management ASMDs.............................................................................................................61 4.6 Facility Maintenance Element................................................................................................................62 4.6.1 Facility Maintenance Goal and ASMDs .......................................................................................62 4.7 MHCP Biological Monitoring Element .................................................................................................62 4.7.1 Monitoring Goal and ASMDs .......................................................................................................64 5.0 Implementation Strategy . 65 5.1 Roles and Responsibilities .....................................................................................................................65 5.1.1 Wildlife Agencies..........................................................................................................................65 5.1.2 California Coastal Commission.....................................................................................................65 5.1.3 City of Carlsbad.............................................................................................................................66 5.1.4 Carlsbad HMP Preserve Steward ..................................................................................................66 5.1.5 Preserve Manager..........................................................................................................................66