Perdido Key Programmatic Habitat Conservation Plan Escambia County, Florida HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN A PLAN FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE PERDIDO KEY BEACH MOUSE, SEA TURTLES, AND PIPING PLOVERS ON PERDIDO KEY, FLORIDA Prepared in Support of Incidental Take Permit No. for Incidental Take Related to Private Development and Escambia County Owned Land and Infrastructure Improvements on Perdido Key, Florida Prepared for: ESCAMBIA COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS P.O. BOX 1591 PENSACOLA, FL 32591 Prepared by: PBS&J 2401 EXECUTIVE PLAZA, SUITE 2 PENSACOLA, FLORIDA 32504 Submitted to: U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE ECOLOGICAL SERVICES & FISHERIES RESOURCES OFFICE 1601 BALBOA AVENUE PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA 32450 Final Draft January 2010 Draft Submitted December 2008 Draft Revised March 2009 Draft Revised May 2009 Draft Revised October 2009 ii Perdido Key Programmatic Habitat Conservation Plan Escambia County, Florida TABLE OF CONTENTS ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................................................ viii LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................ x LIST OF APPENDICES ................................................................................................. xi EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................ xii 1.0 INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background ............................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Evolution of the Perdido Key Programmatic Habitat Conservation Plan ........ 1 1.3 Purpose of the Programmatic Habitat Conservation Plan ................................. 2 2.0 PLAN PREPARATION PROCESS .......................................................................... 3 2.1 Technical Committee .............................................................................................. 3 2.2 Steering Committee ................................................................................................ 4 2.3 Public Workshops ................................................................................................... 4 3.0 GOALS AND BENEFITS .......................................................................................... 5 3.1 Requested Take ....................................................................................................... 5 3.2 Goals of HCP ........................................................................................................... 6 3.3 Benefits of HCP ....................................................................................................... 6 3.3.1 Protected Species .............................................................................................. 7 3.3.2 Property Owners .............................................................................................. 8 3.3.3 Escambia County ............................................................................................. 8 4.0 PLAN AREA ............................................................................................................... 8 4.1 Geographical Setting .............................................................................................. 8 4.2 Plan Boundaries ...................................................................................................... 9 4.3 Coastal Characterization........................................................................................ 9 4.4 Natural Resources and Community Types ........................................................... 9 4.4.1 Beach Dune ....................................................................................................... 9 4.4.2 Coastal Strand ................................................................................................ 10 4.4.3 Coastal Scrub ................................................................................................. 11 4.4.4 Maritime Forest ............................................................................................. 11 4.4.5 Coastal Grassland .......................................................................................... 12 4.4.6 Bayside Mudflats ............................................................................................ 12 4.4.7 Wetlands ......................................................................................................... 13 4.5 Public Lands .......................................................................................................... 13 4.6 Escambia County Shoreline Protection Zone..................................................... 14 4.7 Upland Development ............................................................................................ 16 4.7.1 Current Zoning Districts ............................................................................... 17 4.7.1.1 R-1PK Residential district (Perdido Key), low density ....................... 17 4.7.1.2 R-2PK Residential District (Perdido Key) medium density ............... 17 4.7.1.3 R-3PK Residential district (Perdido Key) high density....................... 17 4.7.1.4 C-1PK (Perdido Key) commercial district ........................................... 17 4.7.1.5 CCPK (Perdido Key) commercial core district.................................... 18 4.7.1.6 CGPK (Perdido Key) commercial gateway district ............................. 18 4.7.1.7 PRPK planned resort district (Perdido Key) medium density ........... 18 4.7.1.8 S-1PK outdoor recreational district (noncumulative) ......................... 18 5.0 LISTED SPECIES THAT MAY OCCUR IN THE PLAN AREA ...................... 19 5.1 Species Covered Under This Habitat Conservation Plan ................................. 19 iii Perdido Key Programmatic Habitat Conservation Plan Escambia County, Florida 5.2 Federal and State Listed Species In Plan Area But Not Covered Under This HCP .............................................................................................................................. 20 5.3 Species Accounts ................................................................................................... 20 5.3.1 Perdido Key Beach Mouse ............................................................................ 20 5.3.1.1Critical Habitat ........................................................................................ 20 5.3.1.2 Biological Information ............................................................................ 23 5.3.1.3 Site-Specific Information........................................................................ 25 5.3.2 Loggerhead Turtle ......................................................................................... 27 5.3.2.1 Biological Information ............................................................................ 27 5.3.2.2 Site-Specific Information........................................................................ 28 5.3.3 Green Turtle ................................................................................................... 28 5.3.3.1 Biological Information ............................................................................ 28 5.3.3.2 Site-Specific Information........................................................................ 28 5.3.4 Leatherback Turtle ........................................................................................ 29 5.3.4.1 Biological Information ............................................................................ 29 5.3.4.2 Site-Specific Information........................................................................ 29 5.3.5 Kemp’s Ridley Turtle .................................................................................... 29 5.3.5.1 Biological Information ............................................................................ 30 5.3.5.2 Site-Specific Information........................................................................ 30 5.3.6 Piping Plover .................................................................................................. 30 5.3.6.1 Biological Information ............................................................................ 31 5.3.6.2 Site-Specific Information........................................................................ 32 5.3.7 Other Shorebirds ........................................................................................... 32 6.0 FACTORS AFFECTING THE SPECIES IN THE PLAN AREA ....................... 37 6.1 Natural Events ....................................................................................................... 37 6.1.1 Predation ......................................................................................................... 37 6.1.2 Tropical Storm Activity ................................................................................. 38 6.2 Human-Related Activities .................................................................................... 40 6.2.1 Development Activities .................................................................................. 40 6.2.1.1 Residential ............................................................................................... 40 6.2.1.2 Planned Resort ........................................................................................ 42 6.2.1.3 Commercial ............................................................................................