MANAGEMENT PLAN 2012 - 2017 KACHEMAK BAY NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESEARCH RESERVE This management plan has been developed in accordance with NOAA regulations, including all provisions for public involvement. It is consistent with the congressional intent of Section 315 of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve is part of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS), established by Section 315 of the Coastal Zone Management Act, as amended. Additional information about the System can be obtained from the Estuarine Reserves Division, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1305 East West Highway – N/ORM5, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Financial support for this publication was provided by grants (#NA09NOS4200124; #NA10NOS4200106) under the Federal Coastal Zone Management Act, administered by the Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, MD. ADF&G administers all programs free from discrimination and in compliance with federal and state anti-discrimination laws. For the full text of this statement, or for additional formats, visit http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/ and click on OEO statement. TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 1.0 INTRODUCTION 3 1.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF PLAN 3 1.2 KBNERR Strategic Focus Areas 4 1.3 SUMMARY of KBNERR ACCOMPLISHMENTS 2005-2011 6 2.5.1 Administration and Staffing 6 2.5.2 Research and Monitoring 6 2.5.3 Education and Outreach 8 2.5.4 Coastal Training Program 9 2.0 NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESEARCH RESERVE SYSTEM 11 2.1 NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION 11 2.1.1 National Estuarine Research Reserve System Mission 12 2.1.2 Overarching NERR Goals 13 2.1.3 NERRS Strategic Goals 13 2.2 BIOGEOGRAPHIC REGIONS 15 2.3 ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK 17 2.4 STATE OF ALASKA – ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME 18 2.4.1 Sport Fish Division 18 2.4.2 Sport Fish Division – Strategic Plan 19 2.5 SECTION 312 PROGRAM EVALUATIONS 21 3.0 KACHEMAK BAY NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESEARCH RESERVE 25 3.1 RESERVE BOUNDARIES 25 3.2 LAND OWNERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT 25 3.3 GENERAL LOCATION 28 3.3.1 Climate 29 3.3.2 Geology 29 3.3.3 Physiography and Hydrology 31 3.3.4 Oceanography 32 3.3.5 Circulation 33 3.4 BIOLOGICAL COMPONENTS 34 i 3.4.1 Flora 35 3.4.2 Fauna 37 3.4.3 Listed Species 41 4.0 MANAGEMENT PLAN OVERVIEW 43 4.1 INTRODUCTION 43 4.2 MANAGEMENT PLAN FRAMEWORK 44 5.0 RESEARCH AND MONITORING 47 5.1 INTRODUCTION 47 5.2 NERRS RESEARCH PRIORITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES 49 5.2.1 NERRS Research Funding Priorities 49 5.2.2 System-wide Monitoring Program 50 5.2.3 Graduate Research Fellows 52 5.2.4 Science Collaborative 52 5.2.5 Research Partners 53 5.3 KBNERR RESEARCH EMPHASIS 54 5.4 KBNERR RESEARCH GOALS AND OBJECTIVES 56 5.5 KBNERR MONITORING PROGRAM 57 5.5.1 Biological Monitoring Program 58 5.5.2 Land Use, Habitat Mapping and Change 60 5.5.3 KBNERR Citizen Science Monitoring 60 5.5.4 Other Monitoring Programs 60 5.6 KACHEMAK BAY NERR GOAL 2 61 6.0 EDUCATION AND OUTREACH 63 6.1 INTRODUCTION 63 6.2 NERRS EDUCATION MISSION AND GOALS 64 6.3 KBNERR EDUCATION 65 6.3.1 Education Partners 66 6.4 FORMAL EDUCATION PROGRAM 67 6.5 INFORMAL EDUCATION PROGRAM 69 6.6 EDUCATION GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES 71 7.0 COASTAL TRAINING PROGRAM 74 7.1 INTRODUCTION 74 ii 7.2 NERR COASTAL TRAINING PROGRAM MISSION AND GOALS 74 7.3 KBNERR COASTAL TRAINING PROGRAM 75 7.4 KBNERR COASTAL TRAINING PROGRAM PARTNERS 77 7.5 KBNERR COASTAL TRAINING PROGRAM GOALS AND OBJECTIVES 78 8.0 PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION 82 8.1 ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK 82 8.2 FUNDING APPROACH 83 8.3 ANNUAL BUDGET 83 8.4 RESERVE STAFF 84 8.4.1 Current Administrative Staff 86 8.4.2 Current Research Staff 86 8.4.3 Current Education Staff 87 8.4.4 Future Staff Needs 88 8.5 FACILITIES PLAN 88 8.5.1 Partner Facilities 89 8.5.2 Future Facility Needs 91 8.6 COMMUNITY PARTNERS 91 8.7 KBNERR ADMINISTRATIVE MISSION, GOALS, AND OBJECTIVES 92 9.0 PUBLIC ACCESS AND VISITOR USE 98 9.1 NERRS PRIORITIES FOR PUBLIC ACCESS 98 9.2 ADF&G, DIVISION OF SPORT FISH PRIORITIES FOR PUBLIC ACCESS 98 9.3 MANAGEMENT AGENCIES PUBLIC ACCESS POLICIES 98 9.4 KACHEMAK BAY NERR PUBLIC ACCESS 99 9.4.1 Current Public Access 99 9.4.2 Future Public Access 102 10.0 LAND AQUISITION 103 10.1 ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME 103 10.2 KACHEMAK HERITAGE LAND TRUST 103 10.3 NERRS BOUNDARY EXPANSION GUIDELINES 104 10.4 KACHEMAK BAY NERR FUTURE BOUNDARY EXPANSION OPTIONS 104 10.4.1 Critical Habitat Areas and State Parks 104 10.4.2 New State Park Parcels 105 10.4.3 Beluga Slough 106 iii 11.0 RESOURCE CONSERVATION 108 11.1 EXISTING RESOURCES 108 11.1.1 Fox River Flats CHA 108 11.1.2 Kachemak Bay CHA 109 11.1.3 Kachemak Bay State Park 111 11.2 USE RESTRICTIONS, PERMIT NEEDS AND REGULATORY AUTHORITY 112 11.2.1 Regulations and Permit Requirements for Critical Habitat Areas 112 11.2.2 Regulations and Permit Requirements-Kachemak Bay State Park 114 11.2.3 Other Regulatory Entities 117 11.2.4 Other Planning Entities 118 11.2.5 Surveillance and Enforcement Strategy 118 12.0 STEWARDSHIP AND MANIPULATION 120 12.1 NERRS AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION WORK 120 12.2 POTENTIAL STEWARDSHIP INITIATIVES 120 12.2.1 Harbor Baseline Studies, Monitoring and Restoration 120 12.2.2 Mud Bay 121 12.2.3 Beluga Slough 121 12.2.4 Fox River Flats 122 12.2.5 Cottonwood/Eastland Unit Reforestation 123 12.3 RESEARCH MANIPULATIONS 124 CITATIONS 125 APPENDICES 1. NERRS Program Regulations 128 2. NERRS Typological Classification Scheme 130 3. MOU (ADF&G and NOAA) 132 4. CZM 312 Evaluation and Response 137 5. Guidance for Measuring National Estuarine Research 221 Reserve Performance for Section 312 Evaluations 6. MOU (KBNERR and USFWS) 224 7. MOU (KBNERR and City of Homer) 233 8. Habitat Descriptions 236 9. Species List 248 10. Past Management Plan Goals 301 11. Kachemak Bay NERR Advisory Council Charter 302 12. Facilities Plan 308 iv 13. CHA Inholdings and Leases 317 14. KBSP Inholdings 322 15. NOAA Boundary Expansion Guidelines 323 16. Policies for Legislatively Designated Areas in Reserve Boundary 325 17. Public Process for Input and Comments on Management Plan Update 333 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Map – Location of Kachemak Bay NERR in Alaska 3 Figure 2: Map – NERRS Biogeographic Regions 15 Figure 3: Map - National Estuarine Research Reserves 16 Figure 4: Map - Reserve Boundary and Legislatively Designated Areas 26 Figure 5: Map - Land Type or Use In and Adjacent to Reserve Boundary 27 Figure 6. Map - Annual Precipitation on Kenai Peninsula 29 Figure 7: Map - Circulation Patterns of Kachemak Bay 33 Figure 8: Map - Kachemak Bay Salt Marshes 36 Figure 9: Chart - Commercial Crab Catch 39 Figure 10: Map - Region of Scientific Emphasis 48 Figure 11: Map - Monitoring Sites in Kachemak Bay 51 Figure 12: Chart - Kachemak Bay NERR Organization Chart 87 Figure 13: Map - Kachemak Bay State Park Trails Map 101 Figure 14: Map - Overlook, Diamond, and Baycrest Parks 105 Figure 15: Map - Beluga Slough parcels 106 Figure 16: Chart - Commercial Shrimp Catch 110 Figure 17: Map - Fox River Flats 122 LIST OF TABLES 1. NERRS Strategic Plan Goals and Objectives 14 2. List of Reserves with Designation Dates 16 3. ADF&G, Division of Sport Fish Strategic Plan Goals and Objectives 19 4. State and Federal Listed Species in Kachemak Bay 42 5. Kachemak Bay NERR Goals and Objectives 45 6. Kachemak Bay NERR Current Staff Positions 85 7. Proposed Future Facilities Enhancements 91 v ACRONYMS AAC Alaska Administrative Code ACMP Alaska Coastal Management Program ADEC Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation ADF&G Alaska Department of Fish and Game ADNR Alaska Department of Natural Resources ADOT Alaska Department of Transportation ADPOR Alaska Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation, ADNR AIOVC Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center AMNWR Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge AOOS Alaska Ocean Observing System AS Alaska Statute ATV All-Terrain Vehicle B-WET Bay-Watershed Education and Training CCFHR Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research CDMO Centralized Data Management Office, NERRS CFR Code of Federal Regulations CHA Critical Habitat Area CIAA Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association CIRCAC Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council CISPRI Cook Inlet Spill Prevention and Response, Inc. COSEE Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence CSC Coastal Services Center, NOAA vi CTP Coastal Training Program CWA Clean Water Act CZM Coastal Zone Management CZMA Coastal Zone Management Act DCF Division of Commercial Fisheries, ADF&G DML&W Division of Mining, Land and Water, ADNR DSF Division of Sport Fish, ADF&G EIS Environmental Impact Statement EPA Environmental Protection Agency ERD Estuarine Reserves Division EVOS Exxon Valdez Oil Spill EVOSTC Exxon-Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council GIS Geographic Information System GRF Graduate Research Fellowship HAB Harmful Algal Bloom KBEEA Kachemak Bay Environmental Education Alliance KBL Kasitsna Bay Laboratory KBNERR Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve KBSP Kachemak Bay State Park KEEP K-12 Estuarine Education Program KHLT Kachemak Heritage Land Trust KPB Kenai Peninsula Borough KPBSD Kenai Peninsula Borough School District vii KPC Kenai Peninsula College KPFHP Kenai Peninsula Fish Habitat Partnership LiDAR Light Detection and Ranging MOA Memorandum of Agreement MOU Memorandum of Understanding NANOOS Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems NCCOS National Center for Coastal and Ocean Sciences, NOAA NERR National Estuarine Research Reserve NERRS National Estuarine Research Reserve System NGO Non-Governmental Organization NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOS National Ocean Service, NOAA NPDES National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System NPS National Park Service NWR National Wildlife Refuge OCRM Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, NOAA PAC Procurement, Acquisition, Construction PWS Prince William Sound PWSRCAC Prince William Sound Regional Citizens Advisory Council RSA Reimbursable Services Agreement SCUBA Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus SERC Smithsonian Environmental Research Center SNAI Seldovia Native Association, Inc.