RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN Submitted to: Puente Hills Landfill Native Habitat Preservation Authority 7702 Washington Avenue, Suite C Whittier, CA 90602 (562) 945-9003 Prepared by: LSA Associates, Inc. LSA Associates, Inc. 20 Executive Park, Suite 200 157 Park Place Irvine, CA 92614 Point Richmond, CA 94801 (949) 553-0666 (510) 236-6810 Adopted July 26, 2007 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Board of Directors Chairman Bob Henderson Vice Chair Barbara Fish Director Dickie Simmons Director Steve Maguin Alternate Director Chan Alternate Director Hughes Alternate Director Newcomer Alternate Director Pederson. Citizens Technical Advisory Committee Chairman Bud Welch* Vice Chair Michael Hughes* Member David Rodriguez Member David Cowardin* Member Alex Moisa Member Chuck Hanson Member Bill McDermott* Member Steve Garcia Member Suzann Chung Member Shelley Andros* (former) *Indicates Trails Subcommittee. Habitat Authority Staff Andrea Gullo, Executive Director Amy Henderson*, (former) Resource Ecologist Meaghan O’Neill, (former) Park Interpreter Special Thanks: The Habitat Authority would like to recognize other contributors to the preparation and creation of the document: Jim Donovan*, AICP, National Park Service - Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program; Deputy Chief Ranger Kenn Hughes*, Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority; Biological Workshop participants: Dr. Ray Sauvajot, National Parks Service; Trish Smith, The Nature Conservancy; Dan Cooper, National Audubon Society; Dr. Cheryl Swift, Whittier College; Peter Bloom; Lisa Lyren, U.S. Geological Survey; Dr. Travis Longcore, The Urban Wildlands Group/USC; Steve Boyd, Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Garden; and Brad Henderson, CA Department of Fish and Game. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................1 1.1 OVERVIEW ..........................................................................................................................1 1.2 VISION AND MISSION.......................................................................................................1 1.2.1 Vision .......................................................................................................................4 1.2.2 Mission .....................................................................................................................4 1.3 PURPOSE OF THIS RMP.....................................................................................................4 1.4 PRESERVE OVERVIEW .....................................................................................................6 1.4.1 Location....................................................................................................................6 1.4.2 History of Use...........................................................................................................6 1.4.3 Acquisition History...................................................................................................8 1.4.4 Global and Regional Significance ............................................................................9 1.4.5 Physical Characteristics of the Preserve.................................................................10 1.4.6 Use Characteristics of the Preserve ........................................................................11 2.0 PRESERVE DESCRIPTION .........................................................................................................13 2.1 GEOGRAPHICAL SETTING.............................................................................................13 2.2 ADJACENT LAND USES ..................................................................................................13 2.3 PHYSICAL RESOURCES..................................................................................................14 2.3.1 Geology and Topography .......................................................................................14 2.3.2 Soils ........................................................................................................................15 2.3.3 Hydrology and Water Quality ................................................................................18 2.3.4 Climate ...................................................................................................................19 2.3.5 Fire History.............................................................................................................20 2.4 RECREATIONAL RESOURCES.......................................................................................24 2.4.1 Sycamore Canyon/Hellman Park............................................................................24 2.4.2 Hacienda Hills/Puma, Toyon, and Coyote Canyons ..............................................25 2.4.3 Turnbull Canyon.....................................................................................................25 2.4.4 Worsham Canyon ...................................................................................................25 2.4.5 Arroyo Pescadero ...................................................................................................25 2.4.6 Hacienda Road East/Arroyo San Miguel................................................................25 2.4.7 Powder Canyon.......................................................................................................26 2.5 INTERPRETATION AND EDUCATION..........................................................................26 2.5.1 Interpretive Panels ..................................................................................................26 2.5.2 Kiosks.....................................................................................................................26 2.5.3 Signs .......................................................................................................................27 2.5.4 Educational Programs.............................................................................................27 2.5.5 Ranger Presentations ..............................................................................................28 2.6 EXISTING FACILITIES.....................................................................................................28 3.0 NATURAL RESOURCES.............................................................................................................29 3.1 VEGETATION COMMUNITIES AND WILDLIFE HABITAT.......................................29 3.1.1 Coastal Sage Scrub Communities (845 acres)........................................................33 3.1.2 Chaparral (975 acres)..............................................................................................34 3.1.3 Grassland (1,224 acres) ..........................................................................................35 3.1.4 Riparian (143 acres)................................................................................................36 3.1.5 Woodlands (296 acres) ...........................................................................................38 3.1.6 Cliff and Rock Communities (0.58 acre)................................................................39 P:\PUE430\RMP\RMP 2007\June 2007 Final RMP\July 2007 Final RMP.doc (07/31/07) i 3.1.7 Agricultural Communities (15 acres) .....................................................................39 3.1.8 Disturbed or Developed Communities (299 acres) ................................................39 3.1.9 Intact Native Habitat...............................................................................................40 3.2 VEGETATION DYNAMICS..............................................................................................40 3.2.1 Exotic Plant Species ...............................................................................................42 3.2.2 Existing Fuels and Fire Hazard Conditions............................................................44 3.3 GENERAL WILDLIFE .......................................................................................................48 3.3.1 Raptors....................................................................................................................48 3.3.2 Bats.........................................................................................................................50 3.4 WILDLIFE MOVEMENT CORRIDOR AND HABITAT FRAGMENTATION..............51 3.5 THREATENED, RARE, OR ENDANGERED SPECIES ..................................................53 3.5.1 Sensitive Plant Species ...........................................................................................53 3.5.2 Sensitive Wildlife Species......................................................................................57 3.5.3 Sensitive Habitats ...................................................................................................58 4.0 CULTURAL RESOURCES...........................................................................................................60 4.1 ETHNOGRAPHIC ..............................................................................................................60 4.2 HISTORICAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES ..............................................62 4.2.1 Criteria for Evaluation............................................................................................64 4.2.2 Evaluation of Cultural Resources within the Preserve ...........................................65 4.3 PALEONTOLOGY .............................................................................................................66