EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Point Reyes National Seashore is proposing to restore 300 acres of coastal dune habitat south of Abbotts Lagoon to benefit species listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (e.g., federally listed species). Habitat would be restored by removing highly invasive, nonnative plant species which have greatly altered sand movement, dune structure and habitat function for native plants and animals uniquely adapted to this coastal environment. This environmental assessment (EA) has been prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to assess impacts of alternative means of accomplishing this restoration. PURPOSE AND NEED Restoration is needed because the coastal dunes at the Abbotts Lagoon project site provide critical habitat for four federally listed species and several rare or unique species of plants and animals. This is the park’s best remaining intact dune habitat, and includes some of the largest expanses of rare native plant communities remaining in the Seashore. These sensitive habitats and the species that inhabit them are imminently threatened by the presence and continued spread of two aggressive nonnative species: European beachgrass (or “Ammophila”) and ice plant. The purpose of the action is to improve and restore coastal dune habitat in the Point Reyes National Seashore. Objectives Objectives are specific statements of purpose. Alternatives are not considered reasonable unless they are able to meet primary objectives to a large degree, as well as meet the purpose and resolve the need for action. The primary objectives related to dune restoration at Point Reyes National Seashore include: Remove nonnative, invasive plant species from dune habitat where they interfere with natural physical processes such as sand movement and hydrology. Remove nonnative, invasive plant species from dunes to create conditions under which native species can flourish. Minimize potential for nonnative species reinvasion of restored habitat. Increase potential coastal dune habitat for target threatened and endangered species affected by nonnative, invasive plant species. Secondary objectives are goals that the park would like to achieve in taking action, but that do not define whether an alternative is reasonable. In other words, fulfilling these goals is desirable but not required. Secondary objectives: Increase visitor understanding of natural dune processes. Use adaptive management to inform and improve subsequent dune restoration efforts. Increase opportunities for research into understanding the restoration of coastal California dunes. 2 ALTERNATIVES Three alternatives, including the No Action alternative, are analyzed in the EA. In addition to the description of treatment activities, staging and access below, each alternative includes a multitude of environmental protection and management measures. The No Action Alternative The No Action alternative in this case would mean that the proposed activity (dune restoration of 300 acres near Abbotts Lagoon) would not take place and that existing conditions and management activities would continue as they are currently. The No Action alternative includes continuing the current small-scale incremental restoration at a pace determined by staffing, funding opportunities and management priorities (see figure 4). Restoration Activities The park has been restoring small areas of dune habitat near Abbotts Lagoon since 2001. In total about 50 acres of dunes have been cleared of European beachgrass and other nonnative, invasive plants in increments of a few acres each. These removals have focused on areas where beachgrass is either rapidly expanding or has the potential to do so. Although removal initially took place with hand tools, heavy equipment was used beginning in early 2004 to dig more deeply and prevent or minimize resprouting. The No Action alternative would likely continue these small-scale removals using heavy equipment, although a combination of prescribed burns and herbicides could also be tested over small areas. The details of how heavy equipment would be used are the same as for the action alternatives, although the scale of treatment is much smaller under the No Action alternative. Staging and Access Equipment is currently driven down a gravel road and then along a two-track road that crosses grasslands and intersects the project site boundary along the southeastern edge. Secondary access roads run north and south along the reardune area. Fuel storage is at an abandoned parking lot at the end of the gravel road known locally as the former AT&T site. Another primary access route exits the North District Operations Center driveway and continues westward along a two-track ranch road. Use of either the AT&T route or the North District route is based on reducing travel time to the work area. Alternative B Each of the action alternatives (Alternative B or C) would treat an area along the coastline in the proximity of Abbotts Lagoon that covers approximately 300 acres (see figure 3). Alternative B would result in 93 acres of reardunes treated with prescribed burning and herbicides, 27 acres of foredunes treated by excavation and 13 acres near wetlands treated by manual removal. Iceplant removal totaling about one acre would take place in several locations. Restoration Activities In Alternative B, European beachgrass and/or iceplant would be removed using a variety of tools and techniques including prescribed fire, herbicide, heavy equipment deep burial and hand removal. In the foredune portion of the project, dunes are dominated by patches of high density, deep-rooted beachgrass interspersed with patches of open sand, native dune mat and dune grass, and small pockets of wetlands. Heading inland, foredunes transition into reardunes, eventually grading into mixed shrub and grassland plant communities. 3 Reardunes also have patches of dense beachgrass intermixed with perennial shrubs (mostly coyote brush). Reardunes have greater ground biomass and vegetative cover than foredunes, but beachgrass roots are more shallow. This alternative proposes initial treatment in the foredunes with deep burial using heavy equipment, and hand removal in sensitive areas (wetlands, native dune mat) including 25- foot buffers around wetlands (see figure 6). After initial treatment, resprouting of invasive vegetation would be removed to the extent possible using hand removal or herbicide sprayed from targeted backpack sprayers or applied by hand (wicking). The initial removal work would be followed by up to five maintenance treatments to remove resprouting exotic vegetation. In the reardunes, initial treatment would consist of a single prescribed burn followed by herbicide spraying of regrowth. The burn would be started using drip torch fuel distributed by hand crews or people on ATVs. The purpose of the burn would be to remove above ground biomass (beachgrass thatch) and encourage vigorous new growth of beachgrass. New growth would provide a sufficient leaf surface area to absorb herbicide, and ultimately would reduce the amount of herbicide necessary for treatment. Staging and Access The North District Operations Center (NDOC) facility would be the preferred point of access with the AT&T driveway a second choice for accessing the southern end of the project site. The NDOC access route (figure 5) would be improved (graded and graveled) at the beginning of the implementation period to improve access by heavy equipment. Where the road intersects the project site boundary, a parking area would be developed for overnight parking and refueling of heavy equipment, temporary equipment or tool storage, and daily parking by restoration crews. Jobsite trailers, offices, additional parking and storage would be located at the NDOC facility. Minor improvements to the AT&T route may be required; this would include adding gravel the current roadbed. Within the project boundary, three proposed unimproved secondary access routes (figure 5) would provide designated access to restoration sites by heavy equipment. These routes would be flagged to avoid sensitive resources. Alternative C (Preferred Alternative) Restoration Activities Alternative C is the park’s preferred alternative. It would rely primarily on excavation and deep burial to remove European beachgrass from the project area. Iceplant would also be removed by physical means. Mechanical removal techniques use heavy equipment to dig up European beachgrass roots and rhizomes and completely remove all of the standing biomass. To prevent resprouting, the excavated biomass is buried beneath a cap of clean sand at least three feet deep. Excavators equipped with a large bucket and thumb are used to perform the digging and burial of biomass. Bulldozers may be used to support the excavators in transporting and/or burying excavated biomass. Bulldozers may also be used to re-contour treatment sites after burial is completed. Hand removal would be used to remove beachgrass or iceplant from sensitive areas (in native dune mat or wetland, as well as in wetland buffers). The use of herbicides would primarily be restricted to treating resprouts in Alternative C, especially in areas where hand removal proves difficult or ineffective, such as within existing shrubs or in dense foredune areas where complete excavation of European beachgrass roots proves difficult. 4 Excavation would take place on 126 acres and hand removal would be used on 7 acres (figure 7). Staging and Access Staging and access would be the same