SPRING 2009 Volume 30, Number 1 100 Years of the Farallon National Wildlife Refuge By Zach Coffman Twenty-nine percent of February marks the 100th anniversary of California’s breeding seabirds the Farallon National Wildlife Refuge. The breed on the Farallones. refuge was created by President Theodore They include the world’s Roosevelt with an executive order that largest breeding colonies of designated North and Middle Farallon ashy storm-petrel, Brandt’s Islands and Noonday Rock as the Farallon cormorant, and Western gulls. Reservation, establishing a “preserve and Other seabird species that breeding ground for native birds.” In 1969, nest on the refuge are tufted the Reservation became known as Farallon puffin, common murre, pigeon National Wildlife Refuge and expanded guillemot, double-crested and protection to include Southeast Farallon pelagic cormorants, Cassin’s Island (SEFI). and rhinoceros auklets, As the only inhabitable island among Leach’s storm petrel, and black a cluster of rocky outcrops, SEFI once sup- oystercatcher. ported a Coast Guard Station. Most of the The proximity of the former dwellings and outbuildings that were Farallones to the mainland constructed over the last hundred years have provided humans with easy been removed and only the bare essentials access and its ecological bounty of a field camp remain for refuge use. was reaped. The islands, Management of the islands is now focused though rugged and seemingly on preservation and restoration, whilst also indestructible, suffered greatly serving as an invaluable resource for data at the hands of man. It is collection and research. It is a place where well-documented not just in nature is paramount, unrestricted and raw. the history books but also in It is sometimes hard to comprehend that the soil, the plants and animals California sea lions. the islands are only 27 miles west of San that live on the Farallones. Photo: USFWS, Zach Coffman Francisco and still within the city limits. It is speculated that the is generally accepted that these local Native “Farallon” is the Spanish word for “a first visitors to the islands were the sea-far- Americans did not go to the islands, it is rocky promontory rising from the ocean.” ing Native Americans of more northerly unclear whether this is due to the islands’ Today, the Farallones are commonly referred groups. The local Costanoan and Coast spiritual significance or due to the lack of to as the Galapagos of California. They are Miwok Indians, sometimes referred col- adequate sea worthy boats. abundant with life! The islands support the lectively as the Ohlone, had great reverence Sir Francis Drake is recognized as the largest seabird breeding colony south of for the Farallones. They called them the first European to visit and named them Alaska. They are home to 350,000 seabirds “Islands of the Dead” and believed the spirit and roughly 30,000 marine mammals. of the deceased traveled there. Although it continued next page from page 1 August 1853 the lighthouse and the keepers’ missions. The importance of the weather quarters were completed. The finishing and radio stations increased, as did the the “Islands of Saint James.” On August 3, touch to the lighthouse was a special Fresnel level of involvement that the Navy had on 1579, work parties were sent ashore to the lens arriving from France. Unfortunately, the islands. In addition to the Navy, the south island, where they replenished the the lighthouse that had been specifically newly-created Lighthouse Service, which ships’ stores with seal and sea lion meat. designed to fit around the lens was too small had full responsibility of maintaining and The Spanish captain Sebastian and the entire structure had to be torn down manning the lighthouse, also had staff on Rodriquez Cermeno, on a return voyage and rebuilt. By the end of the following year the SEFI. During this time many buildings from the Philippines, was given the directive a new structure was built in its place and the were constructed and the island population to survey and map the coast of California. lighthouse was operational. grew significantly. The Lighthouse Service After crashing off of the coast of Punta de While construction was occuring on remained on the island until it was dis- los Reyes (Point Reyes), his crew continued towards Acapulco in nothing more then a small open launch. As they headed south, they mapped the Farallon Islands for the first time. They noted that there were “seven Farallones close together.” Though the Spanish captains knew of the Farallones it was believed that they never set foot there. The following 200 years left the islands relatively untouched. It was not until the proliferation of fur traders that degradation of the islands began. Fur seals are medium-sized marine mammals, with males growing up to 600 pounds and females topping out at 110 pounds. Fur seals became highly coveted for their warm, dense fur, which has 300,000 hairs per square inch. A captain and a small group of Boston-based whalers established a post on SEFI and subsequently slaughtered 150,000 fur seals between 1810 and 1813, extirpating the vast majority of the popula- Southeast Farallon Island Photo: USFWS, Zach Coffman tion. Russian hunters then occupied SEFI the SEFI, life on the mainland was boom- banded in 1939. for the next 25 years and wiped out the ing. The gold rush was bringing tens of The U.S. Coast Guard took over main- remaining fur seals. Members of the Russian thousands of new people to San Francisco taining the lighthouse facilities. The Coast contingent lived in rock huts with skin roofs and as a result food shortages occurred. Guard and the Navy brought the island near the present day East Landing. It is People turned to common murre eggs to population to a high of 78 during World believed that during this time the popula- supplement their diets. This egg collection War II in 1942. When the war ended and tion of people living on the island varied took place until 1881 and decimated the the Navy departed, many of the old, unused greatly, anywhere from 100 to just seven. murre population. It was estimated that buildings were torn down. The Coast Life was hard on the island. Supplies were 400,000 common murres once bred on the Guard remained on SEFI until 1965 when infrequent and often meager. As a result the Farallon Islands. By the time this practice the families moved away from the island Russians harvested common murre eggs and ended, just a fraction of the population and crew size was reduced to just six. killed thousands of them for their feathers remained. A monumental change occurred on and meat. In 1840 the Russian government Activity on SEFI was relatively quiet af- the islands and on the mainland in 1967. decided to leave California and the Russian ter 1881 - just the lighthouse keepers and a Environmental awareness was increasing and occupation on the Farallones ceased. few support staff remained. This continued ecological significance of the islands became The Islands did not remain quiet for until 1902 when the United States Weather apparent. With awareness came the need for long. In 1848, with the discovery of gold in Bureau laid a cable from the islands to Point environmental stewardship. Biologists from the Sierra Nevadas, San Francisco became Reyes. The cable was plagued with prob- Point Reyes Bird Observatory (now known a booming port overnight. The coastal lems. It was abandoned the following year as PRBO Conservation Science) became waters filled quickly with boats full of gold when the Weather Service unveiled a new permanent residents on SEFI to research seekers, and as a result Congress authorized long range radio that would transmit back and monitor the wildlife. the construction of 16 lighthouses along to the mainland. This too was short lived as When the Farallon Reservation became the coast, including one on the Farallones. the U.S. Navy soon took over control of the known as the Farallon National Wildlife The construction of the lighthouse on SEFI Weather Service equipment and the radio. Refuge in 1969, U.S. Fish and Wildlife became a monumental feat, as it would By 1905 the Navy had built its own (Service) joined the Coast Guard in stand atop the 348-foot peak. Most of the station, which became a highly important managing the islands. In addition, a formal materials were quarried on the island and a and strategic center for long range trans- agreement was established between PRBO brick facing was used to cover the rocks. By Page 2 Page 3 and the refuge for PRBO to continue its such as auklets and sea lions, have also research. recovered. California sea lion populations The Service and PRBO developed have increased so dramatically in the last several priorities to restore the Farallones. year that portions of the island were closed One of the first priorities was to reduce to all biologists and refuge personnel to disturbance and foster the islands to return to a more natural state. By 1969 wildlife foster this amazing growth. population numbers were dismal. Common For those researchers living on the murres, for example, were down to 6000 island, life on the Farallones is a balancing birds. Years of unrestricted egg collecting, act; how does one study a species in sensi- senseless shooting of animals and countless tive habitat without creating more harm to oil spills had devasted the wildlife. the habitat or the animal? The handful of Another priority was to educate the researchers and managers who cycle through local fisherman and Coast Guard person- the island during the year are constantly nel still living on the island on how their Pigeon Gillemot Photo: USFWS, Zach Coffman actions can affect wildlife and its habitat.