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VOLUME II - SECTION B
SPECIES ACCOUNTS

INTRODUCTION

This Section presents a detailed, comprehensive analyses of the Covered Species to accompany the MSHCP. This Introduction describes the global goals and objectives that will be implemented within the MSHCP Plan Area to support Conservation of the Covered Species. Also included in this Introduction are maps to facilitate review of the individual species accounts. The information contained in this Section is also summarized in Section 9.0 of the MSHCP Plan, Volume I.

As described in the MSHCP Plan, Volume I, the MSHCP is a Criteria-based plan that describes a MSHCP Conservation Area that will be assembled over time. For purposes of analysis and description, a Conceptual Reserve Design has been developed that envisions one of the ways in which the Additional Reserve Lands could be configured to be consistent with MSHCP objectives. This Conceptual Reserve Design forms the basis for the quantitative analyses that appear in the species accounts in this Section and in the MSHCP Conservation Area Description in Section A of the MSHCP Reference Document, Volume II of the MSHCP Plan. The quantitative information presented in these accounts sets the overall parameters for species Conservation and Reserve Assembly, but should not be regarded as absolutes. Some variation in the quantifications is anticipated as the Additional Reserve Lands are assembled to provide for flexibility in Reserve Assembly and to enable responses to changing conditions on the ground during the long-term Reserve Assembly process. Additionally, the species Conservation levels are preliminary and may be modified based on future data collection efforts.

CONSERVATION STRATEGY

A Conservation Strategy has been developed for each of the Covered Species discussed in this section. The Conservation Strategy for each species consists of four components: (1) a global biological goal, (2) a global biological objective, (3) species-specific biological objectives, and (4) management and monitoring activities (as referenced in global biological objective #11).

Global Biological Goal - The following global biological goal applies to the Conservation of each of the MSHCP Covered Species:

Global Biological Objectives - The following global biological objectives will be implemented for the benefit of the MSHCP Covered Species in order to achieve the global biological goal:

  1. The MSHCP Conservation Area will be approximately 500,000 acres in size and will be comprised of approximately 347,000 acres of Public/Quasi-Public Lands and approximately 153,000 acres of Additional Reserve Lands. The MSHCP Conservation Area will incorporate the cores and linkages as well as Habitat distributions generally as presented in the MSHCP Conservation Area Description in Section A, Volume II.
  2. Upland Habitat quality within the MSHCP Conservation Area will be maintained and managed generally in similar or better condition as at the time lands are conveyed to the MSHCP Conservation Area.
  3. Wetland Habitat quality within the MSHCP Conservation Area will be maintained and managed generally in similar or better condition as at the time lands are conveyed to the MSHCP Conservation Area.
  4. Best Management Practices (BMPs) will be implemented in accordance with the guidelines presented in Appendix C to the MSHCP Plan, Volume I. For Flood Control projects, the existing NPDES general permit for storm water discharges associated with construction activities (Water Quality Order 99-08-DWQ) and Section 1601 Streambed Alteration Agreement for flood control facilities maintenance will be implemented.
  5. New land uses adjacent to the MSHCP Conservation Area shall implement the Guidelines Pertaining to the Urban/Wildlands Interface presented in Section 6.1.4 of the MSHCP, Volume I.
  6. The Maintenance of Existing Habitat Conditions Prior to Reserve Assembly policies presented in Section 6.1.5 of the MSHCP, Volume I shall be implemented to ensure that habitat quality within the Criteria Area generally remains in its existing condition prior to conveyance of lands to the MSHCP Conservation Area.
  7. The Protection of Species Associated with Riparian/Riverine Areas and Vernal Pools policies presented in Section 6.1.2 of the MSHCP, Volume I shall be implemented for the benefit of the following species:

    8. Amphibians:

    Birds:

    Fish:

    Invertebrates:

    Plants:

  8. The Protection of Narrow Endemic Plant Species policies presented in Section 6.1.3 of the MSHCP Plan, Volume I shall be implemented for the benefit of the following species:
  9. The Additional Survey Needs and Procedures policies presented in Section 6.3.2 of the MSHCP Plan, Volume I shall be implemented for the benefit of the following species:

    10. Amphibians:

    Birds:

    Mammals:

    Plants:

  10. Covered Activities within the Criteria Area and Allowable Uses within the MSHCP Conservation Area shall be implemented in accordance with the siting, construction, design, operations and maintenance guidelines included in Section 7.0 of the MSHCP, Volume I.
  11. Monitoring and management activities will be undertaken for each of the MSHCP Covered Species. Monitoring and management activities are described in Sections 5.2 and 5.3 of the MSHCP Plan, Volume I.

Species-Specific Biological Objectives - Species-specific biological objectives have been established for each of the Covered Species in the MSHCP. Species-specific objectives are presented in each of the individual species accounts contained in this section. In the individual species accounts, each species has been assigned a group designation - Group 1, Group 2 or Group 3. These species groupings, which are based on the group definitions incorporated in the Natural Communities Conservation Planning Act, have been assigned to assist development of individual species objectives as well as monitoring and management requirements for the MSHCP. The three group definitions are as follows:

Group 1 -- Take coverage is warranted based upon regional or landscape level considerations, such as healthy population levels, widespread distribution throughout the MSHCP Plan Area, and life history characteristics that respond to Habitat-scale Conservation and management actions.

Group 2 -- Take coverage is warranted based on regional or landscape level considerations with the addition of site-specific Conservation and management requirements that are clearly identified in the MSHCP for species that are generally well-distributed, but that have core Habitats that require Conservation.

Group 3 -- Take coverage is warranted based upon site specific considerations and the identification of specific Conservation and management conditions for species within a narrowly defined Habitat or limited geographic area within the MSHCP Plan Area.

Section 9.0 of the MSHCP Plan, Volume I, summarizes the Conservation Strategy for each of the MSHCP Covered Species.

SPECIES ACCOUNTS MAPS

Maps have been prepared to accompany the species Conservation and Take summary presented in this section. These maps contain the following information:

Exhibits 1, 2, and 3 - Place Name Maps -These maps show the locations of place names referenced in the individual species accounts. Three place names maps are provided: Geographic Place Names, Geologic Features, and Water Bodies and Drainages.

Exhibit 4 - Cores and Linkages Map- The Core and Linkage Map is a schematic depiction of existing and proposed Cores and Linkages within the MSHCP Conservation Area. The Cores and Linkages are described in detail in the MSHCP Conservation Area Description in Section A of the MSHCP Reference Document, Volume II of the MSHCP Plan. Numbered and lettered Cores and Linkages shown on the Core and Linkage Map are referenced in the individual species accounts.

Exhibit 5 - Area Plan Subunits - The Area Plan Subunits Map is a schematic depiction of the locations of Area Plan Subunits defined more specifically in Section 3.2 of the MSHCP Plan, Volume I. Numbered Area Plan Subunits are referenced in the individual species accounts when defining units of measurement for some individual species objectives.

Exhibits 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 -- Criteria Areas - The MSHCP Criteria Area generally depicts the area from which Additional Reserve Lands will be assembled. The following maps have been prepared to depict the relationship of the Criteria Area to various analysis factors referenced in the species accounts (the data sources for the analysis factors shown on the maps are summarized in Sections 2.1.1, 2.1.2 and 2.1.3 of the MSHCP Plan, Volume I):

DEFINITIONS

Where specific or unique definitions have been developed for use in the MSHCP, and may be referenced in the species accounts, those definitions are provided following the Table of Contents in the MSHCP Plan, Volume I. For other biological terms, refer to the following suggested references:

Lincoln, R.G. Boxshall, and P. Clark. 1998. A Dictionary of Ecology, Evolution and Systematics, Second Edition, Cambridge University Press, 361. Pp.

Steen, E.G. 1971. Dictionary of Biology. Barnes & Noble Books, San Francisco, 640 pp.