CONSERVATION PLANNING

Conservation Planning for Richardson Bay

With help from The Nature Conservancy’s Conservation Action Planning Design tool, the Richardson Bay Audubon Center staff and partners from Marin Audubon, The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, The San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, San Francisco State University (Romberg Center), US Geologic Survey and CA Department of Fish and Game have recently developed a Conservation Plan for Richardson Bay. The conservation planning team has had two workshops which have laid the foundation for future conservation and restoration efforts Audubon will conduct in the bay. Conservation and restoration targets include: waterbird conservation, eelgrass and native oyster restoration, saltmarsh conservation and restoration, and sand/mudflat conservation.

Each conservation target has detailed objectives and the necessary actions needed to meet the objectives. Actions include identifying partners, designing monitoring plans, identifying research needs and developing restoration plans. The next steps, which are already underway, are to develop work plans for each of the conservation goals as well as developing both long and short-term goals for each of the targets.

 

Targets, Objectives and Action Steps
Overall Goals

Objective I: Build Public Support for Richardson Bay Conservation

Action Steps

1. Integrate all of Center’s public education programs with Bay conservation message and stewardship action components
2. Ensure that all education and outreach programs are based on rigorous and supportable science.
3. Develop an outreach brochure explaining the case for the conservation of Richardson Bay
4. Conduct a public opinion poll to understand public perception of Richardson Bay and messages needed to influence public understanding of the bay
5. Work with local media to help the public understand restoration and Richardson Bay’s ecological importance
6. Consider issuing a “state of the bay” report every other year
7. Present in local forums and events to educate general public
8. Build a corps of active volunteers working on bay restoration

Objective II: Focus Center’s Education Program on Promoting Understanding of Bay Ecosystem and Conservation

Action Steps

1. Integrate all education programs with conservation, restoration and stewardship components related to the bay and its watershed
2. Test relevance and update annually
3. Integrate students and other community members into restoration and monitoring work
4. Partner with similar local providers to maintain integrity of program and not duplicate efforts

Objective III: Conduct Rigorous and Applied Science to Help Restore the Health of Richardson Bay’s Natural Communities and Species

Action Step

1. Work with partners to identify optimal restoration and conservation goals by habitat type
2. Partner with the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, NOAA, San Francisco State University, the National Estuarine Research Reserve, US Geologic Survey, CA Department of Fish and Game and other research organizations on prioritizing and developing long-term research and monitoring protocols for the marine species and habitats in Richardson Bay
3. Take an ecosystem-based approach to all restoration efforts by developing protocols to look at the long-term ecosystem effects of restoration
4. With partners, develop conservation, restoration and research timelines and strategies

Target 1. Native Oyster

Objective I: Understand Oyster Distribution and Limitations in Richardson Bay

Action Steps

1. Survey native adult distribution in all habitat types
2. Survey larval distribution
3. Monitor the presence of invasive oysters
4. Map benthic habitat types

Objective II: Design Restoration Strategies

Action Steps

1. Create designed study to determine if mud substrate is suitable for oyster recruitment and survival
2. Create designed study to determine if hard substrate is suitable for oyster recruitment and survival
3. Investigate other suitable settlement/recruitment substrate types
4. Implement restoration work
5. Monitor recruitment and survival across studies (above)
6. Monitor ecosystem changes due to oyster restoration
7. Research the synergies between eelgrass and oysters

Target 2. Eelgrass

Objective I: Increase recruitment through seeding and vegetative shoot transplants

Action Steps

1. Trial seeding and vegetative transplant methodologies
2. Create and implement a monitoring plan for the different restoration methods
3. Once suitable methods have been established begin to sale-up restoration efforts
4. Develop an eelgrass grow-out facility for restoration work (to decrease potential impact to donor beds)
5. Monitor ecosystem changes due to eelgrass restoration
6. Research the synergies between eelgrass and oysters

Objective II: Increase acreage of eelgrass beds

Action Steps

1. Map current extent of eelgrass beds, and monitor changes in bed distribution yearly (flights)
2. Develop plan for long-term vision of acreage in eelgrass
3. Develop large-scale restoration goals
4. Stop ongoing loss of eelgrass bed (due to anthropogenic disturbance)
5. Map benthic habitat types

Target 3. Diving Ducks & Piscivorous Birds

Objective I: Increase number and diversity of waterbirds without impacting current populations

Action Steps

1. Increase eelgrass area (as in target II)
2. Monitor bird species richness and abundance, through time, before, during, and after eelgrass and oyster restoration
3. Monitor bird populations in different habitat types (sand, mud flat, eelgrass beds, salt marsh)

Objective II: Reduce boat disturbance to birds

Action Step

1. Maintain boat exclusion area
2. Monitor current level of impact in entire project area. Develop a good research monitoring protocol in order to carry this out
3. Determine whether current restrictions are effective
4. Develop and implement a more active outreach and communication strategy to all boaters (motorboats, kayaks, etc.) and local residents about the birds and the closure
5. Monitor bird population inside and outside the sanctuary

Objective III: Understand how birds utilize Richardson Bay

Action Step

1. Design a study to monitor bird behaviors and diet

Target 4. Salt Marsh

Objective I: Determine restoration need and feasibility

Action Step

1. Map existing salt marsh habitat
2. Map areas that are suitable for restoration
3. Develop and implement restoration plan, including acreage objectives and desired locations
4. Map benthic habitat types

Objective II: Eliminate invasive plant species from existing salt marsh.

Action Step

1. Monitor extent of invasives
2. Identify and prioritize invasive plant removal

Objective III: Conserve/Protect Existing Salt Marsh

Action Steps:

1. Determine rate of erosion

Objective IV: Monitor Invasive Invertebrates

Action Steps:

1. Design monitoring plan

Target 5. Sand and Mud Flat

Objective 1: Determine current extent and monitor status

Action Steps

1. Map benthic habitat types
2. Monitor spatial area for changes in size

Objective II: Determine status of invertebrate communities

Action Steps

1. Sample invertebrates yearly to determine species richness, composition, and abundance

Target 6. Oak Woodland and Grassland

Objective I: Improve native/non-native plant ratio on site

Action Steps

1. Design and implement plan for removal of non-natives
2. Begin propagation of local native stock for revegetation efforts
3. Increase/restore native species on site
4. Monitor effectiveness of restoration efforts
5. Secure funding for continued restoration and monitoring

Objective II: Monitor avian populations

Action Steps

1. Establish MAPS banding station to begin operation May 2007
2. Perform nest searches and point counts throughout breeding season
3. Winter monitoring using MAWS banding, other surveys.
4. Integrate lessons on non-native vegetation and restoration
5. Demonstration of MAPS protocol and techniques with students