AgdaPkt 2004-09-13 - Laserfiche WebLink

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� 25 Restoration of Inner Bair Island will require the existing subsided soils to be filled and groomed before it can be used for habitat. Dredge spoils from Redwood Creek will be deposited on Inner Bair to bring the site above sea-level so that gende inundation of soils, rather than lake pooling, feeds the habitat. Because of this the City feels that an opportunity exists to work with the NWRS to design contours and elevations on Inner Bair Island with future public use in mind. The Cit�� recommends that dredge spoils from the Redwood Shores lagoons and the port of Redwood City be used by the NWRS for Inner. Bair rehabilitation. On Inner and Middle Bair historical sloughs will be opened to expose the existing and new habitat to inter-tidal flow. Pickleweed and cordgrass, native salt tolerant marshland plants indicating habitat for endangered species at the site, should be planted and reestablished on the island. The City's vision contemplates higher use of the Refuge to fulfill educational goals for local schoolchildren, recreational goals for special needs citizens and low impact regional transportation goals. Failure to have adequate parking, including parking for school buses and tour buses, will frustrate the long-term plan for integration of the refuge into Redwood City. Redwood City believes that the site should be served by two parking lots: one shown on the NWRS plan on Redwood Creek, the other at a location near the San Carlos Airport. Both lots should be planned for school buses, have restroom facilities and informational material in covered kiosks. The City recommends against a long unimproved 0.5-mile trail that lies between a residential neighborhood complex and direcdy adjacent to unprotected critical habitat outside of the refuge boundaries. Failure to provide adequate control and supen�ision of this area over the next decades may result in invasive intrusions into the peace and quiet of nearby residents. Encouraging access in this area will leave unprotected critical habitat for the salt marsh harvest mouse. An additional 1-mile walk may provide a deterrent to handicapped persons and sensitive sub-populations desiring to share in a refuge experience. FWS reports that one of the largest threats to endangered clapper rails and harvest mice, after habitat loss, is predation by domestic dogs and cats and wild fox and raccoon. Given this information, Redwood City must recommend against a Whipple Street entrance to the refuge. If one looks at a map, the largest area of potential and continuing ingress and egress from the habitat area is the landward border of the refuge. It is this contiguous landward border that is the largest threat to species. The City recommends closing access at Whipple and joining with the NWRS to encourage redesign of the Whipple Street access to discourage predator intrusion. Maintaining a long common border of the refuge with its largest potential threat is 7