AgdaPkt 2000-09-11 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

\ ~þ\ --2> I ) ~la."lY areas idennfi ~ as are:u ',1/h~e Ciliiornia clapp!:::'3.ils were se~ during 1990 surveys (as cited in the Biological Opinion for the Redwood Shores Levees Improvem~nt Proje:t. Se;)tember 5, 1996), suc~ as Bird Island, Bay Slough. the mouth ofSteinoe:'gC! 51ou;h and outboard oflevc: Scgnu::ltS ill. L II. IV and 'lIT, are arl2S ~'h:.--: Redwood City Code Chapter ::7 c'-1tTe:1tly prohjbitS :-tunting. 8air Island is not hcweve. specifically addressed. although c:-:~ks and sLoughs su:-:-ocnding por..lons ofBalr island. Sil::' as Redwood Cre-.Jr.. Smut Slough ;¡nà Steinberger Slough are areas where hunLÏng is ?!'Omoited. The R.ecove:)' Plan for the Californltl ciapp~ :æ1 and the salt :::.arsh harve$t mouse.. as c:teè :n the tiSFWS Bio'logical Op~OD. idc:1uñes the :icial:narshes sUII'OundÍng Bair Islmd. mciudin:; Bire. Island and those at L"lC mouth ofSteinb~rger Slough. as some oÌthe areas cfhabitar essential to the su-..ival3:ld recov~ of !he clapper Tail and the salt marsh harvest mouse (C'nit:d States Fish and 'Nild1:fe Sc;:r-vice, 1996). Contact with the Den :=dwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge has indicated thar hunting is pG."II1itteå only on the Bay side of Bm Islz..'1d and only huntL'"lg :rom boats is perrnitt~d. Ac::;ording to the inÏormatioI: pro....,ded. hunting is Ilotpe:mitted in interior sloughs nor is public: acc::ss pe~tted OIl Outer Bair Island. T~c:-eÏore wallàr1g in the ::r.arsh or ~u."jœg £rem blinds wocld not be p~rmined. 2) Evans and Plg~ (1983) concjudeà from resezrcb. in a. nor--Jl Bay marsh that the clapper ,<Ii: breeding seasoc. iDc:ludingpair bo~dœg mdnes. CODStrUC:iO~ may begin as early as Febn:ary. Fidei observJ.tlcns m south Bay marshes also suggest that pair formatIon oc..--urs in Februél.."Y 7he: e:ld oÍ ~h.: :'r:~di."lg season is typically åefineå as :he =.d of August whicb corrC:S"ponås to th: time when eggs laid during :enesting attemptS =.ave hatched and young are mobile. Acco:-ding to State r:gulations. in this area ofCalifom.ia. waterÍowl hunting s~ason begins in :nid-Octob::r and cor.t:nues un:il mid-January. There would theTeÍore be DO overlap betWe~n :h~ hun~g SC2Son anc-mC'-c¡úiÌomia clapper rail breeding seasor... : ) Sine: wat:rrow! hunting sezson a!ld California c::13ppe~ ¡-¡iI bre=ding season do not overlap, wy disrupuon of behaviors during the non-breedl.."lg season would be to f:=dmg or -:-:sting be~aviors. ra.th~r:haD me 6sr..lpriQn of activities assoc;'Íat:è ~ith ÙlC reproduct:ve seasO!1 (pair for=.ation. nest building. incubation, :tc.). Disruption of f~eciing or restmg activities of the California ciappe-:rail would d:pend on the pro Jeimity of",,".e hunting actl"ities to rail fe~g or !'~sting habitat. Given that hUDtb.g is only allowed ::Oc:3 boats on the Bay sid: of Bair I.s l:l.."'la. any i::J:.~actS would seem to be i:ldirect ones relaIed :0 th::: n~me g::nenlted by the boats and guciire. It is most likely tbat rails would be able to ~ciily !'clocate to imc:1or sloughs and udal marsh if distUrbed by the noise (nils ar-w also knov,-n to freeze in p~:: if diStUrbed, in or¿~: to avoid detec:ioc). Although thlS could be c:::r.S1¿ered an impact on their energy ~x;:~diture (i.e. energy spent relccati:lg rather than f::~ing or resting) the ~"Ct~t of this òsturbance would depe:ld on: 1) tile àistance of th: hun!,.¡¡g ac.i vities from the rail in relation ,0 ~h:: level ob.oise that is ~oierated by the rail prior to the nil reiocatmg; an¿ 1) ,h~ Ïrec.uency of OCCUlT~C~ of the huming disrurbanc~. It should be :lotcd thaI this hypoLheÚc3.1 disruption of :he rail during non. breeding seasoI'. 2.!:ri\'ities woulc. be an i:lciirect, les$ detrimental impact WncD. ccmpareè to a direct Impact such ,s ~r~darion or"the bu-Cs or destruc::oc. of their :lests or eggs.