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l~A"'~ I) :Yla.'lY are~ idenu!l ed as are:1.S whe'":e C~iiomia clappc::-:"1ils wae seen during 1990 surveys (as cited in the Biological Opjruon for the Redwood Shores Levees Impro\'em~Dt Proje::t. September 5, 1996), sucll as Bird Island, Bay Slough, the mouth of Steinberger 5iou;h and outboard oflevc: Segme:1tS In. L II. TV and \llI, are areas ~'h:.",: Redwood City Code Chapter 3 -; c'.JTíe:1tly prohibitS hunting. Bm Island is not hcwe'ler specifically a.cidr:ssed. although c:-:::k.s anè sLoughs su.."!'Ot:ncling por..iotlS OI'"Balf island. su:b. as Reåwood C:e--y.., Smlt1: Slough élDå Steinberger Slough are areas whcr: hunting is ?romoited.. The Recovc:y Plan ror the California clapp=: rail and the salt ::.arsh harvest mouse., as citcè in the tiSFWS Biological Opir.J.on. idC:luñes the :icial marshes stmOundÏng Bair Isb,nd. i:1ciuding 3ird Island and those at the moutt cfSteinb~rger Slough. as some oÎthe areas cfhabitaI esse:ltia.i to the su-..iva.l3:ld recov~ oime clapper rail and tbe salt marsh harvest mouse (L"nitcci States Fish and 'Nild.1:Íe Service, 1996). Contact with the Don =:iwards San Frmcisco Bay Nation&! Wildlife Refuge ~as indic.1tc:d th~ hunting is pc.-mitteå only on the Bay side of Eair Isla."1d and only huntil'lg from boatS is perrnitt~d. Ac:ording to the inÎonnatioIl pro\o1ded. hunting is notpe:mitted in interior sloughs nor is public; ac:::ss pcr=:litted OIl Outer Bair IsLmd. T-'.crc::Îore wauw,g in the =arsh or ~UI~tiI:g iTer!'. blinds would not be p:rmitteå. 2) Evans and Page (1983) concluded from re3euchin a. nor..h Bay marsh that the clapper ¡;ri: breeding sea.sor.. includingpa.iIbon~g mdnc:s'tconstrUc:ion. may begin as cariy as Febr.:æy. Ficld obsc:rvaricns in south Bay marshes also 3uggest that pair formatIon oc...--urs in Februa.")' 7he: e:1d of ~h: br-..~di.'1g Se:lSon i~ typically defined as :he =.d of August which conc:sponås t::;¡ th: time ',^'nen eggs laid ¿unng :enesting attemptS =.a.ve hatched and young are mobile. Acco:-ding to State r:gul:1tiO1!S., in this area ofCalifomia. waterÎowl hunting season begins in :nid-Octobcr and con~.nues un~l mid-January. Then~ would therefore be DO overlap betWe~n :h~ hur..tlng SC2Son md-mC"-C~iÌomia clapper rail breeding seasor.. ::) Sine.: wate:-Iow! hunting se2$on a!ld California clapper rail bre:ding season do not ov=:lap, :in)' ¿isrupuon of behaviors during the non-br::eding se:a.son woulå be to f:::dmg or :-::sring b:~a\oïors. rath:r :hæ1 ,he ciisr.¡priQn 0 f activities associat~è 'lÑith th~ rcprociucI:ve seasO!1 (pm for:nation. nest building. incubation, etc.). Disrnption of f~eàing or restmg activities of the CalifOrnia clappe,.aij would depend on theprox:Ürnty or":.'-,: bunting acú"itic:s to rail f(:~g or :'~s'ring habitat. Given th;u hUIlti..."lg is only allowed. ::om boau on the Bay sid: of Bair Isb..1d. any ~'PactS would seem to be i:ldire:t ones rela.red :0 th: noise generated by the bo¡¡ts a.nd gw:.ñre. It is moSt likely tbat rails would. be able to re3åily relocate to ime:1or sloughs and udal marsh if distUrbed by the noise (rails ar-. also known to freeze in pia:: if distUrbed, in or¿~:- to avoid detec:ion). Although this could be c:::r.S1¿ered an impa.ct on their rnergy ~x~enditure (i.:. energy spent relocating rather than fe~ing or resting) the ~mt of this ciSi.urbance would depe:ld on: 1) tile àistance of the hunr..¡¡g ac:ivities from the rail in relation ::;, .h: level of:loise that is ~oierat=d by the rail prior to the I"2il relocating; an¿ 1) 'Ü¡~ frequency of occunt:r.ce oÎ the huming disrurb:mc~. It should be noted thaI this hypothetical disruption of :he rail during non-breeding season achÙties woulci be an i:lcirect, less detrimcnul impact when ccmparø...d to a direct Impact such ,S ~r!:dation or"the oi=-Cs or àestruct:oc. of their ::lests or eggs.