CC SR 20180731 F - PVPLC 2017 Annual ReportRANCHO PALOS VERDES CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: 07/31/2018
AGENDA REPORT AGENDA HEADING: Consent Calendar
AGENDA DESCRIPTION:
Consideration and possible action to receive the 2017 Annual Report for the Palos
Verdes Nature Preserve
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
(1) Receive and file the 2017 Annual Report submitted by the Palos Verdes
Peninsula Land Conservancy regarding its management activities for the Palos
Verdes Nature Preserve.
FISCAL IMPACT: None
Amount Budgeted: N/A
Additional Appropriation: N/A
Account Number(s): N/A
ORIGINATED BY: Katie Lozano, Administrative Analyst/Open Space Manager
REVIEWED BY: Cory Linder, Director of Recreation and Parks
Ara Mihranian, AICP, Director of Community Development
APPROVED BY: Doug Willmore, City Manager
The complete 2017 Palos Verdes Nature Preserve Annual Report may be reviewed on
the City’s website at http://www.rpvca.gov/2017-Preserve-Annual-Report.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION:
The City’s Draft Natural Communities Conservation Plan (NCCP) calls for the Palos
Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy (PVPLC) to serve as the City’s habitat manager
for the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve. In this capacity, PVPLC is required by the draft
NCCP to submit certain annual reports to the City and Wildlife Agencies (the California
Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service). Specifically,
PVPLC is required to submit a monitoring report on its habitat restoration efforts in the
Preserve and on its exotic plant removal efforts.
Pursuant to the draft NCCP and the management agreement authorizing PVPLC to
manage the restoration of Preserve habitat on behalf of the City, PVPLC has submitted
the 2017 Annual Report summarizing PVPLC’s Preserve management activities. A link
to the electronic version of the 2017 Annual Report was provided to the City Council via
email on July 20, 2018.
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The Annual Report covers the 2017 calendar year. The Annual Report describes
PVPLC’s habitat management activities relating to habitat enhancement and
restoration, property maintenance and monitoring, vegetation and wildlife monitoring,
trail management and monitoring, and volunteer involvement. The 2017 Annual Report
includes the following sub reports (see Annual Report):
• Habitat Restoration Monitoring
• Habitat Restoration Plans
• 2017 Targeted Exotic Removal Program for Plants (TERPP)
• Scientific Research and Wildlife Monitoring
• Volunteer Involvement
• Trail Management and Monitoring
o Unauthorized Trail Closures (Appendix G)
o Future Trails Project List (Appendix H)
• Additionally, the City contributes the Habitat Tracking Report and the Preserve
Night Use Activities Report.
Next Phase of Habitat Restoration: Abalone Cove Reserve
The 2017 Annual Report includes PVPLC’s next phases of habitat restoration for City
Council approval. PVPLC has proposed to restore 15 acres in the Abalone Cove
Reserve over the period of 2019-2021. The detailed habitat restoration plan is provide
at Exhibit B of the Annual Report. PVPLC selected Abalone Cove as a high-priority
conservation area based on site suitability for successful rehabilitation, and the
biological benefit as a whole to the Preserve system. City Staff and PVPLC will work
together to notify Abalone Cove Reserve neighbors and address any concerns or
requests for information.
Rather than following the PVPLC’s typical work schedule of restoring five new acres
each year, they will be taking 2018 to strengthen existing restoration sites and enhance
existing cactus stands to support threatened cactus wren populations. This will also
avoid any conflict with the Public Works Department’s proposed rehabilitation of Beach
School Trail, which, if approved, should be completed prior to the commencement of
habitat restoration. This work plan has been reviewed and approved by the Wildlife
Agencies and City Staff.
Public Notification
On July 23, 2018, an email was sent to the subscribers of the Palos Verdes Nature
Preserve listserv, announcing the availability of the 2017 Annual Report (with a link to
view the document), and of the July 31, 2018, City Council meeting at which it would be
presented. On July 20, 2018, the 2017 Annual Report was published on the City’s
website. Hard copies are also available at City Hall and Hesse Park for public review
upon request. To date, no public comments have been submitted to the City.
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