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CC SR 20220816 03 - PVPLC Comprehensive Report CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: 08/16/2022 AGENDA REPORT AGENDA HEADING: Regular Business AGENDA TITLE: Consideration and possible action to receive the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy’s 2019-2021 Comprehensive Report and the 2021 Annual Report on its management activities for the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve. RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION: (1) Receive and file the 2019-2021 Comprehensive Report and the 2021 Annual Report submitted by the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy on 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, Senior Administrative Analyst REVIEWED BY: Cory Linder, Director of Recreation and Parks APPROVED BY: Ara Mihranian, AICP, City Manager ATTACHED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS: The complete 2019-2021 Comprehensive Report and the 2021 Annual Report were made available to the City Council and the public on July 25, 2022, and are available for review on the City’s website at the following links: https://www.rpvca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/18553/2019 -2021-Comprehensive- Management-and-Monitoring-Report---PART-1 https://www.rpvca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/18552/2019 -2021-Comprehensive- Management-and-Monitoring-Report---PART-2 BACKGROUND: The City Council-adopted Natural Community Conservation Plan/Habitat Conservation Plan (NCCP/HCP) establishes the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy (PVPLC) as the City’s Habitat Manager for the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve (Preserve). As 1 CfTYOF RANCHO PALOS VERDES permittees under the NCCP/HCP, the City and PVPLC are required to provide annual and comprehensive reports (every three years) to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Wildlife Agencies) to evaluate the implementation of the NCCP/HCP and the adequacy of the overall progress toward reaching the conservation goals of the NCCP/HCP. Specifically, the PVPLC is required to submit monitoring reports on its habitat restoration and exotic plant removal activities, on species monitoring, and on recommendations to enhance the overall health of the covered species under the NCCP/HCP, and impacts to habitat throughout the NCCP/HCP plan area. Additionally, the NCCP/HCP requires the City to provide components of the report discussing night activities in the Preserve. The City has also included quarterly Enforcement Reports, trail counter/public use data, and information on the quantity of Preserve use and e-bikes. Pursuant to the City Council-approved NCCP/HCP and the management agreement authorizing the PVPLC to perform activities in the Preserve on the City’s behalf, PVPLC has submitted, for the City Council’s consideration, the 2019-2021 Comprehensive Report and the 2021 Annual Report, summarizing the PVPLC’s management activities in the Preserve. Electronic copies of both the Comprehensive and the Annual Reports were transmitted to the City Council on July 25, 2022. The reports have also been posted on the City website and distributed through the Preserve listserv group for public review. DISCUSSION: The City Council is being asked to consider the PVPLC’s three-year Comprehensive Report covering the reporting period between 2019 and 2021 , and the 2021 Annual Report, as discussed below. 2019-2021 PVPLC Comprehensive Report The PVPLC 2019-2021 Comprehensive Report includes the covered species monitoring program, predator control plan, three-year habitat restoration plan, targeted exotic plant removal program, monitoring and managing trail widening threats to habitat report, management recommendations, as summarized below: Covered Species Monitoring Program PVPLC monitors six protected plant species and four protected animal species in the Preserve. The plants include the California Native Plant Society rare and special status species Aphanisma, South Coast saltbush, Catalina crossosoma, bright green Dudleya, Catalina Island desert box thorn, and woolly seablite. Per the NCCP /HCP, PVPLC monitors whether these populations are expanding, stable, or declining; identifies threats; and provides management recommendations. Monitoring over this reporting period shows that populations of South Coast saltbush, Aphanisma, Catalina crossosoma, bright green Dudleya and woolly seablite have decreased. Population of Catalina Island desert box thorn has remained stable. Threats identified are encroachment by harmful invasive plants, cliff erosion, long-term drought, and trampling. Listed below are some of the PVPLC management recommendations for covered plant species: 2 • For PVPLC to continue to use the improved monitoring system • Continue seed collection for propagation • Install covered plant species in restoration efforts and/or broadcast seed during periods of favorable precipitation • Remove encroaching invasive plants • Continue to seek restoration funding for enhancing populations of these six plant species Covered wildlife species include the El Segundo blue butterfly (ESB), Palos Verdes blue butterfly (PVB), California gnatcatcher, and cactus wren. ESB populations have increased, likely due to recent PVPLC ESB habitat restoration efforts. However, following the PVB release efforts in 2021, no free flying PVB were observed during this surveying period. PVPLC management recommendations for the butterfly species include: • Continued management and maintenance in ESB and PVB habitat • Continue invasive species removal at all ESB and PVB sites • Infill planting of ESB and PVB host plants in each ESB and PVB habitat site when necessary • Continued captive bred releases into appropriate locations in the Preserve in collaboration with the PVB Working Group Biological consultants hired to monitor the two bird species and PVPLC reported that California gnatcatcher and cactus wren populations have increased very slightly since the 2018 bird surveys likely due to the slight reprieve from the prolonged drought (an unusually rainy winter in 2019-20), and an increase in removal of non-native shrubs, such as acacia. However, overall, the bird populations are in a steady decline. Cactus wren and California gnatcatcher populations are in decline throughout their range for reasons that are not entirely clear, but are likely a combination of drought, predation, invasion by non-native shrubs and annual plant species, and an increase in local predators . The consultants recommended the following adaptive management approaches that PVPLC and the City may consider: • Continued removal of large acacia and other non-native trees and shrubs at Three Sisters, Filiorum, and Alta Vicente reserves (the three last reserves that support/supported cactus wrens) • Installing cactus wren nest boxes • Limiting human use of trails that run through prime c actus wren habitat at Alta Vicente and Three Sisters reserves to reduce stress on the remaining pairs • Removing tall non-native trees on the Preserve periphery known or likely to support nesting Cooper’s hawks (e.g. pines and ficus) • If necessary, translocating birds from other populations to supplement Peninsula breeding population 3 Wildlife Monitoring and Predator Control Plan PVPLC monitored predator species (i.e., brown headed cowbirds, feral cats, coyotes, and foxes) during the reporting period. This monitoring is important to ensure cowbirds (brood parasites) and feral cats are not present in the Preserve which can directly impact the breeding success of cactus wren and California gnatcatcher. Additionally, PVPLC monitors the presence of top predators (coyote and fox) in the Preserve since they are documented as crucial to ensuring healthy ecosystem function. A role top predators play is controlling the population of meso-predators (i.e. skunks and raccoons) and small rodents. Coyotes were found in all 12 reserves, with the highest concentrations in Forrestal, Three Sisters, and Filiorum reserves. Coyote and fox populations have modestly declined during this reporting period. The previously noted feral cat populations have been moved outside of the Preserve. PVPLC recommends continued monitoring of predators in the Preserve. Three-Year Habitat Restoration Plan Per the NCCP/HCP and the Management Agreement between the City and PVPLC, PVPLC is required to plant 5 acres of habitat annually, equating to 250 acres over the 40- year NCCP/HCP permit term. It is also required to either remove five acres of invasive plants or remove 20 small populations of invasive plants through its Targeted Exotic Removal Program for Plants (TERPP). PVPLC has submitted a report of its restoration activities from 2019-2022. A new three-year restoration plan will be completed in 2022. The initiation of restoration activities is as follows: • 2019: Phase 1 habitat restoration at Abalone Cove (4.8 acres) • 2020: Phase 2 habitat restoration at Abalone Cove Reserve (4 acres) • 2021: Phase 3 habitat restoration at Abalone Cove Reserve (4.3 acres) • 2022: Phase 4 habitat restoration at Abalone Cove Reserve (5 acres) Residents living near the Abalone Cove restoration area were notified in advance of the work, and City and PVPLC staff sends public notifications/updates on progress through the City’s listserv group and at quarterly Preserve public forums in accordance with City and NCCP/HCP public notification policies. Targeted Exotic Plant Removal Program (TERRP) The NCCP/HCP and City-PVPLC Management Agreement require the PVPLC to perform invasive plant control on 5 acres or 20 locations annually. PVPLC met this requirement by treating 66 acres of acacia, 16.3 acres of mustard, and an additional 8 populations on invasive plants during this three-year reporting period. Monitoring and Managing Trail Widening Threats to Habitat Report The NCCP/HCP requires PVPLC to establish baseline trail widths for all trails within the Preserve within three years of NCCP/HCP approval. This is so that the City and PVPLC 4 have a way to establish if trail widening is occurring , because trail widening can have detrimental impacts to NCCP/HCP covered species and their habitats. PVPLC established trail baseline measurements in 2021. Because public use of the trail system has been taking place since the Preserve was made available for public use 15 years ago, and for even longer when it was private land, it is likely that trail widths are well established and widening will not be significant in the future. Now that trail width baselines have been established, the City, PVPLC, and Wildlife Agencies will determine what the trail width of each trail should be , taking into consideration the current trail widths, trail topography, nearby sensitive species and their habitats, trail prism, public use, public safety access needs, and other factors. Once the final widths have been determined and agreed upon, they will be memorialized in the Preserve Public Use Master Plan and will be referenced for comparison during the five - year monitoring events. The NCCP/HCP requires the PVPLC to revisit trails widths every five years to establish if widening is taking place. The next trail width survey will take place in 2026. If widening has taken place, the City is responsible for addressing the widening using the techniques defined in NCCP/HCP Section 9.2.2. The Monitoring and Managing Trail Widening Threats to Wildlife Report also includes information on Preserve spur trails and prioritization for addressing spur trails. 2021 PVPLC Annual Report A component of the Comprehensive Report (Section 8) is the required Annual Report of the third year covered by the Comprehensive Report (part two of the links above). The Annual Report describes the PVPLC’s management activities relating to habitat enhancement and restoration, vegetation and wildlife monitoring, trail management and monitoring activities, and volunteer involvement during the 2021 calendar year. The 2021 PVPLC Annual Report meets the NCCP/HCP reporting requirements and includes the following sub-reports: • Habitat Restoration • Monitoring of Habitat Restoration, Covered Species, and Covered Projects/Activities • Utility and Contractor Access • TERPP • Fuel Modification • Community Science and Education • Trails Management and Monitoring • Volunteer Involvement • Contributions to Preservation • Evaluation on Management Activities • Summary of Clerical Changes • PVPLC Board and Staff • Report Certification Statement 5 • Financial Reporting PVPLC 2021 Annual Report Management Recommendations Pertaining to Covered Species and Habitat Additional management recommendations include focusing on the removal of acacia to enhance native habitat to support the natural recovery of habitats that benefit the California gnatcatcher, cactus wren, El Segundo blue butterfly and Palos Verdes blue butterfly, and continuing to seek and secure funding to control highly invasive species, close unauthorized trails and repair widening trails. PVPLC Management Recommendations in 2019-21 Comprehensive Report and 2021 Annual Report pertaining to Public Use • Future enforcement efforts target individuals vandalizing spur trail closures • Fully staff City Park Ranger, PVPLC Field Operations Specialist, and Volunteer Trail Watch positions, and provide adequate resources • Advanced distribution of the “Sharing Trails Safely” brochure • Continued coordination with PVPLC on recreation and trail operations • Continued coordination between City Staff and the Volunteer Trail Watch • Identifying locations for new and replacement /repair of old/vandalized regulatory signage • Continue PVPLC-provided annual training for Park Rangers on covered species and their habitats, and especially sensitive areas of the Preserve City Staff has reviewed the reports and finds that they are consistent with PVPLC’s Preserve management responsibilities as required by the City Council approved NCCP/HCP and the current management agreement between the City and the PVPLC. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Public Comments To date, the City has not received public comments on the Comprehensive Report and 2021 Annual Report. If public comments are received after the transmittal of this staff report, they will be provided to the City Council as late correspondence. CONCLUSION: The City Council is being asked to receive and file the 2019-2021 Comprehensive Report and the 2021 Annual Report submitted by the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy on its management activities for the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve. 6