Photo: Rose Laird
Introduction
Ecological Requirements
RCIS Regions: Monterey Bay Coastline, Salinas River and Associated Corridor
RCIS Natural Communities: Coastal Dune
Ecosystem function: Reduce wave damage and landward movement of shoreline, winter storm and flood protection (SRSBDR 2016, USACE 2020)
Variation influenced by littoral sand supply, rainfall variation, shoreline changes, wind direction, and vegetation (Neuman et al. 2019, NOAA 2019, USFWS 1998b)
Dominated by primary successional plant species which contribute to dune building and stabilization, as well as different dune zones: beach and fore dunes, mid dunes, and rear dunes (Neuman et al. 2019)
Non-native plant species negatively impact dune ecosystem health
Full account available: Recovery Plan for Seven Coastal Plants and the Myrtle’s Silverspot Butterfly (USFWS 1998b)
RCIS Conservation Target: High (Important ecosystem function creating a unique habitat)
Associated Non-Focal Species
Range and Modeled Habitat
Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment
Dunes in the RCIS area are found along the shoreline of Monterey Bay and are some of the most at-risk to the effects of climate change and are projected to have some of the greatest losses in current spatial distribution, because of greater and more frequent wave action, resulting in erosion and shoreline retreat (USFWS 2009). In addition, the representative plant species used in the climate change vulnerability assessments for coastal dunes had low adaptive capacity scores (Thorne et al. 2016), meaning they do not physiologically respond well to changing conditions. When combined with projected impacts of sea-level rise and changes in temperature and precipitation, coastal dunes are very vulnerable to climate change. Conservation strategies targeting non-climate stressors, such as recreation, land use changes, pollution, and invasive species, as well as allowing space for inland migration of dune formation and coastal ecosystems, can help create new areas of suitable habitat that will help reduce the pressures of climate change on coastal dunes, as well as with other focal and non-focal species.
Conservation Strategies
Dunes Goals, Objectives, and Actions
There are 46 proposed actions. For complete goals, objectives and actions explanations see the complete table of conservation strategies in the RCIS PDF.
Species Goals, Objectives, and Actions
Goal BLUE 1
Promote persistence of Smith’s blue butterfly populations in the RCIS area through protection, restoration, and the enhancement of habitat.Objective BLUE 1.2
Enhance occupied and suitable Smith’s blue butterfly habitat in the RCIS area. Measure progress towards achieving this objective in the area of habitat enhanced and occupied by Smith’s blue butterfly.Action BLUE 1.2.1
Improve habitat by the removal of non-native plants and replace with native plants, including the Smith’s blue butterfly host plants, seaside buckwheat and coast buckwheat (USFWS 1984, 2006). Hand or mechanical removal is preferred over chemicals means (e.g., herbicides) (USFWS 2020c).
Action BLUE 1.2.2
Protect or plant host plants in suitable habitat (USFWS 1984).
Objective BLUE 1.3
Restore occupied and suitable Smith’s blue butterfly habitat in the RCIS area. Measure progress towards achieving this objective in the area of habitat restored and occupied by Smith’s blue butterfly.Action BLUE 1.3.1
Restore habitat by the removal of non-native plants and replace with native plants, including seaside buckwheat and/or coast buckwheat (USFWS 1984, 2006). Hand or mechanical removal is preferred over chemicals means (e.g., herbicides) (USFWS 2020c).
Goal DUNE 1
Promote resiliency from climate-change induced coastal retreat by encourage dune formation to maintain coastal dune communities for focal and non-focal speciesObjective DUNE 1.1
Enhance, restore, and create new coastal and beach systems by promoting physical processes contributing to dune formation with a focus on locations with high resilience to projected climate changes. Measures progress towards achieving this objective by acres of dunes and adjacent/associated enhanced, restored, and/or created.Action DUNE 1.1.1
Conduct beach nourishment instead of coastal armoring and create additional coastal dune systems where feasible and informed by modeled sea level rise projections (Hutto et al. 2015).
Action DUNE 1.1.2
Install living shorelines using shoreline stabilization techniques informed by modeled sea level rise projections.
Action DUNE 1.1.3
Relocate infrastructure that are barriers to shoreline retreat (Neuman et al. 2019).
Action DUNE 1.1.4
Eliminate unnecessary beach access points and plan new access points in areas that minimize erosion hazards to protect landform integrity (Neuman et al. 2019).
Action DUNE 1.1.5
Promote positive sediment dynamics by preserving normal river flows, such as Salinas and Pajaro Rivers (Neuman et al. 2019).
Action DUNE 1.1.6
Promote the cessation of sand mining throughout the RCIS area to promote climate change benefits of dune presence.
Action DUNE 1.1.7
Install sand fences to promote retention of sand and other materials.
Action DUNE 1.1.8
Protect, enhance, and restore adjacent habitat to allow for future dune migration due to sea level rise.
Objective DUNE 1.2
Enhance, restore, and create new coastal and beach systems by promoting natural processes contributing to dune formation with a focus on locations with high resilience to projected climate changes. Measures progress towards achieving this objective by the acres of dunes and adjacent/associated habitat enhanced, restored, and/or created.Action DUNE 1.2.1
Remove non-native vegetation in transition zone habitat to allow foredune ecology to transition to mid-dune habitats (Neuman et al. 2019).
Action DUNE 1.2.2
Install buffers and signs and designate/update trails to delineate public access and reduce negative impacts on biotic factors.
Goal MG 1
Promote persistence of Monterey gilia populations in the RCIS area through protection, restoration, and enhancement of habitat.Objective MG 1.2
Enhance occupied and suitable Monterey gilia habitat. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by acres of habitat and adjacent/equivalent acres enhanced and occupied by Monterey gilia.Action MG 1.2.1
Install fencing and boardwalks to limit trampling in known occurrences (USFWS 1998b).
Goal MS 1
Promote persistence of Monterey spineflower populations in the RCIS area through protection, restoration, and enhancement of habitat.Objective MS 1.2
Enhance occupied and suitable Monterey spineflower habitat. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by acres of habitat and adjacent/equivalent acres enhanced and occupied by Monterey spineflower.Action MS 1.2.1
Use prescribed burns to create suitable vegetation densities to promote plant establishment in coordination with scientific advisors, land managers, universities, and/or regulatory agencies to inform the location and frequency of potential burn areas.
Goal MS 2
Promote resiliency to the impacts of climate-change induced coastal retreat to maintain habitat.Objective MS 2.1
Create and protect new coastal dune and beach systems as Monterey spineflower habitat. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by acres of coastal habitat and adjacent/equivalent acres created and protected.Action MS 2.1.1
Conduct beach nourishment to create additional coastal dune systems where feasible and informed by modeled sea level rise projections.
Action MS 2.1.2
Install living shorelines using shoreline stabilization techniques informed by modeled sea level rise projections.
Goal WSP 1
Promote persistence of western snowy plover populations in the RCIS area through protection and enhancement of habitat.Objective WSP 1.2
Enhance occupied, suitable, and USFWS-designated critical western snowy plover breeding, wintering, and foraging habitat. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by the area of habitat enhanced and occupied by western snowy plovers.Action WSP 1.2.7
Manage dams and debris basins to allow for sediment release to replenish coastal beaches (Hutto et al. 2015).
Objective WSP 1.3
Restore occupied, suitable, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service -designated breeding, wintering, and foraging habitat for western snowy plover and create new habitat. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by acres of habitat and adjacent/equivalent acres restored and occupied by plovers.Action WSP 1.3.1
Restore coastal dune and beach habitats for breeding and wintering western snowy plovers.
Goal WSP 2
Promote resiliency to climate-change induced coastal retreat to maintain western snowy plover breeding and wintering habitat.Objective WSP 2.1
Create and protect new coastal dune and beach systems as breeding and wintering western snowy plover habitat. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by acres of coastal habitat and adjacent/equivalent acres created and protected.Action WSP 2.1.1
Conduct beach nourishment instead of coastal armoring and create additional coastal dune systems where feasible and informed by modeled sea level rise projections (Hutto et al. 2015).
Action WSP 2.1.2
Install living shorelines using shoreline stabilization techniques informed by modeled sea level rise projections.
Regional Goals, Objectives, and Actions
Goal RC 1
Sustain resilient, connected natural communities for the full range of native species, habitats, and ecological functions in the RCIS area through the protection of large blocks of continuous habitat supporting sensitive species.Objective RC 1.1
Protect and preserve existing intact non-marine habitats and resources and allow for expansion of habitat by protecting suitable or occupied habitat. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by the number of acres of habitat and adjacent/associated acres protected.Action RC 1.1.1
Acquire parcels with suitable habitat through fee title purchase or conservation easement.
Action RC 1.1.2
Conduct surveys using eDNA and/or traditional survey methods in suitable or potentially suitable habitat to locate undocumented occurrences of focal species and other conservation elements and opportunities for habitat protection, enhancement, restoration, and creation (USFWS 2008).
Action RC 1.1.3
Create and sustain long-term funding for protected areas maintenance.
Action RC 1.1.4
Establish an incentive program for private landowners to protect occurrences and manage habitat.
Action RC 1.1.5
Protect populations from impacts from construction, vegetation management, and/or activities, including by surveying areas such as roads/trails and implementing species protection measures.
Objective RC 1.2
Enhance occupied and suitable habitat. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by number of acres of habitat enhanced and/or occupied.Action RC 1.2.1
Manage current and future recreation access including off-road vehicles, biking, equestrian, foot traffic, and unleashed pets to reduce impacts and disturbance to sensitive species and habitats. Ensure recreation is compatible with suitable and future potentially suitable habitat and adjacent areas, and areas of known occurrences. Enforcement and fencing may be used to prevent illegal off-road vehicle use (USFWS 2010).
Action RC 1.2.10
Work with private landowners and stakeholders to research species biology, threats, populations, densities, and/or ranges.
Action RC 1.2.11
Create/enhance connections between ecologically required habitat types, such as between aquatic breeding and upland dispersal habitats.
Action RC 1.2.2
Control non-native invasive species from occupied and/or suitable habitat, and areas designated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as critical habitat throughout the RCIS area.
Action RC 1.2.3
Reduce/eliminate pesticide, rodenticide (especially first- and second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides), and herbicide use, including for roadside vegetation removal projects as part of integrated pest management efforts in identified suitable habitat, and sensitive natural communities. Promote alternative pest reduction methods, such as promoting natural predator populations (Ventura County Public Works Agency 2017).
Action RC 1.2.4
Minimize impacts from native and non-native predator populations that have increased due to anthropogenic factors, including through educational outreach and trainings on how to safely coexist with native predators and predator removal programs where appropriate.
Action RC 1.2.5
Reduce anthropogenic impacts on habitat, including infrastructure construction and maintenance, inappropriate grazing, uncontrolled grazing, or overgrazing, off-road vehicles, foot traffic, fire suppression, recreational development and activities, non-native plants, and sand mining
Action RC 1.2.6
Manage infrastructure construction and maintenance projects, including transportation, solar energy facilities and projects on military properties, to be compatible for sensitive species.
Action RC 1.2.7
Manage grazing, including the installation of wildlife-friendly fencing, to ensure it is compatible with suitable and future potentially suitable habitat and adjacent areas, and areas of known occurrences. Grazing in sensitive natural communities, public lands should be reduced.
Action RC 1.2.8
Reduce trash dumping in areas with suitable and future potentially suitable habitat and adjacent areas, and areas of known occurrences.
Action RC 1.2.9
Enhance and restore native vegetation in occupied habitat and suitable but unoccupied habitat.
Goal RC 2
Promote persistence of species and important natural communities through the establishment and improvement of habitat connectivity in the RCIS area.Objective RC 2.1
Establish and improve habitat connectivity between large blocks of suitable habitat. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by the number of improved connectivity corridors used by sensitive species.Action RC 2.1.1
Install, repair, and improve infrastructure, such as adding large culverts, under crossings, overcrossings, bridges, directional fencing, scuppers, barrier breaks, roadside animal detection systems, sound barriers, limiting lighting at constructed or natural linkages and remove existing barriers to promote wildlife movement and reduce road mortality (Yap and Rose 2019). Focus on areas with high numbers of vehicle-related mortality, areas with high Area of Conservation Emphasis Terrestrial Connectivity rankings and include areas to create corridor redundancy.
Action RC 2.1.2
Enhance habitat on either side of crossing structures, including protecting adjacent areas, restricting human activity nearby, etc.
Action RC 2.1.3
Create and sustain long-term funding for long-term management of crossings, including acquisition and maintenance of adjacent habitat where suitable.
Action RC 2.1.4
Work with transportation districts or others to collect and analyze roadkill data to identify hotspots where mortality occurs to inform the design of wildlife crossing infrastructure improvements (Yap and Rose 2019).
Water Goals, Objectives, and Actions
Goal Water 1
Improve conditions of water resources, aquatic and riparian habitats, and connectivity throughout the RCIS area through enhancement and restoration.Objective Water 1.1
Improve freshwater aquatic and riparian habitat conditions in areas with sensitive species and habitats. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by the improvement and restoration of aquatic and riparian conditions (inundation duration, water depth, water chemical composition, stream substrate composition and/or stream characterization, habitat structure, native species diversity, percent cover), water quality, and connectivity of water resources.Action Water 1.1.1
Reduce water pollutants such as fine sediments, pesticides, herbicides, sewage effluent, and other non-point and point source waste discharges, including through development and implementation of stormwater policy and infrastructure.
Action Water 1.1.7
Improve and expand existing riparian and upland buffers and create new buffers where they are lacking around stream and wetland habitats, as well as connectivity corridors between heterogeneous habitats. A qualified biologist and the best available science should determine buffer distances.
Objective Water 1.2
Improve appropriate hydrology and hydrological functions to support sensitive species and habitats. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by the improvement of hydrological indicators such as water depth, stream flow, water temperature and chemical composition.Action Water 1.2.3
Maintain appropriate management of flood-control activities (both routine and emergency) to be compatible with sensitive species (NMFS 2013).
Action Water 1.2.4
Restore hydrological functions of waterways to mimic natural flow, temperature regimes, and sediment loads where feasible (Hayes et al. 2016).
Action Water 1.2.5
Develop and implement operating criteria to ensure the pattern and magnitude of groundwater extractions and water releases provide essential ecological functions.