coastal program regional strategic plan...the texas gulf coast prairies and marshes ecoregion is...

DRAFT

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

COASTAL PROGRAM

REGIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN

Stewardship of Fish and Wildlife

Through Voluntary Conservation

Region 2

Texas Gulf Coast

FY 2012-2017

Table of Contents Introduction 2

Guiding Principles 2

Overview of the Ecoregion 4

Habitats 4

Threats 5

Issues 7

Southwest Regional Coastal Program Strategy 7

Regional accomplishments under the previous plan 8

Revising the plan 9

Focal species and habitat goals 9

Goal One: Conserving Habitat 14

Regional objectives 14

Key strategic activities 14

Performance measures 15

Conservation actions 16

Geographic focus areas 16

Upper Texas Coast Focus Area 18

Coastal Bend Focus Area 20

Laguna Madre Focus Area 22

Region 2 Five-year performance targets 23

External Factors 24

Goal Two: Broaden and Strengthen Partnerships 25



Performance measures and Accomplishment Targets 27

External Factors 27

Goal Three: Improve Information Sharing and Communication 28




External Factors 30

Goal Four: Enhance Our Workforce 31




External Factors 33

Goal Five: Increase Accountability 33




External Factors 35

Supporting Activities and Initiatives 35

Stakeholder Involvement 37

Appendix A: Species Population Goals 38

Appendix B: Supporting Conservation Plans 39

Appendix C: References 43

Appendix D: Coastal Program Partners 45

Appendix E: Coastal program Science Support Needs 46

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Introduction

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) created the Coastal Program in 1986 to address the

serious issues, and the economic and ecological importance of our Nation’s coastal ecosystems.

In 2011, the Coastal Program is celebrating its 25th

year of conserving habitats for fish and

wildlife in some of the most vital coastal regions of the United States. The Coastal Program

(Program) began in Texas, in Galveston Bay, in 1992. By 1995, the Program expanded to

include the entire Texas Gulf Coast.

The Program has proven that a voluntary approach to coastal habitat conservation works. By

providing technical assistance, funding and other resources to partners including federal, state

and local agencies, and private landowners, the Program nationally has restored 251,000 acres of

coastal wetlands and coastal upland habitat, permanently protected nearly 2 million acres of

coastal habitat, and restored 1,700 miles of riparian and in-stream habitats in the Nation’s coastal

regions. Since its inception in Texas, the Program has restored nearly 100,000 acres and

protected over 10,000 acres of coastal habitats. In addition to the fish and wildlife resources,

coastal ecosystems provide services that support economies, public health and community

resiliency.

Despite the numerous gains made in conserving coastal habitat by the Coastal Program, its

partners and other similar voluntary incentive-based programs, threats to coastal ecosystems

have become even more challenging. Growing coastal populations and accompanying

development, freshwater demands, pollution and climate change pose numerous and complex

threats to coastal wetlands and the fish and wildlife they support in Texas and other parts of the

United States. Given the magnitude of these threats, there is now, more than ever, a strong need

for public-private partnerships to protect and restore coastal wetland habitats. This is the vision

of the Coastal Program: Stewardship of fish and wildlife through voluntary conservation.

This strategy document is an effort to define how the Coastal Program in the Service’s

Southwest Region will carry out the mission of the Service and follow the vision for the Program

for the benefit of fish, wildlife and their habitats on the Texas Gulf Coast.

Guiding Principles

The Southwest Region’s Coastal Program’s effort to succeed in its mission and accomplish the

goals and objectives described in this document depend of these five guiding principles:

1) Ethics and integrity

2) Customer service

3) Cooperation

4) Strategic Habitat Conservation

We will seek regular feedback from our stakeholders and partners to make sure we are staying

true to these principles as later described in the outcomes of this plan.

Ethics and Integrity

It is expected that the Program staff and leadership will exemplify the highest standards of ethics

and integrity. The success of the Program relies on building trust and credibility with our

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partners. The Coastal Program in Texas has built trust among a diverse group of partners and

stakeholders over its nearly 20-year history. Maintaining that trust and building it in new

potential partners is vital to the longevity and success of the Program and more importantly the

conservation efforts it supports. We will treat our partners and stakeholders fairly and honestly

and maintain the ethical standards established by the Department of the Interior (DOI).

Customer Service

Customer service is the central part of our mission and our organizational name. Providing good

customer service is simply doing what we say we will and responding to the needs of our

partners in a timely fashion. Our Program will strive to provide the best possible customer

service and technical assistance to our peers, partners and personnel. We will provide timely and

honest answers to inquiries and make ourselves available to assist both existing and potential

partner organizations to the greatest extent practicable.

A key aspect of the Coastal Program is our ability to provide technical assistance to federal or

state agencies, non-profit organizations, local governments, private landowners and businesses.

By providing technical assistance, we often help cooperators accomplish significant conservation

actions that our financial assistance alone cannot. Good customer service is the principle that

makes our technical assistance activities successful.

Cooperation

The Program is dependent on strong collaborative partnerships, held together by the principles

above, to succeed at conservation. We recognize that the Coastal Program alone cannot address

the significant challenges that face coastal fish and wildlife resources today. In fact, no single

agency or organization can. Thus, working together, everyone accomplishes more. Our staff is

experienced at helping people come together to forge and implement collaborative solutions that

meet local and regional needs for fish and wildlife stewardship. Our partners and the Program

have been widely recognized for the significant conservation actions and the diverse cooperative

partnerships that completed them together.

We will maintain an open and engaging attitude, continue in existing cooperative relationships

and projects, and seek new and more effective means to deliver cooperative conservation for the

benefit of federal trust resources in Texas.

Strategic Habitat Conservation

Strategic Habitat conservation (SHC) is a way of thinking and of doing business that requires us

to set biological goals for priority species populations, allows us to make strategic decisions

about our work, and encourages us to constantly reassess and improve our actions. These are

critical steps in dealing with a range of landscape-scale

resource threats such as development, invasive species, and

water scarcity. These threats are all magnified by

accelerating climate change.

SHC incorporates five key principles in an ongoing process

that changes and evolves:

Biological Planning (setting targets),

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Conservation Design (developing a plan to meet the goals),

Conservation Delivery (implementing the plan),

Monitoring and Adaptive Management (measuring success and improving results), and

Research (increasing our understanding)

Strategic habitat conservation is designed to meet 21st Century conservation challenges by

ensuring that we accomplish the right things, in the right places, at the right times based on

sound science. These efforts parallel changes occurring across the conservation and science

communities as states, tribes, nongovernmental organizations, and other stakeholders recognize

similar challenges and work together to preserve our nation’s fish and wildlife heritage. The

Program and our partners operate in a constantly changing natural, economic, social and political

environment. In the face of many challenges, we will seek to strategically allocate our resources,

while remaining flexible to adapt and respond to change. Flexibility is a strength of the

Southwest Region's Coastal Program and our partners as we address conservation needs of fish,

wildlife, and their habitats along the Texas Gulf Coast.

Overview of the Ecoregion

The Texas Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes Ecoregion is extremely diverse in the types of

habitats and organisms it supports (The Nature Conservancy 2002). This diversity is driven

primarily by rainfall and temperature. The 370-mile Texas coast arcs from an east-west to north-

south orientation and experiences winter freezes to 3 digit summer temperatures. Rainfall is

approximately 50 inches in the east and just over 20 inches at its southern end. Interior to the

coast lies the very wide and flat coastal plain that is comprised primarily of Pleistocene and

Holocene unconsolidated sediments deposited when the area was inundated by the sea. With the

last ice age, the sea retreated and allowed the current bays and estuaries to be eroded. With the

decline of the ice age, the Gulf of Mexico rose to an elevation that now fills these bays and

estuaries. The coastal plain is dissected by streams and rivers which run to the coast and bring

water, sediments and nutrients from the interior of Texas into 7 major estuaries. Texas has

extensive barrier island complexes that are dynamic and evolving. Due to these diverse geologic

and hydrologic conditions, diverse plant communities have evolved that support a wide array of

animal species (Britton and Morton 1989). Incorporated into the Gulf Coast Prairies and

Marshes Ecoregion are three major populated areas (Houston-Galveston, Corpus Christi and

Brownville-Harlingen) that comprise a significant part of Texas populace and its required

infrastructure.

Habitats

A variety of wetlands exist in the coastal region of Texas. They include expansive salt marshes

and seagrass meadows, tidal flats, freshwater marshes and swamps or bottomland forests. These

wetland resources are often found in very close proximity on the landscape. The location and

extent of these wetland types are strongly correlated with the average annual precipitation

gradient observed along the Texas coast. As such, the upper coasts boast broader expanses of

coastal salt marsh, brackish marsh and oyster reefs where precipitation and freshwater inflows

are higher. Conversely, seagrass beds and tidal flats exist in greater extent in the south Texas

coast where salinities are higher and precipitation is less.

Coastal marshes are some of the most productive ecological systems that exist. These marshes

perform important ecosystem functions such as maintaining water quality and mitigating storm

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surges from the Gulf of Mexico. They also provide food and shelter for numerous commercially

and recreationally important fishery species such as blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) and red drum

(Scienops ocellatus), and wildlife species such as shorebirds, migratory waterfowl and colonial

waterbirds. In Texas, 4.1million acres of wetlands existed in the mid 1950’s. By 1992, an

average annual net loss of 5,700 acres of wetlands had occurred. Most losses are attributed to

subsidence, channelization, agriculture, and urban/rural development (Moulton et al., 1997)

The upland habitats that dominate the Texas coast include the gulf coast prairies, riparian forests

(often considered wetlands and described above), live oak – redbay woodlands, islands used as

rookeries by colonial nesting birds and the brushlands of South Texas.

In Texas, coastal prairie once covered nearly 4 million acres. It is estimated that less than 1% of

this grassland remains in a relatively pristine condition (McFarlane, 1995). Loss has been

attributed to conversion to other uses and the interruption of important ecological processes, such

as fire, needed to maintain the prairie ecosystem. This vast area of coastal prairie was

interspersed with numerous palustrine marshes. These prairies and wetlands were, and still are,

vitally important to numerous grassland birds as well as wintering waterfowl and resident

mottled ducks.

In south Texas, native brushlands dominated by Tamaulipan thornscrub species provide

important habitat for endangered cats (ocelots Leopardus pardalis and jaguarondi Herpailurus

yaguarondi), plants and numerous migratory bird species. This area is dominated by chaparral,

or brushland habitat, and characterized by the abundance of thorny plants. It is estimated that as

much as 95% of the brushlands have been lost in the lower Rio Grande Valley (Tremblay et al.,

2005). These losses are attributed to agriculture and urbanization. Similarly, on the mid and

upper Texas coast, coastal forests have been cleared or fragmented, and the Chenier woodlands

of the upper Texas coast are essentially gone (Gosselink et al., 1979).

Threats

The population of the Texas Gulf Coast is approximately 7,700,000. Based on projections

developed under the State Water Plan (TWDB, 2007), the population of this ecoregion will

double in the next 50 years to approximately 14,400,000. This will mean that our current

infrastructure and resource demands will also increase substantially to support the increased

population and the pressures and impacts for fish and wildlife resources will be considerable.

Undeveloped natural habitats and agricultural lands will be at risk of conversion and

fragmentation to support this growing population.

Although these population and growth estimates sound very daunting, they represent threats that

unfortunately are not uncommon to the Texas coast. Associated with development will be

effects that include:

Habitat fragmentation and loss

Changes in hydrology, water allocation and sediment budgets

Invasive species proliferation

Changes in lands use

These threats however are serious as most coastal species occupy a limited landscape and space

is limited.

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Climate Change: Overlaying all of threats, and perhaps, the biggest long-term threats to coastal

Texas wildlife habitats is climate change and sea-level rise. It could affect precipitation patterns,

air and water temperatures and freshwater inflows patterns. There is much uncertainty related to

climate change models but it is very clear that sea-level is rising along the Texas coast, based on

the period of record (Table 1). Areas most immediately threatened by sea-level rise include

coastal marshes and wind-tidal flats which provide critical habitat to many migratory shorebirds

and waterbirds which depend on the Texas coast for wintering or stop-over habitats. Our

program will consider climate change and particularly sea level rise in project decisions.

A new potential threat to coastal species is the proliferation of wind energy projects. The Texas

Coastal Bend is a favorable place for wind turbine development due to its consistent winds and

flat topography. This region is important to migratory birds because it is situated between the

Central and Mississippi flyways, thus acting as a conversion point for both. As a result, most of

North America’s long distance migrants (80%) must pass through the Coastal Bend of Texas.

The size and scope of current and proposed wind energy projects has the potential to fragment

habitat for trust species, cause avoidance of suitable habitat, and could cause direct mortality

associated with collisions.

All of these stressors are currently affecting fish and wildlife resources on the Texas and on the

coast. They are expected to continue in the coming years and perhaps increase at an

unprecedented rate. It is paramount for the Program and its partners to maintain their ability to

Table 1: Linear mean sea level (MSL) trends and 95% confidence intervals in mm/yr

Station Name First

Year

Year

Range

For all data

to 2006

Previously

Published Trends

MSL

Trend

+/- 95%

Confidence

Interval

MSL

Trend

+/- 95%

Confidence

Interval

Sabine Pass, TX 1958 49 5.66 1.07 6.54 1.40

Galveston Pier 21, TX 1908 99 6.39 0.28 6.50 0.32

Galveston Pleasure Pier, TX 1957 50 6.84 0.81 7.39 1.03

Freeport, TX 1954 53 4.35 1.12 5.87 1.45

Rockport, TX 1948 59 5.16 0.67 4.60 0.81

Port Mansfield, TX 1963 44 1.93 0.97 2.05 1.48

Padre Island, TX 1958 49 3.48 0.75 3.44 1.10

Port Isabel, TX 1944 63 3.64 0.44 3.38 0.53

Source: NOAA, abbreviated from http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/sltrends/msltrendstable.htm

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adapt and be flexible by using multiple conservation strategies and/or developing new ones so

that we remain effective in such a changing environment.

Issues

While coastal fish and wildlife species are facing the threats above, the Coastal Program and the

conservation community as a whole are facing its own issues.

The number one issue is the downturn in the national economy and the United States budget

concerns. The outlook for future budgets for conservation programs in the USFWS and other

agencies is expected to be significantly reduced in the next few years. The State of Texas, many

private foundations and businesses are also dealing with budget reductions. However, the

Coastal Program and its partners are resourceful and persistent and continue to strive to deliver

quality on-the-ground conservation for which we have been nationally recognized.

Additional issues the Program and conservation partners are facing include:

Capacity to deliver conservation projects within and outside of Program. Having

experienced and available staff and project leaders is a limitation in many agencies and

organizations. The Coastal Program, where practical, can provide technical assistance to

help meet this need.

Scientific and financial support for routine and project-specific monitoring of

conservation actions. Biological monitoring of project results has been a serious

funding issue. Through cooperative relationships such as the LCC we hope to improve

our project specific monitoring to better inform future conservation actions.

Rate of change exceeds our ability to adapt. When threats increase and the rate of

change is accelerating, it can be difficult to modify conservation strategies with multiple

partners and stakeholders and keep up with the change. This is exacerbated by lags in

funding priority changes in government and other sources.

Outreach of the Program. Partners and stakeholders both inside the FWS and outside

may have a limited understanding of the full capabilities, services and accomplishments

of the Coastal Program. Their awareness, support and engagement are critical for the

Coastal Program to overcome conservation’s challenges.

We address in this plan objectives to manage these threats and issues.

Southwest Regional Coastal Program Strategy

At the heart of the Service’s vision and priorities is the conservation and management of its

federal trust species: migratory birds; threatened and endangered species; inter-jurisdictional

fish; certain marine mammals; and, species of concern. The Coastal Program can positively

address many of the challenges these species face in our coastal ecosystems. Our approach is to

engage partners to cooperatively conserve and protect valuable fish and wildlife habitat on their

property and in their communities. We do this by providing funding, technical support and

planning tools needed to make on-the-ground conservation affordable, feasible, and effective.

The Coastal Program began our effort to develop a strategic plan to focus and guide our

conservation actions in 2006. A five-year plan covering fiscal years of 2007 to 2011 was

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established. This regional strategic plan is a revised and updated version of our previous plan

and will cover fiscal years 2012-2017.

These five major goals remain at the core of our strategy:

Conserving Habitat

Restore and protect priority habitats to increase and maintain Federal Trust Species populations

Broaden and Strengthen Partnerships

Accomplish our work through voluntary partnerships

Improve Information Sharing and Communication

Collaborate and share information and concerns with others

Enhance Our Workforce

Our employees are our most important resource

Increase Accountability

Measure, assess, and report on the effectiveness, efficiency and fiscal integrity of our program

Our partners are critical to achieve these goals by providing guidance, information, and

managing project implementation. The revision of this plan includes input from stakeholders

and partners on internal and external factors that would impact the Programs’ current

performance and future accomplishments. That input provided valuable direction for the design

and content of this document. Prevailing themes of Program strengths expressed by stakeholders

included on-the-ground accomplishments, flexibility, technical expertise, and responsiveness to

the needs and values of property owners and local communities.

Regional accomplishments under the previous plan

The first Strategic Plan established for the Coastal Program was in effect for fiscal years 2007

through 2011. During that time period, the Coastal Program in Texas had significant

accomplishments that allowed us to exceed most of our conservation targets. The Program, with

its conservation partners, protected a total of over 3,500 acres and restored or enhanced over

35,000 acres of coastal upland and wetland habitat.

Included in these accomplishments was the completion of some large or unique conservation

projects. One of those completed projects was the Bahia Grande Restoration Project. This

project restored hydrological connectivity and fishery access to nearly 10,000 acres of bays and

lagoon in our Laguna Madre Focal Area. The project returned a dry, dusty bay basin into

wetland benefiting the community as well as fish and wildlife. It was one of the largest

restoration projects of its kind in the Nation at the time.

Another large project completed during this period was the East Bay Shoreline Protection and

Restoration Project. This collaborative effort of federal and state agencies, nongovernmental

organizations and private industry protected nearly 8,000 acres of diverse coastal habitats along

East Bay from severe erosion and degradation. Project partners placed more than three miles of

erosion control structures along the East Bay shoreline of Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge.

These structures provided critical protection to one of the most remote and pristine areas in the

Galveston Bay system. The project was a huge success and has been perpetuating significant

accretion that will help extend the life of the project and make it more resilient to future erosion

and rising sea levels.

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North Deer Island is the most significant colonial waterbird nesting island in the Upper Texas

Coast. An effort led by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to restore and protect the

island came to completion in 2008. The project protected the nesting site for the now de-listed

brown pelican and approximately 20 other waterbird species. Over 2,500 pair of brown pelicans

now nest on the island, up from zero prior to 1999.

Each of these project examples took eight or more years to complete from initial concept to

finding funding and final construction. They were only possible because of the perseverance and

support (technical and financial support) of a multitude of organizations, agencies and

individuals. The conservation benefits of each project were significant for wildlife and fisheries

in the area. The resource benefits and diverse partnerships of these projects brought them

National attention and multiple awards. Bahia Grande and North Deer Island were recognized

by the Office of the President of the United States and given Coastal America’s Partnership

Award. The Secretary of the Interior bestowed the Department’s Cooperative Conservation

award to the East Bay Shoreline restoration project. They have each received additional regional

or national awards.

The role of the Coastal Program and its staff in each of these projects was significant. Although

it is not frequent that we can help our partners implement a 10,000-acre project like at Bahia

Grande, our Program will continue to work with and support partners to conserve coastal fish,

wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.

Revising the plan

Using input from our partners and stakeholders, this plan describes objectives, key activities and

performance measures developed to support our five strategic goals. The five major goals

outlined in this plan are designed to lead to the ultimate outcome of the Coastal Program:

increasing and/or maintaining Federal Trust Species populations. Progress towards this

outcome will be measured primarily by the on-the-ground accomplishments intended to benefit

target species populations. The Service will enlist the help of partner organizations and agencies

to further our knowledge and understanding of the species response to the strategic habitat

conservation actions described in this plan.

This version of the Strategic Plan’s notable revisions include modifications to geographic focus

areas; increased emphasis on climate change and relative sea level rise; Strategic Habitat

Conservation; incorporation of a communications plan; changes in supporting initiatives; and

more clearly defined goals for workforce and partnership capacity planning.

Focal species and their habitats

The challenges to addressing threats and issues facing federal trusts species on the Texas coast

are numerous and daunting; therefore, the Coastal Program will focus its resources to meet

specific goals and objectives. Using focal species is an approach to priority setting and can also

be used to measure success. Focusing efforts on species that have significant needs is a logical

approach. However, a challenge remains because most if not all habitats along the coast are in

decline and the numbers of trust species with significant needs are quite numerous; 49 species of

birds for this Ecoregion (2003). While some species may be used as indicators or representative

species for a particular habitat type, there are significant gaps in the knowledge on how

environmental conditions affect a species’ population size. Despite these challenges and

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limitations, the Program will use focal species as a metric not only to prioritize but to measure

success.

Building on the conservation planning of other programs and organizations, the Coastal Program

will target our assistance to support on-the-ground conservation actions over the next five years

on a subset of federal trust species represented below in Table 2. The conservation actions taken

to benefit the habitat needs of this suite of species will benefit a host of other wildlife, both

resident and migratory. Representative focal species are listed in Table 2 based on habitat

categories. It should be noted that not all habitats are listed and that species may depend on

multiple habitats at different times during their life cycle. Additionally, species selected are

anticipated to be easy to document (or have significant studies demonstrating habitat benefits), in

order to measure success.

The Coastal Program will continue to support the Service’s objectives to conserve federally-

listed threatened or endangered species. We also intend to support the conservation work for

species listed by the State of Texas. Those species listed below (Table 3) are those that the

Coastal Program will seek opportunities to collaborate with partners to improve habitat

conditions. The Coastal Program has accomplished numerous projects to improve habitats for

the benefit of current or future populations of listed species and will continue to look for those

opportunities.

Table 2: Focal species based on habitat categories. Coastal Tallgrass Prairie

and its emergent wetlands

Coastal Riparian and

Bottomland Forests

Estuarine marsh habitat

Submerged aquatic

vegetation habitat

Mottled duck

Loggerhead shrike

Northern harrier

Eastern meadowlark

Northern pintail

LeConte’s Sparrow

Lesser yellowlegs

Northern bobwhite

Black rail

Northern aplomado falcon

Prothonotary warbler

Swainson’s warbler

Little blue heron

Rafinesque big-eared bat

Great blue heron

Northern parula

Cerulean warbler

Wood duck

Seaside Sparrow

Clapper rail

Brown pelican

Reddish egret

Black rail

Black skimmer

American oyster catcher

Speckled seatout

Blue crab

Diamondback terrapin

Whooping Crane

Mottled duck

Redheads

Red drum

Southern flounder

Oyster Reef habitat

Beachridge, dune and

sand flat habitat

Tamaulipan thornscrub

and associated wetlands

Eastern oyster

Southern flounder

Black drum

Piping plover

Wilson plover

Snowy plover

Lesser yellowlegs

Black Rail

Red knot

Audubon’s oriole

Ocelot

Jaguarundi

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Table 3: Protected species on the Texas Gulf Coast

Federally Listed Species State Listed Species (excludes federally-listed species)

Northern aplomado falcon (E) Brown pelican (E)

Attwater's prairie chicken (E) Reddish egret (T)

Whooping crane (E) White-faced ibis (T)

Gulf Coast jaguarondi(E) Texas indigo snake (T)

Ocelot (E) Texas tortoise (T)

Slender rushpea (E)

Black-lace cactus (E)

South Texas ragweed (E)

Kemp's Ridley sea turtle (E)

Texas ayenia (E)

Piping plover (T)

Texas prairie dawn (T)

(E) Endangered (T) Threatened

Unfortunately only a few of our focal species have established and scalable population or habitat

objectives. They include some federally listed threatened or endangered species, state listed

species or species of national economic interest. The Gulf Coast Joint Venter indentified

population goals and habitat requirements for priority bird species found within our geographic

focus areas. These species include Northern bobwhite, LeConte’s sparrow, loggerhead shrike,

seaside sparrow, long-billed curlew, western sandpiper, stilt sandpiper, buff-breasted sandpiper,

and short-billed dowitcher. For these species there is not adequate conservation design to allow

downscaling of the habitat requirements to our geographic focal areas. The need for additional

science support for these and other federal trust species on the Texas coastal is an issue we will

share with the Gulf Coast Prairie LCC and cooperate to address. Appendix E contains of list of

the science support needs for some of these species.

Below we describe the available population and habitat goals for our focal species. Specific

goals, where scalable to the focus area level will be listed in the geographic focal area discussion

section of this document. In Appendix A is a complete list of the known populations goals for

Texas coastal species.

Waterfowl: The Gulf Coast Joint Venture (GCJV) has three initiative areas that encompass the

Texas Gulf coast. Those initiative areas are the Chenier Plain, Texas Mid-Coast and Laguna

Madre Initiative areas. With the exception of Goliad County in the Coastal Bend focus area, all

of our focal areas are within these GCJV’s initiative area. The GCJV has set population goals

for 16 species of waterfowl and describes habitat objectives for each of these initiative areas

(Wilson, B.C., and C.G. Esslinger. 2002).

A separate plan has been prepared for the mottled duck, a year-round resident of the Texas Gulf

coast, which established a population target for habitat conservation for the mottled duck.

(Wilson, B.C. 2007). The Coastal Program will assist in fulfilling the habitat needs to help

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support the population goals for our waterfowl focus species, the mottled duck, redheaded ducks

and northern pintails as outlined by the GCJV.

Whooping Crane: The whooping crane, listed as federally endangered, once occupied the

coastal marshes of both Texas and southwest Louisiana. Now the entire migratory flock of

approximately 279 cranes winter in the central Texas coast in the Coastal Bend Geographic focal

area. The population goal for down-listing the whooping crane is 1,000 birds. Based on an

average territory size of 500 acres and individuals each territory supports, 3.6 individuals (Stehn,

T. and F. Prieto, 2010), 1,000 cranes will need 138,889 acres of suitable wintering habitat.

Currently, only 32,000 acres are protected on the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge and adjacent

private lands with conservation easements. In order to conserve the available area for a down-

listed population of whooping cranes, an additional 107,500 acres needs to be protected of which

a small portion is thought to be State-owned submerged lands. The acquisition, easement or fee

title, of this acreage is estimated to cost nearly $100,000,000.

The Coastal Program has limited financial ability to aid in these acquisitions. We must rely on

other programs, partners, and funding sources to protect enough habitat for down-listing

whooping cranes. The Program assists with and funds habitat improvement projects on lands to

benefit whooping cranes. It is our goal to assist partners using other funding sources to protect

15,000 acres of potential whooping crane habitat over the next 5 years. In addition, our goal is to

develop cooperative agreements for habitat improvement projects on approximately 1,000 acres

each year for the next 5 years. These goals are a significant step to insuring the habitat is

available for the expanding whooping crane flock. The down-listing or ultimate recovery of the

whooping cranes will require availability of wintering habitat in both the Coastal Bend and the

Upper Texas Coast geographic focal areas.

Attwater’s Prairie Chicken (APC): The APC is federally listed as engendered. It occupies

coastal prairie that once dominated the Texas coastal plain and southwest Louisiana. As

described in other parts of this document, roughly 1% of the former extent of this habitat

remains. The Upper Texas Coast and Coastal Bend geographic focal areas include habitat

occupied by APC.

The recovery goal for Attwater’s prairie chicken (APC) is 6,000 breeding adults. It is estimated

that this populations will require 300,000 acres of coastal prairie consisting of less than 10 to 25

% woody cover. To contribute to the needs of APC’s the Coastal Program’s goal is to implement

grassland improvement projects on 5,000 acres of coastal prairie per year for the next 5 years.

This goal falls well short of the habitat requirements as stated above and highlights the need to

increase program funding.

Coastal Program efforts to benefit APCs will focus on maintaining existing grasslands and

controlling brush to expand and connect fragmented grassland blocks. The Coastal Bend

geographic focal area contains the largest contiguous blocks of coastal prairie remaining in

Texas and therefore the Program expects the bulk of our APC habitat conservation work will

occur here and to a lesser extent in the Upper Texas Coast area.

Northern Aplomado Falcon: Northern aplomado falcon is a resident species whose range once

extended throughout much of Mexico into the Texas coastal prairie and the southwestern U.S. It

was extirpated from the U.S. by 1952, and then reintroduced in 1995 in South Texas. The

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downlisting criterion in the Aplomado Falcon Recovery Plan is 60 nesting pairs (U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service (1990). Currently there are 25 known nesting pair within the Laguna Madre

Focus Area and 15 known nesting pair within the Coastal Bend Focus Area. Each nesting pair

requires approximately 2,000 acres of coastal prairie and tidal flats, with scatter yucca.

The Coastal Program’s goal is to realize an increase of 10 nesting pair in each focal area. Our

approach for northern aplomado falcons in the Laguna Madre and Coastal bend focal areas is to

improve habitat by reducing brush, providing nesting structure and maintaining open grasslands

on approximately 3,000 acres annually for the next 5 years.

Reddish Egret: The reddish egret is among the priority species identified for habitat planning,

implementation, and evaluation by the Gulf Coast Joint Venture (GCJV) partnership. It is also

listed by the State of Texas as threatened. Conservation planning by the GCJV for reddish egrets

indicated that breeding habitat and foraging habitat were the most likely limiting factors. The

current global population for reddish egrets is estimated at between 2,500 and 3,000 breeding

pairs (Green 2006). Informed by the SE Waterbird Plan, historical records from the GCJV

region, and assumed habitat potential of the region, the GCJV Waterbird Working Group

selected a Reddish Egret population objective of 2,000 breeding pairs in Texas.

Reddish Egrets typically nest in mixed-species colonies on coastal islands and forage in shallow,

salt-water habitats. Both natural and artificial (dredge material deposition) islands are used for

nesting colony sites (Lowther and Paul 2002). High priority reddish egret colonies exist in all

three Coastal Program focal areas. By focusing on priority island projects that address erosion

and improve habitat conditions, reduce human disturbance, and control predators it is estimated

the population could expand towards the goal of 2,000 nest pairs in Texas. The Coastal

Program’s goal is to address reddish egret habitat needs in all three focal areas on approximately

400 acres of nesting islands over the next 5 years.

Ocelot: The ocelot is a federally listed endangered cat with only two known breeding

populations in the United States, in the Tamaulipan thornscrub habitat found in the Laguna

Madre Focal area. According to the Ocelot Recovery Plan, the population goal for Texas is three

core populations with 75 individuals in each (a total of 225 individuals). Based on recent habitat

based population viability analysis a population of 225 ocelots will require an estimated 37,050

acres of habitat (Haines, et. al., 2006). Approximately 13,837 acres of suitable habitat occur in

Willacy and Cameron counties which can support an estimated 82 ocelots (Haines et al., 2006).

Thornscrub restoration in south Texas can cost on average $350.00 per acre and can take up to

40 years to mature. We estimate the cost of restoring an additional 23,000 aces of habitat to cost

$8,050,000.

Coastal Program funds alone can only address a small fraction of this conservation need. Our

goal is to restore 200 acres of thornscrub habitat to benefit ocelot and other species per year for

the next 5 years. We will continue working with partners to acquire and protect existing habitat

as well as restore area to expand core populations and create corridors between habitat patches.

14

GOAL 1: CONSERVING HABITAT

The Coastal Program protects, enhances, and restores fish and wildlife habitat by providing

assistance to our conservation partners. Cumulatively, the acres of habitat contribute to the

sustainability of Federal Trust Species. Achieving results at the local level, we conduct

community education and outreach, establish conservation based partnerships, and provide

technical and financial assistance to our partners to implement projects. The direct assistance

our Program biologists provide to the staff of agencies, organizations, as well as private

individuals has positive impacts to trust resources, and builds relationships within the

conservation community and the general public.

Regional Objectives

The Region 2 Coastal Program’s expected outcome of this goal is to maintain or increase the

abundance of Federal Trust species through habitat restoration or enhancement activities. To

accomplish this, the Coastal Program will pursue the following objectives.

1. Review and refine Geographic Focus Areas. The Coastal Program has developed

geographic focus areas based on the needs of Federal Trust Species and capacity with

partners to deliver conservation actions. Each of the geographic focus areas (Figure 1)

described below includes a more detailed description of specific types of habitat work

which benefit our Federal Trust Species.

2. Set habitat acreage goals for each Geographic Focus Area to meet focal and Trust species

needs. We will consider the habitat objectives of focal and trust species described

previously along with the capability of the Program, partners and issues to set targets for

each focal area.

3. Develop cooperative projects which result in on-the-ground habitat conservation. We

will pursue collaborative projects to protect, restore, enhanced or maintain habitat for

federal trust resources.

4. Assess project benefits and improve conservation design. Understanding the results of

conservation actions on the habitats and the species they are intended to support will

inform and improve our conservation delivery. Financial support for monitoring is a

significant limitation for both the Program and its partners which is intended to be

addressed through establishment of the Gulf Coast Prairie LCC.

Key Strategic Activities

To address this goal (Goal 1: Conserving Habitat), the following key strategic activities will be

implemented.

Review and refine Geographic Focus Areas.

Every five years, reevaluate the geographic focus area boundaries and make revisions as

needed.

Include stakeholder and partner input during the development and review of the

Geographic Focus Areas.

Publish focal areas in the Service’s Habitat Information Tracking System (HabITS)

15

Set habitat acreage goals for each Geographic Focus Area.

Use focal species when appropriate. Establish habitat targets for each focal area. These

objectives should be categorized by acres of wetlands or uplands protected, restored,

enhanced, established or maintained as defined in HabITS.

Solicit stakeholder input and comments on focus areas, focal species and trust resource

habitat targets. These targets should complement the strategic conservation plans of our

partners.

Publish targets for each focal area in HabITS.

Develop cooperative projects which result in on-the-ground habitat conservation.

Provide direct financial assistance to partners to support on-the-ground project

implementation. Our primary mechanism to do this will be cooperative agreements but

private lands agreements or grant agreements may be used where appropriate.

Remain engaged and involved with our partners to assist each cooperator and facilitate

successful project completion.

Provide prompt administrative support for our cooperators. Facilitate timely execution of

new agreements, promptly review and process reimbursements, and effectively oversee

project and agreement requirements.

Provide technical assistance to our partners including habitat assessment, project design,

consultation and coordination throughout project implementation, identification of

additional potential project partners, grant writing and assistance with permits, as

necessary.

Assess project benefits and improve conservation design.

Work with partners to increase project monitoring. Collaborate with partners to develop

monitoring protocol for projects to assess biological results.

Identify, seek, and obtain financial or technical support for biological monitoring and

assessment as part of the SHC framework.

Submit science needs to the GCP LCC, GCJV, academic and other science support

organizations and institutions and work with partners to meet those needs (See Appendix

E). As the LCC develops, we will communicate our science needs to the LCC Steering

Committee for their consideration and prioritization. Where possible we will cooperate

to meet the needs.

Performance Measures

Performance will be measured by the amount of habitat provided for trust species through

restoration or protection projects as well as through efforts to ascertain the status of the species

for which these projects are designed to benefit. Over the course of the five-year period covered

by this plan, we hope to work with internal and external partners to improve efforts to monitor

the status and trends these Federal Trust Species. Understanding this information will help guide

the strategy and objectives of this goal.

The goal of conserving habitat will be measured by the following:

The acreage of upland habitats conserved.

The acreage of wetland habitats conserved.

16

Conservation Actions

Effective habitat conservation and restoration utilizes a wide array of project approaches. The

Coastal Program draws from a diverse suite of project approaches to improve habitat for the

benefit of resident and transient species which depend on Texas’ diverse coastal habitats. Some

examples include:

Oyster reef restoration which may include modification to existing reef sites or complete

restoration of historic sites.

Coastal prairie restoration through periodic burning, mowing, propagation and planting.

Invasive or exotic species removal such as, Giant salvinia, Chinese tallow tree, Guinea

grass, Norway rat, or feral pig.

Shoreline erosion protection using living shoreline techniques.

Hydrologic restoration or management of either tidal or freshwater flows; e.g. culvert

installation, water control structures, ditch plugging, siphons, etc.

Beneficial use of dredged material to create marshes or other habitats.

Restoration of natural sedimentary processes associated with coastal environments.

Transplanting and re-introduction of native plant species such as seagrasses, prairie,

shrubs or forests to re-establish historic plant diversity which in turn supports specific

trust species.

Restoration or enhancement of wetland features within terrestrial, riparian, shoreline and

aquatic habitats

Rehabilitation of agricultural fields into historic habitats such as coastal prairie or forests.

Enhancing nesting opportunities with platforms or nest boxes.

Land conservation by easement or acquisition???

We will rely on our field experience with this suite of tools to benefit federal trust species and

their habitats in the geographic focal areas described below.

Geographic Focus Areas The Southwest Region’s Coastal Program has been very successful at developing partnerships to

address and deliver conservation projects. However, limits in budgets prevent us from

addressing every coastal resources issue in all parts of the expansive Texas Gulf Coast.

Therefore we will continue to use geographic focus areas and focal species to make the best use

of our staff and financial resources. With the input of our partners and the use of existing habitat

and species conservation plans, the Coastal Program has modified our three geographic areas

(Figure 1). Changes reflect new conservation objectives, elevated threats or issues, and updated

Federal, State, and local conservation plans.

17

Figure 1. Location of Coastal Program Focus Areas on the Texas Coast.

18

In some cases large portions of each of these focus areas have received very little attention even

though they represent places with significant benefit to priority coastal species. These places

within the larger focus area represent locations where the Coastal Program will develop new

partnerships or expand existing partnerships. These areas are identified and described further

under Goal 2 of this plan.

Each of the geographic focus areas are presented below describing the types of habitat, focus

species and conservation targets.

UPPER COAST FOCAL AREA

Overview

The Upper Coast Focal Area contains a diverse range of habitats that in turn support a wide

range of federal trust resources. The Upper Texas Coast Focus Area is approximately 1.5

million acres in size, and extends from the Texas-Louisiana boundary to the Colorado River

mouth (Figure 2).

Historically, the diverse range of

important habitats included:

Coastal Tallgrass Prairie

including emergent

freshwater wetlands on

approximately 40% on

this habitat.

Riverine floodplain and

coastal forests that

includes cypress tupelo

swamp, sloughs, and

hardwood wetlands.

Estuarine marshes

including sand flats,

intertidal flats, brackish

to freshwater tidally

connected wetlands.

Submerged aquatic

vegetation beds

including both

freshwater and saltwater species.

Oyster reefs within estuarine systems with Galveston Bay being of national significance.

Beach, interdunal, and dune habitats associated with barrier islands.

Instream and riparian habitats associated with coastal rivers, bayous and streams.

These habitats have all declined with human settlement and its infrastructure needs. Conversion

for agricultural and development purposes significantly changed the landscape for many habitats

particularly coastal prairie, forests, and riparian habitats. Many of the aquatic habitats have

declined or degraded by natural and man-made factors including hurricanes, relative sea level

Figure 2. The Upper Texas Coast Focal Area

19

rise, and navigation. This focus area is experiencing the greatest relative sea level rise along the

Texas coast (NOAA). Some special sites such as colonial waterbirds nesting sites have

transitioned to man-made islands as natural nesting sites have been lost from man-made

activities.

The Coastal Program’s activities within this focus area have and will continue to be beneficially

demonstrative for federal trust resources. Projects will restore, enhance, or maintain habitat that

is essential to maintain populations of not only specific indicator or representative species but

other federal trust species as well.

Species to be benefitted

Within this focus area, habitats support federal trust species which are declining and/or are listed

as species of concern. Mottled ducks, loggerhead shrike, prothonatary warbler, seaside sparrow,

piping and snowy plovers, eastern oyster and a host of other species of neotropical migratory

songbirds, wading birds, waterfowl and grassland birds are expected to benefit from our actions

in this focal area.

Conservation actions

The Program staff will be working with conservation partners on projects which will restore,

enhance, and maintain important habitats along the Upper Texas coast especially within the

focus area. Typical projects in this area include salt marsh restoration, oyster reef enhancements,

freshwater wetlands restoration, and coastal prairie and bottomland forest conservation.

Practices will include beneficial use of dredge material, vegetation planting, invasive species

control, erosion control and reef restoration.

Conservation targets

The Coastal Program will pursue the following conservation targets as we accomplish projects to

benefit trust resources and our focal species in the Upper Coast Focal. Our habitat conservation

goals for the Upper Texas Coast Focus Area are based on the needs identified by the

conservation plans listed within this document. The habitat conservation targets are an estimate

of what the Coastal Program might accomplish for Federal Trust species during the next 5-Year

period based on historic level funding and knowledge of our past partnerships.

Wetland habitat restored/enhanced: 6,000 acres

Wetland habitat protected: 200 acres

Upland habitat restored/enhanced: 5,000 acres

Uplands protected: 500 acres

Population goals and conservation plans for certain trust resource species or species guilds have

been developed by different conservation organizations including GCJV, NOAA, Partners in

Flight, Gulf Coast Fisheries Commission, state agencies, etc. As we pursue the targets above, we

expect to undertake projects that contribute to the objectives established for mottled ducks, other

waterfowl, reddish egrets and other federal trust resource species.

Partnership Opportunities

The Coastal Program began in the Galveston Bay area and enjoys many long standing

partnerships with other federal and state agencies and non-profit organizations, most of which

20

have local offices in the Houston-Galveston area. Many partnerships have been galvanized by

the establishment and implementation of the Galveston Bay National Estuary Program. We will

continue to support and collaborate with the NEP and its stakeholders. Active engagement and

partnership by businesses, local governments and private citizens have also played significant

roles delivering conservation in the focal area. See Appendix B for a list of recent partners. A

primary goal in this region is to maintain existing vibrate partnerships with these groups and look

to expand those partnerships to affect other areas outside the Galveston Bay complex.

COASTAL BEND FOCUS AREA

Overview

The Coastal Bend Focus Area extends from Nueces County north to the Colorado River in

Matagorda County (Figure 3). This focus area encompasses some of the largest intact tracts of

coastal prairie found on the Texas coast. Three large rivers flow through the focus area, (the

Guadalupe, San Antonio, and Nueces Rivers). The amount and timing of freshwater inflow into

the bays and estuaries from these major rivers is a topic of great concern with all the stakeholders

within this focus area. Other natural biological communities within the focus area includes Live

Oak – Redbay Woodlands

(Quercus virginiana –

Persea bordonia), and

extensive seagrass beds.

The Live Oak-Redbay

Woodlands are globally

rare and restricted to the

Coastal Bend of Texas.

Redfish Bay is located

between the cities of

Aransas Pass and Port

Aransas and contains the

most extensive area of

seagrass beds outside the

Laguna Madre

(approximately 14,000

acres) (Texas Parks and

Wildlife Department,

1999). The area also

includes some of the most

important colonial

waterbird rookery islands

on the Texas coast.


Habitat restoration and enhancement in this focus area is expected to benefit many Federal trust

species including the following: aplomado falcon, whooping crane, Attwater’s prairie chicken,

black-lace cactus as well as many other grassland birds, waterfowl, other migratory birds and

interjurisdictional fisheries.

Figure 3. The Coastal Bend Focus Area

21

This focal area is the wintering grounds for the entire Aransas Wood Buffalo population of

whooping cranes. It is also the site of Attwater’s prairie chicken reintroductions in 2007 after

being extirpated from the area in the mid 1990’s.


Most of the habitat improvement projects within the Coastal Bend Focus Area will be prairie

restoration, saltmarsh restoration, palustrine emergent marsh development and colonial waterbird

rookery island management. Practices will include brush management, prescribed fire,

hydrologic manipulation, beneficial use of dredge material, vegetation planting, invasive species

and predator control. Where appropriate we will cooperate with partners to protect important

trust species habitats through land protection.

Conservation targets FY 2012 through FY 2017

Our habitat conservation goals for the Coastal Bend Focus Area are based on the needs identified

for species listed above. The habitat conservation targets are an estimate of what the Coastal

Program might accomplish for Federal Trust species during the next 5-Year period based on

historic level funding and knowledge of our past partnerships. Often enhancement practices

benefit multiple species. These targets represent the total for the focus area.

Wetlands restored/enhanced: 5,000 acres

Wetlands protected: 4,000 acres

Uplands restored/enhanced: 17,000 acres

Uplands protected: 1,000 acres

A few of the focal species identified above have population goals and habitat objectives that are

scalable to this focus area these species. As we pursue the targets above, we expect to undertake

projects to contribute to the objectives of the following species.

Whooping Crane: Protect wetlands to support the population goal for the focus area of 1,000

cranes.

Northern Aplomado Falcon: Enhance habitats, primarily on Matagorda Island and San Jose

Island to support the nesting population goal of 25 pair.

Attwater’s Prairie Chicken: Restore or enhance grasslands in support of the population goal of

5,000 breeding adults. The habitat required for this species will benefit numerous other

grassland and migratory birds.

Reddish Egret: Work with partners to enhance and maintain colonial waterbird rookery islands

to support the nesting population goal of 400. High priority reddish egret colonies exist on

Shamrock Island, Pelican Island, Little Bay, Second Chain, and Sundown Island.

Potential Partnerships

The Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries National Estuary Program and several federal or state

agencies have offices in the Corpus Christi area. We expect to continue our partnerships with

non-profit organizations (such as the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program, The Nature

Conservancy, Audubon, Friends of Aransas and Matagorda Island NWR, Guadalupe Blanco

River Trust, Ducks Unlimited, San Antonio Bay Partnership, and San Antonio Bay Foundation),

State agencies (Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas General Land Office),

Universities (University of Texas Mission Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve) and

private landowners.

22

LAGUNA MADRE FOCUS AREA

Overview

The Laguna Madre Focus Area extends from the mouth of the Rio Grande River in the south to

Nueces County in the North. This area includes portions of Cameron, Willacy, Kennedy,

Kleberg, and Nueces counties. The major water bodies of this focus area include the Upper and

Lower Laguna Madre, Baffin Bay, South Bay and the lower Rio Grande River as shown (Figure

4).

The Laguna Madre in Texas is divided into the upper and lower Laguna Madre with a total area

of 640 mi2. Because evaporation normally exceeds precipitation, the Laguna Madre is a

hypersaline lagoon. This hypersaline lagoon is dominated by seagrass beds and wind-tidal flats.

Seagrasses cover approximately 279 mi2 of the Laguna Madre and provide habitat for numerous

fish species including red and black drum. Approximately 80% of the North American

population of redhead ducks winter in the Laguna Madre where they feed almost exclusively on

the roots of shoalgrass, a seagrass species. Wind-tidal flats cover approximately 361 mi2 of the

Laguna Madre. These wind-tidal flats are extremely important feeding and roosting area to

migrating and resident shorebirds and

wading birds. Mainland portions of

the focus area include coastal prairie,

and south Texas brushlands.


This focus area was selected because

of the ability of the Coastal Program to

contribute to the habitat needs of

Federal trust species in the area. These

species include ocelot, 14 species of

waterfowl, reddish egret, aplomado

falcon, piping plover (Charadrius

melodus), south Texas ragweed

(Ambrosia cheiranthifolia), and

slender rushpea (Hoffmannseggia

tenella).


Coastal Program work within this

focus area will consist of thorn scrub

restoration and habitat protection for

ocelots and brush management for

aplomado falcons and other grassland

birds. Because of the importance of

Laguna Madre seagrass beds and

adjacent freshwater wetlands to

wintering redhead ducks it is

anticipated that the Coastal Program

Figure 4: Laguna Madre Focal Area

23

will work to protect and restore these habitat types. Activities may include wetland enhancement

and development to provide additional freshwater for redhead ducks and other waterfowl or

working with partners to acquire existing habitat. Wind-tidal flats are essential foraging habitats

for wintering and migrating shorebirds and wading birds. These flats are important to several

State and federally listed endangered or threatened species such as piping plovers, snowy

plovers, and reddish egrets. Where possible the Coastal Program will work with partners to

protect these sensitive wind-tidal flats from degradation by vehicles. The Laguna Madre Focus

area has numerous colonial waterbird rookery islands. Many of these islands are impacted by

erosion, human intrusion, and predators. The Coastal Program will work with partners to protect

and restore rookery island habitat in this Focus area.

Conservation Targets

Our habitat goals for the Laguna Madre focus area are based on the needs of the species above.

The habitat conservation targets are an estimate of what the Coastal Program might accomplish

for Federal Trust species during the next 5-Year period based on historic level funding and

knowledge of our past partnerships.

Wetlands restored/enhanced: 50 acres

Uplands restored/enhanced: 1,500 acres

Uplands protected; 500 acres

A few of the focal species identified above have population goals and habitat objectives that are

scalable to this focus area. As we pursue the targets above, we expect to undertake projects to

meet the objectives of the following species.

Ocelot: Protect and restore native brush lands to support a population goal of 225 individuals.

Northern Aplomado Falcon: Enhance habitats, near Laguna Atascosa NWR to support the

nesting population goal of 35 pair.

Reddish Egret: Work with partners to enhance rookery islands and maintain colonial waterbird

rookery islands to support the nesting population goal of 729 pair. High priority colonies

exist on Pita Island, South of South Bird Island, Rabbit Island, East Flats Spoil, Green

Island, Laguna Vista Spoil, and Bahia Grande Islands.

Partnership Opportunities

Fewer federal or state agencies and NGOs are locally present in this focal area. However,

existing partnerships do exist to deliver habitat projects. Our partners on these various habitat

improvement projects will include private landowners, non- profit organizations (such as, Valley

Nature Center and The Nature Conservancy, The Peregrine Fund) and State agencies (including

the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas General Land Office). A prominent

feature in the area is the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. We will continue to work

with Refuge personnel to meet our partnership and conservation goals in this area.

REGION 2 FIVE-YEAR PERFORMANCE TARGETS

The following table lists the Region 2 Coastal Program habitat conservation targets FY 2012

through FY 2017 for all focus areas combined. The target acreage goals are identified as acres of

wetlands and uplands protected, restored, and/or enhanced. These targets are based on the

assumption of level project funding throughout the five-year performance period. These targets

24

will be evaluated annually and adjusted as necessary to reflect refinements in focal areas and

Federal trust resource priorities.

Habitat Type Target Acreage

FY 2012-2017

Wetlands restored/enhanced 11,050 acres

Wetlands protected 4,200 acres

Uplands restored/enhanced 23,500 acres

Uplands protected 2,000 acres

Total 38,550 acres

The majority of the accomplishments of the Coastal Program in Region 2 will be projects that

restore and enhance habitats (measured by acres) for Federal trust resources. The Program

realizes that an integral part of conservation of these trust resources includes the protection of

lands through purchase of fee title or conservation easements. The Coastal Program will not

acquire or hold properties or easements as this function is reserved for the Service’s National

Wildlife Refuge System. However the Coastal Program can help other entities including the

State or local agencies and non-governmental organizations protect lands primarily by providing

technical assistance. We will use our knowledge of available funding sources and skills at grant

writing and partnership development to assist our partners and achieve the protection goals listed

above.

Although we have no direct ability to effectively control the outcomes of our protection targets,

we have set a goal of 1,000 acres of wetlands and 440 acres of uplands to be protected in the next

five years. A higher wetlands goal was set because most funding sources we expect will be

utilized for this effort designate wetlands a priority. Both the National Coastal Wetlands Grant

Program and the North American Wetlands Conservation Act Grants Program rely heavily on

the wetland component to ranking and evaluate a proposal. As a result, projects with higher

wetlands components are funded more often. We will help our partners and stakeholders

develop projects and apply for these types of funds to accomplish our protection targets.

External Factors

The ability of the Service’s Coastal Program to reach its targeted level of performance may be

influenced by many factors over which the Program has no control. The external factors listed

below will greatly affect the ability of the Coastal Program to reach the above stated acreage

goals. The accomplishment of the protection acreage targets above is especially sensitive to

these external factors which may include but are not limited to the following:

Unpredictable weather which may lead to unforeseen delays.

Funding levels of local governments and non-profit organizations which would limit their

ability to cost-share on potential projects.

Availability of new partners to cooperate on projects.

Ability of existing cooperators to take on new projects.

Funding levels of State agencies which would prevent or limit project collaboration.

Availability of construction contractors.

Uncontrollable delays in permitting resulting from unforeseen issues such as

contaminants or cultural resources.

25

Availability of Federal or State approved professional service providers such as Licensed

State Land Surveyors or conservation land appraisers.

Willing landowners to participate in cost sharing projects or sell conservation rights.

Land conversions due to development and population growth.

Economic factors such as increased real estate prices and changing agricultural practices.

Limitation on the use of Coastal Program funds to acquire lands by non-federal partners.

The competitiveness and demand for National or State governed grant programs.

Acts-of-God which may include: hurricanes, flood events, drought, fire, etc.

Goal Two: Broaden and Strengthen Partnerships

The Coastal Program has experienced many conservation successes since its inception. These

accomplishments are due to the hard work, dedication and cooperation of numerous partners and

our collaborative relationships with them. By exchanging ideas and leveraging resources

significant conservation actions have been completed. Broadening and strengthening our

partnership is a critical goal to further the objectives of habitat conservation for the benefit of our

Federal Trust Species.

We have established collaborative partnerships with Federal and State agencies, local

governments, non-governmental organizations, private corporations, foundations, land trusts and

private landowners throughout the Texas Gulf coast. However not every part of our geographic

focus areas enjoy the same level of partnership availability or capacity. So, new to this plan, we

have coarsely delineated places in each focal area where the potential to benefit our targeted trust

species is high but more or stronger partnerships are needed to deliver on-the-ground

conservation actions (see Figure 5). We will focus outreach efforts in these areas to build new

partnerships and increase their capability.

Regional Objectives

To address our goal to broaden and strengthen partnerships, the Coastal Program will work

toward the following key objectives:

1. Maintain existing partnerships. Top priority will continue to be given to maintaining and

continuing the productive relationships established in the region with an already broad

partnership base. These partnerships remain the key to past and future successes of the

Coastal Program in Texas. A list of partners and contributors over the last five years can

be seen in Appendix D

2. Increase the partnership base. To implement strategic conservation projects in our

geographic focal areas, additional partners will be needed. Every partner organization has

limitations that can include workload, capability, geographic interest, and funds.

Increasing the partnership base can expand the capability to work in our focus areas along

the coast, improve leveraging of funds and also preserve and strengthen existing

partnerships.

3. Provide technical assistance to our partners to achieve on-the-ground results. Some

partners may not possess the time or skills necessary for all aspects of a conservation

project. Coastal Program personnel can provide assistance, which may include grant

writing assistance, coalition building, meeting facilitation, project planning, and

monitoring which can help our partners achieve conservation results.

26

4. Leverage funds. Budget constraints exist with the

Coastal Program and all partnering organizations.

Through collaboration, the Coastal Program can help

our partners identify and utilize appropriate sources of

funds, and leverage secured funding and in-kind match

and services to implement their conservation projects.


The accomplishment of each regional objective will be

addressed through the implementation of the key strategic

activities described below.

Maintain exiting partnerships

Actively participate in regular communications with

partners through project meetings, briefings and field

visits.

Have personal meetings (i.e. face-to-face) to discuss

status and updates within the partner’s organization and

the Service.

Promote partner recognition through awards programs,

news releases and outreach documents.

Increase our partnership base

Identify specific areas within our geographic focal areas

to target outreach and partnership development

activities. As seen in Figure 5, we have identified the

areas within each conservation focal area where the

activities below will be targeted to meet this objective.

Identify key stakeholders in focal areas and make direct

contact to begin building cooperative relationships with

those which haven’t previously partnered with the

Coastal Program.

Support the development of new partner organizations.

As NGOs or other potential partners develop, the

Coastal Program can provide technical assistance to

support the development of their capabilities

Communicate with existing partners of the Program’s

objective to ask for their assistance in broadening the

base of potential partners. Most existing partners

represent a broader constituency. Communication at

their councils, board meetings and other venues can

reach new partner organizations. Additionally the

outreach and communications of existing partners of

their successful projects and partnership with the

Coastal Program provide an excellent way to gain trust

and encourage participation by new partners, especially with private landowners.

Perform outreach activities at public meetings, conferences and workshops will inform

attendees about the Coastal Program and invite participation.

Figure 5: Geographic focus areas identifying

(stippled) areas for target partnership outreach.

27

Provide technical assistance to our partners to achieve on-the-ground results

Coastal Program personnel will work with our partners to identify technical assistance

needs and provide assistance that meets a real need of the partner. Often, partners need

specific technical assistance in order to implement and accomplish project goals. Our

assistance will be tailored to the specific need such that it will move the partner’s project

forward even in the absence of Program funding.

Leverage funds

Compile and maintain a list of potential funding sources including Federal, State and

known private sources. The list should identify the fund source, eligibility of applicant,

match requirement, and application dates. This list can be used to support our partner’s

pursuit of additional funds to support a project and provide technical assistance.

Capture and include all costs and funding sources associated with projects in reports and

proposals. Including all costs and sources of funds in project proposals, agreements and

reports will insure accurate reporting of leveraged funds and show true costs of projects.

Performance Measures & Accomplishment Targets

The goal of broadening and strengthening partnerships will be measured by the following, which

will be reported annually:

The number of new cooperators entering into agreements with the Service with a goal of

at least one new partnership in each focus area over the next five years.

The amount of funds and in-kind services (above Coastal Program funds or services)

leveraged or otherwise contributed to projects per year with an annual ratio of 3:1 (3

contributed for every 1 of Coastal Program contributed to projects).

External Factors

The external factors which may reduce the Service’s ability to reach their targeted level of

performance for the goal of broadening and strengthening partnerships influenced by many

factors for which the agency has no control. These may include but are not limited to the

following:

Staffing limitations of existing partners to take on new work or additional projects.

Landowners willing to participate in Federal programs.

Ability or willingness of cooperators to implement technical assistance actions.

Budget and staffing reductions in Federal or State and local agencies or non-

governmental organizations.

Reduced availability of funding to the Program or other federal, state and local

agencies and non-federal sources. Of particular concern, loss of non-federal funds

often required by many competitive grant sources.

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Goal Three: Improve Information Sharing and Communication

Communication and information sharing are important elements of successful conservation

projects. It provides a mechanism to learn of project successes, failures, tips or strategies to

improve project coordination and implementation. Achieving this Goal to collaborate and share

information and concerns with our partners, stakeholders, future partners, decision-makers, and

others to protect, restore, and enhance habitats for Federal Trust Species directly affects Goals

One, Two and Five.

We intend to continue annual or bi-annual stakeholder/partnership meetings. These meetings

address all the objectives below plus additional objectives in Goals Two and Five. We have

received good feedback from cooperators expressing their desire for the Program to continue

hosting these events.

Regional Objectives

1. Increase coordination with other agencies and stakeholders. This will help improve the

likelihood a project will be completed on time and within budget. It will also help

improve administrative efficiencies.

2. Improve project results through information sharing. Sharing of project specific

information with stakeholders can support planning efforts and reduce duplication of

effort. Information sharing will also improve project results by learning from previous

mistakes of others.

3. Inform stakeholders and decision-makers of Coastal Program activities and

accomplishments in the region. Informed decision-makers and stakeholders will be better

prepared to support continuation of the Service’s mission for the Coastal Program and

cooperate to conserve fish and wildlife resources and their habitats.

4. Develop and activate a communication plan. A communication plan that identifies

specific action and establish timelines will help us meet the objectives of this goal.


The following strategies will be implemented to accomplish the regional objectives of this Goal.

Increase coordination with other agencies and stakeholders

For projects in which the Coastal Program is providing direct financial assistance or is

providing technical assistance, we will host or participate in regular project meetings to

maintain communication among cooperating partners. These meetings will consist of the

project managers for the cooperating organization and the Program at a minimum.

Project meetings will be conducted regularly based on the needs and pace of the project

implementation.

Continue participation in regional councils and committees. In Region 2, councils and

committees organized by National Estuary Programs, Joint Ventures or other watershed

based organizations have a membership which includes various Federal and State

agencies and other stakeholders. Participation in these council or committee meetings

provides an open channel of communication between agencies, and other stakeholders.

Host a meeting, annually or bi-annually, that provides an avenue for stakeholders and

cooperating organizations to communicate with the Service’s Coastal Program and

address project priorities and concerns.

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Improve project results through information sharing

Share information on successes and failures of related projects at project meetings. This

information sharing is one form of technical assistance. Program biologists can assist a

partner during project planning and development by providing information on lessons

learned through other project experience. Building from these lessons improves project

results.

Continue to participate and present project posters to oral presentations at scientific and

technical conferences. National or regional conferences and workshops provide an

opportunity to reach a broad audience. Through these presentations, ideas and techniques

can be exchanged with professionals from around the Nation and at regional levels.

Collaborate with project partners to publicize accomplishments through social media

outlets, newsletters and peer-reviewed journals. Publishing project accomplishments or

significant milestones through these venues a useful tool to share information. Proper

permissions should be received by all cooperating partners before publishing.

Inform stakeholders and decision-makers of Coastal Program activities and accomplishments in

the region.

Hold periodic stakeholder meetings, annually or bi-annually, to provide an opportunity to

share updates on the Coastal Program. These meeting provide an opportunity to address

other objectives of this goal and are also useful to improve project results and promote

inter-agency coordination.

Prepare annual accomplishments report and briefings using the Habitat Information

Tracking System (HabITS). Present these materials at local meetings or other briefing

opportunities in Washington DC and local congressional offices.

Post regular updates on one or more of the Service’s various social media outlets. These

outlets provide a quick and easy way to publish short updates on Coastal Program

activities that can be viewed by the general public, partners and decision-makers.

Develop and activate a communication plan.

Revise and update existing communication plan to meet current communication needs.

An initial communication plan was created in 2008 but the plan needs to be revised to

include recent developments and policies.

Identify key communication products and target audiences.

Establish a schedule for communicating to the public, partners and decision makers.


It is difficult to measure the success and effectiveness of these communication objectives. They

are important activities and an essential part of each Coastal Program employee’s duties.

Success of this goal and objectives will be manifested primarily in the accomplishment of

objective of Goal One, Conserving Habitat.

We have listed below targets for 1) our utilization of the HabITS database for accomplishment

reporting, 2) hosting of annual or bi-annual stakeholder meetings and 3) use of modern social

marketing outlets.

1) A primary tool for collecting project information and relevant technical assistance activities

will be the proper utilization of the HabITS database. The goal to improve information sharing

and communication will be measured by the:

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Proportion all new projects with complete and accurate data uploaded in current HabITS

database with a target of 100%. Complete HabITS project entries will include:

o Thorough narratives and descriptions

o Project accomplishment locations or shapefiles

o Accurate and complete financial data and sources

o Species expected to benefit

o Related briefing papers or accomplishment reports uploaded

2) We will host or participate in stakeholder meetings described above. Our target is to host at

least one stakeholder meeting every two years specifically to provide a forum to share

accomplishments, lessons learned and receive feedback from our partners. These events will be

recorded in HabITS

3) We have set a target to publish or post Coastal Program updates at least quarterly on one or

more of the Service’s social media pages. These actions will not be tracked using HabITS.

External Factors

The external factors which may directly affect the Service’s ability to reach the goals to improve

information sharing and communication may include but are not limited to the following:

Connectivity of databases on a national and local level (phone lines, power outage, local

servers and computer issues) will affect our ability to communicate.

The HabITS program must remain stable and operational. This system is managed

external to the Regional program offices.

DOI or FWS policy governing our utilization of social media outlet may change how we

use these venues.

Travel restrictions and available funding may limit our participation in regional or

national meetings and conferences.

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Goal Four: Enhance Our Workforce

The staff of our Region 2 Coastal Program is our most important resource. Maintaining and

supporting the staff are the keys to the success of the Program and achieving on-the-ground

results for Federal Trust Species. Providing our staff with the ability to increase knowledge and

technical expertise through continued training will help insure the quality of our workforce.

The purpose of this goal is to carry on the continuous development of our staff, maintain our

reputation for excellent customer service, provide employees with opportunities to teach and lead

in their communities, and keep using an appropriate breadth of disciplines in delivering habitat

conservation projects on the Texas coast. Our employees are often sought out for their

knowledge and advice. We want to give them opportunity to enhance those leadership skills not

only to benefit the Program but the entire Service as they may choose to advance into higher

leadership positions across the nation. These skills and abilities are the key to the future success

of the Coastal Program.

Regional Objectives

1. Build and retain a qualified and effective team. The Coastal Program in Texas is most

efficient and effective when it works together as a team. We want to continue our

successful team approach that has served us and our cooperators well since the beginning

of the Program.

2. Equip employees with state-of-the-art knowledge, skills and abilities. A key to delivering

our goal to conserve habitat is skilled and motivated staff. These employees are the front

line of communication to area partners and stakeholders which deliver on-the-ground

habitat conservation projects.

3. Enhance leadership skills. Prepare our employees for the next step in their career and

develop the skills to lead in any position or situation.


Build and retain a highly qualified team.

Correctly size the staff to meet the need and deliver on-the-ground-conservation actions.

Our staffing plan is to allow each field biologist sufficient funds to contribute to

conservation projects.

Maintain field-deployed staff to work directly with cooperators and facilitate on-the-

ground conservation. Staff will be stationed in Ecological Services Field Offices or other

locations on the Texas coast where they can meet regularly with local cooperators and

evaluate, inspect and monitor conservation projects.

We will comply with all recruiting and hiring authorities and fill vacancies with the best

candidates for each vacant position.

Conduct routine conference calls and periodic face-to-face meetings or staff workshops

to maintain team cohesion and communication.

Equip employees with state-of-the-art knowledge, skills and abilities.

Assess the skill set of each employee. Use skills assessment to develop employees

Individual Development Plans (IDP) or Individual Action Plans (IAP) which identifies

training or development needs and sets a schedule to meet those needs.

Continue to provide training and educational opportunities for staff in every field,

computer systems, administration, conservation biology, restoration science, and

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landscape ecology, as well as in allied fields such as economics, conflict resolution, and

community-based conservation techniques.

Encourage staff to actively participate in technical conferences and workshops

Review progress on an employee’s IDP or IAP during mid–year and annual performance

appraisals. Update and revise these annually.

Enhance leadership skills

Encourage and support employee applications to leadership development opportunities.

Provide opportunities for employees to engage in cross program training and experiences

by working closely with staff of other Ecological Services program area. Likewise allow

other program employees to get involved in Coastal Program activities.

Give employees the opportunity to take work details that expand their view of Service

activities and expose them to different levels of responsibility and leadership.


We have set the following measures and targets to help ensure our workforce is properly

equipped and effective such that all other goals may be met. We will use the DOI Learn training

module to track classroom or on-line learning events as well as the SUTL participation.

Number of hours each full-time employee spends in training related to administration,

strategic habitat conservation planning and delivery, communications, and leadership

with a target goal of a minimum forty (40) hours of training per employee annually.

Work details and special assignments performed by employees with a target that all

employees will participate in at least 30-day detail in the next five years.

Number of staff enrolled in leadership development programs. Our target is to have two

employees successfully complete a leadership development Program over the next in next

five years.

Amount of funds delivered directly through our employees to conservation projects. Our

target is to maintain a staff size that provides each field biologist a project allowance of

$75,000 to $100,000 for on-the-ground-delivery.

External Factors

The external factors which may directly affect the Service’s ability to reach our objectives and

carry out the activities above to enhance our workforce may include but are not limited to the

following:

Congressional appropriations which would affect the amount of funding available for

direct assistance for conservation projects and restrict travel, training and staff retention.

Local emergencies or other events precluding an employee’s participation in scheduled

training events.

Availability of potential training events at the local level.

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Goal 5: Increase Accountability

The primary objective of the Coastal Program is to deliver habitat conservation projects to

benefit our trust resources. Guided by our principles of ethics, integrity, cooperation and

customer service, the objectives and activities of Goal 5: Increase Accountability will ensure to

us, our partners, and the American public that we are staying true to our vision and

accomplishing our mission.

The objective, strategies and performance measures of this Goal are critically linked to the

HabITS database and the successful integration and transition to the Financial Business

Management System (FBMS). The HabITS system provides the primary input of

accomplishment data which includes restored and protected acres/miles, species benefits, project

funding, focus areas and project locations. To effectively report accomplishments and increase

accountability, the HabITS database must operate efficiently and be user-friendly. FBMS will be

our new system of systems to track budget actions including administering financial assistance

agreements and other procurements. Ultimately these actions will continue to maintain respect

among partners, stakeholders and the general public.

Regional Objectives

Region 2 will pursue the following objectives in support of this important goal to increase our

Program accountability:

1. Attain acreage goals outlined for Governmental Performance and Results Act.

Annual Government Performance and Results Act goals are established each year for the

following categories in Region 2, wetlands restored or enhanced, uplands restored or

enhanced, wetlands protected and uplands protected. These goals are accomplished

through activities listed under of Goals One and Two of this plan.

2. Proper management and control of program activities.

Proper administration of projects and cooperative agreements is an administrative

cornerstone to our primary mission to deliver voluntary conservation actions to benefit

coastal fish, wildlife and their habitats.

3. Quality assurance and control of accomplishment data.

Accurate reporting of program accomplishments is a critical link in all goals of this plan.

Accomplishment data is used for both internal and external outreach and evidence of

progress toward conservation goals. This data should be accessible and accurate to meet

these uses.

4. Increased visual resources in HabITS.

HabITS database provides both storage of raw data (text) and visual data such as maps

and photographs. These photos and maps can easily be used in preparation of annual

accomplishment reports and outreach materials.

5. Subactivity funding fidelity.

Funds are approved by Congress and allocated to the Regions for the Program (1124

subactivity code). These funds are to be used to support and implement the objectives as

described here and in other Service manuals or policies specific to the Coastal Program.

Ensuring these funds are used for their intended purpose is critical to our accountability

to the public and trust resources.

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The following strategies will be implemented to accomplish the regional objectives of this goal.

Attain acreage goals outlined for Governmental Performance and Results Act.

Annually develop cooperative habitat conservation projects. Cooperative agreements are

the primary mechanism we utilize to implement on-the-ground projects that result in

acres restored, protected, or enhanced.

Establish annual Governmental Performance and Results Act habitat conservation goals

which positively address the focus area acreage goals described in Goal One.

Proper management and control of program activities.

Projects will be selected that meet the goals, objectives and key activities described in

this Strategic Plan and the Vision of the Coastal Program.

Monitoring of projects. Our project agreements have varied deadlines, and each year

additional projects and agreements are initiated as other projects are completed.

Continued monitoring of all projects, existing and new, is essential for identify potential

problems, solutions and opportunities to expand benefits in a timely fashion.

Ensure all requirements for reporting, invoicing, and monitoring are clearly stated in all

new agreements and our cooperators are aware of and follow those requirements.

Create and opportunity for partners to provide customer satisfaction evaluations through

written surveys or open stakeholders meetings.

Quality assurance and control of accomplishment data.

Maintain routine and regular communication with cooperators to ensure that required

documentation, monitoring, and accurate funding and acreage data are provided to the

Service’s project officer. Validate the accomplishment data with the project cooperators

and field inspections.

Follow the standardized QA/QC process established by the Washington Office to validate

year-end HabITS accomplishment data. Program biologists will continue to enter all

project information into HabITS, followed by review and certification of data by project

officers, regional coordinators and WO administrators.

Train all employees on the HabITS data entry and reporting functions.

Increased visual resources in HabITS.

Include electronic formatted photos to projects entered into HabITS database. When

appropriate, photos should include pre-existing conditions, construction activity, and

project completion documentation.

Include accurate GIS based information for HabITS mapping tools. This data may

include point or polygon data to identify project sites or area.

Increased subactivity funding fidelity.

Perform management control reviews on all field offices receiving 1124 funds to ensure

the appropriate use and tracking of those funds. Each office is expected to have a review

conducted within five years.

Maintain a Regional Office overhead cost of 6%. The Southwest Regional Office has

maintained an overhead charge of 6% annually for the Coastal Program for over five

years. This amount was recommended as the standard for all regions through the PART

review.

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Annually calculate percentage of Coastal Program dollars allocated for Program

overhead, including salaries, versus those applied through agreements to projects.


Increasing our accountability will be measured by the quality of our HabITS database reports as

well as other measures included here.

Annual account of acres/miles restored or protected within each geographic focus area

reported through the HabITS database.

Management control reviews performed once every five years for each field office.

Proportion of projects accurately entered into the HabITS database, with a target of 100%

Annual certification of HabITS data through the QA/QC process, target is 100% of

project accomplishment data is accurate.

Proportion of accomplishments reported in the HabITS database linked to species, with a

target of 100%.

Percentage of HabITS project accomplishments with images (such as before and after

photos), with a target of at least 75%.

Annual regional report on number of FTE’s supported by the Coastal Program.

Annual ratio of project funds and in-kind services (above Coastal Program funds or

services) leveraged or otherwise contributed to projects per year with an annual target

ration of 3:1.

External Factors

The reporting and accountability targets of this goal are directly linked to the performance of

activities listed in Goals 1-4. The external factors that may affect the performance and

accomplishments of Goals 1-4, also affect Goal 5. Please refer to the external factors listed in

the previous sections.

Supporting Activities and Initiatives

The Region 2 Coastal Program works closely with other Service programs to help implement

national plans such as the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, Partners in Flight

Landbird Conservation Plan, U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan, North American Waterbird

Conservation Plan, National Fisheries Habitat Action Plan, National Ocean Policy, National

Wildlife Refuge System Strategic Plan, and Endangered Species Recovery plans.

The Coastal Program is uniquely able to connect diverse partners to complex and comprehensive

conservation projects and see them through to completion. Because of this ability it is a natural

fit for our Program staff to engage in and support various national and regional initiatives. We

work closely with many agencies, organizations and citizens on initiative that support our

mission and engage in cooperative approaches to conservation issues.

Our Program has become increasingly active in integrated landscape level Federal Trust Species

conservation planning, such as the Gulf Coast Prairies Landscape Conservation Cooperative

described previously, that will provide science support for strategic habitat conservation of fish

and wildlife. In this era of cooperative conservation, we will continue to provide biological and

technical expertise to other agencies to complement their habitat initiatives, as well as to Texas

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Parks and Wildlife Department to implement their State Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation

Plan priorities.

Specifically the members of the Coastal Program, in Region 2 will engage or support the

following activities, initiatives and programs. Most of these initiatives share common goals to

conserve and restore habitats, preserve native species populations and improve water quality.

Each of these efforts has contributed or has great potential to influence the quality or quantity of

on-the-ground conservation actions benefitting coastal fish and wildlife species.

Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA): Coastal Program staff will participate and support the

actions of the Habitat Conservation and Restoration Team which is implementing the habitat

priority outlined in the Governor’s Action Plan signed and supported by all five Gulf Coast

States, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.

Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force (GCERTF): Initiated by President Obama in

response to the BP Gulf oil spill, the GCERTF is developing a Gulf wide strategy to restore

critical ecosystem components. Coastal Program staff has been supporting the development of

the strategy by lending our comments and aid when needed to Task Force working out the details

of the strategy. Once the strategy is complete and approved by the President, the Coastal

program intends to continue working with the governing bodies to execute the goal and

objectives of that strategy as they relate to our mission.

Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP): The Coastal Program has been providing technical

support to our partners to identify project and prepare proposal for funding from the CIAP

formerly managed by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement

BOEMRE. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will assume ht remaining responsibilities of the

CIAP and our staff will be prepared to assist Division of Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration

Program (WSFRP) where needed.

Gulf Coast Prairies Landscape Conservation Cooperative (GCPLCC): Our staff has served

technical and advisory roles during the formation and development of the GCPLCC. As

described previously, we will communicate with the GCP LCC steering committee and staff our

science needs to carry out strategic habitat conservation for our focal species. We will continue

to provide technical assistance to the cooperative as needed.

Gulf Coast Joint Venture (GCJV): Coastal Program staff will continue to participate regularly

on each of the three initiative teams on the Texas coast. We will help partners develop

conservation proposal and encourage their cooperation with the GCJV as it facilitates the grant

programs of the North American Waterfowl Conservation Act (NAWCA).

Coastal Wetlands Planning Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA): The Coastal Program

has played a vital role supporting the WSFRP as it administers the National Coastal Wetland

Grant Program authorized by CWPPRA. Our Coastal Program staff help coordinate proposal

development with local applicants and submission to the WSFRP. Our field deployed staff can

also provide on-site project monitoring. Senior staff of the Coastal Program regularly

participates on the national ranking committee and even helped draft revised ranking criteria.

We anticipate continuing these supportive roles and lending our extensive restoration experience

to WSFRP implementation of the national Coastal Wetland Grant Program.

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The landscape of the Texas Gulf Coast has changed drastically through the years, and it is

forecasted that additional wetlands, prairie, and riparian habitats will be converted or lost to

agriculture, development and urbanization. The Coastal Program will continue to assist State

agencies and nonprofit organizations seek funding through these initiatives and others to

conserve habitat and preserve Federal trust resources for future generations and citizens of

Texas.

Stakeholder Involvement Stakeholders were extensively involved in the origination of the first Coastal Program Strategic

plan which began in 2006. For the 2012-2017 plan revision, we hosted and two-day partnership

workshop in April 2011 to begin collecting comments to inform our revision process. Each of

the five goals of our plan was discussed and comments offered at the meeting were noted and

considered in the revision. Approximately 40 persons attended representing state and federal

agencies, non-governmental organization, and industry.

In addition to the meeting, an anonymous online survey was conducted. The survey focused on

subject areas important to our revision process including conservation planning, climate change,

role of focus areas and species, funding, communications, monitoring/science, and Coastal

Program service feedback.

We used our partner’s input from the meeting and survey as we revised this plan. A draft plan

was circulated to our partners for additional review and comment. Simultaneously the revised

draft was routed to other Service Programs in the Region. Comments received by internal and

external stakeholders was thoroughly reviewed and incorporated where needed. A final draft

was prepared and submitted for an abbreviated review and presentation to the Southwest

Regional Directorate. The final plan will be submitted for the Southwest Regional Director’s

approval and printing.

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Appendix A: Population Goals Coastal Species in Texas

Focal Species Population Goal Range Goal (Acres)

Whooping crane 1,000 individuals (i.e. 250 productive pairs)

125,000

Attwater’s Prairie Chicken 5,000 breeding adult APC 250,000

Northern aplomado falcon 60 pairs 120,000

Ocelot 225 Ocelots (3 core populations of 75 each)

37,050

Mottled duck 35,322 birds Undetermined

Northern bobwhite 626,423 birds 17,344,500

LeConte’s sparrow 353,724 birds 353,724

Loggerhead shrike 809,778 birds 2,780,690.

Seaside sparrow 65,000 birds 650,000

Northern bobwhite 626,423 birds 17,344,500

LeConte’s sparrow 353,724 birds 353,724

Loggerhead shrike 809,778 birds 2,780,690

Mallard 72,819 birds 219,139

Northern pintail 775,755 birds

Gadwall 224926 birds

American wigeon 93841 birds

Green-winged teal 293,574 birds

Blue-winged teal 23,941 birds

Northern shoveler 127,599 birds

Canvasback 33,638 birds

Redhead 92,944 birds

Ring-necked duck 11,345 birds

Greater & lesser scaup 47,402 birds

Lesser snow geese 609,879 birds

Greater white-fronted geese 97,636 birds

Canada geese 63,043 birds

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APPENDIX B: Supporting Conservation plans.

Upper Texas Coast plans:

The Galveston Bay Plan - The Galveston Bay National Estuary Program, which is a

program of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, successfully partnered

with citizens, industry, business, development, academia, and government to develop the

Galveston Bay Plan. The Plan is a comprehensive conservation and management plan for

the Galveston Bay ecosystem. (Galveston Bay National Estuary Program, 1994)

Gulf Coast Joint Venture Mid-Coast and Chenier Plain Initiative Plans - Ducks

Unlimited, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and

Natural Resources Conservation Service have partnered to create the Texas Prairie

Wetlands Project. This program was designed to help deliver the habitat objectives of the

Gulf Coast Joint Venture, a regional partnership composed of individuals, conservation

organizations, and State and Federal agencies that are concerned with conserving

migratory birds and their habitats along the western U.S. Gulf of Mexico. The primary

goal of the Gulf Coast Joint Venture is to provide for waterfowl in winter and ensure they

survive and return to the breeding grounds in good condition. (Esslinger and Wilson,

2001, Wilson and Esslinger, 2002)

The Nature Conservancy Gulf Coast Prairies & Marshes Ecoregional Plan - This plan

identifies sites of particular conservation need that, if protected, would adequately

represent the natural species diversity within the Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes

ecoregion. Within the Upper Texas Coast Focus Area this plan identifies 4 specific areas

for conservation: Texas City Prairie Preserve, in Texas City, West Galveston Bay-south

of Galveston and Texas City, Mad Island Marsh-Oyster Lake Conservation Area and the

Columbia Bottomlands Conservation Area. (The Nature Conservancy, 2002)

The West Galveston Bay Conservation Area Plan - The Nature Conservancy has

identified the West Galveston Bay Conservation Area as one which supports a diverse

array of aquatic and terrestrial species. The Nature Conservancy of Texas will work to

ensure that the conservation area remains an ecologically functional landscape, with

intact tallgrass prairies, coastal marshes and open water estuaries. The Conservancy will

collaborate with local communities to encourage water conservation, habitat preservation,

and pollution controls that help sustain the native and migratory species of West

Galveston Bay. The West Galveston Bay Conservation Area supports a diverse array of

aquatic and terrestrial species, as well as important natural communities. This project

offers the opportunity to protect approximately 20 miles of relatively continuous coastal

habitat, including: coastal tallgrass prairie, submerged aquatic vegetation, saltwater,

brackish, and freshwater wetlands. (The Nature Conservancy, 2001)

Galveston Bay Land Conservation Initiative - The Trust for Public Land designed this

program to assist local governments with public involvement. The initiative is funded by

the Galveston Bay Estuary Program —a program authorized under Clean Water Act

amendments. Galveston Bay Estuary Program has made use of extensive stakeholder

involvement to study the bay and now is implementing a comprehensive bay

conservation and management plan. (Trust for Public Land, 2002)

U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan Lower Mississippi/Western Gulf Coast Shorebird

Planning Region (2002) - The Gulf Coastal Prairie Planning Region is identical to the

North American Bird Conservation Initiative Gulf Coastal Prairie Bird Conservation

Region (BCR 37), located along the coasts of Texas and Louisiana. Because of the

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geographic location of the Gulf Coastal Prairies region, and the diversity of habitats

provided by rice fields, beaches, coastal marshes and lagoons, large numbers of

shorebirds migrate, winter, and breed on the Gulf Coast, making this is one of the most

important regions in the United States for this group of birds. There are two Western

Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network sites of International Significance on the upper

Texas coast (Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge complex and Bolivar Flats), as well as,

seven National Wildlife Refuges and several State wildlife management areas that

preserve thousands of acres of important shorebird habitat.

Habitat Conservation Blueprint – The Galveston Bay Foundation, and their partners,

created this document that identifies 167 specific sites throughout the Galveston Bay

System, within the boundaries of the Texas Coastal Management Zone, and identifies

restoration and/or conservation strategies for each site. (Galveston Bay Foundation, 1998)

Texas Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy 2005-2010 (2005) - This Strategy

identifies the Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes as a Tier I – High Priority area for

conservation. All of the Upper Texas Coast Focus Area is within the Gulf Coast Prairies

and Marshes ecoregion. The strategy also lists the Galveston Bay system as a high

priority coastal area for conservation.

Strategic Conservation Plan for the Columbia Bottomlands – These bottomland forests

harbor huge live oaks and other trees, underneath which grows a rich understory of

shrubs, vines, and herbaceous plants and provides residence for over 237 species of birds,

including neotropical migratory songbirds. This group, or guild, of songbirds is declining

in numbers, due in large part to habitat loss. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Trust for Public Land, Texas Parks and Wildlife

Department, Gulf Coast Bird Observatory and others have a successful conservation

history in the Columbia Bottomlands, focusing on land acquisition from willing sellers,

habitat restoration and management, and research. (The Nature Conservancy, 2004)

Coastal Bend plans:

Gulf Coast Joint Venture Texas Mid-Coast Initiative Plan - This document deals with

planning efforts for the Texas Mid-Coast Initiative Area. The goal of the Texas Mid-

Coast Initiative is to provide wintering and migration habitat for significant numbers of

dabbling ducks, redheads (Aythya americana), lesser snow geese (Chen caerulescens

caerulescens), and greater white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons), as well as year-round

habitat for mottled ducks. (Wilson and Esslinger, 2002)


identifies sites of particular conservation need that if protected would adequately


ecoregion. Eleven portfolio sites for conservation are located within the Coastal Bend

Focus Area. (TNC, 2002)

Texas Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy 2005-2010 (2005) - This Strategy


conservation. All of the Coastal Bend Focus Area is within the Gulf Coast Prairies and

Marshes ecoregion. The Matagorda Bay, San Antonio Bay, and Corpus Christi Bay

systems are listed in this strategy as high priority coastal areas for conservation.


Planning Region (2002) - Within the Coastal Bend Focus Area, this plan identifies the

Mad Island Wildlife Management Area complex, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge

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(NWR)/Guadalupe Delta WMA complex, and Matagorda Island NWR as important areas

for shorebirds.

The Coastal Bend Bays Plan (1998) - Within the Coastal Bend Focus Area, this plan

includes Aransas, Refugio, San Patricio and Nueces counties. This plan identifies habitat

and living resources within this area as high priority for conservation and indicates that

habitat restoration, enhancement, creation, or management could benefit whooping

cranes, neotropical birds, colonial waterbirds, snowy and piping plovers, shrimp, crabs,

and fish within the area.

Whooping Crane Recovery Plan - Within the Coastal Bend Focus Area, the Whooping

Crane Recovery Plan indicates that habitat protection is critical for the recovery of this

species. (USFWS, 1994)

Attwater’s Prairie Chicken Recovery Plan - Within the Coastal Bend Focus Area, this

plan indicates that coastal prairie protection and restoration is needed to recover this

species. (USFWS, 1992)

Colonial Waterbird and Rookery Island Management Plan - Within the Coastal Bend

Focus Area, this plan identifies colonial waterbird nesting islands from San Antonio Bay

through the upper Laguna Madre with specific management needs. (Chaney and

Blacklock, 2002)

Seagrass Conservation Plan for Texas. A conservation plan prepared collaboratively by

three State agencies with some jurisdiction over seagrass beds, Texas Parks and Wildlife

Department, Texas General Land Office and Texas Commission on Environmental

Quality. (TPWD, 1999)

Gulf Coast Joint Venture Conservation Planning for Reddish Egret. A conservation plan

prepared by the Gulf Coast Joint Venture (Vermillion, W.G., and B.C. Wilson. 2009)

Laguna Madre plans:

Gulf Coast Joint Venture Laguna Madre Initiative Plan - This document deals with

planning efforts for the Laguna Madre Initiative area of south Texas. The goal of the

Laguna Madre Initiative is to provide wintering and migration habitat for significant

numbers of redhead ducks, greater and lesser scaup (Aythya marila and Aythya affinis),

Northern pintails (Anas acuta), and other dabbling ducks, as well as year-round habitat

for mottled ducks. (Esslinger and Wilson, 2002)


identifies sites of particular conservation need that if protected would adequately


ecoregion. Within the Laguna Madre Focus Area this plan identifies 1 portfolio site for

conservation, the Laguna Madre. The boundaries of the Laguna Madre Focus Area and

TNC’s portfolio site are nearly identical. (The Nature Conservancy, 2002)

Texas Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy 2005-2010 (2005) – This Strategy


conservation. Most of the Laguna Madre Focus Area is within the Gulf Coast Prairies

and Marshes ecoregion. The Lower Laguna Madre Bay System is listed as a high priority

area for conservation.


Planning Region (2002) - Within the Laguna Madre Focus Area this plan identifies

Laguna Atascosa NWR, Lower Laguna Madre, Lower Rio Grande Valley NWR, South

Bay, and Padre Island as important areas for shorebirds

42

The Coastal Bend Bays Plan (1998) - Within the Laguna Madre Focus Area, this plan

includes Nueces, Kleberg and Kenedy counties. This plan identifies habitat and living

resources within this area as high priority for conservation. This plan indicates that

habitat restoration, enhancement, creation, or management could benefit neotropical

birds, colonial waterbirds, snowy and piping plovers, shrimp, crabs, and fish within the

area.

Recovery Plan for the Listed Cats of Texas and Arizona with emphasis on the Ocelot.

Within the Laguna Madre Focus Area, this plan indicates that ocelot habitat protection

and restoration is critical for the survival of the species in South Texas. (USFWS, 1990)

Colonial Waterbird and Rookery Island Management Plan - Within the Laguna Madre

Focus Area, this plan includes all colonial waterbird nesting islands in the upper Laguna

Madre and specific management needs for each island. (Chaney and Blacklock, 2002)

Seagrass Conservation Plan for Texas. A conservation plan prepared collaboratively by

three State agencies with some jurisdiction over seagrass beds, Texas Parks and Wildlife

Department, Texas General Land Office and Texas Commission on Environmental

Quality. (Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 1999)

43

Appendix C: References Britton J.C. and B. Morton. 1989. Shore ecology of the Gulf of Mexico. University of

Texas Press, Austin. 387 pp.

Coastal Bend Bays Plan. 1998. Published by Texas Natural Resource Conservation

Commission, Austin, TX. SFR-59/CBBEP-1.

Chaney, A. H. and G.W. Blacklock. 2002. Colonial Waterbird and Rookery Island

Management Plan. 2002. A report for the Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program. 286

pp.

Esslinger, C.G., and B.C. Wilson. 2001. North American Waterfowl Management Plan,

Gulf Coast Joint Venture: Chenier Plain Initiative. North American Waterfowl

Management Plan, Albuquerque, NM. 28 pp. + appendix. (Revised 2003.)

Esslinger, C.G., and B.C. Wilson. 2002. North American Waterfowl Management Plan,

Gulf Coast Joint Venture: Laguna Madre Initiative. North American Waterfowl

Management Plan, Albuquerque, NM. 28 pp. + appendix.

Galveston Bay Foundation. 1998. Habitat Conservation Blueprint: A Plan to Save the

Habitats and Heritage of Galveston Bay. Sites, Strategies, and Resources. Galveston

Bay Foundation, Webster, Texas. 189pp.

Galveston Bay National Estuary Program. 1994. The Galveston Bay Plan: the

comprehensive conservation and management plan for the Galveston Bay ecosystem.

Publication GBNEP-49.

Galveston Bay National Estuary Program. 1993. Trends and Status of Wetland and

Aquatic Habitats in the Galveston Bay System, Texas. Publication GBNEP-31. 225 pp.

Gosselink, J.D., C.L. Cordes, and J.W. Parsons. 1979. An ecological characterization

study of the Chenier Plain coastal ecosystem of Louisiana and Texas. 3 vols. U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service, Office of Biological Services. FWS/OBS-78/9 through 78/11.

Gulf Coast Prairies & Marshes Ecoregional Plan. 2002. Published by The Nature

Conservancy, San Antonio, TX, USA.

Jahrsdoerfer, S.E., and D.M. Leslie, Jr. 1988. Tamaulipan Brushland of the Lower Rio

Grande Valley of South Texas: description, human impacts, and management options.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bio. Rep. 88(36). 63 pp.

McAllen Convention and Visitors Bureau. 2006. www.mcallen.org

McFarlane, Robert. 1995. Upland Coastal Prairie of Texas and Louisiana: Description,

Human Impacts and Management Options. Prepared for the Houston Audubon Society.

91pp.

Moulton D.W., T.E. Dahl, and D.M. Hall. 1997. Texas Coastal Wetlands Status and

Trends Mid-1950’s to Early 1990-s. U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife

Service, Albuquerque, New Mexico. 32 pp.

NatureServe. 2006. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web

application]. Version 6.1. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available

http://www.natureserve.org/explorer. (Accessed: January 31, 2007 ).

http://www.mcallen.org/

44

Shackelford, C. and M. Lockwood. 2000. Rare and Declining Birds of Texas:

Conservation Needed. Texas Parks and Wildlife Publication No. PWDBK700-588. 12

pp.

Texas Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy 2005-2010. 2005. Compiled by

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department as a requirement of the State Wildlife Grants

Program. Edited by: Steven Bender, Stephanie Shelton, Kelly Conrad Bender and Arlene

Kalmbach.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. 1999. Seagrass Conservation Plan for Texas.

Austin, Texas. 79 pp.

The Nature Conservancy. 2004. Strategic Conservation Plan for the Columbia

Bottomlands. 34 pp.

The Nature Conservancy of Texas. 2001. West Galveston Bay Conservation Area Plan.

45pp.

The Trust for Public Land. 2002. Galveston Bay Land Conservation Initiative. Houston,

TX, USA.

Tremblay T.A., W.A. White, and J.A. Raney. 2005. Native woodland loss during the

mid-1960’s in Cameron County, Texas. The Southwestern Naturalist. 50(4): 479-515.

Tunnell, J.W. and F.W. Judd, Editors. 2002. The Laguna Madre of Texas and

Tamaulipas. Gulf Coast Studies No. 2. Texas A&M Press, College Station. 346 pp

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1992. Attwater’s Prairie Chicken Recovery Plan.

Albuquerque, NM. vii + 48 pp.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1990. Listed Cats of Texas and Arizona Recovery Plan

(with emphasis on the Ocelot). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Albuquerque, NM. 131

pp.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1994. Whooping Crane Recovery Plan. Albuquerque,

New Mexico. 92 pp


Planning Region. 2002. Prepared by: Gulf Coastal Prairie Working Group Mississippi

Alluvial Valley/West Gulf Coastal Plain Working Groups. Coordinated by: Lee Elliott

and Keith McKnight.

Wilson, B.C., and C.G. Esslinger. 2002. North American Waterfowl Management Plan,

Gulf Coast Joint Venture: Texas Mid-Coast Initiative. North American Waterfowl

Management Plan, Albuquerque, NM. 28 pp. + appendix.

45

Appendix B

Appendix D: Partner List Coastal Program Partners

Anheuser-Busch

Anahuac NWR

Aransas NWR

Armand Bayou Nature Center

Artist Boat

Baytown Nature Center

Brazoria NWR

British Petroleum

City of Clear Lake Shores

City of Texas City

City of Port Aransas

Clear Creek Environmental Foundation

Coastal America

Coastal Conservation Association

Coastal Bend, Bays and Estuaries Program

ConocoPhillips

Corporate Wetland Restoration Program

Ducks Unlimited

Eddie V. Gray Wetland Center

Environmental Institute of Houston

Fish America Foundation

Friends of Aransas and Matagorda Island NWR

Friends of Galveston Island State Park

Galveston Bay Estuary Program - TCEQ

Galveston Bay Foundation

Goose Creek Independent School District

Guadalupe - Blanco River Authority

Guadalupe Blanco River Trust Authority

Gulf Coast Bird Observatory

Gulf of Mexico Foundation

Gulf of Mexico Program

Gulf Ecological Management Site

Harborwalk

Houston Audubon Society

Houston Zoo

Isla del Sol Homeowner’s Association

Keep Dickinson Beautiful

Kiki De La Garza Plant Materials Center

Laguna Atascosa NWR

Lower Colorado River Authority

Mainland Concrete

McFaddin NWR

National Fish & Wildlife Federation

Natural Resources Conservation Service

NOAA - Community Based Restoration Program

NOAA Fisheries-Habitat Conservation Division

NRG Texas

Ocean Trust

Port Aransas Nature Preserve

Port of Corpus Christi

Private Landowners

RRI Energy

Restore America’s Estuaries

SCENIC GALVESTON, Inc.

Spanish Grant Property Owners Association

Stephen F. Austin State University

Sunbird Bay Development

Telephone Pioneers

Texas A&M University Corpus Christi

Texas A&M University-Galveston

Texas Audubon

Texas Department of Transportation

Texas General Land Office

Texas Master Naturalists

Texas Ornithological Society

Texas Parks & Wildlife Department

Texas Point NWR

Texas R.I.C.E.

TexasGenco

The Nature Conservancy–Mad Island Preserve

The Nature Conservancy–Texas City Prairie Preserve

Tivoli Independent School District

Trust for Public Land

TPWD Coastal Fisheries Division

TPWD Galveston Island State Park

TWPD Goose Island State Park

TWPD J.D. Murphree WMA

TPWD Mad Island WMA

TPWD San Jacinto Battleground State Park

TPWD Wildlife Division

University of Houston Clear Lake

U. S. Army Corps of Engineers

U. S. Geological Survey

USFWS - Partners for Fish & Wildlife Program

USFWS - Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection &

Restoration Program

USFWS - North American Wetlands Conservation

Program

Village Condos Homeowners Association

Village of Tiki Island

West Galveston Island Property Owners Association

46

Appendix E: Coastal Program Science Support Needs

Since conservation delivery is the Coastal Program's focus, we rely on others for federal trust

species conservation planning and monitoring (JVs for migratory birds, Endangered Species

recovery program, and perhaps LCCs, for listed species). Basic conservation planning, design,

and monitoring helps the Coastal Program understand how its conservation efforts with partners

benefit and support trust species’ abundance and population viability. The Coastal Program's

science support needs are profound. An inventory of the Coastal Program's science support

needs reveals the following:

Endangered Species

Twelve species listed endangered or threatened occur in coastal Texas. Biological planning and

conservation design has been developed, and monitoring is being conducted sufficient to permit

adaptive management for four of these listed species:

1. Whooping crane

2. Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle

3. Northern Aplomado Falcon

4. Attwater’s prairie chicken

Biological planning has been developed for ocelot, but conservation design needs to be

developed and monitoring conducted in order for the Coastal Program to fully understand the

benefits of delivered ocelot projects. The remaining seven listed species (slender rush-pea,

black lace cactus, Texas ayenia, Texas Prairie Dawn Flower, jaguarundi, South Texas ragweed,

piping plover) require significant biological planning, conservation design, and monitoring.

Migratory Birds

Forty-four of the Migratory Bird Program's 139 focal species occur in coastal Texas. Biological

planning and conservation design has been developed, and monitoring is being conducted

sufficient to establish conservation targets and implement adaptive management for six of these

focal migratory birds:

1. Whooping crane

2. Northern pintail

3. Lesser snow goose

4. Cackling Canada goose

5. American wigeon

6. Mallard

For three focal migratory bird species (loggerhead shrike, LeConte’s sparrow and seaside

sparrow) biological planning has been developed but conservation design and monitoring are

lacking. Biological planning and conservation design has been developed for reddish egret, but

monitoring is insufficient. The remaining 35 listed species lack biological planning,

conservation design, and monitoring at a level sufficient to develop conservation targets are:

1. snowy plover

2. long-billed curlew

3. painted bunting

4. cerulean warbler

5. peregrine falcon

6. king rail

7. American

oystercatcher

8. Henslow's sparrow

9. mottled duck

10. lesser scaup

11. ferruginous hawk

47

12. yellow rail

13. black rail

14. clapper rail

15. Wilson's plover

16. red knot

17. caspian tern

18. least tern (interior)

19. burrowing owl

20. Sprague's pipit

21. golden-winged

warbler

22. wood duck

23. swallow-tailed kite

24. sandhill crane

25. Piping plover

26. Wilson's phalarope

27. gull-billed tern

28. yellow-billed

cuckoo

29. short-eared owl

30. sedge wren

31. prothonatary

warbler

32. Swainson's warbler

33. grasshopper

sparrow

34. eastern

meadowlark

35. Audubon's oriole

Additional science support is needed for even those focal species with conservation targets.

Waterfowl Science Support Needs-

1. Conservation Design: Range and potential range sufficient to support the wintering

waterfowl population target needs to be mapped taking sea-level rise forecasts into

consideration.

2. Monitoring: Habitat and population monitoring needs to be conducted and results used to

adjust population goals, estimated range requirements, and the wintering habitat model in

an adaptive fashion.

3. Mottled Duck Habitat Model: Relative amounts and configuration of nesting and brood-

rearing habitat needed to meet mottled duck life requisites needs to be determined.

4. Mottled Duck Range Required: Mottled duck habitat spatial requirements needed to

support the population target needs to be determined.

Whooping Crane Science Support Needs:

1. Population Goal: A recovery goal needs to be established for whooping cranes.

2. Conservation Design: Range and potential range sufficient to support a dowlistable and

ultimately a recovered whooping crane population needs to be mapped taking sea-level

rise forecasts into consideration.




Attwater’s Prairie Chicken Science Support Needs:

Determine brood-mortality cause(s) and remedies. Until captive reared APCs can be made to

raise broods to maturity in the wild, we cannot establish a self-sustaining, wild APC population.

Northern Aplomado Falcon Science Support Needs-

1. Population Goal: A recovery goal needs to be established for northern aplomado falcons.

2. Conservation Design: Range and potential range sufficient to support a down-listed and

ultimately a recovered northern aplomado falcon population needs to be mapped taking

sea-level rise forecasts into consideration.




48

Ocelot Science Support Needs:

1. Conservation Design: Less expensive techniques for establishing ocelot habitat need to

be developed.




To learn more about our Program and how to find a local contact go to our web sites:

Coastal Program: http://www.fws.gov/coastal/

Coastal Grants Program: http://www.fws.gov/coastal/CoastalGrants

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Branch of Habitat Restoration

Division of Fish and Wildlife Management and Habitat Restoration

4401 N. Fairfax Drive

Arlington, VA 22203

(703) 358-2201

“All acts of government…are of slight importance to conservation except as they affect the acts

and thoughts of citizens.”

http://www.fws.gov/coastal/CoastalProgram

http://www.fws.gov/coastal/CoastalGrants

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