east bay ecological health assessment

EAST BAY ECOLOGICAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT

Park Advisory Committee October 25, 2021

Becky Tuden, Stewardship DepartmentEcological Services Manager

Use the most current (existing) data and best professional judgment to create a baseline measurement of the ecological health of the East Bay

This ecological baseline is quantitative and science-based

Conducted on a landscape-wide scale and revisited every few years to measure change

Identifies key data gaps in our understanding

Helps inform our future management actions

WHAT IS AN ECOLOGICAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT?

Ecological Health Assessment

• Inform agency management decisions

• Prioritize & streamline agency resources

• Help improve grant opportunities

• Understandable to public

• Science-based, regional approach

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

MODELED AFTER:

One-Tam

National Park Service

Save the Redwoods League

State-Wide Landscape Conservation


• Not Everything is Evaluated –Representative of Health

• Need Sufficient Data

• Across Study Area

• Over Time (~2009-2019)

• Data that inform metrics and thresholds

• Consider charismatic species

USE INDICATORS TO MEASURE HEALTH

PARK DISTRICT MASTER PLAN GOALSResource Management (1):

The District will maintain an active inventory of its resources and monitor their health and viability.

Natural Resource Management (3):

The District will manage park wildlands using modern resource management practices, based on scientific principles supported by available research….The District will coordinate with other agencies and organizations in a concerned effort to inventory, evaluate and manage natural resources and to maintain and enhance the biodiversity of the region.



PROCESSTIME FRAME ACTIVITY OUTCOMEMay 2018 –January 2020

Work with Partner Agencies

Identify Indicator Species

Develop Metrics for Each Indicator

January 2020 Scientific Expert Panel Workshop

Peer Review of Indicators and Metrics

2020 * Stewardship Department Plan identifies EHA as top priority

Jan 2021- October 2021

Data coordination

Discuss Thresholds

Analyze Data Using Metrics

Identify Key Data Gaps

Fall 2021/Early 2022

Determine Ecological Baseline Health and Trend

Wildlife Health Report


• California State Parks

• Contra Costa Water District

• East Bay Municipal Utility District

• East Bay Regional Park District

• San Francisco Public Utility Commission

PARTNERSHIP

Collectively manage over 225,000 acres

• East Bay Hills

• Mt. Diablo Range

• Mt. Hamilton Range

FOCUSAREA

• Coastal Areas-NOT included in Study



GEOGRAPHIC SUBREGIONS

East Bay Hills SubregionMt. Diablo Range SubregionMt. Hamilton Subregion

EAST BAY ECOLOGICAL HEALTH INDICATORS

DATA GAPS: InvertebratesOthers?

* Vegetation – Pending fine scale veg map

Fish and Wildlife*Mammals

Andrew Aldrich Flickr.com

Birds

Jerry TingFlickr.com

FishReptiles andAmphibians



Trend

Condition/Current Baseline

Confidence

Explaining ResultsUnchanging

Unchanging

Metric 1: CRLF Presence Metric 2: CRLF Breeding Metric 3: CRLF Metapopulations Metric 4: Presence of Invasive Non-Native Species


California Red-Legged Frog

THRESHOLD: Measures when metric changes condition.

METRIC: measures the condition of the indicators. Healthy is the desired condition

Metric 1: CRLF PresenceCondition Thresholds:

•Good: The number of ponds occupied by the CRLF in the Area of Focus is maintained or increased.•Caution: The number of occupied ponds decline by 10%.•Significant Concern: The number of occupied ponds decline by 20%.

Trend: Unchanging Condition: Good Confidence: High

MOVING FORWARDJuly – October 2021• Analyze Fish and Wildlife Data• Coordinate with Partners on Results

December 2021 - Early 2022• Release Wildlife Health Report• Roll-out to Decision-Makers and Public• Funding for Ongoing Assessment

2022 and Beyond• Adaptive Management – Compare to Baseline every 5 years• Continue Coordination on Data Collection/Management Efforts• Fine Scale Vegetation Mapping/Vegetation Health Assessment


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSFisheries WorkgroupJosh Phillips, Joe Sullivan, Ed Culver - EBRPDBrian Sak, Neal Fujita, Renn Randall SFPUC / Bert Mulchaey - EBMUD

Mammals WorkgroupSue Townsend, PhD – Wildlife Ecology and ConsultingSteve Bobzien, Dave Riensche, and Doug Bell, PhD - EBRPDJessica Appel - SFPUC / Jonathan Price - EBMUDGina Benigno - CA State Parks / Cary Richardson - CCWD

Amphibian WorkgroupTammy Lim, Ed Culver - EBRPDWynne Moss, PhD - CU Boulder / Jessica Purificato - EBMUDJessica Appel, Alan Striegle - SFPUC

Bird WorkgroupDoug Bell, PhD, Michele Hammond - EBRPDErica Walther, Joe DiDonato - ESAJonathan Price -EBMUD / Jessica Appel, Andrea Irons – SFPUCTom Gardali, Erin Conlisk, PhD – Point Blue

Vegetation Workgroup - Dina Robertson, Michele Hammond, Peter Hopkinson, Allison Rofe, Pam Beitz, Kristen Van Dam – EBRPD / Galen Peracca – AECOM / Jessica Appel, Mia Ingolia, Ellen Natesan, Scott Simono – SFPUC / Gina Benigno – CA State Parks, Abigail Fateman – ECCHCP / Heath Bartosh – Nomad

External Partners & Key ParticipantsBecky Tuden, Tammy Lim, Dina Robertson, Josh Phillips, Sunshine Townsend, Doug Bell – EBRPDBert Mulchaey– East Bay Municipal Utility DistrictJessica Appel – SFPUCGina Benigno – CA State ParksCary Richardson- CCWD

Participants in January 2020 Scientific Engagement Workshop

Michelle O’Herron , O’Herron & CompanySue Townsend, PhD

Technical /Moral /Funding Support: Matt Graul, Katherine Dudney, Kristina Kelchner, Ana Alvarez, PhD, Carol Johnson, Juliana Schirmer, Drake Hebert, Christie McKaskey, Dave Drueckhammer, Sharon Farrell, Cyndy Shaffer, Janet Klein, Ellen Natesan, Erich Pfuehler, Lisa Baldinger

EAST BAY ECOLOGICAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT

THANK YOU !

east bay ecological health assessment

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