Marbled Murrelets PROJECT UPDATE NOVEMBER 8, 2018 L E N A T U C K - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Marbled Murrelets PROJECT UPDATE NOVEMBER 8, 2018 L E N A T U C K - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Nov 21, 2022 404 likes •883 views

FPA Rule Analysis for Marbled Murrelets PROJECT UPDATE NOVEMBER 8, 2018 L E N A T U C K E R & J E N N I F E R W E I K E L P R I V A T E F O R E S T D I V I S I O N , O D F AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 1 of 46 Focus of

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SLIDE 1

PROJECT UPDATE NOVEMBER 8, 2018

FPA Rule Analysis for Marbled Murrelets

L E N A T U C K E R & J E N N I F E R W E I K E L P R I V A T E F O R E S T D I V I S I O N , O D F

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 1 of 46

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SLIDE 2

Focus of Today’s Presentation

Summary of work conducted to date Overview of draft technical report content Expert review process Expert review feedback

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 2 of 46

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SLIDE 3

Project History

Action Date Petition submitted to Board June 2016 Board direction to work on rule analysis November 2016 Board presentation—review of petition March 2017 Board presentation—checklist and timeline April 2017 Completion of draft Technical Report April 2018 Expert review of Technical Report November 2018

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 3 of 46

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SLIDE 4

Division 680 Rules

Technical report is required for rule analysis Required content 1) Identify the resource site (RS) 2) Identify forest practices that conflict with RS 3) Evaluate biological consequences of conflicts 4) Propose protection requirements

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 4 of 46

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SLIDE 5

Draft Technical Report Content

Life history Population status and trends Habitat characteristics Information gaps Required content (as per OAR 629-680-0100)

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 5 of 46

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SLIDE 6

Marbled Murrelet

Seabird

Spends most of its life on

the ocean

Flies inland to nest in trees

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 6 of 46

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SLIDE 7

Plumage

Breeding Plumage—mottled brown Non-breeding Plumage—black & white

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 7 of 46

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SLIDE 8

Range in Oregon

  • Within 50 miles of
  • cean
  • < 50 miles in SW

OR

  • Most nests within

25 miles

Green shows inland range of the murrelet

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 8 of 46

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SLIDE 9

Reproduction

 Lays 1 egg  Adults take turns incubating

egg—24 hour shifts

 Young mostly left unattended

after hatching

 Young fly to sea on their

  • wn—no parental assistance

Hatchling murrelet on nest

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 9 of 46

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SLIDE 10

Diet & Feeding Behavior

Feed mostly on small

forage fish

Fly inland to feed young

1 fish per feeding 1-8 feedings per day

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 10 of 46

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SLIDE 11

Oregon Population Trends

 Annual marbled murrelet population numbers (from Pearson et al. 2018)

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 11 of 46

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SLIDE 12

Listing Status

 Federal Endangered Species Act (ESA)

Threatened—1992

 Oregon ESA

Threatened -- 1995

Advisory survival guidelines enacted 2018

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 12 of 46

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SLIDE 13

Habitat--General

 Old-Growth or very mature conifer

forests

 Younger forests with a old-tree

residual component

 Mature hemlock forests with dwarf

mistletoe infection

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 13 of 46

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SLIDE 14

Habitat--Nest

 Platforms important component of

habitat

 Horizontal, fat limbs  Moss or other debris  Vegetative cover  Nest high in trees

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 14 of 46

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SLIDE 15

Habitat--Landscape

Conflicting information on

fragmentation

Birds may select nest sites near edges

  • r gaps

Nests near hard edges have higher

rates of nest depredation

Photo by Rollin Bannow Photo by Tim Moore

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 15 of 46

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SLIDE 16

Challenging to Study

 Adapted to be cryptic & secretive—

avoid notice

 Finding nests is very challenging  Only 75 nests ever found in Oregon  New study in Oregon is providing

new data—now 80+ nests documented.

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 16 of 46

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SLIDE 17

Marbled Murrelet Surveys

Standard Survey Methods

 Survey methods look for general use—not nests  Surveys conducted at dawn—when birds most active  Look/listen for murrelets @ survey stations

Although murrelets can be loud and

  • bvious, they also often fly into a stand

silently.

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 17 of 46

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SLIDE 18

Marbled Murrelet Surveys

Presence

Murrelets in the area

Occupied

“area” likely used for

nesting or other life history traits such as courtship

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 18 of 46

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SLIDE 19

Marbled Murrelet Surveys

Occupied Sites & Occupied Area Site being surveyed is designated as

  • ccupied by murrelets

Protocol recommends entire area

surveyed be designated as occupied even if birds only detected in one site

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 19 of 46

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SLIDE 20

Information Gaps

Survey-related questions

What is the probability that birds are actually

nesting when occupied detections observed?

What is the spatial relationship between location

  • f occupied detections and actual nests?

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 20 of 46

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SLIDE 21

Information Gaps

Some additional information gaps:

Long-term temporal relationships in habitat use Are individual birds strictly tied to their nesting

stand (high site fidelity) or do they exhibit some level of plasticity in their habitat use?

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 21 of 46

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SLIDE 22

Technical Report—Policy Information

Required content as

per OAR 629-680- 0100

Information to help

inform policy decisions

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 22 of 46

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SLIDE 23

Technical Report Content

Technical report required Content

1) Identify the resource site (RS) 2) Identify forest practices that conflict with RS 3) Evaluate biological consequences of conflicts 4) Propose protection requirements

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 23 of 46

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SLIDE 24

Identification of the Resource Site

 Additional work & Board direction will be needed on this

topic

 Range of options included in Technical Report  Decision on preferred approach will occur at a later date

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 24 of 46

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SLIDE 25

Identification of the Resource Site

 Range of Options

1) Known nest sites only 2) Known nest sites and locations

  • f occupied detections

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 25 of 46

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SLIDE 26

Identification of the Resource Site

 Range of Options

3) Suitable marbled murrelet habitat

Would be a new approach Assume habitat occupied until

documented otherwise

Significant additional work needed to

vet this option

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 26 of 46

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SLIDE 27

Forest Practices Conflicts

 There is potential for forest practices to cause conflicts  Potential conflicts

Harvesting Equipment use (heavy equipment, chainsaws) Blasting & rock crushing Road construction Tree-climbing

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 27 of 46

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SLIDE 28

Consequences of Conflicts

 Felling of nest trees  Increased risk of windthrow  Increased exposure of nest (to nest predators)  Disturbance of normal nesting behaviors

Flushing of adults or young from nests Disruption of feeding attempts

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 28 of 46

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SLIDE 29

Protection

 Additional work needed prior to determining protection

strategy for this species

 Definition of the resource site needs to be determined  Technical Report includes a range of options

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 29 of 46

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SLIDE 30

Protection—Prescriptive BMPs

 Point-based resource site (e.g., nest or occupied detection)

Protect resource site and key components One key component likely to include habitat around resource

site

Amount & extent would need to be determined

Seasonal restrictions within a set distance of resource site

during nesting season

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 30 of 46

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SLIDE 31

Protection—Prescriptive BMPs

 If resource site = suitable habitat

Protection might apply to the suitable

habitat itself

New concept – much additional work

anticipated to determine protection strategy

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 31 of 46

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SLIDE 32

Protection—Prescriptive BMPs

 Regulatory  Voluntary measures  Combination of approaches

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 32 of 46

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SLIDE 33

Protection—Programmatic approaches

 Programmatic Safe Harbor Agreement

with the USFWS

USFWS program, but ODF would

administer

Approach to encourage voluntary

protection of murrelet habitat

Gives landowner’s federal regulatory

assurances

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 33 of 46

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SLIDE 34

Protection—Programmatic approaches

 Stewardship Agreements

ODF program to encourage voluntary actions to conserve

habitat for fish and wildlife

Allows for streamlining implementation of the FPA Possibility for state-level regulatory assurances for existing FPA

rules

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 34 of 46

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SLIDE 35

Expert Review

 Desired Outcome:

To have a well-rounded, unbiased summary of science to inform

decision-making to be conducted by the Board

 Goal—review of science use in Technical Report

Identify any missing, pertinent literature Review interpretation of science for accuracy Scientific merit of policy options

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 35 of 46

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SLIDE 36

Expert Review Process

 Six individuals from a spectrum of backgrounds

Research—USFS PNW Research Station/ Academic Research—NCASI Private Landowners Government Landowner (counties) Conservation Interest Tribal

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 36 of 46

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SLIDE 37

Expert Review Process

 Project Charter Document

FPA Background Project Background Describe feedback “in-scope” and “out of scope” Set timeline, etc.

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 37 of 46

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SLIDE 38

Expert Review Feedback

“Themes” of the review feedback

Missing publications Missing Topics Misinterpretation of the Science/ Added clarity needed Scientific merit of the policy options Conflicting input

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 38 of 46

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SLIDE 39

Expert Review Feedback

Missing Publications

33 citations to add to the report Most citations are to supplement existing content Two citations new publications

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 39 of 46

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SLIDE 40

Expert Review Feedback

 Missing Topics

No major missing topics Recommended added information Some out of scope Some related to topics already addressed in TR

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 40 of 46

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SLIDE 41

Expert Review Feedback

 Misinterpretation of Scientific Information/ Added Clarity

A range of feedback in this category Most feedback relates to areas where added clarity may be

needed in the report

We will look further at topic areas where reviewers

indicated science may have been misinterpreted or needs further details

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 41 of 46

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SLIDE 42

Expert Review Feedback

 Scientific Merit of Policy Options

Some feedback in this theme for both resource site and

protection

Feedback varied widely between reviewers

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 42 of 46

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SLIDE 43

Expert Review Feedback

 Conflicting Input

Areas of conflicting input identified both technical topics

and policy options.

Points to the fact that opinions on the science of murrelets

vary and not everyone agrees on the interpretation of information

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 43 of 46

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SLIDE 44

Expert Review Feedback

 Conflicting Input

“Where data is lacking, a precautionary approach is

  • warranted. Lack of data should not be viewed as license to

continue the status quo”

“More work is needed prior to adopting definition of a

resource site and/ or protection.”

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 44 of 46

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SLIDE 45

Expert Review

 Recommended citations to add  No major missing topics  Minor additions to existing subject areas  Range of comments on scientific merit of options

Resource Site Protection

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 45 of 46

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SLIDE 46

Next Steps

Finalize Technical Report January—OSU presentation April—Present final tech report

Accept or reject report

AGENDA ITEM B Attachment 17 Page 46 of 46