Siren song - Returning to breed in Sonoma County vernal pools where their lives began, many fall victim to traffic
A tiger salamander, drawn out by the season's first rains, is seen at the edge of Stone Point Road in December 2007.
By PAUL PAYNETHE PRESS DEMOCRAT
December rains are a siren song for the California tiger salamander. They also are a death knell.The endangered species crawl out of their holes on soggy nights, looking to mate in vernal pools filling up along the Santa Rosa plain.But biologists said many of them never make it.
Vast numbers are crushed under the wheels of cars slicing across roads that dissect their dwindling habitat.
On a recent night, herpetologist Dave Cook counted 36 tiger salamanders on a short stretch of Stony Point Road near Cotati. All but 16 of the black and yellow spotted critters were dead."This was their chance for romance," Cook, a senior environmental specialist for the Sonoma County Water Agency, said as he stopped his truck to retrieve a freshly killed salamander.
"But it didn't happen."The roadside slaughter, which occurs each year at the start of rainy season, is contributing to the overall decline of the species, listed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service as endangered.Up to 20 percent of the breeding population is wiped out each season, Cook said, putting the tiger salamander's chances for long-term survival on a path with other species facing extinction such as the northern spotted owl and red-legged frog.
Cook, the region's foremost expert, has been tracking migration and reproductive patterns in part because the Water Agency is considering construction of a new pipeline from Santa Rosa to Petaluma that could cross part of its range.But he said the salamander's precarious situation has even greater implications.
The animal's ultimate success or failure is linked by scientists to the future of other plants or animals similarly threatened by habitat destruction, Cook said."They are a canary in the coal mine for the environment," Cook said.Until recently, not many people in Sonoma County knew about the tiger salamander, whose habitat crosses 25 counties from the Central Coast to Santa Rosa and covers 11 million acres.
In 2003, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service granted the species endangered status in Sonoma County, following a similar ruling in Santa Barbara County in 2000.
The government said residential development and agriculture were encroaching on the tiger salamander's breeding ponds, threatening the amphibian's survival.
Federal officials ordered locals to develop a conservation plan or face widespread land use restrictions that many feared could stall the economy.A coalition of developers, environmental activists, farmers and local government officials has been working on a plan ever since.
Relying on much of Cook's research, they have agreed on a conservation strategy encompassing 4,000 acres and are hammering out the details for executing it.Jake Mackenzie, the Rohnert Park city councilman who heads the committee, said a plan will be finalized over the next year."It's a very complex matter, as you can imagine," Mackenzie said. "You clearly have the spectrum of interests represented.
"Life for the salamander, which grows to 10 inches and can live more than a decade, begins at the vernal pool -- seasonal ponds that number in the hundreds west of Highway 101.
With the first winter rains, the pools begin to fill, attracting male and female salamanders like lonely singles to a nightclub, Cook said.Under cover of darkness and only in a downpour, the randy creatures come out in large numbers from their dry, upland gopher holes, heading instinctively to the same pools where they were spawned, Cook said.
"Think of it as a barroom scene," Cook said. "The boys kind of hang out until 2 a.m., when the bartender kicks them out.
"Sometimes whole generations appear on the same night, crossing farm fields, sidewalks and, often, roads to get to the pools.As they venture onto the asphalt, their glacial pace is no match for speeding cars.
A commute-hour rain can be disastrous."Often you get an entire breeding population showing up at the same time," Cook said. "It's not a good thing for the salamander."Their plight has given rise to whole groups of salamander watchers who hit the streets in wet weather.
Al Wolf, director of Sonoma County Animal Rescue, goes out with about a half-dozen others, helping the amphibians cross roads. He said he's asked transportation officials to build crossing tunnels under the roads but just got strange looks."When you see 50 or 60 squished in a night, that's pretty incredible," said Wolf, a salamander protector since the late 1980s. "If I can help stop that, it's worth doing it.
"Windshield wipers flapping, Cook drives slowly along the shoulder of Stony Point Road, helping stragglers and observing the carnage.He stops to take samples from dead salamanders that will be sent to UC Davis for testing. And he enters the GPS coordinates where each amphibian is found, dead or alive, in the hopes of figuring out a pattern to their movement.At one point he gets out to look at a smashed critter only to find a live, egg-filled female hiding in the shadows.
He puts her in a plastic pail and brings her into his truck.Later he'll carry her across the road to the pool."This was the night," Cook said, making a note on a clipboard. "This was the hot spot."
This article was taken directly from the Press Democrat “Empire Section” dated December 31, 2007
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Vernal Pools - What are they, who regulates and please give me a definition
Vernal Pools
Where Are Vernal Pools Found?
California's vernal pools occur on a variety of landscape formations, most often on alluvial formations deposited by ancient waterways and seas. The greatest extent of this type of landscape formation is in our Central Valley, in areas where alluvial surfaces were exposed after the retreat of the inland sea during the Pleistocene era. Similar alluvial landscape formations occur in inland valleys of the inner Coast Ranges (Sonoma County), and along coastal terraces of Southern California, where geologic forces have lifted the original alluvial landscape surfaces above sea level.
Second types of landscape formation with vernal pools are ancient volcanic mudflows, where rapid weathering of volcanic materials has formed dense clay soils and bedrock restricting layers near the soil surface. Volcanic landscape formations are found in northeast California and in the northern end of the Sacramento Valley. These types are not found in Sonoma County
Why Are Vernal Pools Regulated and Who Regulates Them?
Federal, state, and local laws and policies regulate certain activities in wetlands, including vernal pools, and may prohibit activities that could harm or harass threatened or endangered wildlife species or migratory waterfowl. In addition, the California Environmental Quality Act, a state law, requires public agencies to consider the effects of proposed actions on biological resources. Environmental laws and policies that pertain to vernal pools in California include:
Where Are Vernal Pools Found?
California's vernal pools occur on a variety of landscape formations, most often on alluvial formations deposited by ancient waterways and seas. The greatest extent of this type of landscape formation is in our Central Valley, in areas where alluvial surfaces were exposed after the retreat of the inland sea during the Pleistocene era. Similar alluvial landscape formations occur in inland valleys of the inner Coast Ranges (Sonoma County), and along coastal terraces of Southern California, where geologic forces have lifted the original alluvial landscape surfaces above sea level.
Second types of landscape formation with vernal pools are ancient volcanic mudflows, where rapid weathering of volcanic materials has formed dense clay soils and bedrock restricting layers near the soil surface. Volcanic landscape formations are found in northeast California and in the northern end of the Sacramento Valley. These types are not found in Sonoma County
Why Are Vernal Pools Regulated and Who Regulates Them?
Federal, state, and local laws and policies regulate certain activities in wetlands, including vernal pools, and may prohibit activities that could harm or harass threatened or endangered wildlife species or migratory waterfowl. In addition, the California Environmental Quality Act, a state law, requires public agencies to consider the effects of proposed actions on biological resources. Environmental laws and policies that pertain to vernal pools in California include:
The Federal Clean Water Act Section 404 (US Army Corps of Engineers, Environmental Protection Agency), Endangered Species Act (US Fish and Wildlife Service), and Migratory Bird Treaty Act (US Fish and Wildlife Service)
Wetland provisions of the Food Security Act (Natural Resources Conservation Service);
The State Endangered Species Act and California Fish and Game Code (California Department of Fish and Game), California Environmental Quality Act (County Planning Departments)
County General Plan Policies and Habitat Conservation Plan Policies.These environmental laws and policies require agencies and landowners to consider the effects of a proposed action on the environment; determine if a less damaging alternative is available; obtain and comply with necessary wetland permits; and comply with endangered species laws (for vernal pools that support endangered species). Compensatory mitigation may be required by local Planning Departments or regulatory permitting agencies to help ensure that the project does not result in a loss of wetland function.
Who is affected by vernal pools in Sonoma County?
Vernal Pool mitigation has become an issue that every developer and property owner must face when proposing development on the Santa Rosa Plain (SRP). The SRP area stretches from Cotati on the south to Windsor on the north and from the Mayacamas Mountains on the east to the Laguna de Santa Rosa to the west.
This large expanse of land is laced with wetlands and pockets of endangered CTS or flowers.The list of projects that are affected range from agricultural crop conversion at one extreme to development projects for single-family homes, duplexes, apartments, affordable housing, offices and commercial development. Public agency projects such as the City of Santa Rosa's Water Reclamation Project and Cal Trans - Highway 12 / Farmers Road Extension have been required to mitigate for fill of wetlands and endangered species impacts. Mitigation has become an accepted element of the development process and has become a routine component for most developers, who see it as a needed solution for projects to proceed.
Basic Definitions:
mit·i·gate (m¹t"¹g³t") v. mit·i·gat·ed, mit·i·gat·ing, mit·i·gates. --tr. 1. To moderate (a quality or condition) in force or intensity; alleviate. See Synonyms at relieve. --intr. To become milder. [Middle English mitigaten, from Latin mºtig³re, mºtig³t- : mºtis, soft + agere, to drive, do; see ACT.] --mit"i·ga·ble (-g…-b…l) adj. --mit"i·ga"tion n. --mit"i·ga"tive or mit"i·ga·to"ry (-g…-tôr", -t½r") adj. --mit"i·ga"tor n.
wet·land (wµt"l²nd") n. A lowland area, such as a marsh or swamp that is saturated with moisture, especially when regarded as the natural habitat of wildlife: a program to preserve our state's wetlands.
ver·nal (vûr"n…l) adj. 1. Of, relating to, or occurring in the spring. 2. Characteristic of or resembling spring. 3. Fresh and young; youthful. [Latin vrn³lis, from vrnus, from vr, spring. See wes- below.] --ver"nal·ly adv.
pool (p›l) n. 1. A small body of still water. 2. An accumulation of standing liquid; a puddle: a pool of blood. 3. A deep or still place in a stream. 4. A swimming pool. 5. An underground accumulation of petroleum or gas in porous sedimentary rock. --pool intr.v. pooled, pool·ing, pools. 1. To form pools or a pool: The receding tide pooled in hollows along the shore. 2. To accumulate in a body part: preventing blood from pooling in the limbs. [Middle English, from Old English p½l.]
Website is below
http://www.wetlandservices.com/vernal_pools_wetland_mitigation.html
California tiger Salmander
California Tiger Salamander
The California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense) is an important part of California's precious natural heritage. This amphibian was historically distributed throughout most of the Central Valley, adjacent foothills, Coast Ranges, and the Santa Rosa Plain in Sonoma County. This California tiger salamander requires seasonal ponds, or vernal pools, for successful breeding. The species breeds during the winter rainy season, but spends the majority of the year in underground refuges, primarily abandoned rodent burrows, in grassland or oak woodland habitat.
The California tiger salamander is on the brink of extinction primarily due to habitat destruction due to urban and agricultural development. The habitat types the California tiger salamander requires, vernal pools, grasslands, and oak woodlands, are some of the most endangered habitat types in California. It has been estimated that less than one tenth of one percent of California's native grasslands remain, and approximately 95% of California's vernal pool landscape has already been lost. Available habitat for the species throughout its range has been eliminated in recent decades by at least 75%. The remaining core area for the species is the Livermore Valley area in the East Bay, which has undergone explosive urban development in recent years.
The California tiger salamander is also threatened by other factors such as habitat fragmentation, road mortality, introduced species, and agricultural contaminants. Major projects that threaten the species include the proposed Los Vaqueros Reservoir expansion, the proposed U.C. Merced Campus at the Lake Yosemite site outside of Merced, and the South Sonoma Business Park in Cotati.
In June 2001, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service had received several petitions from several watch groups to list the Sonoma County population of the California tiger salamander under the federal Endangered Species Act on an emergency basis as a distinct population segment, or "DPS." Last year, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service listed the Santa Barbara population of the California tiger salamander on an emergency basis as a DPS. The species statewide has been listed as "Warranted but Precluded" by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife since 1994, a designation meaning that the species should be listed but that the agency is precluded from doing so by budget limitations. The Fish & Wildlife Service has consistently failed to request sufficient funds from Congress to run the listing program.
Finally the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services did decide to change the status of the species for the Sonoma County distinct population segment (DPS) of the California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense), under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). In Sonoma County, the California tiger salamander is imperiled by a variety of factors including habitat destruction, degradation, and fragmentation due to urban development, hybridization with non-native salamanders, inadequate regulatory mechanisms, disease, and pesticide drift. We listed this DPS on an emergency basis on July 22, 2002. The emergency designation expires on March 19, 2003. This rule is effective upon publication in the Federal Register, and implements the Federal protection and recovery provisions afforded by the Act for the Sonoma County DPS of the California tiger salamander. This final rule is being issued as a result of a settlement agreement and consent decree.
Natural HistoryAdult California tiger salamanders migrate to breeding pools on rainy nights in early winter. The number of eggs laid by single female ranges from approximately 400 to 1,300 per breeding season. Eggs hatch in 10 to 14 days, and larvae feed on algae, small crustaceans, and mosquito larvae for about 6 weeks after hatching, when they switch to larger prey. Larger larvae will consume smaller tadpoles of Pacific treefrogs (Hyla regilla), California red-legged frogs (Rana aurora draytonii), western toads (Bufo boreas), and spadefoot toads (Scaphiopus hammondii), as well as many aquatic insects and other aquatic invertebrates.California tiger salamanders usually do not breed for the first time until they reach 4 to 6 years of age.
Less than fifty percent of California tiger salamanders breed more than once in their lifetime. In very dry years, breeding may not take place at all.The California tiger salamander breeds primarily in vernal pools and swales, unique ecosystems that fill with winter rains and dry completely by summer. The California tiger salamander spends most of its lifecycle astivating underground in adjacent valley oak woodland or grassland habitat, primarily in abandoned rodent burrows. Research has shown that dispersing juveniles can roam up to two miles from their breeding ponds and that a minimum of 480 acres of uplands habitat is needed surrounding a breeding pond in order for the species to survive over the long term.
Reserves of multiple breeding ponds surrounded by 1000 acres or more of habitat are recommended to ensure the persistence of the species. to view the Endangered Species / California tiger salamander range map, PDF.
to view the Endangered Species / California tiger salamander range map, PDF.
Generalized Range Map of California Tiger Salamander / State Listing
Monitoring
Draft Conservation Areas
Sonoma County Required Studies
Website with photos
http://www.wetlandservices.com/endangered_ca_tiger_salamander.html
The California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense) is an important part of California's precious natural heritage. This amphibian was historically distributed throughout most of the Central Valley, adjacent foothills, Coast Ranges, and the Santa Rosa Plain in Sonoma County. This California tiger salamander requires seasonal ponds, or vernal pools, for successful breeding. The species breeds during the winter rainy season, but spends the majority of the year in underground refuges, primarily abandoned rodent burrows, in grassland or oak woodland habitat.
The California tiger salamander is on the brink of extinction primarily due to habitat destruction due to urban and agricultural development. The habitat types the California tiger salamander requires, vernal pools, grasslands, and oak woodlands, are some of the most endangered habitat types in California. It has been estimated that less than one tenth of one percent of California's native grasslands remain, and approximately 95% of California's vernal pool landscape has already been lost. Available habitat for the species throughout its range has been eliminated in recent decades by at least 75%. The remaining core area for the species is the Livermore Valley area in the East Bay, which has undergone explosive urban development in recent years.
The California tiger salamander is also threatened by other factors such as habitat fragmentation, road mortality, introduced species, and agricultural contaminants. Major projects that threaten the species include the proposed Los Vaqueros Reservoir expansion, the proposed U.C. Merced Campus at the Lake Yosemite site outside of Merced, and the South Sonoma Business Park in Cotati.
In June 2001, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service had received several petitions from several watch groups to list the Sonoma County population of the California tiger salamander under the federal Endangered Species Act on an emergency basis as a distinct population segment, or "DPS." Last year, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service listed the Santa Barbara population of the California tiger salamander on an emergency basis as a DPS. The species statewide has been listed as "Warranted but Precluded" by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife since 1994, a designation meaning that the species should be listed but that the agency is precluded from doing so by budget limitations. The Fish & Wildlife Service has consistently failed to request sufficient funds from Congress to run the listing program.
Finally the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services did decide to change the status of the species for the Sonoma County distinct population segment (DPS) of the California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense), under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). In Sonoma County, the California tiger salamander is imperiled by a variety of factors including habitat destruction, degradation, and fragmentation due to urban development, hybridization with non-native salamanders, inadequate regulatory mechanisms, disease, and pesticide drift. We listed this DPS on an emergency basis on July 22, 2002. The emergency designation expires on March 19, 2003. This rule is effective upon publication in the Federal Register, and implements the Federal protection and recovery provisions afforded by the Act for the Sonoma County DPS of the California tiger salamander. This final rule is being issued as a result of a settlement agreement and consent decree.
Natural HistoryAdult California tiger salamanders migrate to breeding pools on rainy nights in early winter. The number of eggs laid by single female ranges from approximately 400 to 1,300 per breeding season. Eggs hatch in 10 to 14 days, and larvae feed on algae, small crustaceans, and mosquito larvae for about 6 weeks after hatching, when they switch to larger prey. Larger larvae will consume smaller tadpoles of Pacific treefrogs (Hyla regilla), California red-legged frogs (Rana aurora draytonii), western toads (Bufo boreas), and spadefoot toads (Scaphiopus hammondii), as well as many aquatic insects and other aquatic invertebrates.California tiger salamanders usually do not breed for the first time until they reach 4 to 6 years of age.
Less than fifty percent of California tiger salamanders breed more than once in their lifetime. In very dry years, breeding may not take place at all.The California tiger salamander breeds primarily in vernal pools and swales, unique ecosystems that fill with winter rains and dry completely by summer. The California tiger salamander spends most of its lifecycle astivating underground in adjacent valley oak woodland or grassland habitat, primarily in abandoned rodent burrows. Research has shown that dispersing juveniles can roam up to two miles from their breeding ponds and that a minimum of 480 acres of uplands habitat is needed surrounding a breeding pond in order for the species to survive over the long term.
Reserves of multiple breeding ponds surrounded by 1000 acres or more of habitat are recommended to ensure the persistence of the species. to view the Endangered Species / California tiger salamander range map, PDF.
to view the Endangered Species / California tiger salamander range map, PDF.
Generalized Range Map of California Tiger Salamander / State Listing
Monitoring
Draft Conservation Areas
Sonoma County Required Studies
Website with photos
http://www.wetlandservices.com/endangered_ca_tiger_salamander.html
Sonoma County Endangred Species
Endangered Species in Sonoma County California
California Tiger Salamander The California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense) is an important part of California's precious natural heritage. This amphibian was historically distributed throughout most of the Central Valley, adjacent foothills, Coast Ranges, and the Santa Rosa Plain in Sonoma County. Locally, it is now found in only the deepest vernal pools and a few suitable artificial ponds in the Santa Rosa Plain.
Burke's Goldfields Burke's goldfields (Lasthenia burkei) is a small, slender annual herb in the sunflower family (Asteraceae). It has narrow, opposite leaves and bright reddish golden flowers. It is extremely rare, being found in only few areas of the Laguna de Santa Rosa and the northern Santa Rosa Plains.
Sebastopol Meadowfoam Sebastopol meadowfoam (Limnanthes vinculans) is a small (up to 12-inch tall), multi-stemmed herb of the false meadowfoam family (Limnanthaceae). Although the first leaves are narrow and undivided, leaves on the mature plant have three to five undivided, paddle-shaped leaflets along each side of a long stalk (petiole). The small white flowers occur in profuse masses lining pools and swales, giving the appearance of "foam" in the grass during spring. Locally, this species is restricted to the southern half of the Santa Rosa Plains.
Sonoma Sunshine Baker's stickyseed (Blennosperma bakeri), which is also known as Sonoma sunshine, is a small (up to 12 inches in height), annual herb in the aster family (Asteraceae). The plant has alternate, narrow, hairless leaves, 2 to 6 inches long. The upper ones have 1 to 3 lobes, the lower ones none. The small flowers are bright yellow. This species is the most widely distributed of the endangered plants in the Santa Rosa Plain.
http://www.wetlandservices.com/
http://www.homes-acreage.com/
California Tiger Salamander The California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense) is an important part of California's precious natural heritage. This amphibian was historically distributed throughout most of the Central Valley, adjacent foothills, Coast Ranges, and the Santa Rosa Plain in Sonoma County. Locally, it is now found in only the deepest vernal pools and a few suitable artificial ponds in the Santa Rosa Plain.
Burke's Goldfields Burke's goldfields (Lasthenia burkei) is a small, slender annual herb in the sunflower family (Asteraceae). It has narrow, opposite leaves and bright reddish golden flowers. It is extremely rare, being found in only few areas of the Laguna de Santa Rosa and the northern Santa Rosa Plains.
Sebastopol Meadowfoam Sebastopol meadowfoam (Limnanthes vinculans) is a small (up to 12-inch tall), multi-stemmed herb of the false meadowfoam family (Limnanthaceae). Although the first leaves are narrow and undivided, leaves on the mature plant have three to five undivided, paddle-shaped leaflets along each side of a long stalk (petiole). The small white flowers occur in profuse masses lining pools and swales, giving the appearance of "foam" in the grass during spring. Locally, this species is restricted to the southern half of the Santa Rosa Plains.
Sonoma Sunshine Baker's stickyseed (Blennosperma bakeri), which is also known as Sonoma sunshine, is a small (up to 12 inches in height), annual herb in the aster family (Asteraceae). The plant has alternate, narrow, hairless leaves, 2 to 6 inches long. The upper ones have 1 to 3 lobes, the lower ones none. The small flowers are bright yellow. This species is the most widely distributed of the endangered plants in the Santa Rosa Plain.
http://www.wetlandservices.com/
http://www.homes-acreage.com/
Mitigation Banks in Northern California
Banks
1. Southwest Santa Rosa Vern Pool Bank - 1187 Todd Road, Santa Rosa, California 95407 Sonoma County, California Phase I - Preservation Mitigation Credits (Sold Out)Phase II - Restoration Mitigation Credits (Sold Out)
2. Laguna Mitigation Bank - 2800 Llano Road, Santa Rosa, California 95407 Sonoma County, CaliforniaPhase I - Restoration Mitigation Credits (Sold Out)
3. Campbell Ranch Mitigation Bank - 4975 Rio-Dixon Road, Dixon, California 95620Phase I - Preservation Mitigation Credits (Credits being sold now)Phase II - Restoration Mitigation Credits (Date to be announced)Phase III - Preservation/Restoration Mitigation Credits (Date to be announced)
4. Vachini Mitigation Bank - 5310 Redwood Highway South, Petaluma, California 94952 Sonoma County, CaliforniaPhase I - Preservation Wetland Mitigation Credits (Date to be announced)Phase II - Restoration of Wetland & Riparian/Creek Restoration Mitigation Credits (Date to be announced)
5. Herrerias Mitigation Bank - 4949 Sunland Avenue, Santa Rosa, California 95407 Sonoma County, CaliforniaPhase I - Preservation Wetland Mitigation Credits (Date to be announced)Phase II - Restoration and CTS Credits (California tiger salamander) date to be announced
6. Crane Canyon Mitigation Bank - 5340 Petaluma Hill Road , Santa Rosa, California 95404 Sonoma County, California.Phase I - Restoration Wetland Mitigation Credits (Date to be announced late 2007) Reservations now being taking.
www.WetlandServices.com
www.Homes-Aceage.com
1. Southwest Santa Rosa Vern Pool Bank - 1187 Todd Road, Santa Rosa, California 95407 Sonoma County, California Phase I - Preservation Mitigation Credits (Sold Out)Phase II - Restoration Mitigation Credits (Sold Out)
2. Laguna Mitigation Bank - 2800 Llano Road, Santa Rosa, California 95407 Sonoma County, CaliforniaPhase I - Restoration Mitigation Credits (Sold Out)
3. Campbell Ranch Mitigation Bank - 4975 Rio-Dixon Road, Dixon, California 95620Phase I - Preservation Mitigation Credits (Credits being sold now)Phase II - Restoration Mitigation Credits (Date to be announced)Phase III - Preservation/Restoration Mitigation Credits (Date to be announced)
4. Vachini Mitigation Bank - 5310 Redwood Highway South, Petaluma, California 94952 Sonoma County, CaliforniaPhase I - Preservation Wetland Mitigation Credits (Date to be announced)Phase II - Restoration of Wetland & Riparian/Creek Restoration Mitigation Credits (Date to be announced)
5. Herrerias Mitigation Bank - 4949 Sunland Avenue, Santa Rosa, California 95407 Sonoma County, CaliforniaPhase I - Preservation Wetland Mitigation Credits (Date to be announced)Phase II - Restoration and CTS Credits (California tiger salamander) date to be announced
6. Crane Canyon Mitigation Bank - 5340 Petaluma Hill Road , Santa Rosa, California 95404 Sonoma County, California.Phase I - Restoration Wetland Mitigation Credits (Date to be announced late 2007) Reservations now being taking.
www.WetlandServices.com
www.Homes-Aceage.com
A Better Solution
A Better Solution
Mitigation Banks provide a better solution for developers and communities when it comes to wetlands mitigation.
For the Community:
By concentrating wetlands into larger parcels near urban areas, rather than small set-asides in developed industrial and commercial areas, a greater variety of interrelated habitats or ecosystems can be preserved. This provides the natural cycle of birth and rebirth which is critical for the viability of species being protected. Larger wetland banks near urban areas can provide school children with the opportunity to discover the biodiversity around us through guided field trips and educational seminars.
For the Environment:
Mitigation Banks are protected from development in perpetuity through the development of conservation easements. Again, wildlife and habitat protection is enhanced by providing conservation easements over large parcels of land, with diverse topography and the life forms which are unique to each specific habitat.
For the Developer:
Streamlined permits and severance of liability are the greatest benefits to the developer. Mitigation banks are approved by Federal, State, County and City governmental agencies, thereby reducing planning agency uncertainty over project application review. Purchase of mitigation credits terminates all of the developer's future liabilities and responsibilities. Currently, project developers are faced with mitigating wetlands either on-site or off-site on their own land, and are required to maintain the viability of the wetlands habitat for a minimum of five years. Not only is this costly in terms of time and money, but if the viability of the mitigated habitat wins or fails, the developer must repair or replace it. Future liability may also be incurred as a result of the requirement to hold and manage the land in perpetuity. By purchasing mitigation credits, developers are released from such liabilities.
Cost Effectiveness:
Holding costs of prime development land can be expensive, especially when planning delays due to mitigation requirements drag on indefinitely. Purchase of mitigation credits reduces environmental planning review time, and adds value to real estate by reducing carrying costs. Again, by concentrating the wetlands into a few large banks, the cost of developing and maintaining the banks themselves is reduced by the economy of scale.
Mitigation Banks provide a better solution for developers and communities when it comes to wetlands mitigation.
For the Community:
By concentrating wetlands into larger parcels near urban areas, rather than small set-asides in developed industrial and commercial areas, a greater variety of interrelated habitats or ecosystems can be preserved. This provides the natural cycle of birth and rebirth which is critical for the viability of species being protected. Larger wetland banks near urban areas can provide school children with the opportunity to discover the biodiversity around us through guided field trips and educational seminars.
For the Environment:
Mitigation Banks are protected from development in perpetuity through the development of conservation easements. Again, wildlife and habitat protection is enhanced by providing conservation easements over large parcels of land, with diverse topography and the life forms which are unique to each specific habitat.
For the Developer:
Streamlined permits and severance of liability are the greatest benefits to the developer. Mitigation banks are approved by Federal, State, County and City governmental agencies, thereby reducing planning agency uncertainty over project application review. Purchase of mitigation credits terminates all of the developer's future liabilities and responsibilities. Currently, project developers are faced with mitigating wetlands either on-site or off-site on their own land, and are required to maintain the viability of the wetlands habitat for a minimum of five years. Not only is this costly in terms of time and money, but if the viability of the mitigated habitat wins or fails, the developer must repair or replace it. Future liability may also be incurred as a result of the requirement to hold and manage the land in perpetuity. By purchasing mitigation credits, developers are released from such liabilities.
Cost Effectiveness:
Holding costs of prime development land can be expensive, especially when planning delays due to mitigation requirements drag on indefinitely. Purchase of mitigation credits reduces environmental planning review time, and adds value to real estate by reducing carrying costs. Again, by concentrating the wetlands into a few large banks, the cost of developing and maintaining the banks themselves is reduced by the economy of scale.
Overn View of Wetland Mitigation
Overview
What is a mitigation bank and why might I need one?
The development of vast parcels of land across the country destroys or threatens thousands of acres of wetlands and other sensitive habitats every year. Recognizing that the potential loss of many sensitive plant and animal species could be irreversible and could affect other species that coexist for part or all of the year in these areas, the State and Federal governments has enacted laws and regulations designed to preserve these sensitive habitats. A policy of "no-net-loss" of wetlands has been dictated by the President of the United States. Although the agencies prefer that these areas remain undisturbed, they recognize that this is not always practical. Wetlands substitution or replacement at another site is an acceptable solution where avoidance is not possible. However, until recently, a developer or landowner had only two options open to him/her:
The landowner could mitigate the lost habitat or wetlands on a portion of the site he was developing; a loss of expensive development land, or
The landowner could purchase another piece of land on which to develop compensatory habitat.Unfortunately, both of these options require long-term monitoring and maintenance of the habitat to ensure its viability. They must meet regulatory agency standards at construction, and then must continue to meet said standards for a minimum of 5 years. If the habitat should begin to fail, the developer would be required to correct that aspect of the habitat which has failed, replant and/or restock the habitat to the standards set by the agencies. This can be very costly in terms of time and money, and if the developer is not qualified to maintain or monitor the habitat, he faces the additional expense of hiring a professional to perform this task.Now a new solution called Mitigation banking is simplifying the process for the development community.Mitigation banks are preserves of protected, restored or constructed wetlands or other habitats, set aside to meet governmental requirements for compensatory mitigation of impacts to wetlands and other habitats which occur with development.
When a landowner or developer needs to substitute habitats for those being lost to development, he can purchase "credits" in a mitigation bank. Credits are a term used for a habitat value that is predetermined by an agreement between the mitigation bank developer and Sate and Federal agencies. The mitigation bank is authorized to sell credits to developers or landowners where on-site mitigation or avoidance of the wetlands or other habitat is not feasible.Mitigation banks are a better solution ecologically, because they allow for mitigation before impact to existing wetlands, are generally of much larger size and they consolidate financial resources and biological expertise to provide a more focused approach.
By creating the wetlands or other habitat and proving its viability before impacting an existing habitat, the bank assures both governmental agencies and the developer that "no-net-loss" of habitat or loss of habitat function will occur. Consolidating wetlands and resources from many smaller isolated projects into larger mitigation banks better protects the threatened ecosystem, and improves the successful establishment and long term management of these habitats.
What is a mitigation bank and why might I need one?
The development of vast parcels of land across the country destroys or threatens thousands of acres of wetlands and other sensitive habitats every year. Recognizing that the potential loss of many sensitive plant and animal species could be irreversible and could affect other species that coexist for part or all of the year in these areas, the State and Federal governments has enacted laws and regulations designed to preserve these sensitive habitats. A policy of "no-net-loss" of wetlands has been dictated by the President of the United States. Although the agencies prefer that these areas remain undisturbed, they recognize that this is not always practical. Wetlands substitution or replacement at another site is an acceptable solution where avoidance is not possible. However, until recently, a developer or landowner had only two options open to him/her:
The landowner could mitigate the lost habitat or wetlands on a portion of the site he was developing; a loss of expensive development land, or
The landowner could purchase another piece of land on which to develop compensatory habitat.Unfortunately, both of these options require long-term monitoring and maintenance of the habitat to ensure its viability. They must meet regulatory agency standards at construction, and then must continue to meet said standards for a minimum of 5 years. If the habitat should begin to fail, the developer would be required to correct that aspect of the habitat which has failed, replant and/or restock the habitat to the standards set by the agencies. This can be very costly in terms of time and money, and if the developer is not qualified to maintain or monitor the habitat, he faces the additional expense of hiring a professional to perform this task.Now a new solution called Mitigation banking is simplifying the process for the development community.Mitigation banks are preserves of protected, restored or constructed wetlands or other habitats, set aside to meet governmental requirements for compensatory mitigation of impacts to wetlands and other habitats which occur with development.
When a landowner or developer needs to substitute habitats for those being lost to development, he can purchase "credits" in a mitigation bank. Credits are a term used for a habitat value that is predetermined by an agreement between the mitigation bank developer and Sate and Federal agencies. The mitigation bank is authorized to sell credits to developers or landowners where on-site mitigation or avoidance of the wetlands or other habitat is not feasible.Mitigation banks are a better solution ecologically, because they allow for mitigation before impact to existing wetlands, are generally of much larger size and they consolidate financial resources and biological expertise to provide a more focused approach.
By creating the wetlands or other habitat and proving its viability before impacting an existing habitat, the bank assures both governmental agencies and the developer that "no-net-loss" of habitat or loss of habitat function will occur. Consolidating wetlands and resources from many smaller isolated projects into larger mitigation banks better protects the threatened ecosystem, and improves the successful establishment and long term management of these habitats.
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