Mission Partnering for over Twenty Years: Flat-tailed Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma mcallii) Management. Robert E. Lovich & Michel Remington

Transcription

1 Mission Partnering for over Twenty Years: Flat-tailed Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma mcallii) Management Robert E. Lovich & Michel Remington

2 Flat-tailed Horned Lizard Distribution

3 Habitat

4 The Flat-tailed Horned Lizard Phrynosoma mcallii Petitioned for Listing under Endangered Species Act in 1993, and considered twice more federally since that time. 1 st Rangewide Management Strategy in 1997 (Foreman 1997) Rangewide Management Strategy updated in 2003 (FTHL ICC 2003) Petitioned for listing under CA ESA in Not listed in 2017.

5 Development of the FTHL Interagency Coordinating Committee: 1990 s-present Stakeholders Federal = Bureau of Land Management (3X), Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (2X), U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Navy (2X) State = Anza Borrego State Park, Arizona Game and Fish Dept., Calif. Dept. of Fish and Game, Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area Mexico = Alto Golfo de California, Reserva de la Biosfera Pinacate

6 FTHL Conservation Conservation Agreement signed (1997) between Management Oversight Group (MOG) and Interagency Coordinating Committee (ICC) agencies Rangewide Management Strategy (1997 and 2003 rev.)...guidance for conservation and management of FTHL... Five established management areas Rangewide monitoring 1% threshold for disturbance to mgt. areas!

7 Management Areas (5X) = 185,653 ha (458,759 ac)

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9 FTHL conservation continued... ICC stakeholders meet 5X annually Develop annual reports > 10 years of range wide monitoring data Mitigation, avoidance, and minimization measures in place and enforced Well studied, with ongoing research underway Diverse and numerous stakeholders/partners

10 Why Voluntary Conservation Works Dollars go to species, not compliance More freedom without regulation (=permits) Regulation/management spread across partners and stakeholders Focus on the species, not paperwork/regulations (NEPA/SEQA, etc.)

11 Flat-tailed Horned Lizard Distribution

12 Mexico

13 Mexico

14 Acknowledgements Flat-tailed Horned Lizard ICC and MOG, past and present, and the agencies that support them All other collaborators on FTHL

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16 Flat-tailed Horned Lizard (If listed - Its Potential Impacts To Naval Air Facility El Centro s Training Mission)

17 Where is Naval Air Facility El Centro (NAF El Centro)? The Pearl of the Desert SE California 120 miles east of San Diego, CA and 60 miles west of Yuma, AZ and 7 miles north of Mexican Border. Consists of: Two runways; Two Bombing Ranges totaling over 55,000 acres; Four Targets Target 68 Inkey Barley Target 95 Kitty Baggage Target 101 Shade Tree Target 103 Loom Lobby

18 NAF El Centro Mission: Ensuring victory in combat through superior training of our War Fighters. Vision: To provide the highest quality facilities, services and products to the Naval Aviation community and all organizations utilizing Naval Air Facility El Centro. Every month, 7 12 squadrons and up to 1,600 personnel train here including: Tenant Commands Naval Munitions Command Strike Fighter Wing Pacific Maintenance Unit FISC San Diego Branch Medical/Dental Transient/Visiting Commands Blue Angels Fleet Replacement & Training Squadrons Fleet Squadrons USMC Squadrons & MEUs Army Aviation Special Forces Allied Forces (British, Canadian, Belgian, etc.)

19 How does the Strategy help NAF El Centro continue to prevent the listing of this species and prevent impacts to our Mission?

20 Bombing Targets (yellow) within Flat-tailed Horned Lizard (FTHL) Management Areas (blue checkered). West Mesa 29,800 Acres within MA 270 Acres remaining of the 1% disturbance allowance Target 101 Target 103 East Mesa 8,500 Acres within MA 85 Acres remaining (total 1% disturbance allowance) Target 68

21 I. FT II. F How do we keep from exceeding our impact allowance acres? 1. Do our best to site projects outside of MAs; 2. Limit disturbance within our MAs to those related to our primary mission of providing aerial bombing practice to war fighters; 3. Monitor populations through funding of yearly demographic and occupancy surveys; 4. Within MAs, try to site disturbance on previously disturbed areas; 5. Carry out mitigation and impact minimization for projects within FTHL habitat; 6. Participate in the Inter-Agency Coordinating Committee and Management Oversite Group via the conservation Strategy and contribute to expansion of the science on the species.

22 What would be the effect to NAFEC if this species were to be listed? 1. Need to consult with US Fish & Wildlife Service for every proposed new bombing/strafing target/structure and helicopter/osprey landing zones; 2. Each project time/funding delay due to negotiating/consulting on mitigating impacts; 3. High $$$ of avoidance/mitigation/habitat restoration of project impacts; 4. High $$$ of policing/patrolling 55,000 acres of ranges to prevent Off- Highway Vehicle impacts to FTHL habitat and mitigation/restoration areas.

23 114,800 acres of FTHL habitat; Through proactive project planning and design, we have disturbed less than 14% (150 acres) of our 1% disturbance cap (1140 acres) within the MA. MCAS Yuma s Barry M. Goldwater Range

24 Questions?