Santa Catalina Island Conservancy

THE CATALINA ISLAND CONSERVANCY AND CALIFORNIA CONDOR RECOVERY PROGRAM (CCRP) AT HOPPER MOUNTAIN NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE COMPLEX (HMNWRC) ARE COLLABORATING ON A PROJECT THAT ADDRESSES TWO CONSERVATION CONCERNS: THE REMOVAL OF INTRODUCED INVASIVE MULE DEER ON CATALINA ISLAND AND PROVIDING A CLEAN FOOD SOURCE FOR THE CRITICALLY ENDANGERED CALIFORNIA CONDOR.THE REMOVAL OF INVASIVE DEER IS AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT TO CATALINA ISLAND CONSERVANCY S MULTI-DECADE, LANDSCAPE-LEVEL RESTORATION PLAN WHICH INTEGRATES CONSERVATION INITIATIVES, HABITAT RESTORATION, AND WILDFIRE PREVENTION UNDER ONE COORDINATED EFFORT TO ESTABLISH HEALTHY LAND AND WATER SYSTEMS, RESTORE NATIVE PLANTS, AND SUPPORT BALANCE FOR NATIVE SPECIES. THE NEED FOR A RESTORATION PLAN WAS IDENTIFIED THROUGH INCREASED WILDFIRE FREQUENCY (8 IN 27 YRS BURNING 6,300 ACRES), INVASIVE MULE DEER OVERPOPULATION FROM INSUFFICIENT HUNTING AND NO NATURAL PREDATORS, THE CONVERSION OF NATIVE CHAPARRAL SHRUBS (NATURALLY FIRE-RESILIENT) INTO FLAMMABLE INVASIVE GRASSES, AND DOCUMENTED BIODIVERSITY LOSS OF ENDEMIC SPECIES. AN INDEPENDENT STUDY IN 2007 FOUND THAT INVASIVE DEER IS A PRIMARY DRIVER OF VEGETATION LOSS, EROSION, AND WILDFIRE RISK ON CATALINA ISLAND.THE HMNWRC RELEASES CAPTIVE-BRED CONDORS AND MONITORS A FREE-FLYING POPULATION OF AROUND 100 INDIVIDUALS THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGION TO AID IN THE SPECIES RECOVERY. RECEIVING THE DEER FROM CATALINA ISLAND SUPPORTS SEVERAL PRIORITY 1 RECOVERY ACTIONS AND SUB-TASKS (REINTRODUCE CONDORS TO THE WILD: MONITOR FREE-FLYING CONDORS, MINIMIZE MORTALITY FACTORS IN THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT) OF THE CALIFORNIA CONDOR RECOVERY PLAN (USFWS, 1996). PROCURING ANIMAL CARCASSES THAT CAN BE USED TO FEED CONDORS WHILE IN CAPTIVITY PRIOR TO RELEASE, AS WELL AS BAIT TO TRAP CONDORS TO CONDUCT HEALTH CHECKS AND REPLACE OLD TELEMETRY UNITS IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE CCRP. UNFORTUNATELY, DUE TO HIGHLY PATHOGENIC AVIAN INFLUENZA (HPAI DETECTION IN CALIFORNIA COW DAIRIES, THE HMNWRC HAS BEEN UNABLE TO USE STILLBORN CALVES, WHICH WAS A FREE FOOD SOURCE FOR OVER 30 YEARS.THIS PROJECT INTENDS TO RECOVER DEER CARCASSES FROM THE REMOVAL EFFORTS ON CATALINA ISLAND TO PROVIDE AS FOOD BAIT FOR THE CALIFORNIA CONDOR RECOVERY PROGRAM. ACTIVITIES PERFORMED DURING THIS PROJECT INCLUDE 1) SALVAGING DEER FROM THE ERADICATION EFFORTS 2) TESTING DEER FOR CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE 3) PREPARATION AND COLD STORAGE OF DEER CARCASSES 4) TRANSPORTATION OF THE DEER CARCASSES OFF THE ISLAND AND TO THE HOPPER MOUNTAIN NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE COMPLEX. DELIVERABLES WILL INCLUDE 2 OR MORE SHIPMENTS OF SALVAGED DEER CARCASSES TO THE HMNWRC AND THE PURCHASE OF A FREEZER TRAILER FOR STORAGE AND SHIPMENT OF THE CARCASSES.

AS THE LARGEST NATIVE TERRESTRIAL MAMMAL ON THE CHANNEL ISLANDS, THE SANTA CATALINA ISLAND FOX UROCYON LITTORALIS CATALINAE IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO MANY RISKS INCLUDING NOVEL DISEASES AND PREDATORS USFWS 2004 DUE TO A DISEASE OUTBREAK IN THE LATE 1990S THE POPULATION WAS REDUCED TO 100 INDIVIDUALS AFTER YEARS OF RECOVERY EFFORTS, THIS FOX REMAINS A CONSERVATION RELIANT SPECIES SPECIFICALLY, WITH OVER 1 MILLION VISITORS EVERY YEAR, THE RISK OF DISEASE SPREAD AND MORTALITY ASSOCIATED WITH VISITORS INCREASES ANNUALLY, AND IS THE ONLY FEDERALLY LISTED SUBSPECIES SINCE 2005, THE CATALINA ISLAND CONSERVANCY HAS MANAGED AND RUN THE DAILY RECOVERY ACTIVITIES INTERNALLY INCLUDING ISLAND WIDE POPULATION ESTIMATE, VACCINATION PROGRAM, WEEKLY MONITORING OF RADIO COLLARED FOXES, AND PROVIDING VETERINARY TREATMENT TO FOXES INJURED IN THE WILD FOLLOWING THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE EPIDEMIC RESPONSE PLAN FOR CATALINA ISLAND FOXES HUDGENS ET AL 2014 , THE CONSERVANCY ANNUALLY FITS 40 70 UNVACCINATED FOXES WITH COLLARS TO SERVE AS DISEASE SENTINELS THE CONSERVANCY ALSO DEVELOPED NEW THREAT ABATEMENT STRATEGIES, CONDUCTED DISEASE PREVALENCE RESEARCH, CONDUCTED CDV AND RABIES VACCINE TITER PERSISTENCE RESEARCH, AND PROVIDED EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ISLAND RESIDENTS AND VISITORS THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO SUPPORT THE CATALINA ISLAND FOX TELEMETRY AND SENTINEL PROGRAM THAT IS SO CRUCIAL TO DETECTING POPULATION DECLINES AND DISEASE OUTBREAKS QUICKLY FUNDING WILL BE USED TO PURCHASE VHF RADIO COLLARS AND HIRE A FOX TELEMETRY INTERN TO CONDUCT SURVEYS THESE FREQUENT SURVEYS ARE NECESSARY TO ENSURE FOX MORTALITIES ARE DETECTED QUICKLY SO THAT NECROPSIES CAN BE USED TO DETERMINE CAUSE OF DEATH AND DISEASE PRESENCE MORTALITY INFORMATION WILL ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO OUR UNDERSTANDING OF RISK OF EXTINCTION FOR THE CATALINA ISLAND FOX AS WELL AS ALLOW FOR RAPID RESPONSE IN THE CASE OF A DISEASE OUTBREAK

CIC BEN WESTON BLUFF AND RIPARIAN RESTORATION

HABITAT ENHANCEMENT FOR THE ISLAND RUSH ROSE