TAR 4 Habitat Monitoring and Restoration Plan

1.1 PURPOSE OF THE TAR 4 HABITAT MONITORING AND RESTORATION PLAN
The purpose of the TAR 4 Habitat Monitoring and Restoration Plan is to define the methods and procedures to be used for monitoring island night lizard and sage sparrow habitat changes associated with ongoing training at TAR 4, to identify habitat impacts caused by such training, and to schedule and accomplish habitat restoration efforts to offset any such damage that might occur from training activities conducted at TAR 4.

TAR 4 is being constructed to provide the Navy SEAL Team's Special Warfare Group One with a Military Operations on Urban Terrain Facility (MOUT) and a Small Arms Range, to be located at the northern end of San Clemente Island. The MOUT facility will include approximately twenty (20) buildings and paved streets that would be used to simulate urban warfare situations, a range bunker and a range tower. The impact area is approximately 27.4 acres. In addition, a three-acre combination of five pistol and rifle ranges of varying lengths is being constructed on the terrace above the MOUT facility.

Training activities will include the use of live fire weapons, basic demolition training, and over the beach tactical training. Within the MOUT, munitions could be fired in any direction with the use of all types of explosives being used, up to 300 pounds, and small arms up to .50 caliber. The facility will be used approximately 300 days per year, approximately fours hours each use. No off-road vehicle usage is planned.

Two listed species, the San Clemente sage sparrow (Amphispiza belli clementeae) and the Island night lizard (Xantusia riversiana), were addressed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Opinion (1-6-00-F-19). This TAR 4 Habitat Monitoring and Restoration Plan has been developed to comply with Term and Condition One of this Biological opinion.

1.2 BACKGROUND ON THE SAN CLEMENTE SAGE SPARROW
The San Clemente sage sparrow was listed as a threatened species on 11 August 1977 because of its limited distribution and previous habitat destruction by goats and pigs that historically occupied the island. Current threats to the sage sparrow include: small population size and limited distribution; habitat degradation due to exotic plant introduction and proliferation; predation by feral cats; and habitat modification due to fire suppression and human disturbance.

Sage sparrow distribution is currently restricted to three apparently discontinuous locations containing Lycium californica maritime desert scrub. One area is a narrow coastal belt located along the western shore on the lower western marine terraces extending north from Seal Cove. A second smaller area is located four kilometers south of the first area, extending into SHOBA adjacent to Target Area Two. The last area is on the north end of the island, just north of the runway. This is the most disturbed of the three areas and appears to support the smallest number of sparrows.

San Clemente sage sparrows occupy Lycium phase maritime desert scrub habitat during both breeding and non-breeding seasons. Areas most frequently used by sage sparrows include those sections of habitat that have a large abundance of boxthorn (Lycium) shrubs, such as are found on the lower western terraces of the island.

The known distribution of the San Clemente sage sparrow is restricted to the western shore and northern end of the island. Approximately 4% of the sage sparrow population on San Clemente Island is located within the TAR 4 area.

1.3 BACKGROUND ON THE ISLAND NIGHT LIZARD
The island night lizard was listed on 11 August 1977 due to its restricted range and small population size on San Clemente Island. The island night lizard is the most morphologically distinct of the endemic vertebrate species found on the Channel Islands, indicating a long period of isolation from the mainland, most probably occurring during Miocene times.

The most favorable habitat on San Clemente Island that supports high night lizard densities is found on the northwestern tip, the southwest facing coast and on the lowest marine terrace along West Shore Road. This habitat includes scattered rock outcrops with numerous loose boulders, smaller stones, low thickets of shrubbery dominated by Lycium californica and dense low patches of cactus. This provides areas for both the protection from predation and thermo-regulation necessary for the lizard's survival.

In 1997 the Island Night Lizard Management Area (INLMA) was designated along the west shore of San Clemente Island to provide protection to the area of the island where the lizard's most important habitat occurs. Island night lizards are found within the TAR 4 area, though the area has not been repeatedly sampled to determine exact population numbers.

1.4 TERMS AND CONDITIONS
The United States Fish and Wildlife Biological Opinion (1-6-00-F-19) outlines eight terms and conditions that must be met by the Navy to reduce the level of incidental take of San Clemente sage sparrows and island night lizards and to establish reporting and monitoring requirements to assure adequate oversight of any incidental takes or impacts to either of the two listed species. This TAR 4 Habitat Monitoring and Restoration Plan has been developed to ensure adequate reporting and monitoring procedures are established and followed.

Monitoring of the area surrounding the TAR 4 facilities will concentrate on identifying impacts to the Lycium californica maritime desert scrub habitat associated with ongoing training activities. To accomplish this, eight 100 meter long transects will be permanently established adjacent to the TAR 4 area (Figure 1) and monitored on a quarterly basis. Baseline data will be determined through the conduct of a baseline survey immediately upon establishment of the eight transects. Changes in habitat composition will be tracked and any impacts from training activities, such as foot traffic, vehicle incursion, explosives use, etc., will be determined through the monitoring of these transects, the use of photographic records taken from established photo points and from quarterly visual assessments conducted through a walking of the entire TAR 4 perimeter.

Photo points will be established to provide an ongoing record of the condition of the native habitat adjacent to the TAR 4 Training Area. Each transect will have two photo points, one at each end. In addition to these sixteen photo points, two panorama view photo points of the entire TAR 4 site will be established on the hill overlooking the site. Photos will be taken from each point during each quarterly visit.

Visual assessments will be conducted during each quarterly visit and consist of a trained botanist/restoration ecologist walking the perimeter of the TAR 4 site to visually inspect for any incursions into the adjacent native habitat from TAR 4 training activities. All suspected impacts will be noted, mapped and photographed and, along with the results of the transect monitoring and photo point photographs, used to determine if any training impacts have occurred and whether mitigation efforts are necessary.

2.1 BOTANICAL MONITORING
To determine/evaluate Lycium californica maritime desert scrub species cover along the eight transects, the point-intercept transect method will be used. One hundred points will be sampled along the eight permanently established 100-meter (m) transects at 1.0 m intervals starting at 1.0 m and ending at 100 m. A one meter long, 1/4 inch round steel bar is placed vertically at each sampling point, consistently on the same side of the transect line. All live species that come in contact with the bar, or in the case of overhanging vegetation, intercept the upward projection of the bar are counted.

Trees , shrubs and forbs are counted if the bar or its projection fall within the (visually determined) rounded outline of their canopies, even if no plant material is actually intercepted. Linear growth forms, such as annual grasses or protruding branches on shrubs or trees, are counted only if they touch the bar or pass through its vertical projection. If no vascular plants are intercepted at a sample point, it is recorded as "bare." Total cover is based simply on how many points are covered by vascular plants, regardless of the number of plant species overlapping a given point. In other words, total cover is based on how many points are not recorded as bare of vascular plants. Since several plants often overlap a single point, the sum of individual species covers is generally more than the total cover (McClenaghan, et.al. 1997).

Intercepted species are placed in either a "tree" layer (>2.5 m), a "shrub" layer (0.4 - 2.5 m) or a "herb" / "ground" layer (< 0.4 m). An individual plant is assigned to only one layer based on the highest point of the intercepted individual, measured vertically from the ground, not based on the height of the intercepted plant part. Since layer placement is determined by height only, a tree could be placed in the tree, shrub, or herb layers, depending on whether it is mature, a sapling, or a seedling. Similarly, a tall herb or grass could be placed in the shrub or tree layer. If multiple individuals of the same species in the same layer are intercepted at a sample point, all are recorded in the field notes, but only counted as a single hit for that species. If two plants of the same species overlap a point, but in different layers, they are each counted as a hit in their respective layer (McClenaghan, et.al. 1997).

2.2 SPECIES DIVERSITY EVALUATION
Species diversity is an estimate of the number of species present in an area. Species richness shall be determined by direct species counts by walking along the permanent transects and compiling a species list.

2.3 GROUND COVER EVALUATION
Ground cover of rock or mineral soil, litter, non-vascular flora, or live plant stem are recorded at each sample point. Determinations are made independent of the determinations for vascular plants. Hence, a point covered by crypto-biotic crust could be recorded as "bare" with respect to vascular plants (McClenaghan, et.al. 1997).

2.4 SPECIES COVER EVALUATION
Percent cover is determined for a species simply by dividing the number of points covered by that species by the total number of sample points. Total cover is similarly determined. Relative cover for a species is determined by dividing percent cover for a species by the sum of the percent covers for all species (not by total cover).

2.5 IDENTIFYING HABITAT IMPACTS FROM TRAINING ACTIVITIES
Once the eight monitoring transects have been established, initial photographic records of each transect and the respective surrounding areas will be taken to serve as baseline records. During each quarterly monitoring visit, botanical monitoring will be conducted as outlined above. In addition to the quantitative monitoring of each transect, qualitative analysis of the surrounding area to each transect will be conducted through both photography and visual observations, also as described above. Any impact determined to be from training activities will be identified as to type, size and possible impact on habitat and photographs taken.

Not all impacts from training activities will necessitate restoration efforts be initiated. Impacts caused by incidental foot traffic or items such as MRE containers or shell casings that can be removed from the site should not lead to damage levels requiring restoration efforts. Other impacts, such as vehicle tracks, large-scale foot traffic or damage from explosives will undoubtedly require restoration efforts to offset habitat damage.

Once an impact has been identified, a damage report will be initiated by the monitoring team as to type, size, impact and recommended action, if any, to be taken. This report will be forwarded to the Technical Representative at the Natural Resources Office, Navy Region Southwest, for final determination.

Once it has been determined there has been a disturbance outside the permanently marked boundaries of the TAR 4 sites that was caused by TAR 4 training activities and it has impacted the adjacent habitat at a level requiring that restoration efforts be accomplished, two actions are required. First, the impacted area must be restored to its pre-disturbance condition. Second, an off-site area must also be restored within the boundaries of the Island Night Lizard Management Area (INLMA). Off-site mitigation will occur at a 2:1 ratio. This section will outline the procedures that must be accomplished to ensure successful restoration efforts are conducted for both the on site impacted area and the mitigation site located in the INLMA (Figure 2).

Since impacts caused by training activities can occur at various sizes, ranging from several square feet to several acres, restoration efforts should be tied to a minimum size threshold for cost efficiency. Thus, mitigation of impacts adjacent to the TAR 4 training area will be addressed as a group on an annual basis. Restoration efforts are normally accomplished during the wet season, i.e., winter and early spring months, to take advantage of natural precipitation, therefore, restoration efforts should be accomplished on an annual vice an on-going basis. Thus, though impacts may occur and be identified any time during a calendar year, restoration efforts will only be accomplished during the late winter/early spring months.

Each year, in the annual report due 31 July to Navy Region Southwest, the contractor will recommend corrective measures needed to restore any impacts that have occurred

Figure 2. Location of possible restoration sites in the
Island Night Lizard Management Area (INLMA).

during the previous year to the native habitat immediately adjacent to the TAR 4 training area. These impacts will be restored, regardless of their combined size, on a yearly basis in accordance with the methods and procedures outlined below. Off-site mitigation for these impacts, to occur in the INLMA, will only be scheduled for accomplishment once a minimum threshold size of one-half acre, at 2:1 ratio, has been reached. Restoration will then be accomplished, during the late winter/early spring months, in accordance with the methods and procedures outlined below.

3.1 ONGOING RESTORATION ACTIVITIES
To ensure that impacts caused by TAR 4 training activities outside the permanently marked boundaries can be quickly and successfully restored, certain actions need to occur on a regular, ongoing basis to provide the means by which restoration efforts can be accomplished. These actions include an ongoing seed collection program to ensure a store of native seed is available; and an ongoing native seedling growing program to ensure that enough seedlings, both in number and diversity, are available for restoration efforts as they become necessary.

3.1.1 Seed Collection
On-site seed collection shall begin as soon as this Restoration Plan become effective and continue on an ongoing basis. Generally, it has been concluded that seed selected from areas ecologically similar to a restoration site will perform best. This usually means sites located as close as possible to the restoration area. However, seed from more distant sites may be acceptable if it has a much higher pure live seed count per pound and, therefore, has a higher chance for successful establishment at a site. By collecting from various sites, this ensures seed collecting activities do not impact natural recruitment at any one site and also genetic variability is maintained.

Seed collection will be conducted throughout the year as mature seed becomes available. Seed will be collected from the species listed in Table 1 and maintained at the San Clemente Island Native Plant Nursery. After an initial collection period of two years, a minimum of 2-3 pounds of raw seed per species should be available on a continual basis for use in both direct seeding efforts and native seedling germination.

3.1.2 Seedling Germination
The seed collected during the above described operation will also be used for the germination of a number of native seedlings that can be used for transplanting during restoration efforts, both on-site and off-site. Seedlings from the species listed in Table 1 will be maintained on an ongoing basis at the San Clemente Island Native Plant Nursery at numbers capable of restoring up to one acre of disturbed land each year. This means approximately 400-500 individual plants, with 40-50 individuals per species, for those species listed in Table 1.

3.2 REVIEW OF RESTORATION METHODS AND PROCEDURES
A variety of methods can be used for the reintroduction of maritime desert scrub Lycium phase habitat or aide in its establishment. These methods and procedures cover such phases of restoration as pre-implementation activities, site preparation, propagation methods, planting procedures, maintenance and monitoring. This section will provide guidelines for the restoration of maritime desert scrub Lycium phase habitat in response to damage related to TAR 4 training activities.

3.2.1 Site Preparation Methods
Soil compaction and competition from non-native weed species are the two most important problems limiting the re-establishment of maritime desert scrub Lycium phase species on a disturbed site. Pre-planting site preparation is probably the most important phase of any restoration effort. The exotic plant species problem is complicated by the role of nitrogen deposition and the characteristics that have allowed them to compete

Scientific Name

Common Name

Container

Seed

Atriplex californica
Bergerocactus emoryi
Coreopsis gigantea
Eriogonum giganteum
Eriogonum grande
Frankenia salina
Hemizonia clementina
Isomeris arborea
Lavatera assurgentiflora
Lotus argophyllus
Lycium brevipipes
Lycium californicum
Rhus integrifolia

California saltbush
Velvet cactus
Giant coreopsis
S.C. Island Buckwheat
Island Buckwheat
Alkali heath
Island tarplant
Goldenbush
Island mallow
S.C. Island birdfoot
Boxthorn
Boxthorn
Lemonadeberry

X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

X
X

X
X
X
X

X
X

successfully with natives. However, if soil compaction and weed cover problems are not corrected before planting takes place, restoration efforts may fail outright or be only partially successful, no matter how much is later spent on remedial measures. For weed eradication/control (especially non-native grasses) it appears multiple year treatments are required to sufficiently rid a site of weed seed to allow for the establishment of native species. Otherwise, research has shown, non-native grass seedlings may out-compete maritime desert scrub seedlings for moisture, thereby retarding their germination and establishment. The following methods have been used in the past to alleviate these problems at restoration sites prior to the reintroduction of native propagules.

Ripping
This technique uses either a plow or a ripping fork drawn by tractor to open up compacted soils. Its use is somewhat limited in heavier or high cobble soils or with thin soils such as are found on much of San Clemente Island. It also should not be used on slopes steeper than about 2:1 because of the need to use a tractor. The ripping fork is usually preferred for restoration purposes because it does not bring sub-soils to the surface as does the plough. However, any soil disturbance encourages the germination of new weeds, so additional weed control measures are often needed when ripping is used. Since the majority of San Clemente Island has experienced extensive soil runoff and the remaining soil is normally only a thin layer on top of bedrock, the use of ripping as a site preparation method on San Clemente Island will be limited to those few areas where the soil has any depth.

Herbicide Treatments
Various herbicides are available which can be applied to eradicate either all species on a site or specifically monocot or dicot species prior to planting. Broad-spectrum products kill all vegetation cover (native or non-native) while spot hand application is used to eradicate smaller populations of undesirable species within larger native cover areas. Repeat applications are usually required to achieve weed control because of the residual seed bank and differing phenologies of weed species.

Care must be taken in the use of herbicides to limit their use to the species and areas designated for control. All pesticides specify in their labeling information on the correct application formulations of these products and the species for which they are registered for use. Spray drift is the most common cause of problems with herbicide use. Best Management Practices for herbicide use require that spray herbicides not be applied at periods when wind drift might cause damage to adjacent non-target vegetation. For this reason, the best time to apply such herbicides is in the early morning hours before the wind picks up for the day. Due to varying wind conditions, it should not be assumed that herbicides can be safely applied throughout a normal work day. If wind exceeds 15 miles per hour, it is important that the operator stop use immediately.
Finally, although there has been concern about the residual effects of herbicides on the germination or growth of subsequent restoration plantings, field experience to date does not appear to indicate that either broad spectrum or monocot-specific herbicides inhibit the establishment of container plants or seedlings after their use. Nevertheless, it is a good practice to avoid seeding areas immediately after herbicide application, allowing 2-3 weeks or more after weed kill before seeding takes place. There may be some growth inhibitory effects on newly established native seedlings (not container plants) if pre-emergent herbicides are used too early in their growth cycle.

Burning
Burning on disturbed sites intended for restoration can be very helpful in removing non-native grass and herbaceous thatch from a site which may prevent the germination of new native seedlings or prevent contact of herbicides with new seedling leaves. It can also kill some existing weed seed in the process. If done during the hot, late summer months, fire temperatures may be sufficient to kill annual non-native grass seed, although the kill will never be complete. Intentional burning must be carefully monitored so that it does not spread to unwanted areas, including adjacent native cover. Burning sites, surrounded by existing maritime desert scrub habitat, is sometimes problematic because burning can open up such areas to weed invasion.

If prescribed burning is used, the timing of the burning should be considered. If burning a largely non-native grassland area, the burn should be timed before the seed set or dispersal of the dominant weedy species (typically April-June). Late spring burns (conducted after seed set and dispersal of most species, but prior to other seed dispersal) appear to provide significant thatch reduction and selectively kill seeds not yet dispersed. The disadvantages of late-spring burning include more intense fire behavior and the need for fire suppression equipment during the wildfire season.

Other issues to consider when planning a prescribed burn are the native areas and/or endangered or threatened species adjacent to the proposed prescribed burn areas. These areas should be identified in the burn prescription used by the Fire Department and identified in the field by flagging or other marking techniques. Mowing and/or the establishment of firebreaks (especially adjacent to existing native cover) are recommended to prevent burns into adjacent native areas.

3.2.2 Propagule Introduction Methods
Once site preparation is complete, a variety of methods are used to reintroduce native propagules to a site. Besides the ones discussed below, natural seed invasion by wind and animal vectors will play a role if established maritime desert scrub communities exist along the borders of the restoration site. On the other hand, renewed weed seed invasion is likely if a site is bordered by non-native species with wind born seed. Seed reintroduction and seedling transplanting should be used in combination to provide both variety in vegetation structure and to be the most cost efficient. Refer to Table 1 for examples of both seed and container plant restoration plant species for maritime desert scrub Lycium phase plant communities.

Hand Seeding (Broadcasting)
Hand seeding involves the sowing of native seed over a site by hand seed. Seed should be applied in double passes over a site to assure more even distribution. The advantage of this approach is that it places seed on the ground without any cover in as close to a natural process as possible. It is helpful, however, on smaller sites, to hand rake the seed into the soil surface to provide positive soil contact. One disadvantage of hand surface seeding is that animal vectors (birds, in particular) can invade a site and eat sown seed before it can germinate. For this reason, the best time to hand seed is just before winter rains begin, either late Fall or early Winter. The seed mix will depend on seed availability each year, but on average, approximately 18-20 pounds per acre should be used for broadcast seeding.

Container Planting
The use of container plants to introduce maritime desert scrub propagules to a site has several advantages. First, it allows a much higher degree of control over where species establish and their composition. Secondly, it usually allows quicker development of cover. Thirdly, it often fosters native species reestablishment in non-native areas where they would have difficulty succeeding from seed. Finally, container planting allows the introduction of certain woody species to sites whose seed scarification or stratification requirements limit or prevent their establishment from seed.

Container plants can be grown in a variety of containers. Containers that emphasize root development over shoot development are best for native plant seedlings. Plant bands provide the necessary root growth needed for native seedlings to be able to survive with little maintenance once they have been out-planted. Smaller sized seedlings will be grown in 2"x2"x8" bands while larger shrubs will be grown in 3"x3"x10" bands. Additionally, to provide architectural variety, the use of 4" and 6" diameter half-high PVC containers, with 12" and 15" depths respectively, will also be used occasionally. The relatively large root area of these containers will give the shrubs and trees a competitive advantage over exotic weeds and enhance initial growth. Native grasses will be grown in 6" deep super-cells, or similar sized containers, to provide large quantities of grass plugs to be out-planted. Proper hardening off of container plantings is important to survival in the field. Hardening off involves making sure that nursery-grown plants are exposed to full sun conditions for at least one month prior to out-planting at a restoration site.

3.2.3 Nutrient Management
Soil Amendments
Fertilization is the introduction of additional plant nutrients, normally in the form of mulch or other highly recalcitrant matter, to a restoration site to supplement those already present. If nutrients are lacking on a site (e.g., where mainly sub-soils exist), a common situation on San Clemente Island, the addition of supplemental nutrients may be required to allow native plantings to establish. Under natural conditions, nutrient poor soils, such as those found throughout most of San Clemente Island, can provide a competitive advantage to native species over the non-native weed species and “improper” fertilizer applications could promote the abundance of non-native weed species to the detriment of the maritime desert scrub plants.

To ensure that excessive nutrients are not added to the soil, to the advantage of exotic species, soil analyses will be conducted at each selected restoration site prior to any implementation activity being conducted and compared to a selected undisturbed reference site. Once this has been accomplished, a determination will be made as to what, if any, soil amendments are to be added to manipulate the soil chemistry at the restoration site. Soil amendments that may be used include wood chips, bark, weed-free straw or sawdust.

Mycorrhizal Inoculation
Mycorrhizal fungi are present in most native plant community soils. However, though most maritime desert scrub species are facultative users of mycorrhizal fungi and do not require their presence to establish, initial growth can be substantially stunted without the presence of mycorrhizal fungi in the soil. These fungi grow into the root tip cells of the plants and form a symbiotic relationship with them which allows the fungi to obtain some of its nutrient needs from the plant and helps the plant obtain some of its nutrient needs, such as phosphorus, from the soil. In general, native mycorrhizal populations are eliminated from highly disturbed sites through the removal of topsoil by erosion and by other anthropogenic disturbances such as compaction and vegetation removal.

The inoculation of maritime desert scrub restoration sites with non-site specific mycorrhizal inoculum, i.e. commercially acquired, is not recommended on San Clemente Island. To ensure that no exotic mycorrhizal fungi species are introduced to the island, it is recommended that only site specific inoculum be used for all restoration efforts. This entails the placing of a small amount of soil, taken from an adjacent undisturbed area near the restoration site, into the planting hole just prior to out-planting nursery-grown seedlings. As the roots grown down, they will pass through the soil, which will have native mycorrhizal spores, and become inoculated. The fungi will then spread naturally through the soil. A second option is the use of small amounts of undisturbed soil mixed in with the planting mix as the seedlings are germinated and grown in the nursery. This will allow the seedlings to be inoculated prior to out-planting. If direct seeding is used, mixing undisturbed soil into the seed mix prior to distribution will provide the seeded site with native mycorrhizal spores that will then germinate and become attached to the newly germinated seedlings.

3.2.4 Plant Establishment
Irrigation
The availability of sufficient moisture for plant growth is critical for plant establishment and survival. This need is always most crucial at the seedling germination and establishment phase for seeding efforts and is equally critical to transitioning container plantings from nursery to long-term field conditions. Because San Clemente Island experiences sporadic rainfall events during the winter growing season, and because low rainfall years are not uncommon, supplemental irrigation will be necessary to support plant establishment until root systems are sufficiently developed to survive under natural rainfall regimes. Maritime desert scrub plantings should be able to transition to a natural precipitation regime after one or, at most, two years of supplementary irrigation. When supplemental irrigation is no longer needed the irrigation system and all related components will be removed from the restoration site.

The on-site restoration sites located directly adjacent to the TAR 4 facilities will most probably be fairly small in nature and close to a water source. These restoration sites will be hand-watered following the regime outlined in the Maintenance section of this Plan. The restoration sites that will be established within the INLMA will also most probably be watered using the same method as the on-site efforts, but since these sites may be harder to reach than the on-site efforts, alternative irrigation methods will also be used. Alternative irrigation methods may range from simple hand watering to the use of experimental fog catchers or the use of low-fired clay pots to provide a long term water supply.

The maintenance program for each restoration site will continue for five years after completion of implementation or until the project is given final approval by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Contractor personnel will visit the site a minimum of four times a year (on a quarterly basis) for evaluation and/or actual maintenance activities. During each site visit, the Contractor will stay at the site a sufficient amount of time to complete the responsibilities specified in this section.

4.1 SUPPLEMENTAL IRRIGATION
Supplemental irrigation shall be conducted on a monthly basis for the first year after planting, discontinued during the wet winter months unless determined to be a drier than normal year, and monthly during the second summer. Commencing with the second winter, supplemental irrigation will not be conducted except under extreme circumstances and in consultation with Southwest Division Natural Resources personnel. Approximately one gallon of supplemental water will be provided each transplanted seedling per visit.

Supplemental watering will normally be discontinued at the end of the second year after planting/seeding to ensure the maritime desert scrub species become established with natural precipitation. If applicable, all irrigation material will be removed from the restoration site at this time.

4.2 WEED CONTROL
Weed removal will require constant diligence. The crucial period for weed control will be the first two years after project establishment. Hand pulling and spot herbicide spraying will be used to control non-native species. All hand pulled invasive exotic weed debris will be disposed of off-site.

Appendix A (need list from JD) contains a modified list of Exotic Pest Plants of Greatest Ecological Concern in California that are of concern on San Clemente Island. Contractor personnel will ensure the relative cover of each exotic species shall not exceed an absolute value of five percent or that present in the reference site, whichever is greater (refer to performance standards listed in Table 2).

Hopefully weed seed has been significantly reduced in the soil bank before planting, but weeds will still need to be controlled afterwards, particularly during the early stages of native plant establishment. Hand weeding and selective herbicide applications are used to achieve this purpose. Herbicides can be useful in certain situations, even after a site has been planted. For example, if there are few native monocots on a site, the use of a monocot specific herbicide may significantly decrease competition from non-native annual grass species. Likewise, pre-emergent herbicides can be used after initial perennial plantings have established to eliminate regenerating annual weed species. The use of pre-emergent herbicides will be determined on a case by case basis depending on the actual restoration site selection.

Hand weeding, focused on the most competitive and controllable species or areas of a project, will be the technique of choice for weed removal on restoration projects after planting has been completed. This approach will be timed for the removal of exotic species before they flower and set seed to prevent the soil seed bank from continuing to increase. During weeding, care will be taken to ensure that: a) maintenance personnel do not remove desirable native seedlings, b) as little trampling of native seedlings takes place as possible, c) pulled weeds are removed from the site before they set seed, and d) as little of the soil surface is disturbed as possible during weeding efforts (since disturbed soils promote additional weed invasion).

It is important to focus weeding efforts at the time of year and on the areas which will benefit most. The highest priority for weeding will be placed during the early spring months, prior to when most annual weed seeds germinate. These weeds will be removed before they flower and set seed. Also, focused weeding around either container plantings or larger seedlings will give priority to the largest and fastest growing plants most likely to succeed.

Weeding shall occur, at a minimum, on a quarterly basis during the first two years after planting/seeding to ensure competition is held to a minimum. Commencing with the third year after planting, weeding shall be conducted on an as needed basis through the remainder of the maintenance period.

5.1 MONITORING AND REPORTING SCHEDULES
Monitoring for each restoration effort will begin with the completion of the implementation activities and continue through the end of the 5-Year Monitoring Program. Monitoring may be extended longer by Navy Region Southwest Natural Resources personnel if a site fails to meet the project success standards identified in Table 2. Monitoring results will be reported in an annual report due to Natural Resources Office, Southwest Division, no later than 31 July. Monitoring results, analysis of restoration progress and recommendations for the upcoming year will be included in each report.

5.2 MONITORING PROCEDURES
Botanical monitoring shall focus on quantitatively measuring the cover development of restoration plantings and will be conducted annually in the spring (April-May) at the peak of the growing season. At the end of the first spring after installation, a visual field assessment of maritime desert scrub seedling cover will be made by the Contractor to determine whether remedial seeding or additional weed eradication should be implemented the first fall/winter after planting. Formal quantitative vegetation cover monitoring will begin at the end of the first spring after initial planting and continue for five years.

Absolute density, absolute cover, and overall diversity of native and non-native plant species for each restoration effort will be monitored. This will be done through the use of random quadrat sampling and general diversity surveys. In order to compare restoration success over time to undisturbed maritime desert scrub, a reference area will be identified within the INLMA adjacent to each restoration site. The overall objective for each restoration effort is to have the undisturbed habitat composition represented successfully by the end of a five-year monitoring period. Over each year, as the native transplants grow and reproduce and non-native plant species are eradicated, it is expected that the density and cover values for the restoration site should approach those for the reference site. Therefore the same monitoring protocol will be applied to the reference and restoration sites.

General diversity surveying will be completed within the reference and restoration sites before any other data collection commences. A general plant list will be completed at this time for each site through a thorough walk-through of the site and any unknown plant species identified using a dichotomous key if possible. Becoming familiar with the plant species will facilitate the quadrat sampling protocol described below.

For every one-half acre site, ten randomly placed 1 m² quadrats (divided into 25 equal subsections with string so that each subsection represents 4 percent cover) and ten randomly placed 50 cm² quadrats (divided into 25 equal subsections with string) will provide the ability to analyze the necessary data. Standing near the center of the restoration site, a light object (tied with colored flagging to facilitate locating) will be tossed over the head. If it lands within the restoration site a quadrat will be centered over the object for data collection (the quadrat is placed so that the corners mimic the four compass directions). The subsequent quadrat will then be centered over the object that is tossed from the location of the first. This can be repeated until all twenty quadrat analyses have been completed. While the order in which the quadrat sampling (1 m² versus 50 cm² quadrat) is completed is not important, consistency is. Choose to either complete one or the other first or alternate between the two sizes.

Absolute density values are obtained using the 50 cm² quadrat. Each plant species with its base located within the quadrat is recorded so that a list of plants with total numbers for each species is generated. This list should be divided into two vegetation layers based on the height of the plant: herb (0.0-0.4 meters) or shrub (0.4-above). Absolute density expressed as the number of plants per acre is calculated for each plant species within each vegetation layer and for the layers combined.

Absolute cover values are obtained using the 1 m² quadrat. Each plant species with its base located within the quadrat is recorded. A cover percentage is assigned to each species using the subsections (each representing four percent cover) to aid in the estimate. Again, the values are divided into two vegetation layers (herb and shrub) based on the height of the plant using the same values described above. Absolute cover for each species is determined by averaging the estimated percent covers within each vegetation layer and for the layers combined.

As mentioned, the above procedures are established for a one-half acre site. For larger restoration efforts, the procedures (i.e. number of quadrats) will be adjusted to provide similar coverage. For any restoration efforts that are less than one-half acre in size, as many of the TAR 4 on-site restoration efforts might possibly be, the number of quadrats will be adjusted downward.

5.3 PHOTOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTATION
The Contractor shall document teach restoration effort utilizing photographic monitoring. The purpose of the photographic monitoring is to provide Navy Region Southwest with a clear understanding of the restoration efforts and success. Photographs should be taken from a variety of different perspectives to create a clear picture of the effort. A minimum of three (3), 35 millimeter, color, print photographs shall be taken of the following activities

5.4 SUCCESS CRITERIA
Table 2 provides the project success standards to be met for each restoration site.
If the site fails to meet the annual project success standards, the contractor will implement remedial measures to ensure the restoration site will meet or exceed the project success standards the following year.

Table 2.
Performance standards for desert maritime scrub restoration on San Clemente Island

	Year 1****	Year 2****	Year 3****	Year 4****	Year 5****	Year 6****
Percent cover* Species richness* Weed control***	--- --- ---	15% 35% 10%	25% 50% 10%	45% 60% 10%	60% 70% 10%	70% 80% 10%

* Percent of desert maritime scrub species on average for the entire restoration site. Percentages are relative to the native species composition within the reference site. The percent cover of desert maritime scrub on the reference site shall not exceed 70%. For example, if a reference site had 60% total native cover, after five years of monitoring the restoration site must reach 75% of 60%, or 45% total native cover. If a reference site had 80% total native cover, after five years of monitoring the restoration site must reach 75% of 70%, or 52.5% total native cover.

** As compared with the reference site. Overall native desert maritime scrub and herbaceous species richness shall be based on the entire restoration site.

*** Percent cover of weeds shall not exceed an absolute value of 10% or that present in the reference site, whichever is greater.

**** If the site fails to meet the annual project success standards, the contractor will implement remedial measures to ensure the
restoration site will meet or exceed the project success standards the following year.

5.5 CONTINGENCY MEASURES
5.5.1 Additional Species to Meet Final Success Criteria Standards
Additional species may either be planted or appear as volunteers in order to meet final restoration species diversity success standards. However, it is likely that additional species introduction will be required to meet these success standards at most sites. These plantings should be implemented at the restoration site after dominant species cover is achieved and initial non-native grass species come under control. This will be the best time to replant native monocot species, as well as additional dicots. Reintroduced species should be tailored to each individual restoration site. Species introduced to the restoration site should either be found naturally on or adjacent to the restoration site or at the reference site. Other species may be approved by the Navy Region Southwest representative. All species introduced should occur naturally on the island and have been recorded at the reference site.

5.5.2 Other On-Site Remedial Treatments to Achieve Success
Based on field results, other measures may be recommended by the Contractor to meet the project success standards identified in Table 2. These include fertilization, herbicide treatment, mowing, and additional site decompaction. These measures shall be discussed in the annual project report to Navy Region Southwest for implementation
during the next growing season.

5.5.3 Other Remedial and Contingency Measures
If the restoration site is failing to meet the project success standards identified in Table 2, there are several alternatives to meet the mitigation requirement that can be selected. Remedial measures can continue to be employed and the monitoring period extended to determine if the remedial measures are benefiting the site and the site is meeting the project success standards. Alternatively, a new restoration site can be selected for maritime desert scrub restoration. The site would be required to follow the same maintenance and monitoring guidelines mentioned above and to meet the performance criteria identified in Table 2. The decision to discontinue restoration at the original site shall be based on annual review of the project progress reports by the Navy Region Southwest personnel.

Annually, by 31 July, the Contractor will provide a formal report on the results of all monitoring activities that have been accomplished during the previous year and the status of all active restoration projects. The annual progress report will be forwarded by the Natural Resource Office, Navy Region Southwest, to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in accordance with the Biological Opinion for the TAR 4 project. The annual report will review project progress to date based on a comparison of annual success standards with the results of the botanical, photographic and visual monitoring efforts. Remedial measures will be recommended, when appropriate, for implementation the following planting season if success standards are not met. The report will also contain a listing of all training related impacts that have been identified during the past year as a result of transect monitoring, photographic monitoring and visual inspections conducted. Recommendations as to the restoration efforts that will need to be accomplished during the upcoming rainy season will also be included.