Strategic Habitat Conservation for Endangered Species:

1. Strategic Habitat Conservation for Endangered Species: Applying an adaptive management framework to lead to the recovery of North Carolina’s rare aquatic species Presented by: Sarah McRae 12 January 2012

2. Presentation Overview • US Fish and Wildlife Service in NC • Strategic Habitat Conservation (SHC) concepts • Recovery Planning using SHC for listed species • Cape Fear shiner • Dwarf wedgemussel • Tar River spinymussel • Future Steps • How YOU can help

3. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Our Mission: Working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.

4. USFWS in North Carolina

5. Ecological Services Program Areas • Endangered Species (listing, candidate conservation, consultation, recovery) • Conservation Planning Assistance (NEPA, FERC, federal permit reviews) • Coastal Program (coastal ecosystem restoration, fish passage, invasive control) • Partners for Fish and Wildlife (habitat restoration/improvement/protection on private lands through partnerships) • Environmental Contaminants (evaluating effects of contaminants for pollution prevention and environmental restoration)

6. USFWS’s Strategic Habitat Conservation Framework • What is SHC? An adaptive resource management framework for making management decisions about where and how to deliver conservation efficiently to achieve specific biological outcomes. Assumption-driven Research

7. Using SHC for Cape Fear shiner

8. Using SHC for Cape Fear shiner BIOLOGICAL PLANNING Upper Cape Fear River basin Priority Stream reaches/patches Cape Fear shiner

9. Biological Planning: Formulating Objectives • Population: What constitutes a robust population? • Densities in optimal habitat patches • Minimum viable population size • Landscape: Where in the Upper Cape Fear River basin will we focus efforts? • Prioritize watersheds to focus conservation actions • Habitat: What are the essential habitat constituents? • Focus on water willow beds – what habitat variables are important for water willow? • How many stream miles need to be occupied?

10. Using SHC for Cape Fear shiner Water Quality studies Captive propagation RESEARCH CFS larva CFS eggs

11. Assumption-driven Research • Summary: http://www.fws.gov/raleigh/species/es_cfshiner_biblio.html • 1971 – Species is described • 1987 – Species is listed • 1997 – USFWS RFO & WRC start funding science needs identified in the Recovery Plan • Habitat requirements (2 studies) • Reproductive behavior (1 study) • Sensitivity to water-borne contaminants (4 studies) • Genetic diversity (4 studies) • Mortality risk due to electroshocking (1 study) • Suitable surrogate species for future water quality studies (1 study) • Population status across the shiner’s historic range (4 studies) • Threats analysis (1 study)

12. Interesting Findings • Overall, CFS populations remain genetically similar. But differences do emerge as the distance between populations increases. • Dams, therefore, remain a threat. • CFS not as sensitive to chemical pollutants as previously thought. • Meeting State water quality standards is primary need.

13. Future Research Priorities • Water Quality tests on all life cycle stages • Establish techniques to assess reintroduction/augmentation success • Quantify water willow distribution and habitat needs • Comparison of Rocky/Deep River habitats vs Haw River habitats and species associates: What are the limiting factors in the Haw? • Emerging threats: • Shale Gas • Invasive species interactions (e.g., cut grass)

14. Using SHC for Cape Fear shiner CONSERVATION DESIGN • Decision Support Tools: • Section 7 Ranges defined • “Canned” GIS project • Expert CFS-SHC team • Programmatic Priorities: • RFO Top Office Priority • WRC “Section 6” priority for species in • Piedmont

15. Needed Conservation Actions CATEGORIES OF ACTION: • Education • Write SHC Plan/Re-write Recovery Plan • Augmentation/Reintroduction • Dam Removals • Instream Flows • Habitat Restoration and Protection • Surveys and Mapping • Policy • Water Quality • Research

16. Possible Programmatic Priorities • Populations: • Upper Rocky River augmentation project • Habitats: • Water willow distribution surveys • Identified threat abatement projects • Landscape: • Lee County Conservation Partnership • Proactive planning in Harnett County

17. Delivery of Conservation Actions • Carbonton Dam Removal Project • Continue to work with partners to achieve conservation: • Utilize WRC’s Green Growth Toolbox throughout region • Utilize Chatham Conservation Partnership for education/outreach opportunities; project ideas and recommendations • NC Wildlife Resources Commission • NC Natural Heritage Program • NC Parks and Recreation • Chatham Conservation Partnership • Triangle Land Conservancy • Haw River Assembly • NC Zoological Park • Conservation Fisheries, Inc. • Citizens

18. Using SHC for Cape Fear shiner OUTCOME-BASED MONITORING • Identify data needs and data collection strategies that will fit into the overall adaptive management scheme • Collaborate with partners to collect information/data • Assess effects of management • Assess agency accomplishments • Assess net progress toward population, landscape and habitat objectives

19. Future Steps for CFS • USFWS has a draft SHC framework report available • Working with WRC on Rocky River augmentation project • Working with SWCD’s along the Deep River to address NPS pollution problems • Exploring dam removal projects to improve connectivity • Expand conservation partnerships to other counties that contain habitat for CFS • Hold additional CFS-SHC team meetings to discuss path forward and assess progress • Ultimate Goal: De-list the CFS!

20. Using SHC for dwarf wedgemussel Utilizing a Structured Decision Making Approach

21. DWM-SHC workshop OBJECTIVES

22. DWM-SHC workshop • Management and Conservation Actions: • Actions that affect habitat, such as, regulation or ordinances, acquisition of land through purchase or easements, restoration, and beaver control. • Actions that directly affect populations, such as, augmentation, reintroduction, or salvage. • Actions that affect public support, such as, outreach or public education.

23. DWM-SHC workshop

24. Future Steps for DWM • Ultimate Goal: Recover DWM in NC! • Developing Models • Life History • Meta-population • Continue to engage • DWM-SHC team • Consider propagation • efforts • Utilize Section 7 process • to benefit species Initial Conceptual Model

25. Using SHC for Tar River spinymussel Diagram from 2010 More on this from Ashton in a minute…

26. Questions? U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service www.fws.gov Raleigh office of USFWS www.fws.gov/raleigh/ Check out our new fact sheets! www.fws.gov/raleigh/es_tes.html Sarah McRae sarah_mcrae@fws.gov; 919-856-4520x16