Project Title: BirdNestingIslandsYosemite Slough at
Candlestick Point SRA Restoration
Amount of NAWCA
funding requested:$75,000
Project Location:San Francisco County, California
Congressional District:8th
Applicant Organization:California State Parks Foundation
Address:800 College Avenue
POBOX 548
Kentfield, CA94914
Project Officer: Barbara Hill
Telephone Number: (415) 258-2662
Facsimile Number: (415) 258-9930
Electronic Mail Address:
Date Submitted:November 30, 2007
II. Summary Table
See Attached.
III A. Project Description and Scope of Work
During the past 150 years, the San FranciscoBay’s historic tidal marsh system has been dramatically reduced, severely impacting avian and aquatic wildlife and altering the natural ecological functions of San FranciscoBay. Industrial pollution has also taken a significant toll on the environment, including important wetlands habitat located within Candlestick Point State Recreation Area (Candlestick), California’s first urban state park. Historically part of the biologically rich tidal marshes and mudflats of San FranciscoBay, filling of the land at Candlestick began in the 1880s and intensified at the beginning of World War II when the U.S. Navy created the Naval Shipyard. After the Navy left, the area was used as an illegal dumping site. In 1973, the California Legislature set aside $10 million to purchase the land and in 1977, voted to develop the land as a state recreation area—California’s first urban state park unit. Due to State budget cuts, State Parks has not been able to clean up and develop the northern end of the park including important pacific flyway wetlands habitat located in the Yosemite Slough. This area still suffers from years of landfill, soil erosion, industrial contamination, non-point source pollution, wastewater overflows, and illegal dumping. These largely unchecked influences have negatively impacted the remaining habitat and wildlife. California State Parks in partnership with the California State Parks Foundation (CSPF) is committed to implementing the Yosemite Slough Restoration Plan, which will restore 12 acres of historic bay fill to functioning tidal marsh. In addition, the project will create upland buffers, two bird nesting islands, and a portion of the Bay Trail. The remainder of the 34 acre project site will be maintained as passive recreational and educational areas. The NAWCA funds will contribute to creating the two bird nesting islands at 2.06 acres within the Slough.
The restoration site will be contiguous with the existing tidal wetlands thereby increasing the area and the value of this wetland habitat. The wetland habitat created on the site will expand wetland habitat for wildlife and increase the supply of macro-and micro-invertebrates that can be utilized as food by birds. This area is part of the Pacific Flyway and serves as important foraging habitat for migrating and wintering shorebirds. According to a wildlife study of Yosemite Slough conducted by Golden Gate Audubon and the University of San Francisco between January 2003 and April 2004, a total of 148 species inhabit the Yosemite Slough watershed, including 118 bird species. On any given day, it is possible to see more than 2,300 birds at the site, including uncommon Bay Area bird species such as the red-throated loon (Gavia stellata), red-necked grebe (Podiceps grisegena), white-winged scoter (Melanittafusca), black oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani), solitary sandpiper (Tringa solitaria), wandering tattler (Heteroscelus incanus), and spotted sandpiper (Actitismacularia).
A significant feature is the creation of two isolated bird nesting islands and nursery areas for fish and benthic organisms as well as transitional and upland areas to buffer sensitive habitats. The project meets the San Francisco Bay Joint Venture’s plan to protect, restore, increase and enhance all types of wetlands, riparian habitat and associated uplands throughout the San FranciscoBay region to benefit birds, fish and other wildlife.
The State Coastal Conservancy and Regional Water Quality Control Board are lead partners on this project. Significant funding has been provided by the state Wildlife Conservation Board as well. Since the inception of the project, we have been working closely with California State Parks to implement the project. The plan was developed based on two years of intensive environmental and soil assessments, as well as community input. It offers the most comprehensive restoration, recreational, and educational opportunities for this area. In summer 2007, we received our permit from the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board. Additional permits from theArmy Corps of Engineers and the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission are expected by January 2008.
Although the restoration of Yosemite Slough could occur in one phase over the course of 24months, we have broken it down into three sections—the South Area, Northeast Area, and Northwest Area—that can be restored simultaneously or one-by-one in 12-24 month phases depending on the availability of funding. The timeline for the NAWCA funds will take place between 2008 and 2010. The Northern Area Restoration efforts, which include the first bird nesting island, will begin in spring 2008. The second bird nesting island will be completed by 2010, once the southern area restoration gets underway.
The Yosemite Slough Restoration project will be evaluated through a set of performance standards that will focus on the establishment of wetlands and uplands native vegetation, creation of tidally inundated habitats, and use of the site by migratory and native fish, as well as wildlife species. The technical specifications are varied, but range from percent vegetative cover to number and diversity of nesting birds. The performance standards for the restoration project will be set by the resource agencies and developed as part of the permitting package.
The overall project objectives for the Restoration project include restoring habitat diversity by re-establishing tidal flats and marsh in areas of upland fill.The objective for the NAWCA project is to create two sandy nesting islands (0.71 acres) & (1.34 acres) to protect nesting and migratory birds from human disturbance and feral cats and dogs. These islands will be good habitat for plovers, curlews, sandpipers and the California clapper rail. One island is being specifically created for special status species.
B. Partners:
Letters demonstrating project support attached. Specific partnership letters will follow under separate cover.
CA State Parks Foundation, applicant and lead agency
CA State Parks Dept., landowner & construction manager
California Coastal Conservancy: major funder and planner. NAWCA Match $622,839
Richard & Rhoda Goldman Foundation, major funder. NAWCA Match $622,839
IV. Maps of Project Area
V. Yosemite Slough at CandlestickPointState Recreation Area
VI. Budget
Category / NAWCA Grant Funds / Coastal Conservancy / Richard & Rhoda Goldman Fund / Expense Per CategorySand/shell nesting island fill (1,200 cy x $65) (NE) / $75,000 / $1,500 / $1,500 / $78,000
Excavation & haul to reuse or bioremediate 66,800 cy x $10 (NE) / $334,000 / $334,000 / $668,000
Excavation & haul to reuse 27,300 cy x $10 (Southeast) / $136,500 / $136,500 / $273,000
Plantings / $6,589 / $6,589 / $13,178
Island slope protection 1 / $144,250 / $144,250 / $288,500
Total Budget Costs / $1,320,678
Budget notes:
1. rocks to prevent soil erosion around islands
VII. Small Grants Evaluation Questions
A. Partnerships
The California State Parks Foundation has been collaborating with numerous partners, both private and public, to fund and support the Yosemite Slough Restoration project. This will be the California State Parks Foundation’s first NAWCA grant. The California State Parks Foundation has raised funds from public and private sources totaling$1,245,678 for the NestingIslands. Significant private donations have been secured, and we expect more to be forthcoming for the remainder of the restoration project. The State Parks Foundation Board has identified this project as a priority for us and is actively engaged in the fundraising effort.
The San Francisco Bay is managed by multiple agencies, both private and public including the City and County of San Francisco, the San Francisco Department of Parks and Recreation, California State Parks, San Francisco International Airport (SFO), California Department of Fish and Game, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency, the Port of San Francisco, the Regional Water Quality Control Board and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. The California State Parks Foundation has been in communication and collaboration with many of these agencies for the Yosemite Slough Restoration project. In addition to having the support of these agencies, residents from the local Bayview Hunters Point community have been involved in its development through public meetings and outreach both by the Foundation and the Bay Youth for the Environment program. Other supporters of the project include ARC Ecology, Golden Gate Audubon, Bayview Hunters Point Community Advocates, and Literacy for Environmental Justice. By working in partnership, these many agencies can address and restore the overall health of San FranciscoBay, improving quality of life for all its inhabitants.Funding partners for the nesting islands include the California Coastal Conservancy and the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund.
B. Waterfowl
Priority waterfowl species spotted within the project area and that will benefit from the enhanced and protected wetlands include:
Red-breasted merganser, Greater scaup, Lesserscaup, Ruddy Duck, Surf scoter, White-winged scoter, Bufflehead, Mallard, Northern shoveler, Cinnamon teal, Pintail, Canvasback, Common goldeneye, Harlequin Duck, and Long-tailed duck. The island will be far enough removed from the shore to keep all birds safe from feral animals and visitors.
C. Nongame and Other Migratory Birds
The design for the proposed project more than doubles the area of tidally influenced wetlands and provides for two isolated bird nesting islands including one designed specifically for special status species, which will improve local foraging and roosting habitat for migratory and resident birds. One of the nesting islands along the Pacific Flyway will be created specifically for the Snowy plover and Double-crested Cormorants.
Priority nongame and other migratory bird species spotted within the project area and will benefit from the enhanced and protected wetlands include:
Loons and Grebes(Common loon, Red-throated loon, Western grebe, Clark’s grebe, & Red-necked grebe), Cormorants and water birds (Double-crested cormorant, Brant’s cormorant, Brown pelican, & White pelican), Gulls and terns (Thayer’s gull, California gull, Western gull, & Elegant tern), Raptors (Northern Harrier, Red-tailed hawk, Osprey, Cooper’s Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Peregrine Falcon, Burrowing owl, & Short-eared owl), Shorebirds (Black oystercatcher, Wandering tattler, Western sandpiper, Solitary sandpiper, Dunlin, Black-bellied Plover, American Avocet, Black-necked stilt, Willet, Whimbrel, Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, Black Turnstone, & Short-billed Dowitcher), Other (Bank swallow, White crowned sparrow, Western meadowlark, House finch, European Starling, Say’s phoebe, Ash throated flycatcher, Western kingbird, White breasted nuthatch, Orange crowned warbler, Wilson warbler, Yellow warbler, Western tanager, Yellowthroat, White-throated swift, Horned Lark, Tree swall, Rock wren, Blue gray gnatcatcher, Loggerhead shrike, Huttons vireo, Hermit thrush, Tripical kingbird, Golden-crowned kinglet, Clay colored sparrow, Lark sparrow, Lincoln’s sparrow, White throated sparrow, Tree swallow, Violet-green swallow, Chipping sparrow, boblink, Baltimore oriole, Townsend’s warbler, Palm warbler, Pine siskin, & Dark eyed Junco).
D. Wetlands Types
The Yosemite Slough Nesting Island Restoration covers 2.06 acres within a 34 acre wetland restoration area project. Yosemite Slough is an Estuarine Intertidal Wetland.
E. Endangered Species
The federal and state endangered California brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentaliscalifornicus) forage within the sub tidal areas of Yosemite Slough. The Yosemite Slough nesting area will be a safe habitat for this species.
F. Special Considerations
The project is designed to vastly reduce exposure to these hazardous and life-threatening materials and wildlife will no longer be exposed to these contaminants.
The project has multiple and long-lasting benefits. During extreme tides and storm events sediment in the watershed is stirred up and contaminants are released into the environment. At present the area is uplands and not functionally tidal. Whenever these uplands are opened by natural weather conditions they seep contaminants into the water in the Bay and ground water runoff.
The high cost of this project is a direct result of the volume of pollutants and contaminants that have been dumped in these waterways adjacent to disadvantaged neighborhoods. The cost to clean up these toxins is high, but the potential impact of the Yosemite Slough Restoration on wildlife is immeasurable.The Yosemite Slough Restoration Project will increase the salt marsh habitat at the margins of the San FranciscoBay. The project will restore the most biologically significant estuary on the PacificCoast and will remediate contamination in one of the most toxic urban hot spots in northern California.The project is designed to vastly reduce exposure to these hazardous and life-threatening materials and wildlife will no longer be exposed to these contaminants.The nesting islands will provide protected habitat not currently available for shorebirds. The islands will provide protected habitat for the nesting birds so that they can survive here. Without the islands, there is no viable opportunity for resident and migratory birds to find suitable habitat.
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Letters demonstrating project support: