U.S.

Fish & Wildlife Service

Coastal Program
2015 Annual Accomplishment Report

Message from the Refuge Chief

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has the responsibility to conserve, protect and
enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American
people. The environmental legacy that we pass on to future generations largely depends on our
ability to protect and restore habitat on which plants and animals depend for their survival.
Coastal habitats support 40% of the Services National Wildlife Refuges and are vital to fish
and wildlife because 40% of our federally listed species, 25% of our wetlands, and over 30% of
North American wintering waterfowl occur in our nations coastal areas. Coastal wetlands
also provide important spawning grounds and nurseries for commercial and sport fish.
The Coastal Program is the Services primary conservation tool for voluntary, citizen, and community-based fish
and wildlife habitat conservation on both public and privately-owned coastal lands. Coastal counties make up only
10% of the lower 48 states but are home to more than half of the population and are among the most rapidly
developing areas. These stressors present a significant challenge to habitat conservation and require innovative
approaches to conservation such as those provided by the Coastal Program.
Coastal Program staff provide technical and financial assistance to land managers and a diversity of conservation
partners for the restoration and protection of coastal habitats throughout the nation and U.S. territories. With staff
located in 24 priority areas along the coasts of the Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, Great Lakes and the Caribbean,
the Coastal Program provides valuable technical expertise and delivers vital habitat restoration projects to help
the Service achieve its conservation mission.
This annual report showcases examples of the Service's accomplishments working with our conservation partners,
including other federal, tribal, state, and local agencies, nonprofit organizations, universities, corporations, and
private landowners. Through the Coastal Program, the Service has restored 546,390 acres of wetland and upland
habitat, more than 2,590 miles of stream habitat, and helped protect 2,110,755 acres of important wildlife habitat.
We will continue to build a strong legacy of wildlife stewardship through strategic habitat conservation and
effective partnerships.
Cynthia Martinez
Chief
National Wildlife Refuge System

Background photograph: James River National Wildlife Refuge, VA: USFWS

Our approach is straightforward: engage willing partners and landowners, and provide technical
and financial assistance to conserve fish and wildlife resources in priority coastal landscapes.
Where We Work...The Service maintains Coastal Program offices in 24 priority coastal areas.
What We Did
In 2015, working with 455 partners
and landowners, the Coastal
Program assessed, improved, and
protected over...

266 projects
64,440 acres of wetlands
29,910 acres of upland
194 miles of stream habitat

In 2015, Coastal
Program projects
leveraged $34 for
every Coastal
Program dollar.

Region 1: Pacific Northwest and Pacific Islands

2015 Project Locations
Points may represent multiple accomplishments

Washington

2015 REGIONAL
SUMMARY
Accomplishments:
(Restored and Protected)

24 projects

298 upland acres

4,144 wetland acres

30 stream miles

1 fish barrier removal

Project Contributions:
Coastal Program: $338,700
Partners: $6,374,664

Oregon

Hawaii

Background photograph: School of manini: Kydd Pollock (USFWS)

Inset photographs (clockwise from top left): Haena coast, Hawaii: Sheldon Plentovich (USFWS); Hawaiian monk seal: Mark Sullivan; and Blue Trevally: James Watt (USFWS)

Community-Based Subsistence Fishing Area

Kauai, Hawai'i

H'ena coast

The Coastal Program helped establish a

six-square-mile community-based
marine protected area on the north
shore of Kauai. Starting in 2008, the
Coastal Program partnered with the
Kauai north shore community of
H'ena, Hawai'i Department of Land
and Natural Resources, nongovernmental organizations, and others
to develop a management plan and
train community members to oversee
H'ena's 3,583-acre near-shore coral
reef ecosystem.

The goals of the marine protected area are to protect an important marine habitat, and
support sustainable subsistence fisheries and cultural traditions. The local community
will be actively involved in overseeing the Hena area, including monitoring marine
resources and reporting violations (e.g., coral poaching and exceeding bag limits). This
is the first such area in Hawaii, and is a model for other communities to co-manage their
marine resources with the state. In August 2015, Governor Ige approved the Hena
Community-Based Subsistence Fishing Area Management Plan.

THE IMPORTANCE OF CORAL REEFS

In addition to providing fish and wildlife habitat,
coral reefs sustain marine biodiversity, protect
coastlines, source new medicines, and support
recreational opportunities and local economies. One
study estimates that Hawaii's coral reefs provide
$360 million for economic benefits per year. [a]

The Hena Community-Based Subsistence

Fishing Area will also benefit the Hawaiian
monk seal.

PROJECT-AT-A-GLANCE
Funding Contribution:
Coastal Program: $26,100
Partner: $18,300
Total project cost: $44,400
Partners:
Community Links Hawaii
Hawaii Department of Land and Natural
Resources
Hui Makainana o Makana
Landscape Conservation Cooperative:
Pacific Islands

[a] Cesar, H., P. van Beukering, S. Pintz, and J.Dierking, 2002. Economic valuation of Hawaiian reefs. Arnham, The Netherlands: Cesar Environment Economics Consulting.

Region 2: Southwest
2015 Project Locations
Points may represent more than one accomplishment.

Texas

2015 REGIONAL
SUMMARY
Accomplishments:
(Restored and Protected):
12 projects
4,359 upland acres
277 wetland acres

Project Contributions:
Coastal Program:
$211,900
Partners: $6,441,880

Background photograph: Wood storks: Mary Ellen Urbanski

Inset photographs (left to right): Black Skimmers: Greg Thompson and Lisa Cox (USFWS); Herons: Mike Norkum (Flickr); California least tern: Rinus Baak (USFWS); and Great
egret: Matthew Paulson (Flickr)

Colonial Waterbird Rookery Enhancement

Gulf of Mexico, Texas
In an effort to reverse population declines, the Coastal Program is working with the
National Audubon Society to enhance colonial waterbird rookeries. More than
twenty species of colonial waterbirds nest on islands along the Texas coast.
Habitat loss is the main cause of the declines. The loss of open ground from
erosion is impacting ground-nesting birds, while the loss of trees and vegetation
structure are effecting the shrub-nesting birds. Other contributing factors include
predators and human disturbance.
The Coastal Program conducted rookery surveys and provided management
recommendations, which resulted in the enhancement of over 50 acres of habitat.
The Coastal Program also assessed the nesting success of black skimmer and
coordinated the annual Rookery Island Trash Cleanup. The National Audubon
Society implemented the management recommendations, including installing
nesting platforms, managing vegetation to increase ground nesting, controlling
predators, and promoting public awareness of waterbird habitat. Restoration
projects like this one support the goals and objectives identified by the Gulf Coast
Joint Venture for reddish egrets, black skimmer and gull-billed tern.
Habitat Planting

PROJECT-AT-A-GLANCE
Funding Contribution:
Coastal Program: $9,500
Partner: $12,500
Total project cost: $22,000
Partners:
National Audubon Society
Landscape Conservation Cooperative:

Gulf Coast Prairie

By gathering in rookeries, colonial

waterbirds increase the survival of
their chicks. The colony shares the
responsibility of guarding against
predators and finding food.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF NESTS

The Coastal Program was instrumental in the

development of the Services Vision for a Healthy Gulf of
Mexico Watershed. The Coastal Program is also
substantially involved in the implementation of this
Vision. For example, this project is located in the Visions
Coastal Wetlands and Barrier Islands focal area and
supports several goals, including Restoring Wetland and
Aquatic Ecosystems.

There are two types of colonial waterbirds. Groundnesting birds, such as black skimmers and terns,
prefer open ground or grass, where they can create
depressions or grass nests to lay their eggs. Shrubnesting birds, such as herons and egrets, build their
nests in shrubs and trees.

California Least Tern

Great Egret

Region 3: Midwest
2015 Project Locations
Points may represent multiple accomplishments

2015 REGIONAL SUMMARY

Accomplishments:
(Restored and Protected)
15 projects
324 upland acres
5,231 wetland acres

Michigan
Wisconsin

Project Contributions:
Coastal Program: $440,900
Partners: $3,989,900

Camp Amnicon

Michigan
Illinois

Background photograph: Seney National Wildlife Refuge, MI: Courtney Celley (USFWS)
Inset photographs (left to right): Camp Amnicon: Ted Koehler (USFWS); Piping plover: Kaiti Titherington (USFWS); Brook trout: NPS; and Lake Superior: Joanna Gilkeson (USFWS)

Migratory Bird and Brook Trout Habitat Protection

South Range, Wisconsin
The Coastal Program directly supports the
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI),
which aims to protect and restore the
largest system of fresh surface water in the
world.
Although this project did not receive GLRI funding, it addresses several objectives
identified in the GLRIs Action Plan, including protecting, restoring and enhancing
habitats to help sustain healthy populations of native species, and educate the next
generation about the Great Lakes ecosystem.

PROJECT-AT-A-GLANCE
Funding Contribution:
Coastal Program: $8,000
Partner: $751,000
Total project cost: $759,000
Partners:
Camp Amnicon
West Wisconsin Land Trust
Landscape Conservation Cooperative:
Upper Midwest and Great Lakes

The Coastal Program has a long-term commitment to strategically protecting important wildlife
habitat along Lake Superior. For the last five years, the Coastal Program has worked with the
West Wisconsin Land Trust to permanently protect 4,911 acres in the Lake Superior
watershed, including 503 acres on Camp Amnicon in Wisconsin.

Piping Plover

The Camp Amnicon project protects forests and wetlands

that benefit a diversity of wildlife, including the Canada
warbler and wood duck. The project also protects two
miles of riparian buffer along the Amnicon River and a half
-mile of shoreline along Lake Superior, which will benefit
brook trout and the federally endangered piping plover. In
the future, the Coastal Program may work with partners to
improve habitat on the property for federal trust species.

The site is also a migratory bird research area for the Wisconsin Stopover Initiative a
partnership among federal, state and local agencies, non-profit organizations, businesses,
and individuals working together to protect and conserve habitat for migratory birds in the
Great Lakes. Experts believe
that the sites forests may be
especially important migratory
bird stop-over habitat along the
Mississippi Flyway. The site is
also used as an outdoor
classroom to educate youth
about the importance of habitat
Brook Trout
conservation.

The Mississippi Flyway runs from central

Canada to the Gulf of Mexico region,
following the Mackenzie River in Canada
and the Mississippi River in the United
States. Nearly half the North American
bird species and 40% of the migrating
waterfowl and shorebirds use the
Mississippi Flyway.

Region 4: Southeast
2015 Project Locations

North
Carolina

Points may represent more than one accomplishment

2015 REGIONAL SUMMARY

South
Carolina

Mississippi

Alabama

Georgia

Accomplishments:
(Restored and Protected)
70 projects
9,233 upland acres
13,037 wetland acres
19 stream miles
1 fish barrier removal

Project Contributions:
Coastal Program: $796,500
Partners: $9,031,400

Louisiana

Florida

Puerto Rico

Background photograph: Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge, NC: Allie Stewart (USFWS)

Sand Dune Restoration

Camuy, Puerto Rico
For decades, sand dunes have been destroyed and/or depleted by hurricanes
and sand mining operations along coast of Puerto Rico. Working with Vida Marina
Center for Coastal Restoration and Conservation at the University of Puerto Rico,
the Coastal Program restored 120 acres of sand dune habitat and promote
coastal resiliency in Camuy, Puerto Rico.

Restored sand dunes

Located in the Finca Nolla Reserve, the

project restored dune habitat by
installing sand accumulation barriers.
Dune erosion was reduced by planting
native vegetation, and installing
boardwalks and signage to protect
sensitive areas. The project will benefit
federally endangered sea turtles by
restoring and protecting nesting habitat,
along with other federal trust species.

The Coastal Program is leading the Service's

effort to increase coastal resiliency by protecting
and restoring coastal ecosystems. The Coastal
Program is working with communities to
implement conservation projects that provide
important wildlife habitat, plan for climate
change impacts, and address public safety
concerns.

The Vida Marina Center uses the restoration site to train students and teachers
from local schools and universities about conservation biology and habitat
restoration.
PROJECT-AT-A-GLANCE
Funding Contribution:
Coastal Program: $72,800
Partner: $132,000
Total project cost: $204,800
Partners:
Puerto Rico Department of Natural and
Environmental Resources
University of Puerto Rico
Municipality of Camuy

Sand Accumulation
Barriers
Public
Boardwalk

Education
Program

Landscape Conservation Cooperative:

Caribbean

Inset photographs (clockwise from top left): Restored sand dunes: Vida Marina Center; Sand dune: USFWS; Green turtle: Julie Suess; and Project photographs: Vida Marina Center

Region 5: Northeast
2015 Project Locations

Maine

Points may represent multiple accomplishments

New
Hampshire

New York
Massachusetts

2015 REGIONAL
SUMMARY

Connecticut

Rhode
Island

Pennsylvania
New
Jersey

Delaware

Virginia

Maryland

Background photograph: Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, MD: USFWS

Inset photographs (top to bottom): Phragmites australis: Nell Cornwall (Flickr); and Nanticoke River: USFWS

Accomplishments:
(Restored and Protected)
53 projects
14,761 upland acres
965 wetland acres
43 stream miles
23 fish barrier removals

Project Contributions:
Coastal Program: $50,400
Partners: $9,918,800

HURRICANE SANDY RECOVERY

Dorchester County, Maryland

The Coastal Program immediately responded to Hurricane Sandy by assessing coastal

impacts, include those on National Wildlife Refuges. Following the damage assessment, the
Coastal Program was active in the planning and implementing of recovery and coastal
resiliency projects, such as this phragmites eradication project.

In the fall of 2012, storm surges from Hurricane Sandy damaged coastal ecosystems along the
Nanticoke River in Maryland. This allowed the expansion of non-native phragmites (Phragmites
australis subsp. australis), which is an invasive, perennial grass that is a serious threat to the
wetland plants and animals because it aggressively displaces native plants and provides minimal
habitat or food for native wildlife. The Nanticoke River watershed comprises about one-third of all
the tidal wetlands in Maryland, and contains many unique habitats, and threatened and
endangered species, including Atlantic white cedar wetlands, Harpers beakrush and Parkers
pipewort.
In 2015, the Coastal Program, Maryland
Department of Natural Resources, and the
Delmarva Resource Conservation and
Development Council partnered to restore 2,050
acres of degraded coastal marshes along the
Nanticoke River by eradicating non-native
phragmites using aerial spraying of pesticides.
This restoration also protects 3,000 acres of
adjacent salt marsh from the threat of phragmites.
The Coastal Program planned and managed this
coastal resiliency project - prioritizing restoration
areas, acquiring funds through the Department of Interior's Hurricane Sandy Coastal Resiliency
Grant, and coordinating outreach to the local community and nearly 100 landowners.

PROJECT-AT-A-GLANCE
Funding Contribution:
Hurricane Sandy Coastal Resiliency
Grant: $95,215
Total Project Cost: $95,215
Partners:
Maryland Department of Natural
Resources
Delmarva Resource Conservation
and Development Council
Landscape Conservation Cooperative:
North Atlantic

Native Phagmites?
There is a native phragmites (Phragmites
australis subsp. americanus) found along
the eastern United States. This noninvasive grass is a lighter shade of green
and has a smoother stem than the invasive
phragmites. The native species also grows
less densely and is shorter in height.

Region 7: Alaska
2015 Project Locations
Alaska

Points may represent multiple accomplishments

The Palmer Hay Flats State

Game Refuges estuary is a very
productive migratory bird
stopover and nesting area, with
large numbers of songbirds,
waterfowl, shorebirds, and
raptors, including blackpoll
warbler, Pacific loon, Sandhill
cranes, and short-eared owls.

2015 REGIONAL
SUMMARY
Accomplishments:
(Restored and Protected)
30 projects
152 upland acres
1,018 wetland acres
6 stream miles

Project Contributions:
Coastal Program: $135,000
Partners: $3,655,000

Background photograph: Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge: John Martin (USFWS)
Inset photograph (left to right): Short-eared owl: Nathan Rupert (Flickr); Pacific loon: Linda Tanner (Flickr); Blackpoll warbler: Dave Inman (Flickr); and Sandhill crane: USFWS
Opposite page inset photographs (left to right): Wasilla Creek, AK: Carl Johnson; and Elementary student: USFWS

Upper Knik Conservation

Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska
For several years, the Coastal Program has been working with partners to
protect quality habitat in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough (Borough), located
northeast of Anchorage, Alaska. The Borough is one of the most populous
and rapidly growing regions of Alaska. As such, it is critically important to
conserve fish and wildlife habitats vulnerable to development and other land
use changes. The Borough provides economically-important recreational
fishing opportunities. The effects of these land use changes have caused the
State to designate
several salmon stocks
of management
concern.

Three miles of Wasilla Creek and its

surrounding habitat are protected with the
largest subdivision in the Mat-Su Borough in
the background.

One recent project

permanently protected
approximately 917
acres of habitat,
including over three
miles of stream
habitat. In 2015, the
State of Alaska
formally incorporated
this property into the
28,000-acre Palmer
Hay Flats State Game
Refuge (Refuge) - one
of the most important
year-round wildlife and
outdoor recreational
areas in Alaska.

The Refuge is home to wolves, bears, moose, and river otters, as well as all
five species of Pacific salmon (i.e., chinook, sockeye, coho, pink, and chum).
This project completes one of the largest voluntary land conservation projects
in southcentral Alaska and establishes a permanently protected habitat
corridor between the Refuge and other protected areas in the region. The
Coastal Program anticipates an additional 58 acres of wetland and forest will
be protected in the future.

Whether in uplands, wetlands, or rivers, habitat

fragmentation is a serious threat to plants and
wildlife. Preserving corridors between protected
habitats is important for sustaining a heathy
ecosystem, because these corridors support species
migration and biological diversity. The Upper Knik
conservation project, coupled with Coastal Program
projects from previous years, enhance habitat
connectivity between Palmer Hayflats State Game
Refuge and the 780 square-mile Chugach State Park.

PROJECT-AT-A-GLANCE
Funding Contribution:
Coastal Program: $18,500
National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grants:
$804,000
Partners: $677,500
Total project cost: $1,500,000
Partners:
The Great Land Trust
State of Alaska
Pacific Joint Venture
Mat-Su Borough
Mat-Su Basin Salmon Habitat Partnership
The Conservation Fund
Murdoch and Rasmuson Foundations
ConocoPhillips
Machetanz Elementary School
Private landowners and many others
Landscape Conservation Cooperative:
Northwest Boreal Forest
Service Cross-Program Collaboration:
Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program

Region 8: Pacific Southwest

2015 Project Locations
Points may represent multiple accomplishments.

Nevada

2015 REGIONAL SUMMARY

California
Student Planting Day

Accomplishments:
(Restored/Protected)
18 projects
642 upland acres
2,280 wetland acres
8 stream miles
Project Contributions:
Coastal Program: $154,400
Project Partners: $4,555,200

Background photograph: Humboldt County, CA: Maggie Bourque

Inset photographs: Schoolyard habitat planting day: USFWS
Opposite page inset photographs (clockwise from top left): Emerging monarch: USFWS; Monarch catapillar: Beatrice Murch (Flickr); Annas hummingbird: Robert McMorran (USFWS);
and Simi Valley: dailymatador (Flickr)

Monarch Schoolyard Habitat

Simi Valley, California

The Schoolyard Habitat Program connects kids with

nature by helping schools to create native wildlife
habitat and sustainable outdoor classroom. The
Coastal Program provides technical and financial
assistance to administrators, teachers, and students to
create effective schoolyard habitat projects.

The Coastal Program worked with the Simi Valley Adventist

Church School to enhance 1.3 acres of upland habitat in Ventura
County, California. The project is located in Simi Valley, which is
part of the Greater Los Angeles Area. Simi Valley is surrounded by
the Simi Hills, which are an important wildlife corridor between the
Santa Monica Mountains to the Santa Susana Mountains.
Working with the Coastal Program, the students decided to provide
habitat for a number of native species, including monarch butterfly,
western fence lizard, Anna's hummingbird, sphinx moth, California
fuchsia, white sage, and coyote bush. The Coastal Program
worked with teachers and students to develop an enhancement
plan and to plant the habitat. The Coastal Program also provided presentations to
students on native habitats and wildlife. The students are maintaining the schoolyard
habitat and monitoring wildlife use.
Simi Valley

PROJECT-AT-A-GLANCE
Funding Contribution:
Coastal Program: $5,624
Total project cost: $5,624
Partners:
Valley Adventist Church School
Landscape Conservation Cooperative:
California
Service Cross-Program Collaboration:
Schoolyard Habitat Program

The Department of the

Interiors Youth Initiative
aims to inspire millions of
young people to play,
learn, serve, and work in
the outdoors.
The Coastal Program has supported this
priority through our involvement in the
Schoolyard Habitat Program and other
educational projects.

Technical Assistance
The Coastal Program provides technical assistance to support landscape-scale habitat conservation ranging from habitat
assessments, adaptive habitat management, conservation design and monitoring, grant administration, and national policy
development. Our staff possess diverse skills and expertise to provide assistance to other Service programs, federal, state and
local agencies, tribes, conservation groups, universities, corporations, and private landowners. Our technical assistance provides
broader benefits to federal trust species by helping partners develop policies and conduct landscape-scale conservation planning.
It also enables us to enlist the support of diverse partners to achieve the Service's conservation priorities.
The Coastal Program encourages community stewardship through outreach and training. By developing conservation tools and
protocols, we promote ecologically sound decision making and improve the delivery of successful habitat conservation. These
efforts improve the science of restoration and reduce the overall cost of habitat conservation.

Academic Instruction
Technical Training

Coastal Wetland Conservation

Grant Assistance

Invasive Species Coordination

Youth Outreach

Background photograph: Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands: Erik Oberg (Island Conservation)
Inset photographs (clockwise from top left): Christopher Eng (USFWS); Christopher Darnell (USFWS); Laurie Hewitt (USFWS); Steve Kendrot (APHIS); and Joe Milmoe (USFWS)

MONARCH BUTTERFLY INTIATIVE

The Coastal Program continues to support the Services Monarch Conservation Initiative, which plans to restore more than 200,000 acres of monarch
habitat. Within the Service, the Coastal Program is collaborating with other programs to develop conservation capacity and to prioritize and plan
conservation activities. The Coastal Program is also working with State agencies, non-profit organizations, and others to develop regional monarch
management plans and to implement on-the-ground habitat improvement projects. Working with partners, the Coastal Program has restored and
protected over 5,400 acres of monarch habitat.

GULF OF MEXICO RESTORATION

The restoration of the Gulf of Mexico due to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill is one of the most complex and comprehensive conservation efforts ever
undertaken. It requires coordination among the 5 Gulf States (i.e., Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas), multiple Federal agencies,
and hundreds of local governments, non-governmental organizations, and citizens. The Coastal Program is delivering landscape-scale conservation
by providing critical links between partners who are implementing conservation projects.
The Coastal Program serves as an advisor for projects funded by the National Fish and
Wildlife Foundation Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund, National Resources Damage
Assessment Program, the Restore Council, North American Wetlands Conservation Act,
and other sources.
In 2015, over $350 million was spent on restoration projects bringing the overall investment
following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill to over $1.5 billion. The Coastal Program also
provided funding and/or was involved in the delivery of many of these projects that
benefited Service trust resources (e.g., migratory birds, endangered species,
interjurisdictional fisheries, and federal lands).

Inset photographs (top to bottom): Monarch butterfly: Ken Slade (Flickr); Monarch chrysalis:USFWS;
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: NOAA

Technical Assistance
NATIONAL COASTAL WETLANDS CONSERVATION GRANT PROGRAM
The Coastal Program and the Wildlife Restoration and Sport Fish Restoration Program collaborate to administer the National Coastal Wetlands
Conservation Grant (NCWCG) Program. Annually, the NCWCG Program distributes $18-20 million to restore and/or protect coastal wetlands and
uplands that provide valuable habitat for fish and wildlife. On average, the NCWCG Program leverages about 120% of its grant funds, which is derived
from the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust.
The Coastal Program works with state agencies to identify and develop high
quality conservation projects in priority coastal areas. Since 1992, the NCWCG
Program has helped restore and/or protect over 360,000 acres of the coastal
habitat.

Protected 1,374 acres adjacent

to Lake Superior, Michigan

LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION PLANNING

Tijuana National Wildlife

Refuge, California

As chair of the Wetlands Managers Group (WMG) for the Southern California Wetlands
Recovery Project (WRP), the Coastal Program is leading a diverse partnership of federal, state
and local agencies, elected officials, academics, non-profit organizations, businesses, and
citizens. The goal of the partnership is to improve wetland conservation through strategic
landscape planning from Santa Barbara to the border of Mexico.

The Coastal Programs involvement maintains the Services relationship with leading conservation partners, and provides an excellent opportunity to
implement Strategic Habitat Conservation in southern California. The WRP has begun to update its strategic plan, with financial assistance from a
Landscape Conservation Cooperative grant and a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant. As part of the update, WRP is collaboratively
developing a science-based management framework that will set recovery objectives synthesized from historic and existing data, and future recovery
goals.

Background photograph: Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge, NC: Allie Stewart (USFWS)
Inset photographs (clockwise from top left): Abbaye Peninsula, Michigan: Keweenaw Land Trust; Marsh grass: Eric Drost (Flickr); Breaching Humpback Whales: Anna (Flickr);
and Tijuana National Wildlife Refuge, California: Ralph Lee Hopkins with aerial support by LightHawk

LIVING SHORELINES
An alternative to hardened shorelines, living shorelines use materials like oyster reefs, sand
and stone, and aquatic and wetland plants, instead of rip-rap, bulkheads or concrete walls.
Unlike more structural approaches, living shorelines maintain shoreline processes and
provide habitat for aquatic and riparian species. Living shorelines also improve water quality
and are generally more cost effective.
To promote living shorelines, the Coastal Program worked with National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, The Nature
Conservancy, and others to develop the website - FloridaLivingShorelines.com. The purpose
of the website is to inform coastal property owners about the benefits of living shorelines,
restoration techniques, and resources available to help them create a living shoreline.

MARINE NATIONAL MONUMENTS

Presidents George W. Bush and Barrack Obama have designated large areas of the Pacific Ocean as
Marine National Monuments - pristine ocean ecosystems that contain unique biodiversity (e.g., whales,
tuna, sea turtles, and seabirds), natural features (e.g., hydrothermal vents, cold seeps, underwater
mountain systems, and ancient corals), and cultural resources. These marine areas also play an
important role in commercial fisheries and climate change resiliency.
The U.S. Department of Interior and the Service, in coordination with the National Oceanographic and
Atmospheric Administration, share the responsibility for managing these monuments and regulating
fisheries-related activities. Under the National Wildlife Refuge System, the Coastal Program is
developing policies and providing outreach that supports for the Services role in managing the Marine
National Monuments.

Technical Assistance
NEW ENGLAND COTTONTAIL
The Service recently announced that the New England cottontail, the only rabbit native to New England
and parts of New York, does not require protection under the Endangered Species Act. Over the last half
century, development and forest succession has reduced the population to 14% of its historic range.
Working with Natural Resources Conservation Service, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
and the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, the Coastal Program conducted surveys to determine the
presence and range of the rabbits in Maine. The Coastal Program also maintained the GIS database
containing the survey data. This information helped to inform the New England cottontail decision;
however, partner commitments to conserve habitat and recover the population to 13,500 individuals by
2030 was the main reason to not list the rabbits. As a result of the partners conservation efforts, it is
estimated that the New England Cottontail population has already increased to three-quarters of the way to
the goal.

FARM BILL CONSERVATION PROGRAMS

Through the U.S. Department of Agricultures (USDA) Farm Bill conservation programs,
agricultural producers and other private landowners recieve billions of dollars to apply habitat
conservation practices on millions of acres of land. The Coastal Program helps the USDA to
develop and deliver these conservation programs by providing habitat and wildlife
considerations that are incorporated into the programs, and working with landowners to
carryout on-the-ground conservation projects.
For example, Coastal Program staff is serving as the Chair of the Forestry, Wildlife and Wetland Subcommittee under the USDAs State Technical
Committee in the Caribbean. The State Technical Committee supports the USDA by recommending conservation priorities, identifying focal areas,
evaluating conservation practice standards and specifications, and assisting with public outreach.

Background photograph: Widgeon grass in Chesapeake Bay, MD: Peter McGowan (USFWS)
Inset photographs (clockwise from top left): New England cottontail: USFWS; Restoring Island Ecosystems brochure: USFWS; Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge , CO: USFWS, and Farm field, PA: Fishhawk (Flickr)

RESTORING ISLAND ECOSYSTEMS

Recognizing the importance of island ecosystems and their vulnerability to invasive species, the Service and
Island Conservation adopted an Island Restoration Memorandum of Understanding that promotes invasive
species removal for the benefit of native, island plants and animals.
In support of this effort, the Coastal Program prepared a Restoring Island Ecosystems brochure (http://
bit.ly/1K3wy4s) that explains the importance of conservation on islands and highlights several successful
invasive species removal projects, including examples of specific biological outcomes.

URBAN WILDLIFE REFUGE INITIATIVE

With 80% of Americans living in cities, the Service is challenged with connecting urban
communities with wild and natural places. The Service has proposed an Urban Wildlife Refuge
Initiative, which increases access for urban youth to the National Wildlife Refuge System. The
Service is working to establish 10 National Wildlife Refuges in urban areas across the country
along with a network of organizations to engage urban youth in on-the-ground conservation
activities.
The Coastal Program is helping with the planning of the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, Americas first urban refuge. The Coastal Program is also helping to design and construct
community gardens and schoolyard habitats, including butterfly gardens and wetlands that can
serve as outdoor classrooms.

U.S. Department of the Interior

US Fish & Wildlife Service
http://www.fws.gov/coastal

Background photograph: Kilchis, Oregon: Chris Swenson (USFWS)

Front cover photographs (Left to Right): Blackwater River, WV: Gerri Wilson; Monarch butterfly: Greg Thompson (USFWS); Long-billed curlew: R. Baak
Back cover photographs (Left to Right): Tufted puffin: Steve Ebbert (USFWS); Coral reef in Bicayne Bay: NPS; Delmarva fox squirrel: USFWS