Low-Level Aerial Reconnaissance and the

Establishment of Wildlife Habitat Areas for Marbled Murrelets

within the Campbell River watershed area

BC Hydro BCRP Project ID: 10.W.CBR.07 Prepared by: Erica L. McClaren, M. Sc., R.P. Bio. Ministry of Environment Prepared with financial support from: BC Hydro Fish & Wildlife Bridge Coastal Restoration Program

Photo Credit: Nick Hatch, U.S. Forest Service,

PNW Research Station

2

Executive Summary Marbled Murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) are a seabird that primarily nest

in large coniferous trees of old-growth coastal forests and forage in adjacent marine

environments. Populations are federally listed as Threatened in Canada and Blue-Listed

in British Columbia as a result of nesting habitat loss from forest harvesting and threats

to marine foraging and wintering areas. Consequently, the goal of this project was to

examine the amount, distribution and configuration of suitable nesting habitat within the

Campbell River watershed and surrounding BC Hydro footprint area and where

possible, delineate Wildlife Habitat Area (WHA) proposals around patches of remaining

suitable nesting habitat. Draft WHA polygon boundaries were delineated in ArcMap GIS

software using a combination of coarse-scale low-level aerial survey data for Marbled

Murrelets collected by Sue McDonald and Sally Leigh-Spencer in 2007, digital satellite

images (SPOT5), TRIM (1:20,000) contours, roads and water features, harvest

authorizations, and legally designated Old-growth Management Areas, Ungulate Winter

Ranges, and WHAs for other species. Detailed low-level aerial surveys using

standardized data collection protocol were used to confirm draft WHA habitat quality

and polygon boundaries. Two flights were conducted (October 29 and November 3,

2010) over a total of four hours within the Sayward and Salmon Landscape Units of the

Campbell River watershed and BC Hydro footprint area. During this time 13 draft WHA

polygon boundaries were assessed which resulted in a final WHA candidate list

consisting of six proposals – five from the draft WHA list and one additional WHA

candidate that was proposed in 2006 – and these will be submitted to the regional WHA

biologist for review and consultation. A total of 405.4 ha of forests are included in the

final WHA submission package which consists of 28.2 ha of Class 2 (High); 255.0 ha of

Class 3 (Moderate); 77.4 ha of Class 4 (Low); 9.5 ha of Class 5 (Very Low); and 0.5 ha

of Class 6 (Nil) Marbled Murrelet breeding habitat quality. Overall, there is very little

suitable nesting habitat for Marbled Murrelets remaining within the Campbell River

watershed and BC Hydro footprint area and that which remains is primarily Class 3

(Moderate) and in patches <100 ha in size. Therefore, within this portion of the North

and West Vancouver Island Conservation Region, where extensive forest harvesting

has occurred and options for protecting suitable Marbled Murrelet breeding habitat are

limited, habitat recruitment may need be considered an option to address the Canadian

Marbled Murrelet Recovery Teams’ goals of protecting larger patch sizes, distributing

habitat protection throughout the conservation region and for meeting their target of

protecting 69% of 2002 population levels.

3

Table of Contents

1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 6

2. Goals and Objectives ...................................................................................................................... 6

3. Study Area ......................................................................................................................................... 7

4. Methods .............................................................................................................................................. 7

Pre-flight Planning and Draft WHA Boundary Delineation ....................................................... 7

Low-level Aerial Surveys ................................................................................................................... 8

Post-flight Data Processing and Proposed WHA Boundary Refinement............................ 10

5. Results .............................................................................................................................................. 10

6. Discussion ....................................................................................................................................... 11

7. Recommendations ......................................................................................................................... 15

8. Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................... 15

9. References ....................................................................................................................................... 16

APPENDIX I: Financial Statement ......................................................................................................... 18

APPENDIX II: Performance Measures-Actual Outcomes .................................................................. 20

APPENDIX III: Standardized data forms (from Burger 2004) used to collect low-level aerial

survey data from draft WHA polygons. ................................................................................................. 22

4

List of Figures

Figure 1. Study area (Provincial Forest) for Marbled Murrelet detailed low-level aerial

assessments within the Sayward and Salmon Landscape Units of the Campbell River

watershed and BC Hydro footprint. ......................................................................................................... 9

Figure 2. Draft Wildlife Habitat Area (WHA) proposals for Marbled Murrelets (MAMU) within the

Campbell River watershed and BC Hydro footprint area. .................................................................. 12

Figure 3. Final Wildlife Habitat Area (WHA) proposals for Marbled Murrelets (MAMU) within the

Campbell River watershed and BC Hydro footprint area. .................................................................. 13

5

List of Tables

Table 1. Summary information for final Wildlife Habitat Area (WHA) proposals. ........................... 11

Table 2. Comparison of proposed Wildlife Habitat Area (WHA) polygon habitat quality

classifications between coarse-scale low-level aerial surveys (2007) and detailed low-level

aerial surveys (2010). .............................................................................................................................. 11

6

1. Introduction

Marbled Murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) are seabirds that nest almost

exclusively in large coniferous trees of old-growth coastal forests. Populations are

believed to be declining in many areas of their range in conjunction with habitat loss and

fragmentation and threats within their marine environments (Burger 2002, Hull, in

press). As of 2000, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada

(COSEWIC) lists the Marbled Murrelet as Threatened (COSEWIC, in press) and it is

provincially Blue-Listed by the Conservation Data Centre (BC Conservation Data Centre

2011).

As such, Marbled Murrelets are recognized by the province of BC as requiring

special management on Crown Lands to address the negative impacts of forest harvest

activities and are included on the Category of Species at Risk under the Forest and

Range Practices Act (FRPA; 2002). As a member of the Category of Species at Risk,

Wildlife Habitat Areas (WHAs) are enabled as a habitat protection tool under the

Government Action Regulation of FRPA; this has been the primary tool used on

Vancouver Island to protect important nesting habitats for Marbled Murrelets. In

addition, old-growth management areas (OGMAs), ungulate winter ranges (UWRs) and

Parks and Protected Areas significantly contribute toward habitat protection efforts for

Marbled Murrelets on Vancouver Island.

Since the early 1950’s, BC Hydro has been active in the Campbell River

watershed, installing and managing a series of hydro electric power facilities and

diversions. Flooding of Lower Campbell Lake by the Ladore Dam is estimated to have

resulted in the loss of approximately 138 ha of riparian habitats (BC Hydro 2000). In

addition, altering stream channels through water diversions may have negatively

impacted Marbled Murrelets through the loss of potential nesting habitat along riparian

corridors. Marbled Murrelets commonly use riparian corridors as flyways to navigate

and travel inland (up to 80 km; BC Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection 2004)

from marine foraging areas to nest sites. Some of the highest quality nesting habitat

remaining for Marbled Murrelets is located along floodplains and riparian corridors,

especially in watersheds like the Campbell River watershed that have an extensive

forest harvest history. This project aims to compensate for these historical impacts by

protecting some of the remaining suitable Marbled Murrelet nesting habitat in the

Campbell River watershed and affected floodplain areas.

2. Goals and Objectives

The primary goal of this project was to assess the location of remaining suitable

nesting habitat for Marbled Murrelets on Provincial Forest Lands within the Campbell

7

River watershed and affected floodplain/diversion areas and to delineate proposed

WHA boundaries for nesting habitat protection. Specific objectives were:

a) To use coarse-scale low-level aerial reconnaissance survey data collected by

Sally Leigh-Spencer and Sue McDonald in 2007 to delineate draft WHA

polygons prior to surveys within the Sayward and Salmon Landscape Units;

b) To conduct detailed low-level aerial reconnaissance survey via helicopter to

verify the previous nesting habitat ratings used to delineate draft WHA

polygons;

c) To use information collected in (b) to refine WHA proposals for the Campbell

River watershed and affected floodplain/diversion areas; and

d) To submit WHA proposals to Ministry of Natural Resource Operations WHA biologist to initiate the formal consultation/negotiation process.

3. Study Area

The Campbell River watershed drainage encompasses over 1,400 km2 on east-

central Vancouver Island. To increase water flow to the power facilities (John Hart,

Ladore and Strathcona), BC Hydro established a network of diversions to the north

(Salmon), south (Quinsam) and west (Heber) of the watershed (BC Hydro 2000). Land

ownership within the Campbell River watershed study area consists of a mixture of

Provincial Forest lands, private forest lands and Provincial Parks and Protected Areas.

The Provincial Forest land base within the Campbell River watershed and BC hydro

footprint area was the focus of Marbled Murrelet nesting habitat assessments for this

project (Figure 1).

The Campbell River watershed lies mainly within the Coastal Western Hemlock

(CWH) and Mountain Hemlock (MH) biogeoclimatic zones. The study area is situated

within the CWHxm1, CWHxm2 and CWHmm2 subzones of CWH biogeoclimatic zone

(Green and Klinka 1994). Forests are comprised predominantly of second growth

Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) and

western redcedar (Thuja plicata) that were established after a large forest fire swept

through the area in 1938 and subsequent forest harvest occurred. Some remnant

patches of old-growth forests remain along riparian corridors, floodplains and scattered

throughout the study area.

4. Methods

Pre-flight Planning and Draft WHA Boundary Delineation

Using ArcMap vs. 9.3.1 GIS software, coarse-scale low-level aerial survey data for

Marbled Murrelets collected over multiple landscape units in 2007 (McDonald and

8

Spencer 2009), was used to guide draft WHA boundary delineation. As well, digital

satellite images (SPOT5) along with TRIM (1:20,000) contours, roads and water

features, harvest authorizations, and legally designated OGMAs, UWRs, and WHAs for

other species were considered in draft WHA polygon boundary design. Other factors

considered when WHAs were delineated using GIS include: polygons with primarily very

high, high, and moderately-ranked low-level survey data; size and configuration to

minimize hard edge influences as well as distribution throughout the study area (BC

Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection 2004). For each WHA polygon, I generated a

waypoint to load into GPS units to aid with pilot navigation and I generated GIS

shapefiles for polygons and these were loaded into Oziexplorer GPS mapping software

(vs. 3.95.5k) . Paper maps for each draft WHA polygon were printed out and

accompanied observers during flights to assist with boundary revisions.

Low-level Aerial Surveys

Although low-level aerial survey data for Marbled Murrelets were collected within

the study area in 2007, these were coarse-scale surveys and so it is necessary to

conduct detailed habitat assessments that focus on draft WHA proposals to confirm

habitat quality and refine WHA polygon boundaries (Waterhouse et al. 2009). Low-level

aerial surveys and habitat rankings were conducted using standardized protocol

described by Burger (2004). Two experienced observers and an experienced piliot were

present during surveys which were conducted using an A-star helicopter in weather

conditions where habitat characteristics were visible and easily ranked. A laptop

computer with Oziexplorer GPS mapping software and geo-referenced polygons for

draft WHAs was connected to a hand-held GPS unit. These tools were used to navigate

to each location and to thoroughly cover each polygon while tracking ‘real-time’ flight

paths. For each polygon, observers discussed the habitat quality and one observer filled

out the standardized data form for conducting low-level aerial surveys (Appendix III;

Burger 2004). Habitat quality was ranked using a six-class provincial rating standard (1

= very high; 2 = high; 3 = moderate; 4 = low; 5 = very low; 6 = nil). The overall habitat

quality rank is a combined rating which reflects a number of habitat attributes important

for Marbled Murrelet nesting. These include: 1) the percentage of all trees that are large

(>28.4 m); 2) the percentage of canopy and emergent trees with one or more platforms

(> 15 cm in diameter); 3) canopy closure; 4) vertical canopy complexity; 5) topographic

complexity; 6) estimated age class of the forest stand; and 7) leading tree species (and

if these are on slopes or valley bottoms). See Burger (2004) for more detailed

descriptions of each habitat attribute listed above. Additional waypoints and refinements

on paper maps were used to record boundary adjustments to proposed WHA polygons

during flights.

9

Figure 1. Study area (Provincial Forest) for Marbled Murrelet detailed low-level aerial assessments within the Sayward and Salmon Landscape Units of the Campbell River watershed and BC Hydro footprint.

10

Post-flight Data Processing and Proposed WHA Boundary Refinement

Following low-level aerial survey flights, draft WHA polygons were either removed

from the proposal or boundaries were refined, as necessary, using ArcMap GIS

software. To support WHA proposals a WHA data form – multiple proposals was

completed to accompany spatial polygons (Appendix V) and these were submitted to

the regional Ministry of Natural Resource Operations WHA biologist in Nanaimo to

review and initiate consultation.

5. Results

Detailed low-level aerial assessment data were collected by two qualified

biologists using an A-star helicopter within the Sayward and Salmon Landscape Units

of the Campbell River watershed and BC Hydro footprint area. Two separate flights

were conducted (October 29 and November 3, 2010) due to poor weather encountered

during the first flight, and flights spanned a total of four hours. During this time 13 draft

WHA polygons were assessed using detailed low-level surveys (Figure 2) which

resulted in a final WHA candidate list consisting of five proposals (Figure 3). One

additional WHA candidate that was proposed in 2006 will be submitted with this

package (1-203) to the regional WHA biologist for review and consultation.

Overall, 405.4 ha are included in this WHA proposal package (Table 1). The

average WHA polygon size for the final proposal including six polygons is 67.6 ± 26.3

ha (SD). This total includes the following amounts of habitat by quality as assessed

using coarse low-level aerial survey data collected by Sue McDonald and Sally Leigh-

Spencer in 2007: 28.2 ha of Class 2 (High); 255.0 ha of Class 3 (Moderate); 77.4 ha of

Class 4 (Low); 9.5 ha of Class 5 (Very Low); and 0.5 ha of Class 6 (Nil). However,

habitat ratings from coarse low-level survey data were overall one to two quality classes

higher than what we observed during detailed low-level aerial assessments (Table 2).

Therefore of the 13 WHA candidates assessed, eight were not included in the final

proposal list because their ratings decreased from suitable (mostly Class 3 rank) to

unsuitable (Class 4 or 5). Five of the six final WHA candidates are co-located, to some

extent, with legally designated OGMAs and one with a legally designated UWR.

11

Table 1. Summary information for final Wildlife Habitat Area (WHA) proposals.

Coarse-scale low-level aerial assessment habitat quality Class (ha)

Draft WHA Tag

Final WHA ID

Total Size (ha)

1 (ha) 2 (ha) 3 (ha) 4 (ha) 5 (ha) 6 (ha)

N/A 1-203 84.2 0 19.5 49.2 14.6 0 0

SY-03 1-472 69.0 0 0 48.4 20.6 0 0

SY-08 1-473 28.6 0 0 17.5 0 0 0

SA-10 1-474 100.7 0 8.7 82.7 0 0 0.2

SA-12 1-475 77.4 0 0 45.1 14.9 9.5 0

SA-13 1-476 45.7 0 0 12.2 27.3 0 0.4

Total 405.4 0 28.2 255.0 77.4 9.5 0.5 Note: Totals for classes do no equal total size as small pieces of WHA polygons were unranked.

Table 2. Comparison of proposed Wildlife Habitat Area (WHA) polygon habitat quality classifications between coarse-scale low-level aerial surveys (2007) and detailed low-level aerial surveys (2010).

6. Discussion Overall, there is very little suitable nesting habitat for Marbled Murrelets remaining

within the Campbell River watershed and BC Hydro footprint area. The extensive forest fire in 1938 and subsequent forest harvesting that occurred over the following decades has significantly reduced options for Marbled Murrelet nesting habitat protection using WHAs. Therefore, the six WHA polygons that I will propose as a result of this project will assist with habitat protection within the Marbled Murrelet Recovery Team’s West and North Vancouver Island Conservation Region but there is still a significant gap in meeting the Recovery Team’s goal for this Conservation Region to maintain at least 69% of the 2002 population of Marbled Murrelets (Canadian Marbled Murrelet Recovery Team 2003). Currently, only 19% of suitable Marbled Murrelet nesting habitat, as predicted by the Canadian Marbled Murrelet Recovery Team’s habitat suitability model, is protected within the West and North Vancouver Island Conservation Region (Mather et al. 2010).

Number of polygons in each habitat quality class (coarse-scale)

Detailed Surveys

Very High High Moderate Low Very Low

Very High 0 0 0 0 0

High 0 0 0 0 0

Moderate 0 0 3 1 1

Low 0 0 5 0 0

Very Low 0 0 3 0 0

12

Figure 2. Draft Wildlife Habitat Area (WHA) proposals for Marbled Murrelets (MAMU) within the Campbell River watershed and BC Hydro footprint area.

13

Figure 3. Final Wildlife Habitat Area (WHA) proposals for Marbled Murrelets (MAMU) within the Campbell River watershed and BC Hydro footprint area.

14

As well, the habitat quality and size of suitable habitat polygons currently available for Marbled Murrelet nesting habitat protection within this study area is mostly limited to moderate quality habitat within patches that are <200 ha in size. Although there remains some debate regarding optimal patch sizes for Marbled Murrelet breeding habitat protection, research on Vancouver Island conducted by Malt and Lank (2007) suggests smaller habitat patches with hard edges (recent clearcuts) increases the likelihood of Marbled Murrelet nest predation by corvids. The Marbled Murrelet Recovery Team indicates edge effects are greatest when habitat patches are surrounded by hard edges and are <100 ha in size (Canadian Marbled Murrelet Recovery Team 2003). Therefore, the Marbled Murrelet Recovery Team and the Identified Wildlife species account for Marbled Murrelet (British Columbia Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection 2004) recommend maintaining a proportional mix of patch sizes representing large (>200 ha), medium (50-200 ha) and small (<50 ha) patches within managed forests. Proposed WHAs included two polygons in the small size category and four in the medium size category; there were no draft WHA candidates within the large size category within the study area.

Habitat quality assessments conducted using different methodologies or even similar methodologies but at different spatial scales can yield different results (Mather et al. 2010, Donald et al. 2010, Waterhouse et al. 2010, Burger et al. 2009). Three main methods are used to assess Marbled Murrelet nesting habitat quality: 1) the Canadian Marbled Murrelet Recovery Team’s habitat suitability model that uses tree height, tree age, elevation, and distance from salt water attributes to predict forests as suitable or not suitable (Chatwin and Mather 2007); 2) air photo interpretation mapping that uses a standardized six class rating scheme (Burger 2004); and 3) low-level aerial surveys that uses a standardized six class rating scheme (Burger 2004). Low-level aerial surveys are the only method that ranks habitat quality through direct observations of forest attributes and therefore, this is a preferred method that can be used to verify the other two methods (Waterhouse et al. 2010), especially when using information to delineate WHA boundaries. Unfortunately, low-level aerial surveys can be conducted at different scales of observation and this may result in different habitat classifications for the same geographic area. For example, within this study area, Sue McDonald and Sally Leigh-Spencer conducted coarse-scale low-level aerial assessments in 2007 whereby entire landscape units and forest management tenures were assessed and so some smaller polygons only received a single pass for assessment (McDonald and Leigh-Spencer 2009). Our survey methods utilized these coarse-scale low-level aerial survey data to delineate draft WHA polygons but our detailed assessments of each polygon suggested that coarse-scale surveys consistently ranked habitat quality as being better than when we assessed it. Typically, we expect coarse-scale low-level aerial surveys to under represent habitat quality because small patches of higher quality habitat may be missed within larger polygons of poorer habitat quality (Donald et al. 2010). Therefore, it is unclear why we observed this trend but it may be due to observer differences or smaller patches of poorer quality habitat within moderate-quality polygons being missed. Because there was mainly moderate quality habitat available within this study area for inclusion in WHAs, our observations primarily resulted in draft WHAs being dropped from our final proposal package because habitat quality ranked as moderate during coarse-scale surveys was ranked as low or very low during our detailed surveys.

15

7. Recommendations

Based on the results from the detailed low-level aerial survey data collected during this project, I recommend that where financially possible, detailed low-level aerial surveys occur to verify the habitat quality of WHA proposals that are based on coarse-scale low-level aerial assessments. In this study area, several WHA polygons would have been proposed that contained primarily unsuitable habitat types without the detailed assessments. Furthermore, within this portion of the North and West Vancouver Island Conservation Region, where extensive forest harvesting has occurred and options for protecting suitable Marbled Murrelet breeding habitat are limited, habitat recruitment may be considered an option to address the Canadian Marbled Murrelet Recovery Teams’ goals of protecting larger patch sizes, distributing habitat protection throughout the conservation region and for meeting their target of 69% of 2002 population levels (Canadian Marbled Murrelet Recovery Team 2003). Currently, habitat recruitment of appropriate second-growth forests is considered to be a long-term priority for Marbled Murrelet recovery, after suitable habitats have been protected, and when we move towards this strategy, methodologies for determining which habitat types will recruit suitable habitat characteristics (such as mossy platforms), will need to be refined.

8. Acknowledgements

I thank S. McDonald and S. Leigh-Spencer for conducting coarse-filter low-level aerial assessment surveys from which I could delineate draft WHA polygons. Their work was funded through the Forest Investment Account. Detailed low-level aerial surveys in this project were conducted by D. Donald, C. Roberts and E. McClaren and West Coast Helicopter pilots R. Glass and C. Friesen safely manoeuvred observers to each polygon. I extend my appreciation to D. McConkey for assisting with the funding application to BC Hydro Fish and Wildlife Bridge Coastal Restoration program.

I would like to thank the Canadian Wildlife Service (S. Hureau), Marbled Murrelet Habitat Recovery Implementation Group (T. Chatwin), Ministry of Forests (J. Andres), Laich-Kwil-Tach Treaty Society (S. Johnson), and Comox Valley Naturalists Society (D. Lacelle) for providing letters of support for this project.

Importantly, I would like to thank BC Hydro Fish & Wildlife Bridge Coastal Restoration Program for funding the work conducted in this project.

16

9. References

BC Conservation Data Centre. 2011. BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer. BC Ministry

of Environment Victoria, BC Available: http://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (Accessed

January, 2011).

BC Hydro 2000. Bridge-Coastal fish and wildlife restoration program strategic volume 2: Chapter 2, Campbell River watershed.

BC Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection. 2004. Identified wildlife management

strategy. Environmental Stewardship Division, Victoria, BC. http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/frpa/iwms/documents/Birds/b_marbledmurrelet.pdf (Accessed January 2011).

Burger, A. E. 2002. Conservation assessment of Marbled Murrelets in British Columbia:

review of the biology, populations, habitat associations, and conservation (Marbled Murrelet Conservation Assessment, Part A). Technical Report Series No. 387, Canadian Wildlife Service, Delta, BC.

Burger, A. E. 2004. Standard Methods for Identifying and Ranking Nesting Habitat of Marbled Murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) in British Columbia using Air Photo Interpretation and Low-level Aerial Surveys. BC Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection, Biodiversity Branch, Victoria, BC.

Burger, A. E., Waterhouse, L. F., Donaldson, A., Whittaker, C., and D. B. Lank. 2009.

New methods for assessing Marbled Murrelet nesting habitat: air photo interpretation and low-level aerial surveys. BC Journal of Ecosystems and Management 10:4-14.

Canadian Marbled Murrelet Recovery Team. 2003. Marbled Murrelet Conservation

Assessment 2003, Part B: Marbled Murrelet Recovery Team Advisory Document on Conservation and Management. Canadian Marbled Murrelet Recovery Team Working Document No. 1.

Chatwin, T. and M. Mather. 2007. Background document to accompany BC Coastal

Marbled Murrelet habitat suitability maps. Marbled Murrelet Habitat Recovery

Implementation Group. Unpublished Report.

COSEWIC. In Press. COSEWIC assessment and update status report on the Marbled

Murrelet Brachyramphus marmoratus in Canada. Committee on the Status of

Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. vi + 44 pp.

Donald, D. S., Waterhouse, F. L. and P. K. Ott. 2010. Verification of a Marbled Murrelet

habitat inventory on the British Columbian central coast. BC Min. For. Range., For.

17

Sci. Prog. and BC Min. Environ., Environ. Stewardship Div., Victoria, BC Tech Rep.

060.

Forest and Range Practices Act. 2004. BC Ministry of Forests and Range, Victoria, BC

http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/code/legislation.htm (Accessed January, 2011).

Green, R. N. and K. Klinka. 1994. A field guide to site identification and interpretation for

the Vancouver Forest Region. BC Min. For., Victoria, BC Land Manage. Handbook

No. 28.

Hull, C.L. In Press. Update COSEWIC status report on the Marbled Murrelet

Brachyramphus marmoratus in Canada, in COSEWIC assessment and update status

report on the Marbled Murrelet Brachyramphus marmoratus in Canada. Committee

on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. 1-44 pp.

Malt, J. and D. Lank. 2007. Temporal dynamics of edge effects on nest predation risk for

the Marbled Murrelet. Biological Conservation 140:160-173.

Mather, M., Chatwin, T., Cragg, J., Sinclair, L., and D. F. Bertram. 2010. Marbled

Murrelet nesting habitat suitability model for the British Columbia coast. BC Journal of

Ecosystems and Management 11:91-102.

McDonald, S. And S. Leigh-Spencer. 2009. Summary of Marbled Murrelet habitat low-

level aerial survey and mapping techniques.

http://www.forrex.org/marbledmurrelet/docs/Summary_of_MAMU_Habitat_Low-

level_Aerial_Surveys_Mar2009.pdf (Accessed January 2011).

Waterhouse, F. L., Burger, A. E., Lank, D. B., Ott, P.K., Krebs, E. A. and N. Parker. 2009. Using the low-level aerial survey method to identify Marbled Murrelet nesting habitat. BC Journal of Ecosystems and Management 10:80–96.

APPENDIX I: Financial Statement

Project #10_W_CBR_07

Financial Statement Form

BUDGET ACTUAL

BCRP Other (in-kind) BCRP Other (in-kind)

INCOME

Total Income by Source 7200 2100 7200 3000

Grand Total Income

(BCRP + other)

9300 10200

EXPENSES Note: Expenses must be entered as negative numbers (e.g. – 1000, etc.) in order for the

formulas to calculate correctly.

Project Personnel

Wages -2100 -3000

Consultant Fees -400 -218.76

Materials & Equipment

Equipment Rental- helicopter -6600 -5890

Materials Purchased

Travel Expenses -200 -0

Permits

Administration

Office Supplies

Photocopies & printing

Postage

Total Expenses -7200 -2100 -6108.76 -3000

Grand Total Expenses

(BCRP + other)

-9300 -9108.76

BALANCE

(Grand Total Income –

Grand Total Expenses)

The budget balance should equal $0

$0

The actual balance might not equal $0*

$1091.24

APPENDIX II: Performance Measures-Actual Outcomes

Project #10_W_CBR_07

Performance Measures

Using the performance measures applicable to your project, please indicate the amount of habitat actually

restored/enhanced for each of the specified areas (e.g. riparian, tributary, mainstream).

Performance Measures – Target Outcomes

Project Type Primary Habitat Benefit

Targeted of Project (m2)

Primary

Target

Species

Habitat (m2)

Estu

arin

e

In-S

trea

m H

abit

at –

Mai

nst

ream

In-s

trea

m H

abit

at –

Tri

bu

tary

Rip

aria

n

Res

ervo

ir S

ho

relin

e C

om

ple

xes

Riv

erin

e

Low

lan

d D

ecid

uo

us

Low

lan

d C

on

ifer

ou

s

Up

lan

d

Wet

lan

d

Impact Mitigation

Fish passage technologies Area of habitat made

available to target species

Drawdown zone

revegetation/stabilization

Area turned into productive

habitat

Wildlife migration

improvement

Area of habitat made

available to target species

Prevention of drowning of

nests, nestlings

Area of wetland habitat created outside expected flood level (1:10 year)

Habitat Conservation

Habitat conserved – general

Functional habitat

conserved/replaced

through acquisition and

mgmt

Functional habitat

conserved by other

measures (e.g. riprapping)

Designated rare/special

habitat

Rare/special habitat

protected

Marbled

Murrelet

1

4

0

9

8

1

6

8

Maintain or Restore Habitat forming process

Artificial gravel recruitment Area of stream habitat

improved by gravel plmt.

Artificial wood debris

recruitment

Area of stream habitat

improved by LWD plcmt

Small-scale complexing in

existing habitats

Area increase in functional

habitat through complexing

Prescribed burns or other

upland habitat enhancement

for wildlife

Functional area of habitat

improved

Habitat Development

New Habitat created Functional area created

APPENDIX III: Standardized data forms (from Burger 2004) used to collect low-

level aerial survey data from draft WHA polygons.