Chapters 1 - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Refuge Resources
4.3.2.6 Marine Protected Areas
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are defined by Section 2(a) of Executive Order 13158 as “any area
of the marine environment that has been reserved by the Federal, State, territorial, tribal, or local
laws or regulations to provide lasting protection for part or all of the natural and cultural resources
therein” (65 Federal Register 34909, May 26, 2000). MPAs may be established by Federal, State,
or local governments to protect marine habitats and natural and cultural resources from
overexploitation, destructive uses, or other threats, or to conserve species, habitat, or biological
diversity. They may also be created to provide valuable opportunities for recreation, enjoyment,
and study. The Seal Beach NWR is included on the marine managed areas inventory, which will be
used to form a pool of sites that may later be considered for the list of MPAs. However, inclusion
on the inventory does not necessarily mean that the site would ultimately become a MPA.
4.3.2.7 California Wildlife Action Plan
The California Wildlife Action Plan (California Department of Fish and Game 2007) identifies the
species and habitats at greatest risk in California; describes the major stressors affecting wildlife
and habitats; and presents statewide and regional conservation actions needed to restore and
conserve ecosystems and wildlife populations.
Seal Beach NWR is located within the South Coast Region as designated by the Action Plan. The
South Coast Region is acknowledged as one of the world’s hotspots for biological diversity. It is
home to a total of 476 vertebrate animal species – 287 birds, 87 mammals, 52 reptiles, 16
amphibians, and 34 fish – about 38 percent of all the vertebrate species found in California. Of
these species, 14 are endemic to the South Coast Region (that is, found nowhere else in the world),
and 14 other species found here are endemic to California. With regard to invertebrates, 43 taxa
are included on California’s Special Animals List, including 38 arthropod taxa and five mollusk
taxa. Of these, 29 are endemic to the South Coast Region, and nine other taxa found here are
endemic to California but not restricted to this region.
The South Coast Region is also marked by massive population growth and urbanization that have
transformed the landscape since the 1940s. The juxtaposition of outstanding biological resources
and urbanization on a vast scale has made the South Coast Region the most threatened biologically
diverse area in the continental United States. More than 150 vertebrate animal species (of the 476
total vertebrates) and 200 species of plants are either listed as protected or considered sensitive by
wildlife agencies and conservation groups.
Conservation actions that apply to the management of the Seal Beach NWR include:
protect and restore the best remaining examples of coastal wetlands that provide
important wildlife habitat;
provide greater resources and coordinate efforts to eradicate or control existing
occurrences of invasive species and to prevent new introductions;
consider the most current projections of the effects of global warming;
give greater priority to wildlife and natural resources conservation education; and
provide sufficient protection for sensitive species and important wildlife habitats on public
agency lands, and ensure adequate funding and staffing to protect important resources.
4.3.3 Habitat and Vegetation
The Seal Beach NWR protects most of what remains of historical Anaheim Bay. Technically,
today the “bay” is not a bay at all; rather it consists of a man-made inner and outer harbor and the
remnants of a much larger salt marsh complex (CDFG and UFWS 1976). The majority of the 965
Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan/Environmental Assessment 4-41