Chapters 1 - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Environmental Consequences
5.5.1.2 Effects to Light-footed Clapper Rail
Wildlife and Habitat Management
Current management activities conducted on the Refuge to protect and assist in the recovery of
the light-footed clapper rail include pre-season nesting platform maintenance and replacement,
monitoring during the nesting season, annual population estimates, occasional release of captivebred
rails into the marsh, and implementing predator management. All of these activities, which
would continue under Alternative A, could result in potential adverse effects on the light-footed
clapper rail. Additional activities conducted on the Refuge that could affect rails include:
conducting monthly bird surveys; inspecting, removing trash and debris from the marsh; and
maintaining and replacing culverts. To avoid impacts to nesting rails, all of these activities with the
exception of nesting season monitoring, predator management, and monthly bird surveys would be
conducted outside of the nesting season. This measure avoids the potential for disturbance-related
impacts to rail fledgling success.
Outside of the breeding season, all activities that require access into the marsh are conducted in a
manner that would avoid any direct impacts to rails, as well as minimize the potential for indirect
impacts related to disturbance of individual rails and/or native marsh vegetation. Although most
activities implemented on the Refuge occur on the edges of the marsh, some activities, such as the
inspection or replacement of nesting platforms or conducting rail counts, require access into
sensitive marsh habitat. To minimize disturbance to rails and vegetation, access into these areas is
often obtain through the use of non-motorized boats, primarily canoes. The protocols followed
when working in rail habitat have been established to ensure that no significant adverse impacts to
rails would occur as a result of Refuge management activities.
Pest Management
Little, if any, herbicide application occurs in or near known light-footed clapper rail habitat,
therefore, impacts related to disturbance and indirect impacts from the chemicals themselves
would not be anticipated. Indirect impacts are also minimized by only applying herbicides in
accordance with the product label.
The SUP issued each year to the OCVCD for mosquito management on the Refuge prohibits
access into sensitive light-footed clapper rail habitat, therefore, impacts related to disturbance and
indirect impacts from the mosquito control products currently used on the Refuge are not
anticipated.
Public Use
No public use activities are permitted within the marsh; therefore, no impacts to the light-footed
clapper rail are anticipated as a result of continuing the current public use program on the Refuge.
5.5.1.3 Effects to Western Snowy Plover
Wildlife and Habitat Management
The western snowy plover does not nest on the Refuge and is only observed on the Refuge in small
numbers during the winter months. Other than general management of the coastal wetlands
within the Refuge to benefit migratory birds, no programs or actions are implemented on this
Refuge specifically to benefit the western snowy plover. This would remain the case under
Alternative A. The potential effects to the western snowy plover of implementing Alternative A
would be the same as those described for waterbirds in Section 5.4.1.1.
Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan 5-57