Chapters 1 - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Introduction
acres). These coastal wetlands are characterized by long tidal channels that transport ocean
waters deep into the salt marsh habitat; tidal flats that are exposed during low tides; and large
expanses of cordgrass-dominated salt marsh habitat. Another 116 acres of the Refuge support
restored subtidal and intertidal ponds constructed in the early 1990s as part of a Port of Long
Beach mitigation project. The remaining lands within the Refuge include several upland areas,
some natural and some filled in the past to support military activities, as well as an area of muted
salt marsh habitat.
The Seal Beach NWR is an important stopover and wintering location within the Pacific Flyway,
providing relatively undisturbed habitat for thousands of migratory birds including shorebirds,
waterfowl, and raptors. The Refuge supports several Federally and/or state listed endangered or
threatened avian species, including the California least tern, light-footed clapper rail, and Belding’s
savannah sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis beldingi), all of which nest and raise their young on
the Refuge. The Federally listed endangered eastern Pacific green turtle (Chelonia mydas) has
also been observed within the Refuge.
1.5.3 Ecosystem Context
To the extent possible, the CCP will assist in meeting conservation goals established in existing
national and regional plans, California’s Wildlife Action Plan, and other landscape-scale plans
covering the same watershed or ecosystem in which the Refuge resides (602 FW 3.3). With respect
to landscape-scale planning, the Seal Beach NWR is included within the California Geographic
Area, one of 21 Geographic Areas that were developed by aggregating Bird Conservation Regions
(BCRs), biologically based units representing long-standing partnerships that facilitate
conservation planning and design at landscape scales. Seal Beach NWR is included within the
California Landscape Conservation Cooperative (LCC). LCCs are applied conservation science
partnerships between the Service and other federal agencies, states, tribes, non-governmental
organizations (NGOs), universities and stakeholders within a geographically defined area. The
LCCs will do work that will inform resource management decisions and actions to address
landscape-scale stressors, such as habitat fragmentation, genetic isolation, invasive species, and
water scarcity, all of which are accelerated by climate change. LCCs will reflect the principles and
practices of adaptive management in all of their activities, especially in developing conservation
strategies, evaluating their effectiveness, and revising them. This iterative process of information
sharing will help scientists and resource managers deal with uncertainties on the landscape and
provide tools to compare and contrast the implications of management alternatives.
The California Geographic Area will be divided into several subunits. Seal Beach NWR will be
included within the Coastal Southern Subunit, which covers the coastal mountain ranges of central
California, southern California and northern Mexico, lands between the Mojave Desert and the
Pacific Ocean, and numerous offshore islands. Like other LCCs, the California LCC will provide a
forum for information exchange and feedback among partners and, secondarily, among other
interested parties (e.g., organizations, scientists, and managers). In addition, LCC partners will
jointly decide on the highest priority needs and interests of the LCC and will have a role in helping
partners identify common goals and priorities.
Also from an ecosystem context, the Seal Beach NWR provides essential foraging and resting
habitat for migratory birds traveling along the Pacific Flyway during migration, and protects
Essential Fish Habitat for various fish species managed under the Pacific Groundfish and Coastal
Pelagic Species Fishery Management Plans. The Refuge, which is located between the Los
Cerritos wetland complex to the north (partially in Los Angeles County) and the Bolsa Chica
wetlands to the south, is one of only seven remaining wetland complexes along the Orange County
coast (refer to Section 4.1 for additional details).
Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan/Environmental Assessment 1-11