By Quinn Eastman
North County Times
August 20, 2005
CARLSBAD
---- North County beaches will escape most of the economic
impact of protecting a tiny bird called the western snowy
plover, according to a study released Friday by the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service.
The western snowy plover was listed as threatened under the
Endangered Species Act in 1993 because of declining
populations and disappearing coastal habitat.
North
County hosts hundreds of western snowy plovers, found from
Washington State to Baja California.
The Wildlife Service revised its critical habitat designations
for the western snowy plover last year in response to a
lawsuit by officials in Coos County, Ore.
Wildlife Service officials are scheduled to make a final
decision on new critical habitat for the plover by Sep. 20.
They ordered a study of the economic impacts of the new
habitat rules to guide them in their pending decision.
The study found that, while setting aside 17,000 acres of West
Coast beaches as critical habitat for the plover could cost
economies in West Coast states up to $645 million in the next
20 years, most of that impact will be felt on other parts of
the coast.
Most of the economic losses will come from lost tourism and
beach recreation. More than three quarters of the predicted
impact falls on Monterey Bay, Pismo Beach, Morro Bay and
Coronado's Silver Strand, the study says. The economic impact
on North County sites is estimated at less than $100,000 over
20 years.
Designating an area as critical habitat ---- essential for the
conservation of an endangered or threatened species ---- may
mean restricting public access with fences and preventing
activities such as using all-terrain vehicles.
The areas of critical habitat for plovers identified by the
Wildlife Service in North County are:
* 58 acres of San Onofre State Beach;
* 65 acres of South Carlsbad State Beach
and Batiquitos Lagoon;
* 24 acres of Torrey Pines State Beach.
Plovers and people inevitably come into conflict because
plovers like to nest on open sandy beaches, where people like
to go, too, said Andy Mauro, conservation chairman for the
Buena Vista Audubon Society.
"Here in North County, we've already faced this
issue," he said. "But we've managed to find areas to
set aside that don't impact people as much."
For example, a fenced-off area near South Carlsbad State Beach
northeast of Interstate 5 and La Costa Avenue is "one of
the most successful breeding colonies in Southern
California," Mauro said.
The birds are 5 to 7 inches long and weigh less than 2 ounces.
They are white and pale brown with dark patches on their
breasts and dark legs. According to federal biologists, about
2,600 breed along the U.S. Pacific Coast, with an equal number
in Baja California.
The government estimated that about 460 snowy plovers were in
San Diego County this winter, according to U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service spokeswoman Jane Hendron in Carlsbad. That's
an increase from about 260 four years ago. However, that may
not indicate a local recovery because it may just be a
temporary population shift, she said.
Designating property as critical habitat has no regulatory
impact on private landowners unless they are doing something
that requires a federal permit, loan or grant, Hendron said.
Not all of the places where plovers can be found were
designated as critical habitat, she said. For example, plovers
have also been seen at San Elijo and Agua Hedionda lagoons.
Over 500 acres of potential plover habitat were identified by
Fish and Wildlife on the grounds of Camp Pendleton, but the
Marines requested exclusion of all but three of those from
critical habitat designation to facilitate military training.
Camp Pendleton spends about $120,000 annually on plover
protection, according to the report.
More information about the critical habitat study is available
at:
http://www.fws.gov/pacific/sacramento/default.htm
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