The predator management project described in the damage assessment and restoration planfor the new carissa oil spill was estimated to restore 29,292 bird-years and was based on theexpectation of a…

The Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Region 1 awarded Oregon State University a $793,742 cooperative agreement under the Coastal Program (CFDA 15.630) to implement the Predator Management Project from May 1, 2022 through September 30, 2026. The project will monitor seabird colonies in southern Oregon for predation and remove problem animals that are detrimentally impacting nesting seabirds. Oregon State University staff will receive training from Wildlife Services to set and maintain traps, which will be checked daily to euthanize captured animals humanely. Motion-detecting cameras and drone surveys will document predator presence and predation events. The goal is to further reduce predation pressures at key coastal locations and address remaining natural resource damages from the 2007 New Carissa oil spill totaling over 29,000 bird-years.

The predator management project described in the damage assessment and restoration planfor the new carissa oil spill was estimated to restore 29,292 bird-years and was based on theexpectation of a significant increase in seabird productivity once red FOX were removed fromseabird colonies in southern oregon. Foxes were largely eliminated from the area before thepredator management project began. As a result, the number of bird-years generated by thisproject to-date are less than anticipated. Restarting the predator management project willallow trustees to address this outstanding, uncompensated debt. One area of particularconcern is saddle rock (crook point), which once contained a large colony of leach's stormpetrels. In recent years, storm-petrel numbers have fallen dramatically at this site. Via thepredator management project, saddle rock and other nearby colonies will be monitored forsigns of predation and subsequent predator control actions taken. Efforts will focus on islandsin the vicinity of coquille point, crook point and harris beach. Pre/post nesting season searchesfor evidence of predators and predation (scat containing feathers, bird carcasses, nestdestruction, etc.,) will occur on all islands. Scats will be collected for genetic analysis todetermine whether certain species (e.g., voles) are preying on storm-petrels. Motion detectingcameras will be placed strategically along trails, headlands, and within seabird colonies todocument predator presence and predation events. Monthly drone surveys of off-shore rockswill compliment monitoring of predation. Should monitoring indicate that predators are havinga detrimental effect on nesting seabirds, FWS will implement a focused trapping effort toremove problem animals. OSU staff will be trained by wildlife services on how to set andmaintain traps. Traps will be checked daily. Captured animals will be euthanized in a humanemanner. By restarting the predator management project, FWS hopes to further reducepredation pressures at several key locations along the coast where predation continues tooccur. This will allow trustees to address the remaining, uncompensated debt for seabirds, andmake the resource and public whole for lost natural resource services resulting from the newcarissa spill.