Project goal: the goal of the project is to prevent permanent loss of native habitats and populations of rare species (salt marsh birds-beak, beldings savannah sparrow, california least tern,…

Project goal: the goal of the project is to prevent permanent loss of native habitats and populations of rare species (salt marsh birds-beak, beldings savannah sparrow, california least tern, western snowy plover, and nuttalls acmispon) on the refuge. The project will locate and control nonnative limonium within the refuge and on conserved lands adjacent to the refuge. The project area is 183 acres and includes susceptible habitat in and adjacent to the refuges sweetwater marsh unit, which includes sweetwater marsh, connector marsh, d street fill, marisma DE nacion, paradise marsh, and the USS midway museum mitigation property, and in and adjacent to the south SAN diego BAY unit, which includes the otay river, western salt ponds, chula vista wildlife reserve and emory cove. Surveys will document the distribution and abundance of nonnative limonium, identify and target treatment locations to control occurrences, and track success towards meeting the goal of a 99 reduction in nonnative limonium by june 2025. Detailed objectives to meet this goal are listed below. Objective 1: the distribution of nonnative limonium will be mapped throughout the project area. In 2022, the project conducted standardized surveys and mapping within susceptible habitat throughout SAN diego BAY in areas that had not been previously surveyed. The survey data was entered into a project-specific data collection application created in arcgis field maps. In 2023, the project will survey and map in the areas within the project area that were not included in the 2022 survey to complete a comprehensive map using the standardized survey methodology. Surveys should be conducted in june and july when the species is in flower and easiest to detect. In 2025, the project will repeat the comprehensive survey in all susceptible habitat within the project area. Objective 2: approximately 100 of mapped nonnative limonium on refuge lands and adjacent properties will be removed with either solarization tarping or hand removal by june 2025. The project will annually survey and map control treatment locations to document treatment success and inform subsequent treatments. Objective 3: a 99 reduction in the distribution of nonnative limonium will be observed within the project area between 2023, when the baseline inventory is complete, and june 2025, when the existing funding is exhausted. Solarized occurrences will achieve 100 mortality of nonnative limonium while hand-pulled occurrences will achieve between 75100 mortality of nonnative limonium.