This project will lead to restoration of fish and wildlife habitat in tomales BAY, marin county, california

This $100,000 cooperative agreement, awarded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the Partners for Fish and Wildlife program (CFDA #15.631), will fund habitat restoration activities in Tomales Bay, Marin County, California. The key deliverables include: 1) developing a conceptual design plan to increase connectivity between Marks Marsh and Tomales Bay, and 2) invasive plant control on 1 acre of salt marsh habitat adjacent to the Walker Creek Delta and Cypress Grove Preserve. These actions aim to restore native salt marsh habitat and benefit several federally listed species such as coho salmon, tidewater goby, California black rail, and salt marsh common yellowthroat. The primary awardee for this grant is Audubon Canyon Ranch, Inc., a non-profit conservation organization based in Stinson Beach, California.

Proposed planning and implementation activities include 1 development of a design plan for increasing connectivity of marks marsh to tomales BAY and 2 invasive plant control in salt marsh habitats adjacent to extensive MUD flat and EEL grass habitat in walker creek delta and cypress grove preserve, also in tomales BAY. Deliverables include the conceptual design for reconnection of 10 acres of tidal marsh and invasive plant control completed on 1 acre of delta and wetland habitat. These actions will restore native salt marsh habitat for the benefit of a variety of marshdependent species, including federally listed species such as coho salmon oncorhynchus kisutch, and tidewater goby eucyclogobius newberryi, as well as california black rail laterallus jamaicensis coturniculus and salt marsh common yellowthroat geothlypis trichas sinuosa, which has experienced an 80% decline over the past century. Zerene fritillary argynnis zerene puntareyes has been recently spotted the proposed restoration area n. Warnock pers. Comm.