Monitoring
The Biological Monitoring Program collects data on the 146 covered species and their associated vegetation communities in order to assess the MSHCP’s effectiveness at meeting conservation goals. Monitoring evaluations are based on species-specific objectives defined in Volume 2 of the MSHCP and are intended to provide for the long-term conservation of all 146 species. These objectives influence the type and frequency of monitoring required and inform adaptive management decisions in the event that MSHCP goals are not being met. Monitoring is conducted on public and quasi-public land and lands that have been acquired under the MSHCP.
This task is more complex because the majority of species covered by the MSHCP have little scientifically-based data. As a result, monitoring has been divided into an initial-inventory phase and a long-term monitoring phase.
The inventory phase is taking place over the first five to eight years of the plan.
The purpose of the inventory is to determine where covered species occur, gather information on activity patterns, develop detection protocols, test the reliability of survey methods, and determine if species are present or not present within an area. The information gathered and the survey protocols developed during this inventory phase will be used to develop the long-term monitoring strategies, including:
- Sampling methods and locations
- Account for animals present but not detected
- Methods for surveying multiple species where possible
The California Department of Fish & Game is the Monitoring Program Administrator for the first eight years of the plan and is therefore responsible for implementing the inventory phase and developing the long-term monitoring strategy. The program is staffed jointly by the California Department of Fish & Game, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and RCA. Staff training ensures accuracy and consistency over time. The majority, 121 of 146 species, must be reported on every eight years. The balance have reporting requirements between one and five years.
A Biological Monitoring Program Work Plan is developed yearly, and monitoring surveys are published on an on-going basis.
