[00:00:04] OKAY. WELL, GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO THE BOARD AND NATURAL CULTURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE MEETING OF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT FOR TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29TH, BEGINNING AT 10:35 A.M.. WOULD THE RECORDING CLERK, PLEASE TAKE THE ROLL CALL? [Roll Call] ANNA LONDONO, RECORDING CLERK TAKING ROLL. TODAY'S MEETING IS BEING HELD PURSUANT TO THE BROWN ACT. STAFF IS PROVIDING LIVE AUDIO AND VIDEO STREAMING. MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT MAY DO SO BY SUBMITTING AN EMAIL, LEAVING A VOICEMAIL, OR JOINING LIVE VIA ZOOM WITH THE LINK PROVIDED ON THE AGENDA LOCATED ON THE DISTRICT WEBSITE. IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MEETING PROCEDURES, WE WILL BEGIN. THANK YOU FOR THAT. ITEM NUMBER TWO. [Approval of Minutes] OUR NEXT ITEM IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES. I WOULD LIKE TO ADD A LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA TEXT IN THERE TO CLARIFY SOMETHING THAT I SAID, AND THAT WOULD BE IN THE SECOND PARAGRAPH ON THE LAST LINE OF THAT IT SAYS SUGGESTED SOIL AMENDMENTS, AND I WOULD LIKE TO ADD ON CERTAIN VULNERABLE TRAILS TO THAT, JUST FOR JUST A LITTLE ADDITIONAL CLARIFICATION OF WHAT MY INTENTION WAS. OKAY. SO WITH THAT IF I MAY DO THAT AND IF THAT IS ACCEPTABLE, I LOOK FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS AGENDA ITEM. SO I WILL SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ALL RIGHT. IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. NOW WE MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER THREE. PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA. DO WE HAVE ANY OF THOSE? WE DO NOT HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT. OKAY. SO NOW WE'RE MOVING ON TO NUMBER FOUR, AND THESE ARE ALL FOR A, B AND C ARE ALL GOING TO BE INFORMATIONAL ITEMS. [Informational Items] SO THAT WAS OUR LAST VOTE FOR THE DAY. SO NOW WE CAN RELAX. OKAY, AND JUST SOAK UP THE INFORMATION WE'RE GOING TO BE GIVEN. SO ITEM NUMBER FOUR A IS ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA BLACK RAIL RESPONSE TO MARSH RESTORATION AT BAY POINT REGIONAL SHORELINE. I AM A PROJECT COORDINATOR IN DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION. TODAY I'M PRESENTING WITH DAVE RIENSCHE ON THE CALIFORNIA BLACK RAIL RESPONSE TO MARSH RESTORATION AT BAY POINT REGIONAL SHORELINE. SO I AM GOING TO KICK OFF OUR TALK TODAY WITH SOME HISTORY AND BACKGROUND ON THE PROJECT, AND THEN I WILL PASS IT ON TO DAVE TO SHARE SOME INFORMATION ON THE BLACK RAILS OUT AT BAY POINT. SO SOME BACKGROUND INFO ON THE PROJECT AREA. BAY POINT IS LOCATED IN UNINCORPORATED EAST CONTRA COSTA COUNTY. IT IS ALONG THE SOUTHERN SHORELINE OF SUISUN BAY AND HONKER BAY. FORMERLY IT WAS A SAND DREDGING AND SAND PROCESSING SITE FROM THE 1950S THROUGH ABOUT THE 1970S. IN THE EARLY 2000, THE PARK DISTRICT COMPLETED A LAND USE PLAN AND CEQA, AND LATER BUILT SOME OF THE PUBLIC ACCESS FEATURES THAT WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE LAND USE PLAN. SO FAST FORWARDING TO THE PUBLIC ACCESS AND RESTORATION PROJECT THAT WE STARTED PLANNING FOR AROUND 2016. THERE WERE A COUPLE OF IMPORTANT COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL FACTORS THAT WE CONSIDERED WHEN WE WERE PLANNING THE PROJECT. ONE OF THEM IS THAT BAY POINT IS CONSIDERED A DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITY, AND THERE'S REALLY LIMITED PUBLIC ACCESS ALONG THE STRETCH OF SHORELINE. IT'S A REALLY INDUSTRIAL AREA; SO ACCESS IS PRETTY LIMITED. SO WE CONSIDERED THAT AND A NEED WAS IDENTIFIED THERE. ANOTHER FACTOR WAS THAT A LOT OF THERE ARE SEVERAL REGIONAL AND LOCAL PLANS THAT IDENTIFIED BAY POINT AS HAVING GOOD POTENTIAL FOR [00:05:01] HABITAT RESTORATION, AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, NEEDED OPPORTUNITIES TO ADD PUBLIC ACCESS OR WATER TRAIL ACCESS OUT HERE. SO THESE WERE SOME OF THE DRIVING FACTORS THAT WE CONSIDERED, AND IN 2017, WE COMPLETED A CEQA ADDENDUM AND A RESTORATION AND PUBLIC ACCESS PLAN, AND CONSTRUCTION WAS FROM 2019 TO 2021. BEFORE JUMPING TO SPECIFIC IMPROVEMENTS FROM THE PROJECT, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THE PROJECT GOALS AND THESE WERE TO PRESERVE, RESTORE AND ENHANCE WETLAND HABITATS AT BAY POINT AND TO IMPROVE THE EXISTING PUBLIC ACCESS OUT HERE, AND I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THESE WERE CO-EQUAL GOALS FOR THE PROJECT, SO THEY WERE BOTH EQUALLY IMPORTANT, AND THIS IS AN AERIAL PHOTO OF THE AREA BEFORE CONSTRUCTION. SO THE PARK HAD THIS LOOP TRAIL. THERE WAS PARKING AND A VAULT TOILET AND SOME PICNIC TABLES, AND THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN IMMEDIATELY POST CONSTRUCTION AND YOU CAN SEE THE TIDAL CHANNELS GOING THROUGH THE RESTORATION AREA AND THIS IS THE SAME LOOP TRAIL, BUT WE IMPROVED IT. WE RAISED IT TO BE MORE RESILIENT TO SEA LEVEL RISE, AND WE IMPROVED THE SURFACE TO MAKE IT MORE ACCESSIBLE. OTHER PUBLIC ACCESS IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDED A KAYAK LAUNCH OFF OF THE GREAT CALIFORNIA DELTA TRAIL SPUR. SO THAT'S OFF THE MAP. A LITTLE FURTHER EAST, WE ALSO ADDED A TWO STALL FLUSH RESTROOM. WE ADDED WATER TO THE SITE. WE ADDED SHADE STRUCTURES OVER THE PICNIC AREAS, AND WE ALSO PAVED THE DRIVEWAY FROM THE PARK ENTRANCE TO THE LOOP TRAIL, WHICH IS ALSO THE FIRST SEGMENT, SEGMENT 1A OF THE GREAT CALIFORNIA DELTA TRAIL. SO THAT WAS EXCITING TO SAY THAT WAS PART OF THE PROJECT. OTHER HABITAT IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDED WE BREACHED THIS CHANNEL, YOU CAN SEE UNDER THE BRIDGE TO ADD TIDAL CONNECTIVITY TO THE MARSH ES SURROUNDING THE SITE, AND WE BUILT IN LOW MARSH, HIGH MARSH, TRANSITION ZONE IN UPLAND AREAS, AND THESE WERE DESIGNED TO ACCOMMODATE THE MARSH RETREATING INWARD FOR SEA LEVEL RISE AND TO GIVE SPECIAL STATUS SPECIES OUT HERE, ROOM TO MIGRATE AND MOVE LANDWARD. WITH THE PROJECTED SEA LEVEL RISE INTO THE FUTURE. SO REALLY JUST TO MAKE THE MARSH MORE RESILIENT, AND THIS IS A SIDE BY SIDE. SO YOU CAN QUICK SEE THE BEFORE AND AFTER CONSTRUCTION, AND SPEAKING OF RESILIENCY, THIS GRAPHIC SHOWS A TYPICAL SECTION OF THE HARRIER LOOP TRAIL. THE DASHED LINE REPRESENTS THE ELEVATION OF THE TRAIL BEFORE CONSTRUCTION. SO YOU CAN SEE THAT WE RAISED IT. YOU KNOW, PRETTY SUBSTANTIALLY TO BE RESILIENT TO SEA LEVEL RISE, AND IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN OUT HERE YET, IT'S, I THINK A PERFECT IT'S A ONE MILE LOOP TRAIL. SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, NOT TOO LONG, NOT TOO SHORT, BUT THE POTENTIAL AND THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR NATURE VIEWING ARE PRETTY EXCELLENT OUT HERE. THERE'S INTERPRETIVE PANELS LOOKOUT POINTS. SO I RECOMMEND, IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO GET OUT THERE TO CHECK IT OUT, AND LASTLY, I WANTED TO SHARE SOME PUBLIC ACCESS FEATURES WITH YOU. SO THE PHOTO ON THE LEFT SHOWS THE ALUMINUM KAYAK LAUNCH I MENTIONED, AND THAT'S OFF OF THE GREAT CALIFORNIA DELTA TRAIL SPUR. BOATING IS PRETTY POPULAR OUT HERE IN FISHING TOO, AND THIS PHOTO ON THE RIGHT IS THE BRIDGE OVER THE AREA THAT WE BREACHED TO ADD TIDAL CONNECTIVITY TO THE SITE. SO BEFORE I WRAP UP, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT I THINK THIS PROJECT IS A REALLY GOOD EXAMPLE OF HOW HABITAT RESTORATION CAN BE COMBINED WITH PUBLIC ACCESS AND BE SUCCESSFUL TO SERVE NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, SPECIAL STATUS SPECIES, BUT ALSO THE COMMUNITY. SO WITH THAT, I WILL PASS IT ON TO DAVE. THANK YOU. GREAT JOB, KARLA. SO NOW I'LL TAKE OVER AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE NATURAL RESOURCES OUT HERE AT AT BAY POINT, AND I GOT INVOLVED EARLY ON SORT OF THE WILDLIFE SURVEYS ASPECTS OF IT. SO I'LL FOCUS A LITTLE BIT ON THE DESCRIPTION OF THE BLACK RAIL, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CURRENT RESEARCH. [00:10:01] I'LL TALK ABOUT TIDAL MARSH RECOVERY AS IT RELATES TO US FISH AND WILDLIFE. TIDAL MARSH RECOVERY PLAN FOCUSING ON 11 DIFFERENT LISTED SPECIES. TALK ABOUT THE SURVEY TECHNIQUES WHICH WE USE TO SHARE THAT THIS WORK. PUBLIC ACCESS AND HABITAT RESTORATION GO HAND IN HAND, AND THEN TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME NEXT STEPS. SO THIS CUTE AND CHARISMATIC BIRD IS THE SMALLEST RAIL IN NORTH AMERICA. IT'S ABOUT THE SIZE OF A BASEBALL. IT HAS LITTLE WHITE DOTS ALONG ITS BODY. IT'S INCREDIBLY SECRETIVE. SPENDS MOST OF ITS LIFE HIDDEN IN THE VEGETATION, AND IT'S A YEAR ROUND INHABITANT OF OF THE TIDAL MARSHES OF THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AND THE DELTA REGION, AND THERE'S A SMALL POPULATION THAT DOES LIVE UP IN THE SIERRA FOOTHILLS. AS A BIOLOGIST, WE HAVE TO LISTEN FOR THEIR COURTSHIP CALLS. ONCE AGAIN, THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST SECRETIVE OF OUR MARSH BIRDS, AND YOU GO OUT AND YOU LISTEN FOR THE COURTSHIP OR OR ALARM CALLS TO CONFIRM THEIR OCCUPANCY, AND THAT'S DONE VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING, TYPICALLY AN HOUR, HOUR AND A HALF BEFORE DAYBREAK. THIS BIRD HAS IS AN INDICATOR OF RESTORATION HELP, AS BY OTHER RESEARCHERS BECAUSE IT'S NARROW HABITAT REQUIREMENTS WHERE IT FINDS ITS FOOD, WATER, SHELTER AND SPACE. SO IT'S A REAL GOOD BAROMETER OF MARSH RESTORATION. SO THIS PICTURE OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY SHOWS YOU THAT A LARGE PORTION OF THE BLACK RAILS ARE LOCATED IN THE NORTH BAY, AND IF I CAN DO THIS CONTROL. WE HAVE POPULATIONS UP HERE AT POINT PINOLE. WE HAVE POPULATIONS DOWN HERE AT MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR REGIONAL SHORELINE AND AS WELL AS COYOTE HILLS, BUT THE REAL, REAL LOCATION FOR THE PARK DISTRICT IS IN THE NORTH NORTHERN PART OF THE BAY. MARTINEZ, WATERBIRD, AND, OF COURSE, BAY POINT. SO THE CONSERVATION STATUS IT WAS LISTED AS A THREATENED SPECIES BY THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE IN 1971. THIS IS A FULLY PROTECTED SPECIES, MEANING THERE'S NO TAKE. THERE'S NO HARM, THERE'S NO HARASSMENT OF THIS. YOU NEED A THICK DOSSIER BEFORE YOU GO OUT AND LOOK FOR THIS BIRD. REASONS FOR ITS LISTING IS HABITAT LOSS, DEGRADATION OF HABITAT, HUMAN ENCROACHMENT UPON ITS LOCATIONS, AS WELL AS PREDATION. WHEN THIS BIRD GETS CLOSE TO HUMAN DWELLINGS, IT IS SUBJECT TO PREDATION BY FERAL WILDLIFE. A LITTLE BIT ABOUT RESTORATION HERE. RESTORATION IS ONGOING IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY. WE JUST HAVE TO LOOK SOUTH TO THE SOUTH BAY SALT PONDS FOR SOME OF THAT. THERE'S A LOT OF RESTORATION GOING ON IN THE NORTH BAY UP IN THE NAPA MARSH AS WELL, AND THE DRIVER OF ALL THIS IS THE US FISH AND WILDLIFE TIDAL RECOVERY MARSH PLAN. IT SPEAKS ELOQUENTLY TO 11 DIFFERENT FEDERALLY LISTED WILDLIFE SPECIES AND IT'S ASSUMED THAT TARGET, ENDANGERED SPECIES SUCH AS THE CALIFORNIA BLACK RAIL ALSO BENEFIT. SO THIS RESEARCH THAT THE DISTRICT ENTERED INTO A PRE AND POST RESTORATION REALLY FILLS IMPORTANT KNOWLEDGE GAPS. THE BIOLOGY OF THE CALIFORNIA BLACK RAIL AS WELL AS ITS RESPONSE TO MARSH RESTORATION. SO A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THIS LOCATION. KARLA DID AN AMAZING JOB. THIS IS MORE OF A BIOLOGICAL ASPECT OF IT. IT'S 24 HECTARES, MEANING 2.5 ACRES MAKES A HECTARE. THE CONCENTRIC RINGS ARE DETECTION POINTS FOR LISTENING FOR BLACK RAILS. THE SITE HERE, THE VEGETATION IS CHARACTERISTIC OF WHAT WE WOULD FIND IN THE CALIFORNIA DELTA. THIS LOCATION HAS. WHILE I'M TALKING ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA BLACK RAIL, THERE'S FIVE OTHER LISTED SPECIES HERE, AND CERTAINLY THE CALIFORNIA THE SALT MARSH HARVEST MOUSE IS ONE OF THOSE WHICH ALSO IS FOUND HERE AND IS BENEFITING FROM THE WORK. ALL RIGHT. JUST BRIEFLY AND QUICKLY ON METHODS. WE DO CALL COUNT SURVEYS, AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS YOU GO OUT WITH A RECORDING DEVICE, A PLAYBACK UNIT, TWO HOURS BEFORE DAYBREAK. AT SYSTEMATIC SPOTS, YOU PLAY COURTSHIP CALLS, AND YOU HOPE FOR THE BLACK RAIL TO RESPOND BACK, EITHER TO GIVE YOU A CLASSIC COURTSHIP CALL OR AN ALARM CALL. OR MAYBE IT'S A FEMALE CALL, AND THESE ARE ALL PROTOCOLS HAVE BEEN FLUSHED OUT SINCE, YOU KNOW, 2011, AND THEY'RE DONE THROUGHOUT THE NATION. [00:15:07] THIS WORK THAT WE SHARE TODAY HAS ALSO BEEN SHARED AT THE DELTA, AND IT'S BEEN SHARED WITH THE BLACK RAIL WORKING GROUP THAT'S NATIONWIDE ABOUT RESPONSE TO BIRDS AND MARSH RESTORATION. SO HISTORICALLY, WITHIN THE MARSH AREA ITSELF, LET'S SEE IF I CAN DO THIS AGAIN. THIS AREA HERE WITH RESTORATION. WE CAN SAY THAT THERE WERE NO BLACK RAILS IN THERE. I SURVEYED THAT FOR SEVERAL YEARS BEFORE RESTORATION. I WAS INFORMING STAFF ON THE PERMITTING FOR THE SALT MARSH HARVEST MOUSE ON THIS, BUT THERE WERE BLACK RAILS FOUND AT THE OUTLYING AREAS OF THE MARSH, NOT PART OF THE RESTORATION. SO FOLLOWING THE RESTORATION IN 2001, WE DETECTED ONE BLACK RAIL, AND THAT CAN BE SEEN UP THERE WHERE THAT NUMBER TWO IS THAT COLOR MARK RIGHT ALONG ONE OF THE RECENTLY CARVED CHANNELS, WHICH WAS INUNDATED WITH WATER WHEN STARTING TO VEGETATE. IN 2021, WE DETECTED TWO BLACK RAILS, AND THOSE ARE THE BLUE DOTS ON THE MAP THERE, SHOWING THE OCCUPANCY OF THE BLACK RAIL STARTING TO USE AN AREA THAT IT WASN'T PREVIOUSLY USING. THREE YEARS LATER, WE HAD THREE DETECTIONS OF CALIFORNIA BLACK RAILS IN THAT LOCATION WHERE THE MARSH WAS REVEGETATING ITSELF ALONG THOSE CHANNELS, AND YOU CAN NOTICE FROM THESE THAT THE BIRDS WERE STARTING TO MOVE DOWN CHANNEL. SO THIS IS JUST ANOTHER WAY OF LOOKING AT THE DATA ON THE HORIZONTAL GRAPH IS THE NUMBER OF CALIFORNIA BLACK RAILS. I MEAN THE YEARS THE VERTICAL GRAPH IS THE NUMBER OF BLACK RAILS AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE BLACK RAILS INCREASED BY THREE-FOLD POST-RESTORATION. OOPS. LET ME GO BACK. SO THIS SHOWS YOU ALL THE DETECTION POINTS OF THE BLACK RAIL OCCUPYING THE NORTHEASTERN PART OF THE MARSH, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THESE COLOR MARKS ARE MOVING FURTHER DOWN THE CHANNEL DOWN TO THE ENTRANCE CHANNEL, AND IT'S HYPOTHESIZED THAT WITHIN THE NEXT 3 TO 8 YEARS, WE'LL HAVE MORE BLACK RAIL S THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE SYSTEM THERE. SO MARSH RESTORATION AND TIDAL MARSH AREAS IS IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY ALONG THE UPPER EDGE THAT KARLA TALKED ABOUT. IT'S GOING TO HELP CURB THE EFFECTS OF MARSH INUNDATION, SEA LEVEL RISE ON NOT ONLY THE BLACK RAIL, BUT THE OTHER TEN LISTED SPECIES. WE CAN SEE THAT THE EFFORTS HERE ARE ARE DEMONSTRATING THAT THE BLACK RAIL RESPONDS POSITIVELY AS WELL AS PUBLIC ACCESS, SO THERE'S NO COMPETITION IN THAT REGARD. THE BLACK RAIL POPULATION IS NOW THREE TIMES HIGHER. SO OUR NEXT STEPS IS REALLY TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE BLACK RAIL POPULATION CONTINUE MARSH RESTORATION EFFORTS, AND REALLY, THE BLACK RAIL 'S ABILITY TO COLONIZE NEWLY RESTORED MARSHES IS GOING TO BE ENHANCED AS WE WORK TOWARDS THOSE GOALS, BUT CERTAINLY IT'S GOING TO BE CHALLENGED AS WE LOOK AT THE HYDROLOGY OF SEA LEVEL RISE AND ENGINEERING FOR THOSE MARSHES, AND WITH THAT, KARLA AND I WILL TAKE QUESTIONS IF THERE'RE ANY. ANY QUESTIONS? YES. YES, THIS IS GREAT. YEAH. YEAH. WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF BOARD TOURS OUT THERE AND THE TRANSFORMATION IS IT'S SPECTACULAR. I THINK REGARDING THE MARSH ITSELF IS IN MY READINGS. I'VE READ THAT FOR EVERY AREA, FOR EVERY MARSH RESTORED, EVERY ACRE, THAT THERE'S POTENTIALLY THE POSSIBILITY OF ABSORPTION OF THREE ACRES OF WATER. SO IS THERE ANY WAY TO TELL HOW MUCH WATER IS ABSORBED BY THIS RESTORATION AT BAY POINT? OR IF IT'S EVEN POSSIBLE? YEAH, YEAH, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I CAN'T ANSWER THAT, BUT I CAN DEFINITELY LOOK TO SOME OF OUR CONSULTANTS TO, YOU KNOW, FOR SOME OF THAT INFO. YEAH, IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO IDENTIFY. YEAH, AND I WAS JUST THINKING THAT BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING HAYWARD. HAYWARD PRETTY SOON, I THINK. IT MIGHT BE NICE TO GET AN ESTIMATE OF WHAT THAT MARSH IS DOING NOW, AS FAR AS ABSORPTION VERSUS AFTER, KIND OF BEFORE AND AFTER, JUST TO SEE WHAT THAT IS, AND THEN ALSO REGARDING THE RAIL, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE CARRYING CAPACITY FOR BAY POINT IS FOR THE NUMBER OF RAILS? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, AND I WOULD SAY I HAD HYPOTHESIZED THAT WE MIGHT SEE THAT GO 15 TO 20 BLACK RAILS WITHIN THAT [00:20:04] AREA, AND I KNOW ON THE OUTSKIRTS, WHEN WE WERE SURVEYING THE PARK PRIOR TO RESTORATION, IT'S THE LOCATION WHERE I CAN GET THE MOST DENSE BLACK RAIL POPULATIONS IN THE DISTRICT, AND IT WASN'T UNCOMMON FOR ME TO GET 10 TO 15 BLACK RAILS, YOU KNOW, ON THE OUTSKIRTS. SO I THINK THE HABITAT IS GOING TO BE QUITE GOOD FOR THE BLACK RAIL AS WELL AS THE SALT MARSH COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, THE WHITE TAILED KITES AND THE SALT MARSH HARVEST MICE THAT ARE THERE. SO I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A REAL BOOM FOR WILDLIFE, AND IT'S GOING TO BE A BOOM FOR THE PUBLIC AS WELL BECAUSE, AS YOU KNOW, IT'S A GREAT SPOT TO LOOK AT WILDLIFE. YOU'RE UP ABOVE. YOU'VE GOT A GREAT TRAIL. IT REALLY HELPS THE PEOPLE IN THAT AREA. THAT'S GREAT, AND THEN I THINK LAST QUESTION THAT I HAVE, OH DO WE HAVE AN MOU IN THAT AREA FOR DEALING WITH FERAL CATS IN THAT IS OUR MOU INCLUDE THE BAY POINT COMMUNITY? I KNOW WE DO HAVE ONE FOR FOR MARTIN LUTHER KING. I CAN DIRECTOR ROSARIO I KNOW THAT'S PART OF OUR FERAL MANAGEMENT PLAN OUT THERE, AND WE WITHIN THE WITHIN STEWARDSHIP WE TRACK THAT AND STAFF THROUGH OUR SHAREPOINT POINT ALERT AS WELL AS A STAFF ALERT WHEN THEY'RE BLACK. IF THERE'S FERAL CATS IN THE AREA AND THAT GETS HANDLED ACCORDING TO THE BOARD APPROVED POLICIES. OKAY, GREAT. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE THAT THE COMMUNITY THERE IS AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE THAT MOU WITH THE LOCAL ANIMAL CONTROL, WHOEVER THAT IS OUT THERE, EITHER THE COUNTY OR THE CITY OR WHATEVER. SO THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND THEN DIRECTOR ROSARIO JUST SPEAKING TO THE HAYWARD PROJECT THAT YOU MENTIONED WE ARE WE HAVE SOME CONSULTANTS THAT HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT THE HYDROLOGY OUT THERE. SO, YOU KNOW, I'M SURE THERE'S SOME DATA THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN KIND OF ANALYZE TO YOUR QUESTIONS, BUT THAT'S A GOOD POINT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. I'M VERY MUCH ENCOURAGED THAT WE FINALLY HAVE A RAILS AND TRAILS PROJECT HERE, BUT THAT'S NOT, BUT THAT'S NOT ALL. NO, YOU KNOW, THE I LIKE THE WAY YOU HAVE EMPHASIZED FOR FOR US, AND WHOEVER IS WATCHING THIS THAT WE DO HAVE A THERE IS A DUAL PURPOSE ASPECT TO MOST OF WHAT WE DO, NOT EVERYTHING, BUT THIS IS ONE OF THEM WHERE THE PUBLIC IS WELCOME IN THERE, YOU KNOW, UNDER THE CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES THAT HAVE BASICALLY BEEN CREATED OUT THERE, AND I'M ALSO LEARNING SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD, HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR FOLKS TO GO OUT AND OBSERVE THE WILDLIFE. I MEAN, I SEE, YOU KNOW, I SEE THAT BEING DONE, YOU KNOW, ON A REGULAR BASIS, BUT I MEAN TO KNOW THAT IT'S YET ANOTHER ACTIVITY THAT WE CAN HOST IN OUR PARKS AND THAT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND IT GETS A LOT OF PARTICIPATION IS GREAT, YOU KNOW AND SO IT'S JUST ANOTHER IT'S ANOTHER REASON FOR, FOR, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE HABITAT FOR ITSELF IS, IS ENOUGH, BUT YOU KNOW, TO BE ABLE TO CREATE A PLACE WHERE I CAN GO AND LOOK, YOU KNOW, IF I KNOW THAT THIS PARTICULAR SPECIES IS THERE, I CAN GO AND HOPE TO OBSERVE IT. YEAH, AND WE HAVE OBSERVED THAT COMPARED TO BEFORE THE PROJECT, THERE'S BEEN MORE USE BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, FOR SURE. LIKE YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, JUST GOING OUT THERE ON ANY DAY, IT'S BUSIER THAN IT WAS BEFORE. SO I THINK THAT'S A GREAT SIGN. YEAH. THAT THE COMMUNITY IS HEARING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THIS TRAIL, THIS PARK. YOU KNOW, HAS BEEN MENTIONED, IT IS AN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY OUT THERE, AND SO HAVING THIS NEARBY IS IS GREAT. THERE ARE THE HOUSES AND THE SUBDIVISIONS ARE REALLY CLOSE TO THIS, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S REALLY CONVENIENT TO GET TO THIS, AND YET WHEN WHEN YOU'RE OUT THERE, YOU REALLY ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE FACING THE WATER, I MEAN, YOU THINK YOU'RE OUT AT THE END OF THE COUNTY SOMEWHERE. WELL, YOU KIND OF ARE AT THE END OF THE COUNTY, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A CHANCE TO REALLY EXPERIENCE SOME SOLITUDE. I HAVEN'T BEEN OUT THERE IN A WHILE. IT'S BEEN A FEW YEARS. SO YOU'VE ENCOURAGED ME TO GO BACK OUT THERE AND CHECK IT AGAIN, AND THE LAST THING I WANT TO COMMENT ON IS THE THE, YOU KNOW, YOU SHOWED IT GRAPHICALLY THERE. THE ACCOMMODATION OF SEA LEVEL RISE IS CLEARLY EVIDENCED THERE. YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES, SOMETIMES I GET THE FEELING THAT A CERTAIN PART OF THE PUBLIC THINKS THAT WE'RE JUST SITTING BACK AND OH, WELL, YOU KNOW, GEE, I [00:25:09] HOPE IT ISN'T TOO BAD IN TERMS OF SEA LEVEL RISE, BUT I MEAN, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, PROPERTY AFTER PROPERTY THAT WE'RE WORKING ON, WE DESIGNED IT TO BE RESILIENT AND TO ACCOMMODATE IT, NOT NECESSARILY RESIST IT SO MUCH, BUT TO DO THAT. SO YOU KNOW, I'M GLAD THAT WAS YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE ELEMENTS OF YOUR PRESENTATION IS THAT WE, WE DO THAT PROVIDE A WAY TO, TO DEAL WITH IT, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE TO ACCOMMODATE THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE, YOU KNOW. YEAH. YEAH, YEAH. SO THAT'S GREAT. THANK YOU. SO ANYWAY, THANKS. THANKS A LOT FOR THAT, AND I GUESS WE CAN MOVE ON. NOW TO ITEM THREE B WHICH IS ABOUT CALIFORNIA GROUND SQUIRRELS, A KEYSTONE SPECIES IN OUR WILDLANDS, AND WHILE WE'RE DOING THAT, I CAN TELL YOU IN ADVANCE THAT, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT IN ADVANCE AT WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE PRESENTING PUT CAST THE GROUND SQUIRRELS IN A WHOLE DIFFERENT LIGHT TO ME. YOU KNOW, THEY'RE JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE YOU WONDER LIKE WHAT'S GOING ON HERE. YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE, GEE, YOU KNOW, DO WE REALLY I MEAN, WE DO KNOW, WE KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, AND WE LIKE IT IN GENERAL SOMETIMES WHEN WHEN TRAIL RUNNING. IN CERTAIN PLACES, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE GOING ALONG AND THERE'S A SLOPE ON ONE SIDE AND THE GROUND SQUIRRELS START GOING CRAZY BECAUSE YOU'RE APPROACHING, YOU KIND OF GET VERTIGO BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH THERE'S LIKE EIGHT OF THEM RUNNING AROUND MOVING. I'VE HAD THAT EXPERIENCE. IT'S LIKE, WOW, THEY'RE REALLY, THEY'RE REALLY HERE, AND AGAIN, I'VE WONDERED, IS THAT A GOOD THING OR NOT? SO TELL US ABOUT THE GROUND SQUIRRELS. WE ARE HERE TO TELL YOU THAT IT IS A VERY GOOD THING. ANYWAY, GOOD MORNING DIRECTOR MERCURIO AND ROSARIO, FELLOW AUDIENCE MEMBERS HERE AT THE DISTRICT HEADQUARTERS, AND GOOD MORNING TO THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE OUT THERE IN ZOOM LAND. WHAT WE HOPE TO DO TODAY IS TO PRESENT ON THE CALIFORNIA GROUND SQUIRRELS. IT'S A VITAL COMPONENT OF OUR WILDLANDS, BOTH LOCALLY, REGIONALLY AND STATEWIDE. IF SOMEWHAT MALIGNED COMPONENT AS WELL AND PERSECUTED. SO WE HOPE TO PRESENT YOU WITH THE BIGGER PICTURE OF THINGS. SO I'M SPEAKING FIRST. MY NAME IS DOUG BELL. I'M THE WILDLIFE PROGRAM MANAGER WITH THE DISTRICT, AND WE'LL FOLLOW UP THE TALK WITH BECKY TUDEN, WHO IS OUR ECOLOGICAL SERVICES MANAGER. SEAN SMALLWOOD IS A CONSULTING ECOLOGIST. HE IS NOT PRESENT FOR THE TALK TODAY, BUT HE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS AS WELL. THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE TO ACKNOWLEDGE WE'RE NOT WE'RE REALLY ARE A SQUIRREL TEAM, AS IT WERE. WE HAVE A GROUND SQUIRREL TASK FORCE MADE UP OF JACLYN LIM, BROOKE VINNEDGE, TAMMY LIM, PAMELA BATES AND NATALIE REEDER, AND THEN MEMBERS OF OUR RANGE MANAGEMENT GROUP. PETER HOPKINSON AND ALISON ROFE WORK CLOSELY WITH US ON THIS, AS WELL AS OUTSIDE RESEARCHERS LIKE SUSAN TOWNSEND AND JAMIE BARTOLOME. WE HAVE SEVERAL PHOTO CREDITS. WE HAVE SOME VERY NICE PICTURES HERE. THOSE PHOTOGRAPHERS ARE LISTED AND THEN SOME OF THE FUNDERS THAT OVER THE YEARS HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS WORK HAVE INCLUDED THE EAST CONTRA COSTA COUNTY HABITAT CONSERVANCY, NEXTERA ENERGY, AND THE REGIONAL PARKS FOUNDATION. WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT FUNDING. SO WHAT DO WE HOPE TO DO TODAY? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WE HOPE TO GIVE YOU AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE GROUND SQUIRREL AS A KEYSTONE SPECIES. WE'LL FOLLOW THAT UP WITH SOME NATURAL HISTORY ABOUT THE GROUND SQUIRRELS, AND THEN WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING TO SORT OF ASSESS AND PROTECT AND MANAGE FOR BIODIVERSITY IN THE DISTRICT LANDS THAT INVOLVE GROUND SQUIRRELS, AND THEN FINALLY, BECKY WILL BE FOLLOWING UP WITH DISCUSSING VARIOUS ATTITUDES TOWARDS SQUIRRELS AND OPTIONS FOR POTENTIAL CONTROL OF SQUIRRELS ON OUR VARIOUS INFRASTRUCTURE ATTRIBUTES. WE DO NOT CONTROL GROUND SQUIRRELS IN THE WILDLAND LANDSCAPE. IT'S JUST INVOLVED WHERE THE IMPACT INFRASTRUCTURE. ALL OF THIS, OF COURSE, IS EMBEDDED IN OUR MISSION STATEMENT, WHICH IS TO PRESERVE A RICH HERITAGE OF NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES MOVING FORWARD. ALL RIGHT. SO WHAT IS A KEYSTONE SPECIES AND WHY A GROUND SQUIRREL. BY DEFINITION, A KEYSTONE SPECIES HAS A DISPROPORTIONATELY LARGE EFFECT ON ITS NATURAL ENVIRONMENT RELATIVE TO ITS ABUNDANCE. SO EVEN THOUGH DIRECTOR MERCURIO SAYS EIGHT SQUIRRELS, YOU KNOW, RUNNING AROUND LIKE CRAZY GIVES YOU VERTIGO. [00:30:05] THOSE EIGHT SQUIRRELS ARE LOCALIZED. THEY'RE NOT SPREAD ACROSS UNIFORMLY ACROSS THE LANDSCAPE. SO AND YET THE REACH OF A GROUND SQUIRREL GOES FAR BEYOND THEIR BURROW SYSTEMS. SO THIS PICTURE ON THE RIGHT SHOWS BURROW SYSTEMS OF A GROUND SQUIRREL. KIND OF TELLS THE WHOLE PICTURE, BECAUSE WITHIN THE BURROW SYSTEMS YOU HAVE ANIMALS USING THOSE BURROWS LIKE CALIFORNIA TIGER SALAMANDER, BURROWING OWL, THAT SORT OF THING. THEY'RE USING THEM AS A HOME, AS IT WERE. THESE GROUND SQUIRRELS HAVE ANOTHER ACRONYM AS A ECOSYSTEM ENGINEER. THEY ESSENTIALLY ENGINEER THE LANDSCAPE AND THEN ABOVE GROUND. OF COURSE, THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF THAT EAT THEM. ANYTHING THAT EATS A SQUIRREL YOU CAN IMAGINE IS A POTENTIAL PREDATOR, YOU KNOW, RANGING FROM GOLDEN EAGLES TO COYOTES TO RATTLESNAKES, YOU NAME IT, BUT ESSENTIALLY THOSE THESE GROUND SQUIRRELS ARE MAINTAINING THE ECOLOGICAL CONTINUITY OF THE GRASSLAND LANDSCAPE. SO LET'S LOOK AT A FEW OF THE SPECIES THAT I JUST MENTIONED, A FEW OF THEM THAT RELY ON GROUND SQUIRRELS FOR FOOD. WE HAVE COMMON SPECIES LIKE IN THE UPPER LEFT HAND. I'LL SEE IF I CAN GET THIS TO WORK. THERE WE GO. ONE OF OUR GAME CAMERAS CAPTURED THIS RED TAILED HAWK RUNNING, FLYING OFF WITH A GROUND SQUIRREL. ANOTHER COMMON SPECIES, OF COURSE BOBCAT AND COYOTE. THEY RELY VERY HEAVILY ON THEM, AND THEN WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, SPECIAL STATUS SPECIES THAT RELY ON THEM AS WELL AND USE THEM FOR FOOD LIKE THE BADGER. LOWER LEFT HAND CORNER, AND THEN A FULLY PROTECTED SPECIES, THE GOLDEN EAGLE. ON THE RIGHT. THIS HAPPENS TO BE A PICTURE OF YOURS TRULY PLACING A SEVEN WEEK OLD GOLDEN EAGLE BACK IN THE NEST OUT AT THE VASCO HILLS PRESERVE, AFTER WE HAD REMOVED IT FOR BANDING, AND WHAT WAS INTERESTING TO SEE IN THIS PARTICULAR NEST IS YOU CAN'T REALLY COUNT THEM ALL, BUT THERE WERE 44 GROUND SQUIRRELS PILED UP IN THIS NEST THAT THE ADULTS WERE VERY VEHEMENT ABOUT FEEDING THIS YOUNGSTER. WE ACTUALLY CLEANED OUT THE GROUND SQUIRRELS BECAUSE THEY WERE GETTING A LITTLE BIT OILY ONTO THE BIRD ITSELF, AS THEY, AS THERE WERE TOO MANY OF THEM IN THERE. WE WENT BACK. PARDON ME, A COUPLE WEEKS LATER TO CHECK ON THE NEST. THERE WERE AN ADDITIONAL 22 GROUND SQUIRRELS THAT THE ADULTS HAD BROUGHT IN. SO GOLDEN EAGLES, OF COURSE, ARE A VERY GOOD USER OF GROUND SQUIRRELS, AS IT WERE. OTHER SPECIES WE HAVE LOCALLY, WE HAVE THE RARE PRAIRIE FALCON THAT UTILIZES GROUND SQUIRRELS AS A LARGE COMPONENT OF ITS MAMMALIAN PREY. THE GRAPH THE MAP ON THE LEFT HERE, EACH SHOWS YOU SORT OF THE GENERAL REGION OF THE EAST COUNTIES AREAS. THE ALTAMONT HERE BELOW ABOVE HIGHWAY 580, BRUSHY PEAK, CONTRA COSTA RESERVOIR, MOUNT DIABLO STATE PARK OVER TO THE LEFT, AND WHAT EACH COLOR DOT INDICATES BASED ON A RADIO TELEMETRY STUDY, WHERE PRAIRIE FALCONS WERE USING THE LANDSCAPE THAT NESTED LOCALLY WITHIN THIS COMPLEX, AND EACH COLORED DOT IS A DIFFERENT BIRD, AND IT KIND OF SHOWS THEIR DISTRIBUTION PRETTY MUCH OVERLAPS THOSE RANGELANDS AND OTHER HEALTHY GRASSLANDS THAT ARE PRETTY MUCH MANAGED AND THAT HAVE GROUND SQUIRRELS IN THEM. THAT'S WHERE THEY GO TO FORAGE, AND YET AREAS WHERE THERE IS, FOR INSTANCE, NO GRAZING, AND I'LL GET INTO IT A LITTLE BIT. NO GROUND SQUIRRELS LIKE MOUNT DIABLO STATE PARK. THERE'S NOT MUCH FALCON FORAGING GOING ON THERE. EXCUSE ME PLEASE. ALL RIGHT. OH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANKS. ALL RIGHT, SO SPECIES THAT RELY ON GROUND SQUIRRELS FOR HABITAT, AS WE MENTIONED LISTED SPECIES LIKE THE CALIFORNIA TIGER SALAMANDER LIVE IN THE BURROW COMPLEXES. SPADEFOOT TOADS, COMMON TOADS, RATTLESNAKES USE THEM, AND EVEN OTHER VERY IMPORTANT SPECIES SOON TO BE LISTED. THE WESTERN BURROWING OWL IS VERY INTIMATELY TIED TO GROUND SQUIRREL COMPLEXES. IN FACT, THERE'S AN INTERESTING ASPECT IN TERMS OF THE SOCIALITY BETWEEN GROUND SQUIRRELS AND BURROWING OWLS. THEY THEY HAVE INTERSPECIES COMMUNICATION, AS IT WERE. THE OWLS WILL USE THE ALARM CALLS OF GROUND SQUIRRELS TO AVOID PREDATORS AND VICE VERSA. SO THAT'S KIND OF AN INTERESTING SIDE VIEW OF HOW THESE SYSTEMS EVOLVE. BURROW SYSTEMS FOR GROUND SQUIRRELS CAN BE EXTENSIVE. THEY CAN HAVE MULTIPLE BURROWS. THEY CAN HAVE MULTIPLE CHAMBERS. THEY'LL HAVE LIKE A BIRTHING CHAMBER. THEY'LL HAVE A FOOD CHAMBER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THEY HAVE A POOP CHAMBER, AND THOSE CHAMBERS PROVIDE AGAIN HABITAT FOR ALL THE OTHER SPECIES THAT MAY BE USING THEM. THEY MAY ALSO HAVE SATELLITE BURROW COMPLEXES AS WELL. SO REALLY ECOSYSTEM ENGINEERS AND VERY KEYSTONE TO THE WHOLE TO THE WHOLE SYSTEM. HERE WE HAVE A JUST A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF A GROUND SQUIRREL WITH REPRODUCTION. START OFF WITH AN ADULT. THEY WILL BREED IN THE EARLY SPRING PRODUCE SOME YOUNGSTERS. THE FEMALES WILL PRODUCE ANYWHERE FROM, YOU KNOW, 4 TO 8, 5 TO 8 YOUNGSTERS. [00:35:07] THEY'LL TAKE CARE OF THEM FOR ABOUT A MONTH. REALLY CUTE LITTLE THINGS. THOSE LOVELY LITTLE SQUIRRELS. UNTIL THEY'RE ABOUT EIGHT WEEKS OLD. THEN THEY. THEN THEY WILL DISPERSE AND EVENTUALLY MATURE INTO ADULT SQUIRRELS WITHIN A YEAR. SO IT'S A PRETTY GOOD REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM THAT'S VERY EFFICIENT AND GOES FROM YEAR TO YEAR LOOKING AT SORT OF THE OVERALL YEARLY DISTRIBUTION OF SQUIRRELS. THIS GRAPH ON THE RIGHT SHOWS THE CALENDAR YEAR JANUARY TO DECEMBER. YOU'LL NOTICE THE GRAY PORTIONS OCTOBER TO EARLY JANUARY TEND TO BE THE WINTER ARE THE WINTER MONTHS WHERE, ESPECIALLY IN COLDER CLIMATES, COLDER THAN OUR AREAS, THE GROUND SQUIRRELS WILL ACTUALLY GO DOWN INTO THEIR BURROWS AND HIBERNATE THROUGH THE WINTER. HERE THEY DON'T NECESSARILY HIBERNATE AS LONG THEY MAY ESTIVATE, BUT THEY CAN POP UP IN ANY MONTH DURING THE YEAR. WHEN YOU MOVE INTO EARLY SPRINGTIME, THEY'LL START TO EMERGE FROM THE BURROWS, ESPECIALLY WITH THEIR YOUNGSTERS, AND THEY'LL BE VERY MUCH FORAGING ON EMERGING GRASSES, GREENLAND FORBS AND OTHER GRASS FOODSTUFFS, AS IT WERE, AND THEN AS YOU MOVE INTO THE DRIER SUMMER MONTHS, THEY DO SHIFT OVER TO MORE OF A SEED DIET AND NUTS AND THAT SORT OF THING. THIS IS NOT TO IMPLY THAT GROUND SQUIRRELS ARE VEGETARIANS. THEY ARE ACTUALLY OMNIVOROUS. THEY WILL EAT EVERYTHING. THEY'LL EAT BIRDS EGGS, THEY'LL EAT BABY BIRDS, THEY'LL EAT CARRION, THEY'LL EVEN EAT, THEY'LL EVEN CANNIBALIZE THEIR OWN CARCASSES, AS IT WERE. SO THEY'RE VERY MUCH OPPORTUNISTIC AND OMNIVOROUS ANIMALS. ONE OF THE IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF GROUND SQUIRRELS ARE THEIR PREDATOR DEFENSES, AND IT TIES INTO AS WELL, THE RANGELAND HABITATS THAT THEY LIVE IN. THEY ARE VISUAL SCANNERS. SO THE SQUIRREL UP IN THE UPPER LEFT, IS POSTING ON ITS LITTLE POST, IS LOOKING OUT FOR APPROACHING PREDATORS, AND THEY HAVE A VERY INTERESTING CALL SYSTEM TO WARN OTHER MEMBERS OF THE BURROW SYSTEM WHAT IS APPROACHING. SO FOR INSTANCE, IN THE UPPER RIGHT, IF A GOLDEN EAGLE IS APPROACHING, OR A FALCON OR OTHER RAPTOR, AN AIRBORNE PREDATOR, AS IT WERE, THEY GIVE OUT A CERTAIN WHISTLE AND YOU CAN HEAR THAT YOU CAN BE IN THE LANDSCAPE. IF YOU HEAR A WHISTLE FROM A SQUIRREL, LOOK UP BECAUSE THERE'S SOMETHING IS COMING FROM ABOVE. IF YOU'VE GOT A FOUR LEGGED PREDATOR OR A TWO LEGGED PREDATOR SHOWING UP, THEY HAVE A LITTLE CHATTER THAT THEY GIVE AGAIN, THAT TELLS THE OTHER SQUIRRELS WHAT IS APPROACHING AND HOW TO AVOID IT, AND THEN FINALLY, THEY HAVE A TOTALLY INTERESTING DEFENSE CALLED A SNAKE CHATTER, WHICH INCLUDES A TAIL WAG AND HEAT DISTRIBUTION. SO THEY GIVE A SPECIFIC CHATTER TO A RATTLESNAKE, AND THEN THEY HAVE A SPECIAL SYSTEM IN THEIR TAIL, WHERE THEIR BODY ESSENTIALLY SENDS A LOT OF THE BODY HEAT INTO THEIR TAIL. SO AND I TRIED TO LOOK FOR AN INFRARED FILM OF THIS, AND I COULD NOT COME UP WITH ONE FAST ENOUGH, BUT THAT TAIL LIGHTS UP LIKE A BIG RED CAPE, AND THAT'S BASICALLY LIKE A BULLFIGHTER CAPE, AND THAT DISTRACTS THE RATTLESNAKE, WHICH IS KEYED IN ON TEMPERATURE. RIGHT. SO IT WILL STRIKE AT THE TAIL AND NOT THE BODY, AND THEN THERE'S A WHOLE 'NOTHER SYSTEM OF WHERE THE ADULT GROUND SQUIRRELS TEND TO BE IMMUNE TO RATTLESNAKE BITES. SO THE FEMALES CAN ACTUALLY ATTACK THE SNAKE THAT'S ATTACKING IT, BUT THE YOUNGSTERS ARE NOT IMMUNE TO RATTLESNAKE VENOM, AND HENCE THEY ARE FOOD FOR THE RATTLESNAKES. SO WHERE ARE THEY FOUND? GRASSLANDS. RANGELANDS? THIS MAP ON THE RIGHT SHOWS THE DISTRIBUTION BASED ON DETECTIONS THAT WE'VE HAD. ALL THE GREEN POLYGONS THAT YOU SEE BOTH ON OUR PROPERTIES AS WELL AS THOSE SISTER AGENCIES LIKE SAN FRANCISCO WATER, MOUNT DIABLO STATE PARK, EAST BAY MUD, CONTRA COSTA WATER ARE PLACES WHERE WE SEE THEM. THEY ARE WIDELY DISTRIBUTED, ALTHOUGH AGAIN, IT'S KIND OF MORE OF A MOSAIC OF DISTRIBUTIONS DEPENDING ON RANGELAND MANAGEMENT AND THAT SORT OF THING. PICTURES ON THE LEFT UPPER LEFT. YOU MIGHT SEE THEM ON TOP OF FENCE POSTS. KEEPING AN EYE OUT FOR PREDATORS. HERE YOU MIGHT HAVE A SQUIRREL IN THE EARLY SPRING. AGAIN, IT'S FEEDING IN THE GRASSLANDS, BUT ITS HEAD IS POPPING UP TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR WHAT MIGHT BE APPROACHING, AND IN THE LOWER LEFT PICTURE HERE THAT YOU SEE AN ARRANGEMENT OF GROUND SQUIRREL BURROW OPENINGS TO THE LEE OF A CALIFORNIA BUCKEYE, AND IT KIND OF ALSO HARKENS TO THE IDEA OF KEYSTONE SPECIES, BECAUSE, AGAIN, THESE BURROWS ARE NOT DISTRIBUTED EVENLY THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE LANDSCAPE. THIS HAPPENS TO BE AT VASCO HILLS, BUT THEY'RE FOUND IN POCKETS, BUT THE REACH OF THAT SYSTEM GOES FAR BEYOND THAT. SO TIGER SALAMANDERS, THEY CAN MIGRATE TWO MILES FROM THEIR BURROWS. CALIFORNIA RED LEGGED FROG. SO THAT WHOLE SYSTEM IS REALLY INTEGRAL TO THIS BURROW COMPLEX, AS IT WERE. COULD YOU GO BACK TO THAT MAP? ABSOLUTELY. I'M GOING TO ASK AN OUT OF FIELD QUESTION HERE, THOUGH, BECAUSE I'M CURIOUS ABOUT IT. NO PROBLEM. IN THE LOWER RIGHT HAND CORNER OF THAT OF THAT OUTLINED AREA IS CORRAL HOLLOW. [00:40:06] WHAT IS IT? HABITAT MANAGEMENT UNIT. IS THAT WHAT HMU STANDS FOR? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THAT IS? I'VE NEVER SEEN. I'M NOT AWARE OF THAT. I KNOW, I KNOW WHAT CARNEGIE IS. YEAH. DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT IS? YES. SPECIFICALLY IT IS MITIGATION LAND AT CONTRA COSTA WATER PURCHASED AS MITIGATION FOR THE EXPANSION OF THE LOS VAQUEROS RESERVOIR. THE LAST EXPANSION? YES. SO TO MITIGATE FOR THE LOSS OF THAT HABITAT TO INCREASE WATER LEVELS AT LOS VAQUEROS RESERVOIR, THEY PURCHASED THIS 5000 ACRE PARCEL, WHICH IS REALLY GOLDEN; IT'S A BEAUTIFUL PARCEL. WE ACTUALLY HELPED INFORM THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE TO SAY THAT THIS IS A GOAL. IT HAS PLANT EXTENSIONS, IT'S GOT GOLDEN EAGLES, IT'S GOT PRAIRIE FALCONS. IT HAS POTENTIAL KITFOX HABITAT. SO WE ACTUALLY HELPED ENCOURAGE THE PURCHASE OF THAT PROPERTY, AND IT'S BASICALLY IN BETWEEN HIGHWAY FIVE AND THE HILLS, RIGHT? HE FIRST HIT THE HILLS NOT FAR FROM THE TRACY HILLS DEVELOPMENT THAT YOU MIGHT BE FAMILIAR WITH. SO DO YOU KNOW IF THEY EVER HAVE PUBLIC ACCESS THERE, OR IS THAT ALWAYS PURE HABITAT? IT IS BECAUSE IT'S STRICT MITIGATION I BELIEVE IT WILL REMAIN, YOU KNOW, AS MITIGATION PROPERTY AND NOT HAVE PUBLIC ACCESS, BUT THE CCWD OWNS THAT. YES THAT'S CORRECT. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. GOOD QUESTION. ALL RIGHT. WELL LOOKING AT THE BIGGER PICTURE, PROTECTING BIODIVERSITY, THE GROUND SQUIRREL OF COURSE, HAS BEEN THE BORNE THE BRUNT OF MANY CAMPAIGNS OVER ESSENTIALLY NOW GOING INTO THE SECOND CENTURY, BUT BACK IN 1918, CALIFORNIA INITIATED A WAR ON CALIFORNIA GROUND SQUIRRELS AND THEY PULLED OUT ALL THE STOPS. THEY ENCOURAGED SCHOOLCHILDREN TO GO OUT AND SPREAD POISON BAIT INTO THE LANDSCAPE AS WELL AS THEY HAD COMPETITIONS FOR, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY GROUND SQUIRRELS COULD BE, COULD BE BROUGHT IN, TRAPPED, SHOT, YOU NAME IT, BROUGHT IN AND TURNED IN FOR A LITTLE BOUNTY, THAT SORT OF THING, AND WITH WITH THE MAIN THOUGHT THAT THE GROUND SQUIRREL IS THE ENEMY OF THE FARMER, OF THE RANCHER OF AGRICULTURAL INTERESTS, AND THAT CONTINUES TO THIS DAY TO A CERTAIN EXTENT. MANY OF THE AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENTS DISTRIBUTE POISONED GRAIN TO, YOU KNOW, FOR PROTECTION OF AGRICULTURAL CROPS AS WELL AS SOME RANGELANDS. AGAIN, WE DO NOT COTTON TO THAT PARTICULAR APPROACH, AND WE ARE LOOKING AT LARGER SCALE BIODIVERSITY ISSUES RELATED TO GROUND SQUIRRELS AND THE BENEFIT TO THE LANDSCAPE THAT THEY PROVIDE. I'M GOING TO BACK UP A LITTLE BIT. YOU'LL HAVE TO BEAR WITH ME JUST BRIEFLY. PART OF THE RESEARCH THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO EMBARK UPON HAS BEEN ESSENTIALLY PROMOTED THROUGH SOME OF THE CHANGING RANGE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES THAT WE HAVE ENGAGED IN. SO, FOR INSTANCE, AT VASCO CAVES, WHEN WE TOOK OVER CO-MANAGEMENT OF THAT PROPERTY WITH CONTRA COSTA WATER, WE CHANGED THE GRAZING FROM YEAR ROUND CATTLE GRAZING TO SEASONAL SHEEP GRAZING TO SEE HOW THAT WOULD AFFECT THE LANDSCAPE, AND THAT EFFORT HAS LED TO NUMEROUS STUDIES. THERE WAS A TEN YEAR UC GRASSLAND STUDY, WHICH THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTR ICT FUNDED. WHERE RESEARCH LAB. JAMIE BARTHOLOMEW'S LAB AT UC BERKELEY LOOKED AT THE EFFECTS OF THIS CHANGE GRAZING ON ON JUST THE WHOLE REALM OF INSECT DIVERSITY, MAMMAL DIVERSITY, FORAGE, YOU NAME IT TO SORT OF GAUGE GRAZED VERSUS NOT GRAZED AND CHANGING HOW THE CHANGED GRAZING LANDSCAPE AFFECTS THINGS. THIS PICTURE HERE ON THE RIGHT CAN SHOW YOU HOW DIFFERENT TWO DIFFERENT GRAZING ANIMALS CAN IMPACT THE LANDSCAPE. IF I CAN MOVE THE CURSOR DOWN AND THERE WE GO. THAT PORTION HERE, THIS RECTANGULAR PORTION IS CATTLE GRAZED YEAR ROUND. SO THE LEFTOVER FORAGE AT THE END OF THE GRAZING SEASON IS MUCH LESS THAN THE SURROUNDING SHEEP GRAZING, AND THAT HAS IMPLICATIONS FOR ALL KINDS OF INTERESTING ASPECTS. AS PART OF THIS OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT HOW GRAZING CAN CHANGE THE LANDSCAPE AND HOW BIODIVERSITY CAN BE AFFECTED, WE HAD A WE RECEIVED FUNDING FROM THE CALIFORNIA ENERGY COMMISSION 2006 2007 TO LOOK AT IF WE COULD USE GRAZING TO CHANGE THE DISTRIBUTION OF GROUND SQUIRRELS PER SE, IN THE LANDSCAPE OUT AT THE VASCO CAVES AREA, WHERE THERE ARE, OF COURSE, WIND TURBINES HAVE BEEN OPERATING IN THE ALTAMONT PASS WIND RESOURCE AREA SINCE THE LATE 70S, WE REALIZE NOW THAT THERE ARE VERY MAJOR IMPACTS TO VOLANT ANIMALS LIKE EAGLES, BATS, BIRDS THROUGH WIND TURBINE STRIKES. THE THOUGHT WAS IF WE COULD GRAZE LESS AROUND WIND TURBINES, LET THE GRASS GROW UP HIGHER. [00:45:04] THAT'S WHAT GROUND SQUIRRELS DON'T LIKE, THAT WE COULD DISTRIBUTE THEM AWAY FROM THE TURBINE STRINGS AND THUS LOWER RAPTOR USE AROUND THE TURBINES, SUCH THAT THEY WON'T BE THEN FORAGING AS MUCH AROUND THEM AND LESSEN THE OVERALL PROBABILITY OF GETTING WHACKED. I CAN'T GO INTO THE FULL DETAILS ON THAT, BUT THAT WAS THE GOAL. A GOAL OF THAT. THIS MAP ON THE RIGHT ACTUALLY SHOWS THE OUTLINE OF VASCO CAVES AND THE SOUSA PROPERTY TO THE NORTH, AND IF YOU FOCUS ON JUST THE GREEN DOTS, THOSE ARE ALL THE BURROW COMPLEXES OF GROUND SQUIRRELS THAT WE MAPPED. THE RED DOTS ARE POCKET GOPHERS, BUT KEEP IN MIND THIS MAP AS I MOVE INTO THE NEXT SLIDE. BEYOND 2007, WE CONTINUED STUDIES AT INTERVALS UP TO 2018 TO LOOK AND SEE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THE GROUND SQUIRRELS THROUGH TIME WITH GRAZING AND WITHOUT GRAZING, AND WE DEVELOPED SUBPLOTS IN THE SAME LANDSCAPE PREVIOUSLY SO THAT WE COULD COMPARE BACK IN TIME. SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE MAP ON THE LEFT, OUR STUDY PLOTS FROM 2006 FOCUS ON THE PURPLE TRIANGLES. THERE'S A LOT OF THEM, AND THEN THE MAP ON THE RIGHT OVER HERE. FOCUS AGAIN ON THE STUDY PLOTS, THE PURPLE TRIANGLES. THERE ARE FEWER OF THEM. SO SOME TIME BETWEEN 2006 AND 2018, THE GROUND SQUIRRELS STARTED DISAPPEARING. WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE NUMBERS HERE, THE Y AXIS SHOWS GROUND SQUIRREL BURROW COMPLEXES PER KILOMETER. THE X AXIS SHOWS THE YEARS 2006 TO 2018 IF YOU FOCUS ON THE BLUE LINES. THESE WERE SUBPLOTS WHERE THERE WAS NO GRAZING. WE STOPPED GRAZING IN 2002, WANTED TO SEE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN, AND AS THATCH LEVEL BUILT UP IN THE LANDSCAPE, IT BECAME LESS SUITABLE FOR GROUND SQUIRRELS AND THEY ACTUALLY CRASHED. THEY ACTUALLY DISAPPEARED FROM THOSE PLOTS BY 2010. WE THOUGHT, OH, THIS IS OUR SILVER BULLET THAT REALLY DEMONSTRATES THAT GRAZING AND GROUND SQUIRRELS GO HAND IN HAND, BUT WHAT WE ALSO KNOW IS THAT EVEN THE SHEEP GRAZE PLOTS CONTINUE TO DECREASE DOWN TO A VERY LOW NUMBER OF GROUND SQUIRRELS AS SHEEP GRAZING CONTINUED, AND WE HAVE SOME HYPOTHESES ABOUT THAT. I COULD GET INTO THEM IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, BUT WE DON'T HAVE NECESSARILY TIME FOR THAT. THE SAME SORT OF PLOTS, SAME TIME FRAME 2006 TO 2018. IN THIS SLIDE, AGAIN ON THE LEFT SHOWS THE NUMBER OF GROUND SQUIRREL COMPLEXES AS THEY WENT DOWNHILL, AND THEN ON THE RIGHT, WE USED TO HAVE SOME VERY HEALTHY BURROWING OWL COLONIES WITHIN THE GROUND SQUIRREL COMPLEXES AT THE VASCO CAVES COMPLEX, AND THEY TOO BOTTOMED OUT AS THE GROUND SQUIRRELS DISAPPEARED. IT JUST IS A REALLY BRILLIANT, NICE ILLUSTRATION OF HOW TIED IN THE BIODIVERSITY ASPECT. OTHER SPECIES ARE TIED INTO GROUND SQUIRRELS. IF YOU DON'T HAVE GROUND SQUIRRELS, YOU DON'T HAVE BURROWING OWLS. THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE. ONE OTHER ASPECT I'LL GO INTO VERY BRIEFLY AS PART OF THE LARGER BIODIVERSITY PICTURE. AS I MENTIONED, THERE ARE POISONING CAMPAIGNS NOT ON OUR PROPERTIES, BUT PRIVATE RANGELANDS WILL POISON GROUND SQUIRRELS. WE THINK THAT WE COULD CONVERT THAT INTO A POSITIVE. SINCE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS NOW ISSUING EAGLE TAKE PERMITS FOR, IN OTHER WORDS, WIND FARMS THAT MAY BE KILLING A CERTAIN NUMBER OF EAGLES PER YEAR. THEY'LL GET AN EAGLE TAKE PERMIT. THEY HAVE TO THEN MITIGATE THAT TAKE, AND ONE WAY OF MITIGATING IS TO RETROFIT POWER POLES SO EAGLES DON'T GET ELECTROCUTED. WE ARE ADVOCATING FOR A LARGER LANDSCAPE SCALE TYPE OF MITIGATION, WHERE ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO IS TAKE THE MITIGATION FUNDS AND THEN PAY RANCHERS ON PRIVATE PROPERTIES. RANGELAND MANAGERS TO NOT POISON GROUND SQUIRRELS, AND WHAT MIGHT BE THE EQUIVALENCY IN ALL OF THIS? WELL, THAT'S THE GROUND SQUIRREL AND THE ANIMAL UNIT MONTH. SO THE WAY WE CAN CALCULATE THIS IS HERE. WE'VE GOT OUR LITTLE HAPPY LITTLE GROUND SQUIRREL, AND HOW MANY SQUIRRELS DOES IT TAKE PER YEAR TO MAINTAIN A PAIR OF GOLDEN EAGLES ON A PROPERTY? LET'S JUST SAY IT'S 365 SQUIRRELS FOR A PAIR OF EAGLES PER YEAR. SO THAT'S HOW MANY SQUIRRELS WE NEED. WELL, THEN WE GO DOWN TO THE TO THE RANGELAND WHERE IT'S BEING MANAGED TO, YOU KNOW, ELIMINATE SQUIRRELS. WELL, WHAT'S THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF A SQUIRREL ON A RANGELAND? THAT CURRENCY IS THROUGH THE ANIMAL UNIT MONTH. THAT IS HOW MUCH FORAGE A SQUIRREL TAKES FROM THE RANGELAND, AND THAT HAS AN ECONOMIC, ECONOMIC IMPACT ON THE VALUE OF THAT RANGELAND IN TERMS OF ANIMAL UNIT MONTHS AND THAT'S KIND OF THE CURRENCY OF HOW RANGELANDS OPERATE. SO OUR IDEA IS TO TAKE THE MITIGATION MONIES AND ESSENTIALLY PAY PAY RANGELAND MANAGERS THE EQUIVALENT OF THE ANIMAL UNIT MONTHS THAT ARE [00:50:01] REMOVED IN FORAGE THAT THE SQUIRRELS REMOVE. SO THEY DON'T POISON THE SQUIRRELS. THEY LIVE WITH THE SQUIRRELS, THEY GET COMPENSATED FOR THE LOSS OF FORAGE THROUGH THE SQUIRRELS, AND YET THEN WE HAVE MITIGATION FOR THE NUMBER OF EAGLES THAT CAN BE SUPPORTED ON THE LANDSCAPE, AND IT GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND THAT BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST EAGLES. AGAIN, IT GOES BACK TO BURROWING OWLS, TIGER SALAMANDERS AND EVERYTHING ELSE. SO I THINK YOU'VE ANSWERED ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I HAD. IT'S LIKE WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL. WHY WHY ARE THE GRAYS ARE SO CONCERNED ABOUT THIS? AND IT'S BECAUSE THERE'S ENOUGH GROUND SQUIRRELS WHERE THEY ACTUALLY EAT ENOUGH GRASS TO BE MEASURABLE, TO HAVE AN IMPACT ON THEIR, ON THEIR, ON THE SUPPLY OF FOOD FOR THE COWS. EXACTLY. THERE HAVE BEEN, OF COURSE, THERE HAVE BEEN RANGELAND STUDIES ON THIS. ONE SQUIRREL CAN CONSUME THE EQUIVALENT OF OF AN ANIMAL UNIT. OKAY. I'VE SIMPLY, SIMPLY FORGOTTEN. ANYWAY, ONE SQUIRREL CAN CONSUME ON THE ORDER OF, I THINK, AN ANIMAL UNIT MONTH PER YEAR, SO OR NO EXCUSE ME, IT'S 25 SQUIRRELS WILL CONSUME AN ANIMAL UNIT MONTH ON A PER YEARLY BASIS. SO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH FORAGE IS BEING REMOVED AND IT'S NOT JUST THE ECONOMIC IMPACT. THERE'S ALSO TO THE FORAGE. THERE'S ALSO THE IMPACT TO INFRASTRUCTURE THAT SQUIRRELS CAUSE IN TERMS OF THE DAMAGE TO, YOU KNOW, BUILDING FOUNDATIONS AND THAT SORT OF THING. SO THERE'S THAT CONCERN, AND THEN RANGELAND MANAGERS ARE ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT INJURY TO CATTLE AND TO PEOPLE ON HORSEBACK AS THEY RIDE THROUGH THESE LANDSCAPES. SO, THERE'S IT'S A BIG ISSUE, BUT WE THINK THIS WOULD BE ONE WAY TO HOPEFULLY MITIGATE THAT, AND WITH THAT, I WILL TURN THE REST OF THE TALK OVER TO BECKY. THANK YOU BECKY. THANK YOU DOUG. I HOPE EVERYONE NOW HAS APPRECIATION FOR THE GROUND SQUIRREL AS A KEYSTONE SPECIES, AND A FUN FACT THAT'S A PICTURE OF A KEYSTONE FROM MY HOME STATE, PENNSYLVANIA, WHICH IS THE STATE MOTTO, AND THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT THE KEYSTONE IS ALL THE OTHER PIECES WITHOUT REBAR, WITHOUT CEMENT, ARE DEPENDENT UPON THAT KEYSTONE AND PUTTING ALL THEIR WEIGHT ON THAT, AND IF YOU PULL THAT OUT, THE WHOLE THING FALLS APART, AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE SEEING WITH OUR GROUND SQUIRREL AND OUR GRASSLANDS. SO AS PART OF THAT WE LOOKED AT TRYING TO ASSESS THE ECOLOGICAL HEALTH OF A NUMBER OF OUR DIFFERENT HABITAT TYPES. HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE HEARD OF OUR STUDY? NATURE CHECK. YES. I'LL THROW YOU SOME PRIZES. SO NATURE CHECK IS AN ECOLOGICAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT, AND WHAT WE DID WAS WE LOOKED AT DIFFERENT INDICATOR SPECIES AND USED THEM TO HELP US ASSESS THE OVERALL ECOLOGICAL HEALTH AND OF COURSE, WE PICKED GROUND SQUIRRELS BECAUSE THEY ARE SUCH AN IMPORTANT SPECIES, AND THEN WHAT WE DID WAS WE IDENTIFIED DIFFERENT METRICS THAT WERE ACTUALLY MEASURABLE THAT WE COULD USE TO LOOK AT THE TREND OVER TIME OF THOSE METRICS AND SEE HOW THOSE INDICATOR SPECIES WERE DOING. SO FOR GROUND SQUIRRELS PEOPLE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF DATA ON GROUND SQUIRRELS ACROSS THE LANDSCAPE, BUT THAT IS ONE THAT WE LOOK AT IS THEIR DISTRIBUTION. WE ALSO LOOK AT THE HEIGHT OF THE VEGETATION SO THAT IT'S SUITABLE FOR GROUND SQUIRRELS. AS DOUG MENTIONED, THEY NEED TO HAVE LOWER VEGETATION SO THEY CAN SCAN FOR PREDATORS, AND THEN THE ONE I'M GOING TO FOCUS IN ON IS SENTINEL SITES. WHAT WE DID WAS WE PICKED SIX SITES THROUGHOUT THE STUDY AREA, AND THE STUDY AREA FOR US WAS ACTUALLY 250,000. ACRES IN CONTRA COSTA AND ALAMEDA COUNTY. THAT'S ROUGHLY 25% OF THOSE TWO. COUNTIES, AND WE MERGED INFORMATION FROM NOT ONLY EAST BAY PARKS, BUT EAST BAY MUD. CONTRA COSTA WATER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION, AND ALSO STATE PARKS, AND THOSE FIVE AGENCIES FORMED THE EAST BAY STEWARDSHIP NETWORK. SO IN LOOKING AT THOSE SENTINEL SITES, WE CHOSE DIFFERENT SIZES. WE CHOSE SOME THAT WERE MORE INLAND, SOME THAT HAD DIFFERENT ELEVATION, AND WE MEASURED THOSE SENTINEL SITES OVER TIME TO SEE HOW THE GROUND SQUIRREL POPULATION WAS DOING, AND WHAT YOU CAN SEE IS THAT FROM 2021 TO 2023 AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE SMALL MAMMALS. THE POPULATION CHANGES WIDELY. WE WERE ALSO COMING OUT OF, YOU KNOW, A GOOD 6 OR 7 YEAR DROUGHT, AND THEN WE HIT A LOT OF RAIN, BUT WHAT WE SAW ACTUALLY WAS THAT THERE WAS A DECLINE IN MOST OF THE SENTINEL SITES, EXCEPT FOR MORGAN TERRITORY. IN PARTICULAR, YOU'LL SEE THAT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF COUNTS OF GROUND SQUIRRELS AT THESE. THE MAXIMUM COUNTS WENT DOWN IN EVERY LOCATION EXCEPT MORGAN TERRITORY. SO THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT REASONS THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED. SOMETIMES YOU CAN'T SEE THEM AS MUCH IF THE FORAGE IS VERY HIGH, WHICH IN THESE, IN ALL OF THESE CASES, EXCEPT FOR MORGAN TERRITORY, IT WAS, AND AS WE MENTIONED, [00:55:08] GROUND SQUIRRELS DON'T LIKE TO HAVE HIGH FORAGE, YOU KNOW, BIG STACKS OF MUSTARD AND OTHER PLANTS. SO THAT TELLS US WE NEED TO LOOK MORE CLOSELY AT OUR GRAZING REGIME AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MANAGING THESE LANDS APPROPRIATELY AND THEN LOOKING FORWARD OVER TIME, WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AND SEE IF THIS IF THIS TREND CONTINUES, BUT AGAIN, WITHOUT THESE GROUND SQUIRRELS WHO WE THINK ARE UBIQUITOUS ACROSS THE LANDSCAPE. WE JUST SORT OF TAKE THEM FOR GRANTED. THEN REALLY, THE WHOLE GRASSLAND ECOSYSTEM STARTS TO FALL APART. SO WE'LL BE KEEPING AN EYE ON THAT. WE ALSO TRY TO ENCOURAGE TO GROUND SQUIRRELS IN PLACES. THIS IS THE MCLAUGHLIN EASTSHORE STATE PARK, ALSO KNOWN AS ALBANY BULB AND WE WANTED TO ENCOURAGE GROUND SQUIRRELS HERE BECAUSE THEY AERATE THE SOIL, THEY IMPROVE INSECT DIVERSITY BECAUSE WE WANTED TO ATTRACT THE BURROWING OWL, AND WE HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE IN THAT WE DO HAVE A FEW BURROWING OWLS THAT COME THROUGH AND OVERWINTER THERE. NO BREEDING YET, AND, YOU KNOW, WE FENCE IT OFF AND WE MOW IT TO MAINTAIN THAT LOWER VEGETATION, AND THEY COEXIST QUITE HAPPILY WITH US HERE, AND IT'S WHERE WE WANT THEM, BUT THAT BEING SAID, MANY PEOPLE DON'T LIKE GROUND SQUIRRELS, AND THEY END UP CAUSING A LOT OF DAMAGE TO OUR INFRASTRUCTURE. LEVEES, OUR IRRIGATED TURF AREAS. THEY GNAW AT OUR IRRIGATION. WHEN WE PLANT THINGS, THEY CHEW THOSE NEWLY PLANTED ROOTS, AND THEY ARE CONSIDERED A PEST, AND OUR STAFF SPENDS A LOT OF THEIR TIME TRYING TO MANAGE THESE GROUND SQUIRRELS, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S BIG HOLES THERE THAT CAN BE A PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARD TO OUR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. THEY ALSO DO DESTROY OUR TURF. WE WERE JUST OUT FOR OUR PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY FAIR, AND THERE WAS A LOT THAT'S IRRIGATED TURF THAT HAD BEEN IMPACTED BY GROUND SQUIRRELS. THAT'S THE MIDDLE PICTURE, AND THEN THEY ALSO LIKE OUR STRUCTURES BECAUSE THEY CAN BURROW UNDER THEM AND THAT GIVES THEM EXTRA DEFENSE. SO THE SAME WAY THAT GROUND SQUIRRELS PROVIDE SHELTER AND HABITAT FOR A LOT OF OTHER SPECIES, WE ARE PROVIDING SHELTER AND FOOD FOR THESE GROUND SQUIRRELS. THIS IRRIGATED TURF IS YEAR ROUND BUFFET FOR THOSE GROUND SQUIRRELS AND AS I MENTIONED, THEY DO DO A LOT OF DAMAGE, AND I'M GOING TO TRY TO GET THIS MAYBE IT'S NOT GOING. LET'S SEE. OH, SORRY ABOUT THAT, BUT A LOT OF OUR SHORELINE PARKS AS YOU CAN SEE, HAVE A LOT OF DAMAGE, AND THE PICTURE ON THE RIGHT THERE'S A VIDEO WHERE THAT PARK RANGER WILL DROP THE SHOVEL AND IT WILL GO ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE SHOVEL HEAD. SO THEY ARE UNDERMINING A LOT OF OUR STRUCTURES, AND I HAVE TO SAY, THERE'S A LOT OF FRUSTRATION WITH OUR PARK RANGERS ON HOW TO MANAGE THESE PESTS, AND WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THEM. OH, THERE IT GOES. OH, DID YOU SEE IT? ANYWAY, SO THERE IT GOES. OKAY, GOOD. SO WHAT ARE OUR OPTIONS FOR TRYING TO MANAGE THESE PESTS? NOT IN THE GRASSLANDS WHERE WE WANT THEM, BUT IN OUR MORE URBAN AREAS WHERE WE HAVE TOO MANY OF THEM AND WE DON'T WANT THEM. WELL, IF WE NEED THEM IN OUR GRASSLANDS, WHY DON'T WE JUST CAPTURE THEM AND RELOCATE THEM? WELL, IT'S PROHIBITED. IT'S PROHIBITED BY THE STATE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE. YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO RELOCATE GROUND SQUIRRELS PRIMARILY BECAUSE THEY ARE CONSIDERED AN AGRICULTURAL PEST, BUT ALSO, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO RELOCATE THEM IN A HUMANITARIAN MANNER. STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT WHEN YOU RELOCATE THEM, UP TO 97% OF THEM DON'T SURVIVE. SO IT'S NOT AT THIS POINT IT'S NOT VIABLE. ALTHOUGH WE ARE REACHING OUT TO OUR STATE PARTNERS AND TALKING ABOUT OPTIONS TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO, AND THERE IS AN EXPERIMENTAL EFFORT GOING ON DOWN IN THE SAN DIEGO ZOO. SO PERHAPS THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO DO SOME TYPE OF PILOT UP HERE, AND CURRENTLY WE HAVE VERY LIMITED CONTROL OPTIONS, AS DOUG REITERATED, WE DO NOT CONTROL GROUND SQUIRRELS IN OUR WILDLANDS. WE WANT THEM THERE AND WE HAVE NEVER, IN THE PARK DISTRICT USED RODENTICIDES THAT HAVE SECOND GENERATION EFFECTS. IN OTHER WORDS, THAT AN ANIMAL THAT WOULD CONSUME AN ANIMAL THAT DIED FROM RODENTICIDE ACTUALLY CAN HAVE THE EFFECTS FROM THAT CONSUMPTION. WE HAVE NEVER USED THOSE RODENTICIDES. MORE RECENTLY, AS IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, THE STATE HAS NOW PROHIBITED THE USE OF ALL RODENTICIDES. [01:00:02] ALL RODENTICIDES ARE NOW PROHIBITED. THE TYPE THAT WE USE FOR GROUND SQUIRRELS, FOR OUTDOOR RODENTS ARE ARE PROHIBITED EXCEPT IN CASES OF AGRICULTURE OR FLOOD CONTROL. SO WE'RE LOOKING INTO WHERE WE HAVE OUR LEVEES, ARE THOSE LEVEES CONSIDERED FLOOD CONTROL, AND CAN WE DO SOME RODENTICIDE CONTROL THERE BUT THAT IS YET TO BE DETERMINED. THE OTHER OPTION WE HAVE IS WHERE WE CAN USE GAS CO2 OR CO, AND THEN YOU CAN PUMP IT INTO THE TUNNELS UNDERGROUND. IT'S LIMITED IN WHEN YOU CAN USE IT. THE SOIL NEEDS TO BE WET SO THAT IT DOESN'T JUST EVAPORATE INTO THE AIR, BUT IT STAYS IN THE TUNNELS. YOU ALSO CANNOT USE IT WITHIN 150FT OF ANY STRUCTURE, INCLUDING A KIOSK OR A RESTROOM, AS WELL AS A RESIDENCE, AND THEN ALSO THE ISSUE WITH USING FUMIGANTS IS IT DOES HAVE OFF TARGET EFFECTS. ALL THOSE SPECIES THAT COEXIST WITH THE GROUND SQUIRRELS, THE SNAKES, THE BUMBLEBEES, THE BURROWING OWLS COULD BE AT RISK. SO IT REALLY LIMITS WHERE WE CAN USE THAT TYPE OF CONTROL METHOD WITHOUT HAVING POTENTIAL EFFECTS. SO WHAT WE NEED TO PIVOT TOWARDS, AND THIS IS A BIG SHIP THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PIVOTING IS WE NEED TO EMPHASIZE EXCLUSION. EXCLUSION MEANS YOU TRY TO PUT ELEMENTS INTO THE DESIGN OF YOUR STRUCTURES THAT WOULD EXCLUDE ACCESS FOR THE GROUND SQUIRREL, AND WE ALSO HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT OUR IRRIGATED TURF ATTRACTS THE SQUIRRELS. WE'RE INVITING THEM TO COME LIVE YEAR ROUND AND EAT YUMMY FOOD, AND WE'RE PUTTING OUR RANGERS ON THE FRONT LINE OF TRYING TO MANAGE THAT. SO THAT'S JUST WE HAVE TO INVEST THE RESOURCES IN THAT OR WE HAVE TO CHANGE AND DECIDE MAYBE WE DON'T NEED IRRIGATED TURF IN THE AREAS THAT WE HAVE THEM. THE OTHER ACTION WE CAN TAKE IS FOCUS ON EDUCATION. PEOPLE REALLY WANT TO HAVE CONTACT WITH NATURE, AND THEY VIEW FEEDING ANIMALS, PARTICULARLY GROUND SQUIRRELS, AS A GREAT WAY TO HAVE THAT CONTACT. UNFORTUNATELY, GROUND SQUIRRELS CAN BITE, THEY CAN HARBOR DISEASES, AND YOU DON'T WANT TO BE ENCOURAGING THEM. WE'VE HAD PICNIC AREAS WHERE GROUND SQUIRRELS ARE RUNNING UP PEOPLE'S PANT LEGS, GOING INTO THEIR BASKETS, YOU KNOW, RUNNING INTO THEIR POCKETS TO GET FOOD. SO WE NEED TO FOCUS MORE ON OUR SIGNAGE. THAT SIGNAGE IS VERY CLEAR, BUT IT DOESN'T REALLY GET YOUR ATTENTION AND IT DOESN'T EXPLAIN WHY YOU SHOULDN'T FEED THEM. SO THAT'S ANOTHER AREA THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON IS TO EDUCATE OUR PUBLIC. SO I MENTIONED EXCLUSION, AND WE NEED TO TAKE MORE ACTION TO MINIMIZE OUR HUMAN WILDLIFE CONFLICT, AND LIKE EVERY CONFLICT, BOTH SIDES ARE BRINGING SOMETHING TO THE TABLE, AND IN THIS CASE, WE DON'T HAVE ALL DAY TO MANAGE GROUND SQUIRRELS, BUT GUESS WHAT? THE GROUND SQUIRRELS HAVE ALL DAY TO DIG HOLES UNDER OUR INFRASTRUCTURE. SO WE REALLY NEED TO FOCUS ON WHAT WE CAN DO, REPLACE TURF WITH NATIVE LANDSCAPE, USE PREVENTATIVE BUILDING DESIGNS THAT PERHAPS HAVE SOME TYPE OF MESH SCREENING TO PROTECT IT. ANOTHER ISSUE IS TRASH MANAGEMENT, WHERE YOU HAVE FOOD LYING AROUND, WHERE YOU HAVE PEOPLE PICNICKING AND THE SQUIRRELS CAN ACCESS IT. THAT'S ANOTHER WAY OF ENCOURAGING THEM, AND THEN LASTLY, AVOID OUTPOSTS. WHEN WE TRY TO DEVELOP AN AREA IN THE MIDDLE OF A GRASSLAND WE WANT A HARDENED STRUCTURE, OR WE WANT TREES, NEWLY PLANTED TREES THERE, WE'VE CREATED THIS OUTPOST THAT WE ARE NOW ASKING OURSELVES TO MAINTAIN IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THAT PRESSURE FROM GROUND SQUIRRELS. SO LET'S REALLY TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND TRY TO FIND A WAY TO REDUCE THAT WHERE WE CAN WHAT YOU CAN DO. SO AS PART OF OUR NATURE CHECK AND LOOKING AT THE GROUND SQUIRREL AS AN INDICATOR, I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE, EVERY TIME THEY'RE OUT IN THE PARKS TO TAKE A PICTURE OF A GROUND SQUIRREL, AND THEN YOU TAKE THAT PICTURE AND YOU POST IT ON INATURALIST, AND WE HAVE OUR OWN PROJECT THAT WILL THEN HELP DOCUMENT WHERE WE HAVE GROUND SQUIRRELS, AND LASTLY, WHAT YOU CAN DO IS WHEN YOU SEE A GROUND SQUIRREL IS REALLY LOOK AT IT A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY. IT'S NOT A PEST. IT REALLY IS THE FOUNDATIONAL SPECIES SUPPORTING OUR GRASSLANDS, AND MAYBE WHEN YOU SEE A GROUND SQUIRREL, IF YOU CAN APPRECIATE THAT, MAYBE YOU'LL HAVE A LITTLE MORE PATIENCE FOR THEM WHEN THEY'RE SOMEWHERE THAT YOU DON'T WANT THEM. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND WE'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS. WELL, I KNOW I HAVE SOME, BUT I'LL DEFER TO MY COLLEAGUE HERE FIRST. GREAT. THANK YOU. THIS IS A GREAT PRESENTATION. YEAH. LOOKING AT THE MAP OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF BURROWING OWLS VERSUS GOPHERS, ARE GOPHERS [01:05:08] IN DIRECT COMPETITION WITH THE GROUND SQUIRRELS? BECAUSE IT CERTAINLY LOOKS LIKE WHEREVER THERE'S A CONCENTRATION OF GOPHERS THAT THERE AREN'T ANY GROUND SQUIRREL NESTS. IT ACTUALLY IS A LITTLE MORE COMPLEX THAN THAT. SO THE QUESTION IS ARE POCKET GOPHERS AND GROUND SQUIRRELS IN COMPETITION? TO A CERTAIN EXTENT THEY ARE, BUT THEY HAVE DIFFERENT BURROW SYSTEMS PER SE, AND THEN ACTUALLY THE SOIL TYPE HAS A LOT TO DO WITH IT. THE GROUND SQUIRRELS ARE IN MORE FRIABLE, LOOSE SOILS, AND THE POCKET GOPHERS, THEY CAN GO THROUGH, YOU KNOW, CEMENT IF NEEDED. SO THERE'S KIND OF A DISTRIBUTIONAL AS WELL AS WHERE THEY, WHERE THEY ARE FOUND ON SLOPES. GROUND SQUIRRELS TEND TO BE AT THE LOWER SLOPES OF A GIVEN ELEVATION IN POCKET GOPHERS AT THE UPPER PART. SO THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT VARIABLES INVOLVED IN HOW THEY DISTRIBUTE THEMSELVES, BUT THEY'RE ALSO FOUND, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER WHERE THEY OVERLAP. SO YEAH, AND MAYBE THAT GROUND SQUIRREL IS THINKING, HEY, THAT COYOTE CAN TAKE THAT POCKET GOPHER. NOT ME. YOU KNOW, IT'S THEM. THAT'S RIGHT, AND THEN WHAT ABOUT ENCOURAGING RAPTORS? I KNOW BACK WAY BACK WHEN CONTRA LOMA TO DEAL WITH THEIR GOPHER PROBLEM, THEY PUT IN A SERIES OF BARN OWL NESTS AND PROVED TO BE RELATIVELY SUCCESSFUL AND THAT THEY WERE TAKING GOPHERS, AND I TRIED IT AT REDWOOD, BUT TURNS OUT I HAD TOO MANY GREAT HORNED OWLS, BUT SO ARE WE DOING MORE WITH RAPTORS? WELL, WE'RE CERTAINLY DOING WHAT WE CAN TO, YOU KNOW, PRESERVE RAPTORS AND LOOKING AT MITIGATION OPTIONS FOR, YOU KNOW, WIND FARM TAKE AND THAT SORT OF THING. WE ARE, FOR INSTANCE, AT THE BOT' GARDEN. PARDON ME AGAIN. THEY'VE INSTALLED RAPTOR PERCHES TO TRY TO, YOU KNOW, INCREASE THE, THE ABILITY FOR RAPTORS TO GET IN AND TAKE CARE OF WHATEVER MAMMALS MIGHT BE BOTHERING AND EVEN HARMING. THREATENED AND ENDANGERED PLANTS THAT ARE GROWN AT THE BOT' GARDEN. SO RAPTOR PURCHASE IS ONE ONE WAY TO GO AND THEY'RE ENCOURAGED IN CERTAIN AREAS. YOU HAVE BARNELL BOXES TOO. THEY'RE MORE DIURNAL, RIGHT? SO THEY'RE TAKING MORE POCKET GOPHERS THAN THEY WOULD GROUND SQUIRRELS PER SE, BUT YES, WE'RE CERTAINLY LOOKING AT RAPTORS IN THE LARGER LANDSCAPE AS WELL AS PART OF THE, PART OF THE OVERALL BIODIVERSITY PICTURE. COOL, AND THEN OH, YOU ANSWERED. I GOT AN ANSWER TO MY WHY WE CAN'T MOVE THEM. YEAH. CROWN BEACH IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF WHERE WE'VE GOT WAY TOO MANY. I HAD A GRAZING QUESTION, BUT IT'S OUT THE WINDOW, SO. YEAH, AND CROWN BEACH. THAT TOO IS, YOU KNOW, WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF PUBLIC OVERLAP AND A LOT OF FEEDING OF GROUND SQUIRRELS. SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, MORE EDUCATION WOULD DEFINITELY BE NEEDED IN THAT. SO IS THERE ANY INDICATION OR BECAUSE I'M THINKING OF GRAZING, BUT A LOT OF THE GRAZING IS WITH NON-NATIVE ANNUAL GRASSES. IS THERE, HOW DO I WANT TO SAY THIS? IS THERE AN EFFECT WITH GROUND SQUIRRELS? ARE THERE MORE GROUND SQUIRRELS IN A NATIVE SITUATION VERSUS A NON-NATIVE. OH, GOOD QUESTION. WE CAN GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT IN ABOUT TEN YEARS. WE'LL DO SOME MORE RESEARCH ON THAT. THAT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION. ALSO THE SORT OF THERE HAS BEEN A DECLINE OF GROUND SQUIRRELS ACROSS THE BOARD. PARTLY MAYBE DUE TO THE LONG DROUGHTS THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING, THAT SORT OF THING. SO THAT MAY BE KIND OF CONFOUNDING THE BIGGER PICTURE, BUT THEY'RE PERFECTLY HAPPY, AND CERTAINLY IN THE NON-NATIVE GRASSLANDS. WHERE WE HAVE A LOT OF BUNCHGRASS REGENERATION LIKE WE DO AT VASCO CAVES. THEY'VE ALSO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, SLOWLY DISAPPEARED FROM THERE, TOO. SO MAYBE THAT'S NOT PROVIDING THEM THE TYPE OF FORAGE THAT THEY NEED, OR THE ABUNDANCE OF FORAGE THAT THEY GET THROUGH THE NON-NATIVE GRASSLANDS. YEAH. INTERESTING. NOW, THIS HAS BEEN GREAT. THANK YOU. THE WORK YOU FOLKS DO IS JUST. I MEAN, IT'S SO INTERESTING AND IT'S SO WORTHWHILE, YOU KNOW, THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE, AND I SUSPECT THAT BOTH OF YOU WERE INTERESTED IN THIS STUFF GOING WAY BACK IN YOUR LIVES. I'M JUST JUST GUESSING HERE, YOU KNOW? HERE YOU ARE. HERE YOU ARE. YOU FOUND YOUR SPOT. SO THE OTHER SPECIES THAT USE THE BURROWS, ARE THEY USING THOSE WHILE SQUIRRELS ARE OCCUPYING THE BURROWS AT THE SAME TIME? [01:10:09] YEAH. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY, AND THEY HAVE QUITE COMPLEX BURROW SYSTEMS THAT CAN BE UP TO LIKE 25FT LONG, SIX FEET DEEP, WITH LOTS OF LITTLE CHAMBERS. SO THEY DO COEXIST, AND IN FACT, THERE ARE CASES WHERE BIOLOGISTS HAVE GONE INTO BANNED BURROWING OWLS AND THEY REACH THEIR HAND INTO THE BURROWING OWL NEST AND GET BIT BY A RATTLESNAKE. SO THEY CAN THEY CAN OVERLAP QUITE, QUITE. DON'T REACH IN THERE. [CHUCKLING] DON'T REACH IN THERE. EXACTLY, EXACTLY. WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT BRINGS UP ANOTHER QUESTION THAT I THOUGHT ABOUT, AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A MEDICAL THING WHERE THEY SHOVE A CAMERA DOWN AND LOOK AT WHAT'S GOING ON INSIDE OF YOU, AND I'M JUST I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S SOMETHING SIMILAR BECAUSE YOU SEEM TO KNOW WHAT'S IN THERE, AND WITHOUT DIGGING IT UP, HOW DO YOU KNOW? I MEAN, IS THERE A WAY TO LOOK IN THERE? YEAH, THAT'S EXACTLY IT. THEY'LL THEY'LL USE ENDOSCOPES BASICALLY TO GO DOWN INTO THE HOLE. THE TROUBLE IS, IS THE SQUIRREL BURROWS CAN BE SO DIVERTICULA THAT IT'S HARD TO BEND AND GET INTO THE RIGHT PLACE FOR AREAS WHERE THERE COULD BE AN IMPACT TO THREATEN AN ENDANGERED SPECIES, LIKE IF THEY'RE BUILDING A FREEWAY OR A HOUSING COMPLEX. CONSULTANTS WILL ACTUALLY HAVE TO DIG OUT ALL THE BURROWS BEFORE THEY GRADE THE PROPERTY AND PUT IN WHATEVER CONSTRUCTION THEY'RE PUTTING IN TO MAKE SURE THERE'S NO TIGER SALAMANDERS IN THERE. SO THEY WHEN WHEN PUSH COMES TO SHOVE AS A MITIGATION MEASURE, THE CONSULTANTS WILL ACTUALLY DIG OUT THE BURROWS TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE CLEAR OF ANY TEENY SPECIES BEFORE THEY THEN GRADE OVER THE PROPERTY FOR. SO THEN BY DOING THAT, WE CAN SEE THE STRUCTURE. YEAH. OH, YEAH. WE'RE DOING IT VERY CAREFULLY, I GUESS. YEAH. YOU KNOW YOU KNOW, I WROTE THIS QUESTION DOWN, AND THEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE POPULATION IS GOING DOWN, DOWN, DOWN, DOWN, BUT I'M WONDERING IN THE PAST WHEN IT WAS MORE STABLE, WAS IT KIND OF SELF? WAS IT KIND OF SELF? I WONDER ABOUT OVERPOPULATION, YOU KNOW, AND BECAUSE CERTAINLY IN CERTAIN AREAS IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S OVERPOPULATED, WHICH MAY BE JUST A HUMAN IMPRESSION OF IT, BUT IS IT SELF-REGULATING BY WHEN THE POPULATION GETS TOO MUCH THAT IT JUST KIND OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, CRASHES OR GOES BACK DOWN AGAIN BY ITSELF? YOU KNOW, THE CARRYING CAPACITY IS. YEAH. I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF THEORIES ABOUT HOW THAT WORKS. PREDATORS TEND TO TRACK THEIR PREY POPULATIONS. THEY DON'T NECESSARILY CONTROL THEM, AND THEN OFTEN PREY POPULATIONS WILL CRASH FOR OTHER REASONS, BE IT A DISEASE OUTBREAK OR, YOU KNOW, REALLY BAD WEATHER OR DROUGHTS, THAT SORT OF THING. SO EVERYTHING'S KIND OF ENTRAINED IN THE SYSTEM, AND IT'S HARD TO SAY WHICH IS WHICH IS LEADING THE OTHER SYSTEM, BUT IN TERMS OF, YEAH, GROUND SQUIRRELS THINKING BACK TO THE PRE-WESTERN CIVILIZATION OF CALIFORNIA. WE HAD, YOU KNOW, LARGE, EXTENSIVE EXPANSES OF FORBS WHICH GROUND SQUIRRELS LOVE. SO THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN GREAT NUMBERS OF GROUND SQUIRRELS AROUND AT THE TIME. YOU KNOW, GRIZZLY BEARS WOULD DIG THEM UP AND EAT THEM AND MUNCH THEM FOR SNACKS, THAT SORT OF THING. SO THERE WAS PROBABLY JUST A LOT OF DIFFERENT FACTORS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF GROUND SQUIRREL NUMBERS AND THEN SUPERIMPOSE UPON THAT POTENTIAL DISEASE OUTBREAKS OR FLOODS. YOU KNOW, CENTRAL VALLEY USED TO FLOOD EVERY YEAR FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS. SO THAT ALL PLAYS INTO IT, AND EVEN EVEN WHERE GROUND SQUIRRELS ARE NOT CONTROLLED, LIKE ON A LOT OF MITIGATION PROPERTIES, AND THERE'S JUST TONS OF GROUND SQUIRRELS AROUND, YOU THINK THAT IT'S OVERPOPULATED AND YET, YOU KNOW, FROM YEAR TO YEAR, THEN, HEY, THERE'S FEWER GROUND SQUIRRELS HERE, AND WE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHY THERE'S FEWER GROUND SQUIRRELS. THE NEXT YEAR, THEY'RE ABUNDANT AGAIN. SO THEY SEEM TO HAVE THEIR OWN, YOU KNOW, CONTROLS AND SYSTEMS IN PLACE. RIGHT, AND THEN AND I JUST SORRY, I JUST WANT TO SAY ONE POINT ABOUT GROUND SQUIRRELS IN THE DEVELOPED AREAS IN TERMS OF THE CONTROL. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THEY DON'T HAVE ANY LIMITATIONS BECAUSE WE'RE FEEDING THEM YEAR ROUND. THEY HAVE THESE LEVEES STRUCTURES THAT IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR PREDATORS TO GET INTO, AND THEN THERE'S TRASH CANS, AND SO THOSE CONTROLS THAT ARE IN A MORE NATURAL SYSTEM WITH, YOU KNOW, EBB AND FLOW OF PREDATORS AND PREY, WE DON'T HAVE THAT CONTROL IN THE IN OUR DEVELOPED AREAS. OKAY, AND THEN THIS IS THIS WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS CALLED THE CALIFORNIA GROUND SQUIRREL. ARE THERE OTHER SPECIES IN OTHER AREAS OF CALIFORNIA? BECAUSE LET ME JUST TELL YOU WHAT I'VE NOTICED. I REMEMBER DRIVING ALONG SOME BACK RURAL ROAD EAST OF LIKE, MERCED AND THE SIERRA FOOTHILLS, AND THERE WERE GROUND SQUIRRELS GOING ACROSS, RUNNING ACROSS THE ROAD ALL OVER [01:15:02] THE PLACE BUT THEY HAD A REALLY PRONOUNCED WHITE COLLAR ON THEM, AND I REMEMBER SEEING THOSE AND AFTER A WHILE I'D GO, GOD, THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN THE ONES WE HAVE HERE. SO ARE THOSE DIFFERENT THERE IN THE SIERRA FOOTHILLS? YEAH, THERE'S THROUGHOUT THE WEST. THERE'S A WHOLE NUMBER OF DIFFERENT SPECIES OF GROUND SQUIRRELS. SO LIKE IN THE MOJAVE DESERT, THERE'S THE MOJAVE GROUND SQUIRREL, AND THEN WE HAVE THE BELDING'S GROUND SQUIRREL UP IN THE NORTHEAST. SO YEAH, THEY KIND OF THEY'RE SORT OF DISTRIBUTED ACCORDING TO SPECIES. SO YES, IS THE ANSWER. OURS ARE LESS FLAMBOYANT. THEY DON'T HAVE THAT WHITE. THEY'RE MORE SUBTLE. THEY'RE MORE SUBTLE. THEY ARE JUST LIKE US, LIKE THE REST OF CALIFORNIA. ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH. YEAH. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU AND THE PARK DISTRICT ACTUALLY DIGGING INTO THIS SITUATION BECAUSE IT REALLY ILLUMINATES JUST HOW SMART ANIMALS ARE. I MEAN, THIS IS THE COMMUNICATION THING ABOUT HOW THEY HAVE DIFFERENT CALLS FOR DIFFERENT PREDATORS, AND THEN I WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT THE TUNNELS LIKE THEY DON'T HAVE. THEY DON'T HAVE SIGNS TELLING YOU WHERE THE BATHROOM IS. YOU KNOW, SO THERE'S THIS WHOLE THERE'S THIS WHOLE COMPLEX OF HOW ANIMALS ARE SO, SO SMART AND COMPLEX, AND IT THIS KIND OF STUDY REALLY BRINGS THAT TO LIGHT, AND FOR ME, IT MAKES IT MORE APPRECIATIVE OF THE SPECIES ITSELF. SO I REALLY THANK YOU FOR THAT AND JUST YOUR ANALOGY OF THE GRIZZLY OR THE BEARS DIGGING UP THE NEST. I JUST REMINDED ME AT REDWOOD, WE USED TO FOR THE YELLOWJACKET NEST IN THE GROUND. WE WOULD WE'D GO IN THERE AT NIGHT AND SPRINKLE COOKIES AND HONEY AROUND THE HOLE, AND THEN THE NEXT NIGHT, THE SKUNKS WOULD DIG IT ALL UP. WOW. YEAH. INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT. YEAH, IT WAS VERY COOL. I GOT THAT FROM ALAN CAPLAN FROM ONE OF OUR NATURALIST, AND IT WORKED GREAT. SO A GREAT ANALOGY. THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW. WE MAY TRY THAT. I MIGHT TRY THAT AT HOME NEXT TIME I HAVE A YELLOW JACKET IN MY BACKYARD. IT WORKS. IN FACT, I HAD ONE NEST IN A TREE NEXT TO A TRAIL TO SEND US, AND I FOUND THE NEST, AND INSTEAD OF SPRAYING IT, I JUST PUT SOME EXTRA HONEY AROUND THE HOLE, AND THE NEXT DAY, THAT WHOLE TREE WAS SCRAPED OFF AND THE NEST WAS DUG OUT, AND NOW I'M PUTTING NATURE TO WORK FOR YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANKS A LOT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, AND WE'RE MOVING ALONG TO ITEM FOUR C, WHICH INVOLVES OUR 2025 MEETING AGENDA PLAN. THANK YOU, DIRECTOR MERCURIO. SO EVERY YEAR THIS TIME OF THE YEAR, THIS IS OUR LAST. TODAY'S OUR LAST FOR THIS YEAR NCRC MEETING AND PASSING OUT THE COPIES OF THAT, BUT WE'LL ALSO HAVE IT ON THE SCREEN FOR THOSE DIALED IN. SEVERAL YEARS. JUST GO A LITTLE HISTORY. SEVERAL YEARS AGO, PREDATES ME, WHICH IS JUST A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. THE TEAM GATHERED INFORMATION FROM THE BOARD, THE COMMITTEE ON TOPICS OF INTEREST, AND SO IN YOUR PACKET, YOU'LL SEE THERE WAS THIS LONG FOUR YEAR TOPIC LIST THAT TALKED ABOUT AGENDAS THAT WHEN AND WHAT THEY WERE PRESENTED BASED ON REQUESTS AND ALSO NOT ONLY JUST REQUESTS, BUT ALSO INTERNAL SUGGESTIONS FROM THE STAFF THAT OVER THE FEW YEARS, AND I HAVE THE DATES ON WHEN THEY WERE DONE, SOME OF THE REQUESTS WERE CHANGED, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THE TITLE JUST A LITTLE BIT TO BE MORE REFLECTIVE, BUT THE THEME OF THE REQUEST OF TOPIC WAS STILL PRESENTED. SO I JUST WE HAVE THAT IN THE PACKET. SO YOU CAN SEE IT WAS ASKED FOR AT THE LAST MEETING FROM DIRECTOR COFFEY ABOUT WHAT WAS THE LIST? WHERE'S THE LIST AND WHAT HAVE WE DONE SINCE THEN? SO THAT'S WHAT THAT ONE LIST IS HERE. WHAT I HAVE IN FRONT, THAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU, BUT ALSO UP ON THE SCREEN IS OUR PROPOSED FOR NEXT YEAR, 2025, AND THESE ARE JUST THE DRAFT PROPOSED PLAN. THEY'RE NOT LIKE LOCKED INTO STONE. MOST OF THEM, WE'D LIKE TO BE LOCKED INTO STONE, BUT WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THINGS CHANGE OR TOPICS COME UP THAT MIGHT BE OF INTEREST, AND, YOU KNOW, IF THERE ARE TOPICS THAT YOU THINK OF RIGHT NOW THAT YOU ALSO WANT TO BE THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN KNOWING MORE ABOUT IN THE COMING YEAR, WE CAN DEFINITELY GET THAT ON THERE. MAYBE SHIFT THE AGENDA PLAN AROUND THE HIGHLIGHTED ONES THAT ARE IN DEEP BLACK. THE IPM, FREE ROAMING CAT AND THE HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS ARE THE TOPICS WE REQUIRE TO DO EVERY YEAR SO THAT THOSE THAT'S WHY THOSE ARE ALWAYS THERE EVERY YEAR, AND WE HIGHLIGHT THOSE IN IN DARK SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THAT'S WHAT THOSE ARE, BUT I DEFINITELY WELCOME ANY THOUGHTS OR COMMENTS OR SOMETHING THAT YOU MIGHT [01:20:08] BE MISSING OR YOU'D LIKE TO TALK MORE ABOUT FOR NEXT YEAR. WE DEFINITELY WELCOME THAT, AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, THIS MEETING DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THE ONLY TIME. IF YOU ALL HAVE MY EMAIL ADDRESSES AND YOU CAN JUST DROP ME A NOTE SAYING, HEY, I'D LIKE TO KNOW SOMETHING MORE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, X, Y, OR Z. I CAN GO THROUGH THIS AGENDA IN THE BEGINNING. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OUR NEW FOR FEBRUARY, WE HAVE OUR NEW CULTURAL RESOURCES UNIT THIS PAST YEAR, AND ANNAMARIE GUERRERO, WHO'S THE PRINCIPAL PLANNER IN THAT ON THAT TEAM, IS WORKING ON DEVELOPING PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS IT SHE'S HOPING TO GET OUT OF THIS AND HOPING TO DO FOR NEXT YEAR. WE'RE GOING TO BE BRIEFING THE GM HERE SHORTLY, AND THEN I WANT TO BRING IT TO THE COMMITTEE TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING. WHAT IS IT THAT SHE'S ENVISIONING FOR THE NEXT YEAR? AND SO OUT THE LONGHORN FAIRY SHRIMP STUDY. THIS IS SOMETHING WE KIND OF KEPT KICKING THE CAN BECAUSE SOMETHING HAS COME UP, OR WE HAD A CANCELLATION OF A MEETING. WE HAD TO SHIFT AND PIVOT OF OUR SCHEDULE, BUT WE DEFINITELY WANT TO GET THAT OUT THERE AND SHARE THAT STUDY. THE ORAL HISTORIES ONLINE, I BELIEVE THAT IS BRENDA, TO TALK MORE ABOUT TOPICS AROUND THAT I'M GOING TO I'M GOING TO WORK ON WHAT DETAILS SHE'S GOING TO BRING FORWARD, BUT THAT WE CARVED THAT OUT AS A TOPIC FOR HER OR AGENDA ITEM FOR HER TO ADD FOR FEBRUARY, AND THEN THE NEW FLORISTIC DISCOVERIES IN EAST BAY GRASSLANDS. MAY OUR ANNUAL REPORT, BUT WE'RE ALSO GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE DISTRICT PLAN UPDATE BY MAY. YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO BE ALREADY 4 OR 5 MONTHS IN THE DISTRICT PLAN PROCESS, AND WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER WHERE WE'RE AT, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S THE DISCUSSION ABOUT NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES. LOOK AT WHAT, YOU KNOW, AFTER ALL THESE ENGAGEMENTS FROM INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS. WHAT ARE WE HEARING? WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE STARTING TO HEAR MORE AND MORE ABOUT FROM OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR INTERNAL OUR INTERNAL STAFF? THIS THIS NEXT ITEM IS STEWARDING THE RARE AND UNUSUAL PLANTS IN THE EAST BAY. THIS WAS CALLED THE SERPENTINE PRAIRIE UPDATE, BUT WE WANTED TO CHANGE IT AND TALK MORE BROADLY INSTEAD OF JUST FOCUSING ON THE SERPENTINE PRAIRIE UPDATE AND THEN THE SNOW GATHERING. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I&R WANTED TO DO THIS PAST YEAR. AGAIN, WE HAD TO SHIFT SOME AGENDA ITEMS AROUND BUT JUST TALKING ABOUT THE DEI AND THE SUNOL GATHERING AND THAT HOW THAT ALL. I DON'T HAVE THE DETAILS FROM I&R BUT THEY WANTED TO PRESENT THIS LAST YEAR AND WE'RE GOING TO MOVE THIS TO MAY. AUGUST, FREE ROAMING CAT ANNUAL REVIEW AND OUR HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS PRESENTATION THAT WE DO, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT CUTTING THE GREEN TAPE. YOU PROBABLY HEARD THIS IN SEVERAL ESPECIALLY FROM GOVERNMENT AND LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS WORKING ON THE PERMITTING, STREAMLINE THE PERMIT. YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO TALK MORE DEEPLY ABOUT THAT, HOW WE CAN INCREASE THE PACE AND SCALE OF OUR ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION. THE TEAM ALSO WANTS TO TALK ABOUT DUMPSTER DYNAMICS, ACCESSING THE WILDLIFE USE AND BEHAVIOR IN THE PARK DISTRICT. GARBAGE CAN DUMPSTERS THAT WE THAT WE HAVE IN OUR IN OUR DISTRICT IN OCTOBER, WE TALKED ABOUT THE DECISION SUPPORT TOOL THAT ONE OF THE BOARD MEETINGS, I BELIEVE SOME TIME AGO, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT HAS STARTED PUTTING TOGETHER ITS THESE MULTI-LAYER MAPPING AND DECISION SUPPORT INFORMATION. THEY'RE BUILDING ON IT. IT'S HELPING FOR OUR DECISIONS AS WE'RE WORKING ON SOME PROJECTS OR WE WANT TO ENTER IN SOME INFORMATION AND FIND OUT ABOUT A CERTAIN AREA. IT HELPS WITH THAT DECISION SUPPORT ON OUR NATURAL RESOURCES AREA WITHIN THE DISTRICT, AND WE'RE GOING TO GIVE AN UPDATE AROUND THAT TIME. SO THERE WAS A PRESENTATION LAST YESTERDAY AT THE PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE. IT SEEMS LIKE IT WAS RELATED TO THAT. YES, IT'S PROBABLY WAS IF IT WAS NEOMA, YES. NO, NO, NO IT WAS IT WASN'T NEOMA, BUT IT WAS MORE, MORE DIRECTLY RELATED TO GEE, MAYBE WE SHOULDN'T BE BUILDING TRAILS ALL OVER THE PLACE. YEAH, THAT'S EXACTLY, YOU KNOW, EXACTLY PUTTING ALL THE LAYERS TOGETHER. THAT HELPS. SO I THINK THAT'S GOOD BECAUSE SOME OF US REALLY LIKE TRAILS. YES, PROBABLY MOST OF THE BOARD REALLY DOES, AND IF YOU START SAYING STUFF LIKE THAT, IT NEEDS TO BE NUANCED AND IT NEEDS TO BE EXPLAINED IN DETAIL. HOW FAR ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE THAT? [01:25:01] RIGHT, RIGHT. YOU KNOW. YEAH, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK TO THE EARLIER PRESENTATION TO TWO SESSIONS AGO HERE, I LIKE THAT THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE BALANCE BETWEEN ACCESS AND ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION, AND YOU CAN BALANCE THAT IN THE LONG RUN. YEAH. OKAY. GREAT. THERE WAS A TOPIC ON THAT WAS PUT ON OUR CALENDAR FOR SOME TIME AGO, AND IT WAS THE COLLABORATION WITH UC SANTA BARBARA AND UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER. THE ENHANCING THE RICHNESS AND RESILIENCE OF THE AMPHIBIAN COMMUNITIES IN CALIFORNIA. I'M NOT SURE IF MATT'S HERE, IF HE HAS ANY MORE, HE CAN TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT. HERE HE COMES. MATT GRAUL, CHIEF OF STEWARDSHIP. YEAH. NO. JUST TO CLARIFY, THE TOPIC THAT WAS PLACED ON WAS, I THINK A I THINK IT WAS DIRECTOR COFFEY IN THE PAST, REQUESTED A TALK ABOUT SOME OF OUR ACADEMIC COLLABORATIONS AND THINGS WE'RE DOING, AND SO THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF A STUDY WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW WITH UC SANTA BARBARA AND UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO. TAMMY LIM AND NATALIE REEDER HAVE BEEN TAKING A LEAD ROLE IN THAT FOR STEWARDSHIP, AS THEY DO A LOT OF AMPHIBIAN MONITORING, BUT THEY'RE WORKING ON THIS COOPERATIVE STUDY TO LOOK AT OUR AMPHIBIAN POPULATION. SO THIS WILL BE A PRESENTATION ON THAT. THANK YOU, MATT. THANK YOU. WE'RE ALSO GOING TO TALK ABOUT IN IN OCTOBER THE RENEWAL OF THE BUNCHGRASS MEADOW AT SIBLEY. IT TAKES A COMMUNITY. I LIKE THAT CLOSE TOPIC, AND THEN OF COURSE, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE AGENDA PLANNING MEETING. AT THE BOTTOM, YOU'LL SEE THERE'S SOME ADDITIONAL ITEMS THAT WE WILL LOOK AT, MAYBE WHERE WE CAN FIT THAT IN. I HAVE TO TALK TO THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS LIKE, YOU KNOW, FUELS MANAGEMENT PLAN, ETC., WORKING WITH THE FIRES AND FUELS TEAM AND AS WELL AS OUR INTERNAL FUELS TEAM WHERE WE CAN FIT THAT HERE ON THE CALENDAR AND SOME OF THESE OTHER TOPICS THAT WE CAN MOVE UP, BUT I HAVEN'T GOTTEN WHERE THOSE ARE GOING TO FIT, BUT THOSE ARE OTHER TOPICS WE WANT TO BRING FORWARD. OKAY. GREAT. THANKS FOR THE FURTHER EXPLANATIONS HERE. DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING, QUESTIONS? GO AHEAD. SURE. I HAVE A FEW IDEAS I'LL THROW OUT THERE. THANK YOU. SOME OF THESE MIGHT BE YOU CAN THEY CAN BE ALREADY INCORPORATED INTO SOME OF THE TOPICS YOU'VE ALREADY MENTIONED. I HAVE ONE IS IDENTIFICATION OF THE NATIVE PEOPLES IN EACH WARD. I THINK EACH OF THE DIRECTORS WOULD BE INTERESTED, AND THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHICH TRIBES INHABITED THE WARDS AND THE IMPACT THERE AND THEN ON THE TOP, AND THEN MAYBE INCLUDING THAT WOULD BE MAYBE IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL COLLABORATIONS THAT WE COULD DO WITH THE NATIVE PEOPLE. SO OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I WAS THINKING OF LEONA CANYON. YEAH. VERY GOOD, AND THEN I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A SURVEY OF. I MEAN, SEVERAL PARKS HAVE BEEN DOING BROOM REMOVALS NOW FOR SEVERAL, SEVERAL YEARS, AND I WANTED TO SEE IF THERE HAS BEEN ANY KIND OF SURVEY OF WHAT THE EFFECTS ARE OR HAVE BEEN AS FAR AS RESULTS. GOT IT, AND THEN AND THIS TOPIC HERE HAS TO DO WITH ROGUE TRAILS. THIS COULD ALSO BE A PRESENTATION TO THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE, BUT WHAT'S THE EFFECT, HOW WE'RE DOING IN CLOSING AT BOOTLEG TRAILS AND ALSO PROGRESS ON THE SMALL TRAILS CREW AGAIN AND THEN AND UNDER RESTORATION, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT KIND OF PROGRESS WE'RE DOING IN EACH OF THE WHAT ARE WE CALLING THE RTA'S IN OUR FUEL BREAKS? WHAT KIND OF RESTORATION IS GOING ON THERE? WHAT KIND OF PROGRESS IS HAPPENING OR PLANS FOR THAT? AND ANOTHER ONE IS AN UPDATE ON THE PUMA PROJECT. I NOTICED THAT I LISTENED IN ON A COUPLE OF THE INTERVIEWS, PANEL INTERVIEWS FOR CANDIDATES FOR FOR OUR FOR OUR DISTRICT, AND ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WAS LIKE, HOW MANY PUMAS ARE IN THE ARE IN OUR PARK? SO NO ONE COULD ANSWER THAT, BUT I KNOW WE'VE BEEN A PARTNER OF THE PUMA PROJECT FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. SO AN UPDATE ON THAT AND ALSO AN UPDATE ON OUR BAT POPULATIONS. YEAH. GOTCHA. GOOD SUGGESTIONS. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. SO I KNOW, I KNOW, IN THE PAST, WE HAVE ATTEMPTED TO HAVE AT LEAST ONE CULTURAL ITEM ON EVERY [01:30:03] MEETING, AND YOU KNOW THAT'S NOT REFLECTED ON THIS LIST HERE. THERE'S NOT ONE TODAY, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT BE THAT MAYBE THERE JUST AREN'T. IT'S JUST NOT NOTHING'S COME TO MIND OR NOTHING IS PRACTICAL TO BE DONE OR WHATEVER, BUT IN SPITE OF THAT, I'D LIKE TO THROW A COUPLE OTHER IDEAS. IDEAS, AND I LOVE YOURS. I LOVE YOURS. YOU'VE TOUCHED UPON THE CULTURAL YOU KNOW THE ELEMENT AS WELL, BUT ONE,, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS, IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE PUT TOGETHER, BUT THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION, HOW DO OUR ARCHIVES SERVE THE PUBLIC? YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S NOT MEANT TO CHALLENGE THEM. I REALLY WANT TO KNOW. RIGHT. YOU KNOW I KNOW THEY DO, BUT IT'D BE INTERESTING TO GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO EXPLAIN HOW THEY DO THAT. I THINK THE PUBLIC WOULD WANT TO KNOW, TOO, AND IT'S JUST A CHANCE TO EVERY CHANCE WE GET TO TALK ABOUT OUR ARCHIVE, YOU KNOW, AND THE RESOURCE THAT IT REPRESENTS IS A GREAT THING, AND THEN THE OTHER ONE IS JUST SORT OF A I WOULD THINK THAT THEY WOULD WANT TO DO THIS ONE, JUST KIND OF A HISTORY OF OF THURGOOD MARSHALL REGIONAL PARK, HOME OF THE PORT CHICAGO 50. JUST, YOU KNOW, AS WE THINK ABOUT GETTING INTO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE GOING TO OPEN THAT PARK. WE HAVE TO FIND WAYS TO YOU KNOW, ELEVATE ITS, ITS, ITS SCOPE, YOU KNOW, AND STATURE IN THE COMMUNITIES. YOU KNOW, IN MY COMMUNITY OUT THERE IN CONCORD AREA. SO YOU KNOW THERE'S A WHOLE THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF HISTORY THAT COULD BE TALKED ABOUT IN TO COVER THAT AREA. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO AND I WILL I APPRECIATE YOUR YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT CLOSING THE DOOR TODAY. YEAH. THIS IS NOT. I'LL STOP. I'LL CONTINUE. I'M SURE I'LL COME UP WITH SOME OTHER THINGS, TOO, BUT YEAH, THESE ARE IT'S JUST REALLY I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE CULTURAL, YOU KNOW, RESOURCES KIND OF EQUALIZED OUT. SO I THINK WE'RE I THINK WE'RE PRETTY MUCH DONE HERE TODAY. SO IF THERE'S NOT ANYTHING OTHER, DO WE HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS? EITHER. ANY NO ANNOUNCEMENTS EITHER WAY. OKAY, THEN I WOULD SAY THAT WE'RE ADJOURNED AT 12:06. THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO EVERYBODY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. YEAH. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.