Range of the Condor National Heritage Area

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A organizational summary by the ENVS 560/L Watershed Systems class at CSUMB.

Overview

The Range of the Condor National Heritage Area is a proposed new National Heritage Area (NHA) spanning an area defined by the current range of the California Condor. Here, we have compiled maps of the proposed area.

This NHA designation would facilitate collaboration between stakeholders (including government agencies and non-governmental organizations) for preservation, maintenance, project planning, and other land management duties throughout the area. NHAs also receive advising from the National Park Service (NPS) on technical and planning issues, as well as limited financial assistance.

Vision

The vision for the Range of the Condor National Heritage Area includes all the traditional benefits NHAs confer to a region, in addition to novel benefits at this particular area, including:

  • Preservation of habitat, especially for animals significant to the area's heritage like California Condors.
  • Continuity between the Range of the Condor NHA and adjacent protected lands and coastal waters, offering exciting opportunities for research and recreation across uninterrupted wildlands, from the mountains to the sea.
  • Increased public access to land via new and improved trails, educational programs, and more.
  • Bolstered economic activity and jobs, from eco-tourism and new project development, throughout the region.
  • Public education on wildfire, fostering a new public attitude towards fires and fire management.
  • Completion of The Condor Trail, which could be an iconic feature of the NHA and California itself.

Function and Operation

<To be operational, an NHA might need an entity, an MOU, maybe a JPA>

NHAs across the country differ in their operational structure. The NHA designation by Congress doesn't dictate an specific organizational hierarchy; only the oversight role of the National Parks Service. Thus, new NHAs can look to existing areas for organizational blueprints, in addition to developing their own system that works locally. Some components which have been common across NHAs are listed here.

Local Coordinating Entity 
<What is a local coordinating entity and what would they do here? Who might be a good candidate to be the LCR for this NHA? Conservancy for the Range of the Condor? Precedent for a nonprofit to be the LCR at the Illinois Michigan Canal Heritage Area. (interplay with NHA and Conservancy pages)>

NHA operations are typically spearheaded by a local coordinating entity (LCE), which acts as the public face of the NHA, takes a lead role in coordination, and develops the required heritage area management plan. One potential candidate organization to serve as the LCE for the Range of the Condor NHA is the Conservancy for the Range of the Condor, having originally proposed the NHA. There is precedent for a similar non-profit acting as the LCE in the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Area [1].

MOU? 
...
JPA 
...

Key Partners

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There are many organizations that manage land and wildlife within the proposed Range of the Condor National Heritage Area. These organizations and their potential roles are summarized below, with further details tabulated in a separate page.

National Park Service 
...
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 
BLM administers over 85,000 acres of habitat conservation areas and other public lands in the Central Coast region, including Fort Ord National Monument (FONM), California Coastal National Monument (CCNM), Carrizo Plain National Monument, and Clear Creek Management Area. The National Monuments and Special Management Areas are located in geographically important habitats for the historic range of the California Condor and as a result, would be key additions to the Range of the Condor National Heritage Area.
US Fish and Wildlife Service
Since 1992, USFWS has operated the California Condor Recovery Program, which breeds and reintroduces condors to the wild. USFWS has also designated critical habitat for California Tiger Salamander in California's Central Coast Region, and the Pacific Southwest Region office worked with state agencies to create a species recovery plan for CA tiger salamanders in 2017. Because of its authority over the California Condor Recovery Program and its role in Central Coast conservation and management, USFWS would be a strong partner for the Range of the Condor National Heritage Area.
California Department of Fish and Wildlife 
United States Forest Service (USFS) 
The USFS manages the Los Padres National Forest (LPNF) which is located in Southern and Central Coastal California. As of 2014, there were 103 California Condors surveyed in the LPNF. [2] Additionally, within the southern part of the LPNF lies the Sespe Condor Sanctuary which provides critical habitat, wildlife refuge, and land management for the protection of the California Condor.
United States Army 
The Department of Defense's Army Department owns and manages ### acres of land in the California Central Coast Region. This land is primarily used for the training and education of members of the U.S. Army. The Department of Defense has also partnered with The Conservation Fund to combat the encroachment of residential developments close to military installation boundaries, preserve habitat through buffer projects, provide supportive education, and help with regional planning. Also, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is the leading federal agency pursuing civil works projects ranging from flood control to ecosystem restoration and has a significant reach and impact on the nation's natural resources and aquatic ecosystems. It oversees thousands of civil works projects and the Clean Water Act 404 Regulatory Program [3].
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 
NOAA manages over 7,500 square miles of coastal ocean along the Central Coast within the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. These marine sanctuaries exemplify the strong connection between California's Central Coast region and protection of the natural environment, and they generate large amounts of tourism and recreational revenue by drawing interest to the beauty of this region. NOAA conducts large-scale research and monitoring programs along the coast, and collaborates with many local research institutions and other organizations (see Organizations involved in the management of California's Central Coast Region) to promote environmental stewardship and future resiliency.
The NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) also manages commercial and recreational fisheries within the Central Coast region and is responsible for issuing permits related to the Endangered Species Act. NMFS coordinates with Regional Fishery Management Councils and other local partners, funds fisheries research, and provides jobs to many coastal-dependent communities.
Native American Tribes 
The California Condor has been an important symbol that represents the wilderness heritage of the state. It has been regarded as the "most impressive and majestic flying bird in North America," and has captured the attention of Native peoples throughout its history[4]. The proposed Range of the Condor National Heritage Area would span at least a dozen different pre-contact tribal lands [5], as well as the modern Santa Ynez, Tule River, and San Manuel reservations [6]. Archaeologists have found evidence to suggest the use of California Condors during rituals of early peoples in California [7]. Other ceremonies included dancers wearing capes of condor skins and feathers [8]. Some Native peoples believed condors could "infuse" them with special powers [9]. Because of their extraordinary eyesight, some tribes within the California central coast region believed wearing cloaks of condor feathers would grant them powers to find lost valuables and people [10].

Leadership

The Range of the Condor National Heritage Area is proposed by the Conservancy for the Range of the Condor and former Congressman Sam Farr.

Links

References

  1. Canal Corridor Association https://iandmcanal.org/about-us-canal-corridor-association/
  2. Los Padres Forest Watch https://lpfw.org/our-region/wildlife/california-condor/
  3. U.S. Department of Defense. The Conservation Fund. [Cited March 2021]
  4. Reference text https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=23527
  5. California Tribal Communities https://aimfireriversideca.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/calprecontact.gif
  6. California Tribal Lands https://www3.epa.gov/region9/air/maps/ca_tribe.html
  7. Reference text https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=23527
  8. Reference text https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=23527
  9. Reference text https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=23527
  10. Reference text https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=23527

Disclaimer

This page may contain student work completed as part of assigned coursework. It may not be accurate. It does not necessary reflect the opinion or policy of CSUMB, its staff, or students.