Agmt 2008 California State Coastal Conservancy

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4. Location This project is located in the nine San Francisco Bay Area Counties to benefit the restoration of the San Francisco baylands. 5. Need: Augmentation of funding for ISP's existing grants for treatment and eradication of invasive Spartina, are needed because of the aggressive eradication strategy planned for 2008/2009 combined with the surprisingly high costs of the herbicide imazapyr and of applicator specialists. 6. Greater-than-local interest: Introduced Spartina threatens to move up stream in the San Francisco Bay-Delta, and down the coast to southern California. In the San Francisco Bay, introduced Spartina threatens to displace state and federally listed species, such as the endangered California clapper rail, California black rail, and the salt marsh harvest mouse. Additional Criteria Urgency: As confirmed at the Third International Invasive Spartina Conference, experts from the region and around the world believe that if the spread of introduced Spartina is not controlled within the next few years, the greater than exponential spread of the plants and extensive hybridization with the native Spartina foliosa will preclude any chance for successful control in the future. If the Conservancy and its partners can address the problem with the appropriately stepped up level of treatment in the short-term, long-term maintenance expenses can be avoided. 6. Readiness: In 2007, ISP and partners treated 1,050 acres of invasive Spartina. Environmental service consultants and grantees are already fully engaged in the pre- treatment season planning, including updating the existing Site-Specific Plans, and are eager to continue treatment in 2008. Also, US Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Wildlife Foundation are onboard to carry out treatment of the infestation found at the new North Bay site. 7. Cooperation: Existing grantees (landowners and land managers) are enthusiastically collaborating in the updating and implementation of the Site-Specific Plans and for permitting that is being coordinated by the ISP consultants. In addition, coordination with the regulatory agencies is ongoing with regard both to treatment and monitoring activities. CONSISTENCY WITH SAN FRANCISCO BAY PLAN: The ISP Control Program is consistent with the San Francisco $ay Plan, Policy 3(c), found in the section entitled "Marshes and Mudflats" (page 9), that states: "the quality of existing marshes should be improved by appropriate measures whenever possible." The main purpose of this project is to remove invasive Spartina to improve the long-term quality of existing marsh habitat in the baylands of the San Francisco Estuary. COMPLIANCE WITH CEQA: As part of the June 16, 2005 ISP staff recommendation (Exhibit 2), the Conservancy authorized initial funding for 22 of the treatment and eradication projects that are proposed for additional funding under this authorization. The June 16, 2005 staff . 3 ~ ~'>~~r' -. f~: F r E ~ ~. .t ~'i~L ~ i ~. J