On Friday, over objections from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Center for Biological Diversity, Audubon California, two Audubon chapters, and after receipt of thousands of letters from concerned citizens, the State Parks and Recreation Commission voted unanimously to approve the Big Basin State Park General Plan and Final Environmental Impact Report without safeguards for the critically imperiled marbled murrelet. This disappointing outcome came after ample notice from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and top experts that substantial changes were needed in the Park in order to prevent the central coast marbled murrelet from sliding further toward extinction.

Photo of typical sign about murrelets and feeding wildlife in Big Basin State Park, by Daniela Ogden

Big Basin State Park, just north of Santa Cruz,  is the heart of breeding habitat for this southernmost population of this federally threatened species. Murrelets and their nests have been detected most frequently in the Waddell Creek watershed, the central drainage of the Park, which is the heart of the old growth redwood habitat and also the most developed portion of the Park.

The population has declined precipitously over the past decades, and now stands at less than 600 individuals with an extremely low rate of reproductive success. In rare consensus on a conservation science issue (here) and (here), experts unanimously agree that a) nest predation by corvids- jays, crows and ravens – is the primary reason for the low reproductive success; b) marbled murrelets will go extinct in central California in the coming years if reproductive success does not improve; c) reducing nest predation is the most effective means for improving population viability in central California. There is also a broad consensus among these experts that very high numbers of corvids in the Park persist due to food provisioning at campgrounds and other areas of high human use, and, permanently removing or seasonally rotating use of campgrounds as well as dramatically improving trash and food scrap control, is required to reverse the decline. Audubon's written comments highlighted this scientific consensus.

Yet in 2012 State Parks released a General Plan and Final EIR that lends scant attention to murrelets, with vague and non-binding mitigation measures in light of the Plan’s proposal to increase visitation in the Park and undertake new construction and trail expansion in areas adjacent to old growth. The Plan also fails to seriously consider changes to  current infrastructure and trash management measures needed to better protect murrelets.

Trash management at campgrounds and other public use areas in this heavily visited Park falls far short of measures needed to substantially reduce provisioning of corvids. There is only one employee in the Park certified to pick up trash, resulting in overflowing trash cans. Dish washing spigots are uncovered, with food scraps available as campers wash their dishes. There are no signs posted at even the most popular trails, that could ask recreationists to take care to pack out all food.

The photo at top is an example we witnessed first-hand, of the type of temporary signs posted at food lockers at camp sites. The signs describe the need to keep food contained in order to protect murrelets. The signs are made of paper semi-enclosed in plastic, are generally wet and illegible, and are therefore ineffective.

At Friday’s hearing, following a briefing by Parks’ lead on the project, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service representative remarked “We would like to emphasize the importance of minimizing impacts of recreational activities in marbled murrelet habitat… we strongly support relocation and removal of recreational facilities outside of marbled murrelet habitat.” The Service statement was followed by complementary statements from Santa Clara Valley Audubon, Sequoia Audubon, Audubon California, and the Center for Biological Diversity.

Following these comments, the Commission quickly moved to a unanimous vote to approve the Plan and FEIR, despite a very reasonable request from Audubon to delay approval of the Plan pending changes that would better serve murrelets and people, and keep Parks off a collision course with the Endangered Species Act. New Parks Chief General Anthony Jackson was present for the vote. The decision led Dr. Shaye Wolf, a marine ornithologist at the Center for Biological Diversity who has quietly worked for years to address the issue through the General Plan process, to remark that “the Center will consider its legal options.”

The Commission’s decision represents a major missed opportunity provided by the General Plan revision process to address a solveable problem. Despite this disappointing setback, there are always alternative ways to change the status quo, and we hope in the coming weeks the Parks Commission will place on its agenda a discussion of an amendment to the Plan to commit the agency to binding, enforceable steps to protect marbled murrelets. We will track the issue and keep you posted!

Send a comment letter to General Jackson voicing your concern ...