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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2001 S ERCD - Longleaf Ecological of Whispering Pines for Update of the Inventory of Natural Areas and Wildlife HabitatORIGINAL. SIGNATURES Orange County Natural Areas Inventor ate 3 Inventory D$T. � General Terms and Conditions for Services This Agreement is by and between the County of Orange, North Carolina (CLIENT) and Longleaf Ecological of Whispering Pines, North Carolina (CONSULTANT). The CLIENT retains CONSULTANT to perform an update to the Orange County Natural Areas Inventory in return for cash consideration to be paid by the CLIENT under terms and consideration set forth below. 1. CONSULTANT is being contracted for the purposes of conducting an update to the Inventory of the Natural Areas and Wildlife Habitats of Orange County, North Carolina (Dawson and Hall, 1988) in accordance with the Scope of Work (Attachment A) and the CONSULTANT proposal dated 3/22/01 (Attachment D). 2. For this service CONSULTANT will be paid a total of $9,600, with the possibility of supplemental fees by written amendments to this contract. Payments will be made quarterly upon submission of invoice, with final payment following submittal and acceptance of the final report. 3. The final product and all support material are property of Orange County and the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program. The information may be used by Longleaf Ecological with prior written approval of the Orange County ERCD and the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program, provided that the use of any such work product includes an acknowledgement that said work is the property of Orange County and the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program. 4. This contract will begin upon signature of this contract letter by both parties and will terminate upon satisfactory completion of work described in #1 above and in Attachments A and B. 5. The project schedule in Attachment B will be used by Orange County ERCD to evaluate whether the work has been completed satisfactorily. 6. This contract may be terminated by either party with two weeks written notice. Should this occur, the fee will be adjusted according to the judgment of the supervisor as to the value of the work completed at time of termination. 7. This contract will be supervised for CLIENT by Rich Shaw, Land Conservation Manager, Orange County ERCD in close coordination with the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program. All work due under this contract should be submitted directly to Orange County ERCD for approval of the final product and payment under the contract. 8. Requests to CONTRACTOR for information and written publicity prior to completion of the project will be authorized and approved by ERCD and the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program and be acceptable to CONTRACTOR. For the CONSULTANT By: Bruce A. Sorrie Longleaf Ecological SS## Date: 6/O 6Z o / For the COUNTY OF ORANGE By: Stephen ekalkiotis, Chair Orange County Board of Commissioners Date: /J /4� ATTACHMENT A Orange County Natural Areas Inventory Update Scope of Work Project Objectives: 1. To update the status of the 64 natural areas identified in the 1988 Inventory. Sites will be revisited based on priorities set by Orange County ERCD. 2. To incorporate new data gathered since the 1988 Inventory, such as new occurrences on file with the Natural Heritage Program and the Landscape for Wildlife reports (Parts I and II) by the Triangle Land Conservancy. 3. To identify and evaluate new areas with significant natural communities and critical species habitat, particularly in the Little River and Cedar Grove townships. 4. To integrate information about the aquatic environment, especially freshwater mussels, into the Inventory. 5. To reevaluate the adequacy of the wildlife corridor system proposed in 1988. General Procedures: Communicate with and solicit information from other knowledgeable individuals and organizations during the course of the project. 2. Document any changes to the 64 identified natural areas, including loss or addition of endangered/threatened plant and animal species, and changes to "integrity" and "threat status" rankings. 3. Compile any available documentation of site surveys for significant natural areas protected by acquisition or conservation easement since 1988. 4. Obtain from Orange County maps of forest cover and type based on the most current aerial photos to aid in the identification of likely significant natural areas. 5. Coordinate with the Orange County ERCD, NC Division of Parks and Recreation (Natural Heritage and Resource Management programs), Eno River State Park, Triangle Land Conservancy, Eno River Association, and NC Wildlife Resources Commission to identify natural area sites (terrestrial and aquatic), determine land ownership, and obtain landowner permission to visit the sites. 6. Conduct site surveys and prepare site descriptions of additional natural areas (terrestrial and aquatic) according to current NHP protocol (Attachment Q. 7. Determine if the linkages recommended as wildlife corridors in 1988 are still able to serve their designated function by identifying existing and potential barriers to movement, migration, and dispersal. Consult relevant biological research on corridors published since 1988. ATTACHMENT B Orange County Natural Areas Inventory Update Project Schedule Spring 2001 Contractor reviews existing natural areas documentation for the county (1988 Orange County Inventory, 1997/1999 Landscape with Wildlife reports, NHP existing element occurrence data, registered natural areas in Biological Conservation Database, DWQ stream classifications, Orange County Soil Survey, etc.). Contractor meets with advisory committee comprised of Orange County area biologists, NHP staff and representatives from Orange County Land Conservation Alliance (TLC, ERA, Duke, NC Botanical Garden, Eno River State Park, OWASA, etc.). Contractor develops schedule for field surveys, including fieldwork by area biologist volunteers. ERCD secures landowner permission for access. Spring/ Contractor conducts field surveys, submitting Site Survey Report Form and Summer 2001 other pertinent reports for each site to NHP for review. Contractor identifies potential new sites and provides ERCD maps in order to determine ownership. ERCD secures landowner permission for access. Fall 2001 Contractor continues field surveys, submitting Site Survey Report Form and other pertinent reports for each site to NHP for review. Nov. 2001 Preliminary written report of findings submitted to ERCD Fall 01/ Contractor begins report update (e.g., Preface, Intro., Methods, etc.) Winter 02 Updates overview of County features and natural areas, community types, Rare Plant /Animal Species, Table of Rare Plants, Animals and Natural Communities; ERCD begins digitizing site boundaries. Spring 2001 Contractor completes field surveys, submitting Site Survey Report Form and other pertinent reports to NHP for review. Summer 2001 Contractor completes draft report; ERCD completes digitizing site boundaries, corridor /site grouping boundaries, and element occurrences of rare plants, animals, and natural communities. May 31, 2002 Completed inventory presented to ERCD and CFE. Summer 2002 ERCD presents inventory to Orange County Board of Commissioners. Distributes inventory to pertinent agencies /landowners; builds community support for the protection of County's significant natural areas. ATTACHMENT C PROJECT GUIDELINES FOR NATURAL HERITAGE INVENTORIES The goal of a Natural Heritage inventory is to determine whether all or portions of the subject area contain significant ecological resources such as habitat for rare species, high quality natural communities, or important wildlife habitats worthy of conservation status, and to document those significant ecological resources. The contractor shall work in conformance with project specifications from the N.C. Natural Heritage Program and he or she should compile an assessment of all plant and animal species listed as endangered, threatened, special concern, candidate, or special concern and all high - quality natural communities found in a systematic inventory. The required procedures for conducting these Natural Heritage inventories are as follows: (1) Receive specific instructions, procedural requirements, and report formats from the Natural Heritage Program. (2) Conduct a systematic inventory of the subject area for high - quality natural communities and occurrences of plant or animal species listed as endangered, threatened, candidate, or special concern by the Natural Heritage Program. (3) Use the Natural Heritage Program's standard methodology for the inventory, including a review of existing element occurrence data, interpretation of topography, geology, forest cover, and soils, interpretation of aerial photography (if available), and ground - truthing potential sites. Landowner permission should be obtained prior to visiting privately owned sites. (4) Complete a Natural Heritage Program Rare Species Form for each rare plant or animal species occurrence complete with maps showing rare species locations. (5) Complete a Natural Heritage Site Survey Report for each significant natural area and provide maps showing the locations of the natural areas on USGS topographic maps (1:24;000 scale) and labeled following report guidelines. (7) Prepare a final report in conformance with guidelines provided by the Natural Heritage Program. The report should include an analysis of the ecological significance of the subject area (or portions thereof), site descriptions of each natural area of national, state or regional significance, with maps showing the extent of the significant natural area . Site Survey Forms and Rare Species Forms mentioned in #4 and #5 above should be included as appendices. LP INVENTORY PROCEDURES (NHP) April 5, 2000 ATTACHMENT D ORANGE COUNTY NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY PROPOSAL TO UPDATE THE INVENTORY Bruce A. Sorrie Longleaf Ecological 3076 Niagara- Carthage Road Whispering Pines, NC 28327 910- 949 -2625 bsorrie@earthlink.net 22 March 2001 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR = Bruce A. Sorrie, Independent Consulting Botanist PREVIOUS RELEVANT EXPERIENCE Since moving to North Carolina in 1991, I have worked primarily in the coastal plain and have acquired a deep knowledge of the ecology and distribution of plants throughout the region from Virginia to Texas. However, I live in the Fall - line Sandhills and much of my contract work has been centered there. To do effective field work in this region, one must develop a fluency in piedmont as well as coastal plain flora and fauna. This I have done, through contract work (below) and through personal time on weekends (for example, Occoneechee Mountain and Butner Glades). One of my strengths is the ability to identify practically any plant in the state by sight (grasses and sedges included!). I am a contributor of keys and treatments to several genera in Alan Weakley's revision of the Flora of the Carolinas. 1. Significant Natural Plant Communities and Rare Plants of the North Carolina Zoological Park. An inventory of undeveloped portions of the 1400 acre property in Randolph County, wholly within the piedmont. Final Report submitted to the NCZP January 1997. 2. Natural Area Inventory of Richmond County, North Carolina. A full accounting of significant natural areas, rare plants (50 species), rare animals (49 species), and exemplary plant communities. About 40% of the county lies in the piedmont. Final Report is complete in draft and Is being reviewed by staff at NCNHP. 3. Survey for Rare and Endangered Plants on 30,000 acres of Sandhills Game Land, North Carolina. Rare plants (30 species) and significant natural areas of a nationally significant property. Portions of SGL contain piedmont rock outcrops and soils. Final Report submitted to NCWRC December 1998. REFERENCES 1. Virginia Wail, Curator of Horticulture, NC Zoological Park, 4401 Zoo Parkway, Asheboro, NC 27203 -9416 2. Linda Pearsall, Program Coordinator, NC Natural Heritage Program, Division of Parks and Recreation, 1615 MSC, Raleigh, NC 26799 -1615. 3. Bill Parsons, Wildlife Forester, Sandhills Game Land Depot, Box 149, Hoffman, NC 28347. WORK SCHEDULE ACTIVITY # DAYS Overview of project and resources, at ERCD; 1 obtain copy of 1988 Inventory Review 64 sites in Inventory; annotate each for 3 use in the field Gather & assimilate new data since 1988 3 Remote sensing for potential new sites; notify ERCD to begin landwoner contact 2 Visit UNC; learn rare plants at herbarium, do library research 1 Field inventory of 50 existing sites @ 3 per day 17 Field inventory of 12 de novo sites @ 1.5 per day 8 Revise site descriptions for 50 existing sites @ 4 per day 12 Prepare site descriptions for 6 de novo sites @ 1 per day 6 Prepare supporting documentation for NCNHP (rare species & community forms) 4 Prepare maps for new sites; revise those for existing sites; digitizing by ERCD 3 Revise introductory pages of Inventory; prepare comments on corridors 2 Meet with ERCD staff; project overview; tie up loose ends 2 Total 64 days Work will begin in April 2001 and finish in April 2002. A preliminary report on field inventory will be submitted at the end of November 2001. BUDGET ESTIMATE Estimates are based on a rate of $150 per day. 1. Data gathering phase. 10 days @ $150 = $1500 2. Field inventory phase. 25 days @ $150 = $3750 3. Report writing phase. 29 days @ $150 = $4350 Total $9600 b. Wildlife Resources Commission aquatic fauna inventories. These tend to concentrate on certain watersheds rather than whole counties, but are extremely valuable in evaluating the significance of streams and wetlands. c. Triangle Land Conservancy's Landscape for Wildlife reports. d. Orange County Environment and Resource Conservation Dept. (ERCD), which maintains a comprehensive resource database. e. Eno River State Park and Eno River Association. f. Duke University for information on Duke Forest. 2. Revisit approximately 50 existing natural areas. Assessment of the current condition will involve a knowledge of Natural Heritage Program procedures concerning natural areas, plus experience with piedmont biota. Sites could be visited sequentially based on significance rank (state, regional, etc.), but it is more efficient to inventory sites proximal to each other, then move on. At all times when in the field, a given site's file and description will be in hand. Notes, additions, corrections, etc. will be made directly on the paper copy, based on direct observations. Later, these notes will be incorporated into each site's computer file. The most critical data to be gathered are presence /absence of the site's known rare features, and changes to the site's ecological integrity and threat status. New populations of rare species will be reported on standard NCNHP forms. 3. Potential new natural areas will be targeted primarily through the use of two remote sensing tools. First, aerial photographs will be used to identify blocks and corridors of natural habitat, as well as to discern natural forest vs. pine plantation. Although size is an important consideration in the selection process, many other factors come into play, such as potential linkage to existing natural areas, and how well buffered a site is from potential disturbances. Second, ERCD forest cover maps will be used to identify forest type. With this information one may generate a list of target rare plants and animals for each site. Other tools that will prove useful are the soils, geology, and topography GIS data layers, available at ERCD. Assessment procedures will parallel those of #2 above, but will concentrate on de novo description of the site. Since Orange County already has completed a comprehensive natural area survey less than fifteen years ago, it is unlikely that a significant number of quality sites were overlooked. For the purposes of this proposal, I estimate that twelve potential sites will be identified, of which perhaps half will make it as natural areas in the updated Inventory document. 4. To assess the adequacy of the wildlife corridor system proposed in 1988, it will be necessary to read that section in the Inventory and understand the rationale behind it. The functions of corridors, how species- specific they are, and whether there exists enough natural habitat (and buffer) are some of the parameters to keep in mind when evaluating each corridor. Information that is gathered will be assessed in light of current scientific literature on the subject. INTRODUCTION The Inventory of the Natural Areas and Wildlife Habitats of Orange County, North Carolina, by D. Sather and S. Hall was completed in 1988. The authors identified 64 sites that were significant in an ecological sense - presence of rare species, presence of rare natural plant communities, value as general wildlife habitats, or value as wildlife corridors. The passage of time since then has seen significant population growth in Orange County, as well as an increase in knowledge about the county's flora and fauna. In addition, public agencies and private conservation organizations have protected some of the original 64 sites plus others. Now is a good time to update the Inventory and to identify other significant natural areas. PROJECT DESIGN The research design is straightforward. As defined in the Scope of Work in the Request for Proposals (RFP), work revolves around four major objectives. 1. Gather together new data which have accumulated since the 1988 Inventory. These data may come from a variety of sources, including Natural Heritage Program files, aquatic fauna inventories, and efforts by local and regional conservation agencies. Incorporate this information into the existing site descriptions and create new sites as appropriate. All natural areas with new data, as well as newly created sites, need survey work in order to verify the information and to assess possible changes in site management. 2. Revisit approximately 50 of the 64 original sites (the remainder are known to be stable and secure - R. Shaw, pers. comm.). Evaluate their current status as natural areas and verify the continued existence of rare flora, fauna, and natural communities. 3. Through remote sensing, identify potential new natural areas in the county, particularly in the northern portion. Evaluate these areas for their ecological significance - presence of rare species, unusual natural communities, value as wildlife corridors. Prepare site descriptions and incorporate these Into the updated Inventory. 4. Reassess the adequacy of the wildlife corridor system as proposed in 1988. Does the system accomplish its basic functions? Where might it be improved? METHODOLOGY I will discuss methods to be employed during the Inventory update in the context of the objectives enumerated above. 1. New data has accrued at various sources. Each source needs to be contacted and the data retrieved; once obtained, pertinent information will be added to existing site descriptions. Among these sources are the following: a. Natural Heritage Program database of rare flora, fauna, and natural communities. New data may be in the form of recently documented sightings and collections, or previously overlooked historical specimens. These data can be readily obtained by requesting post -1988 entries for Orange County.