Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 58.15
Liaison Lacey Raak
Submission Date Feb. 21, 2021

STARS v2.2

California State University, Monterey Bay
OP-10: Biodiversity

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Anya Spear
Campus Planner
Campus Planning and Development
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution own or manage land that includes or is adjacent to legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, or regions of conservation importance?:
Yes

A brief description of the legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/or regions of conservation importance:

Campus is surrounded by multiple protected areas, that are managed by a variety of stakeholders. Some lands are directly adjacent and others are near campus. Areas include: Fort Ord National Monument, Fort Ord Natural Reserve (UCSC), Fort Ord Dunes State Park, and a variety of City and County lands subject to habitat maintenance and protection requirements under the Ford Ord Habitat Management Plan.


Has the institution conducted an assessment to identify endangered and vulnerable species (including migratory species) with habitats on land owned or managed by the institution?:
Yes

A list of endangered and vulnerable species with habitats on land owned or managed by the institution, by level of extinction risk:

All of the following are listed as "special status species". Special Status Species:
Townsend’s big-eared bat
Hoary bat
Monterey dusky-footed woodrat
Monterey ornate shrew
American badger
California tiger salamander
Northern California legless lizard
Coast horned lizard
Smith’s blue butterfly
Obscure bumble bee
Western bumble bee
Burrowing owl
Nesting Raptors, Migratory Birds, & Other Protected Avian Species
Sandmat manzanita
Monterey ceanothus
Monterey spineflower
Kellogg's Horkelia
Hooker’s manzanita
Toro manzanita
Pajaro manzanita
Sandmat manzanita
Monterey ceanothus
Fort Ord spineflower
Monterey spineflower
Seaside bird’s-beak
Eastwood’s goldenbush
Sand-loving wallflower
Sand gilia
Kellogg’s horkelia
Point Reyes horkelia
Marsh microseris
Northern curly-leaved monardella
Woodland woolythreads
Yadon’s piperia
Santa Cruz microseris
Santa Cruz clover
Pacific Grove clover


Has the institution conducted an assessment to identify areas of biodiversity importance on land owned or managed by the institution?:
Yes

A brief description of areas of biodiversity importance on land owned or managed by the institution:

One sensitive habitat was identified within the campus during the Master Plan EIR process: central maritime chaparral (which includes the central maritime chaparral mix habitats). Central maritime chaparral habitat, including the central maritime chaparral/central coastal scrub and central maritime chaparral/coast live oak woodland mix habitats, is identified as a sensitive habitat on the CDFW’s Natural Communities List (CDFW, 2010). Central maritime chaparral is also identified as a sensitive habitat in the Installation-Wide Multispecies Habitat Management Plan for Former Fort Ord (HMP). Approximately 124.3 acres of central maritime chaparral habitat, including mix habitats, occurs within the campus. Central maritime chaparral on the campus is dominated by shaggy-barked manzanita, sandmat manzanita, dwarf ceanothus, coyote brush (Baccharis pilularis), chamise, and sticky monkey flower. Additional species within this habitat type include California coffeeberry, fuchsia-flowered gooseberry, chaparral currant (Ribes malvaceum), poison oak, black sage (Salvia mellifera), sticky cinquefoil (Drymocallis glandulosa), and creeping snowberry (Symphoricarpos mollis).
Common wildlife species that occur within central maritime chaparral habitat include California quail (Callipepla californica), California towhee (Melozone crissalis), California thrasher (Toxostoma redivivum), common poorwill (Phalaenoptilus nuttallii), Anna’s hummingbird (Calypte anna), wrentit (Chamaea fasciata), western scrub jay, northern pacific rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus ssp. oreganus), coast range fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis bocourtii), gopher snake (Pituophis catenifer catenifer), coast gartersnake (Thamnophis elegans terrestris), and brush rabbit (Sylvilagus bachmani).


The methodologies used to identify endangered and vulnerable species and/or areas of biodiversity importance and any ongoing assessment and monitoring mechanisms:

In additional to State and Federal requirement, the Habitat Management Plan was a multi-jurisdictional approach to habitat conservation managment when Fort Ord closed. The HMP was prepared to assess impacts on vegetation and wildlife resources and provide mitigation for their loss associated with the disposal and reuse of former Fort Ord.
The Campus General Plan CEQA Review includes a Biological Resources Section that details the land typology, endangered and threatened species and the potential impact of campus development on these species.


A brief description of the scope of the assessment(s):

There is not a robust program of ongoing assessment and monitoring campus wide. However, portions of campus have had habitat plan for a specific area developed, Sand Gilia Survey have been conducted in (2003-2006) and (2017-2021) a Spineflower Survey was conducted (2003-2006).


A brief description of the plans or programs in place to protect or positively affect identified species, habitats, and/or ecosystems:

"Return of the Natives is a CSUMB organization that works on eradicating invasive species and re-establishing native plants.
Falconry is used to prevent nesting and in compliance with migratory birds act. This is done in the Spring to avoid nesting and thereby eliminate the need for disturbing any nests in the future.
The biological resources chapter in the Environmental Impact Report for the 2007 Master Plan provides further detail. csumb.edu/campusplanning"


Estimated percentage of areas of biodiversity importance that are also protected areas :
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Website URL where information about the institution’s biodiversity initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.