The impetus for development of these rehabilitation guidelines arose from resource personnel requests for a reference guide for restoration standards and guidelines applicable to common land use projects implemented in the Bishop Field Office. The Bishop Resource Management Plan (RMP) (1993) outlines specific Standard Operating Procedures that facilitate site recovery following disturbance (Table 1) and that should be used as a basis for implementation of more site-specific restoration actions. In 1996 the California State Office developed a Policy on the Use of Native Plant Materials in California (CA-97-34, Appendix 1) which outlines the importance of using native, site-adapted species in restoration for maintaining the genetic diversity of native plant communities. This document is designed to be used in conjunction with the both the RMP and the state policy to provide resource personnel with a guide to restoration methods, supply contacts, and suggested performance standards that can be incorporated into project mitigations to ameliorate land use impacts. It is imperative that adequate lead time is incorporated into a rehabilitation project. Most commonly, it will take at least two years of planning and design before a project can be implemented. Planning should consider both the biological and logistical components of the project to include; environmental assessment preparation, plant selection, plant propagation, site contouring, etc. The restoration specialist will assist with these project logistics, but it is important to notify project proponents ahead of time what will be required with regard to the below mentioned planning components (Appendix 1, IV. General Guidelines). Planning Stage -
- Set revegetation goals
- Determine desired plant species
- Develop long-term maintenance and monitoring plans of the restored area
- Develop contingency plan if plant materials become unavailable or fail to survive in the field
Project Review All restoration planning efforts must include coordination with Field Office Restoration Coordinators to ensure that the project is feasible and the appropriate plants and methods are used. Plant Material Selection To the maximum extent possible, seeds and plants used in restoration, erosion control, fire rehabilitation and other projects shall originate from local native plant sources. Local sources often possess genotypes that are adapted to the local environment, leading to higher short-term and long-term success rates. "Local" refers to sources within or as close as possible to the project area and within the same vegetation series, soil type and elevational gradients. Refer to Appendix 1 for more detail on other plant source options. |
