Call to Order

Minutes from the September 18, 2000 Meeting
Minutes for the September 18, 2000 meeting were approved by the STAT with one correction noted that Natasha Kline was available for comment on the progress for the Kit Fox. Page 4.

News from other elements of the SDCP
Julia Fonseca reported on various reports and summaries that are available. Summaries of these were not handed out, but they are available to STAT members, upon request to Neva Connolly. If a STAT member wants a full copy of these reports, they are available from the County Administrators Office. Members of STAT have received a copy of the Reserve Guidelines Report and also the Potential Problematic Species Report.

The comment period for the EIS scoping meeting held on October 4, 2000, for the SDCP was extended by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service until November 24, 2000, an extension of 30 days. Two meetings were held at the Sonoran Desert Museum on October 4, 2000, to solicit public input into the development of the EIS. Public input will be presented in a scoping report.

The Order of Business was changed at this point to the Riparian Elements Update.

At the last STAT meeting Julia Fonseca handed out the Riparian Element Report and asked that STAT members again to review sections regarding , guidelines for restoration of riparian areas and the measures to consider for missing information. No comments or additions were noted.

Julia Fonseca gave an update of activities on riparian elements. She proposed to look at guidelines for water bodies for exotic aquatic species to include all types of water bodies. It was suggested that a team of specialists be formed to look at this issue. The team should include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This would facilitate the design of and operation of these facilities, and would benefit many species including the Gila topminnow and the Gila chub. Ways to approach this may include workshops with follow-up meetings and field reviews.

STAT MINUTES 10/25/2000
David Scalero has completed a draft report entitled "Historic Fish Species in Pima County". He has distributed copies to some biologists for review and comment.

Julia Fonseca also said that PAG has finished its monitoring report on Cienega Creek. Elizabeth Hill is in the process of completing a report on the Tanque Verde Creek groundwater /mesquite cover relationship. Julia mentioned another project that is in the concept stage called the Tres Rio Del Norte Project located on the Santa Cruz River between Sweetwater Road and Avra Valley Road. This is very conceptual and aimed at riparian restoration along the Santa Cruz River.

A riparian inventory map workshop meeting was held on October 16, 2000 where maps were presented to the group to verify different vegetation classifications layers. Draft maps should be completed by the end of October.

RECON presented a brief overview of what is in progress and what will take place over the next three months.

Summary of RECON's schedule
October---Review of vulnerable species potential distribution maps
November‹ Review of the potential biological value surfaces
December---Review of the negative biological value surfaces
January---Review of the overlay of existing reserves and conservation management status to develop the potential reserve alternative.

October schedule---One type of product being developed is the vulnerable species habitat models. This will be presented as a concept at the October 26 workshop. Vulnerable species will be looked at as individual species and the data will be used in a combined manner to see how they all lay out.

November schedule---The next subset of maps that will be developed are biological value surfaces of special elements of rare vegetation, species and other important elements.

Richness maps will be presented using medium and high value habitat of all 56 species to illustrate where high value habitat is present in Pima County. This shows how individual species overlap each other. The TNC data layers will also be used.

Paul Fromer asked if there are other layers wanted? There are species range maps available on a regional scale that could be used to create a diversity map for many species to show richness and would be a way of looking at biological richness in Pima County. He also asked if it would be of value to look at diversity of species using GAP for Pima County to see how they overlay? The STAT agreed that this would be desirable as many species might be missed otherwise; this is a process that will capture unique species. They wish to look at this as a separate layer at the next meeting.

PAG maps are now digitized for the entire Pima County. These were developed from the 1975 maps and show soils, vegetation and landforms. In addition, GIS data on bats is now available. Bridge data is from Sandy Wolf and only shows urban bat bridges.

December schedule--- This step will create an adjusted biological value surface by adding the biological surface to negative biological effects. A difference analysis will point out areas that change from high values to zero or low values as a result.

STAT MINUTES 10/25/2000
The negative biological effects will include pest species, degradation of habitat, species fragmentation of habitat, road and street network/ densities (including buffers, paved versus dirt, status of permanent or temporary and how they might be managed), and urban, industrial and agricultural areas. How buffers are applied around negative areas is an important issue. The STAT asked whether pest species should be viewed at a species level only or whether it was a management issue rather than a reserve design issue. They want the urban land use category refined more to consider low density residential in a different manner than higher densities.

January schedule--- This step will be to construct boundaries around high value areas by considering current land management uses and adjusting biological value areas. Another layer will be a layer of existing reserves to develop a constraints and opportunities map. This map will include overlays of zoning, private lands, state lands and Federal lands. This layer will overlay existing reserves and conservation management status and will be used to develop a draft alternative.

Leslie Smith asked the following closing questions:
How do we insure that vulnerable species are adequately covered in the reserve design to include:
1. Categories of medium vs. high potential habitat.
2. Roles of medium vs. high potential habitat
Roles of modeled habitat vs. mapped known habitat locations.
What measures of density and richness do we want to capture in the reserve design?
Vulnerable species richness
TNC conservation areas
Overall species richness
Special elements (pest species etc. and how to represent these
Is the design adequate to meet the goals for special species and what goals should be met?
What makes a species unique? (endemic to Pima Co., rarity, protected status, predicted distribution in Pima Co.) And do these elements change the design?

The team was asked to think about categories and the overall level of protection of the other species not covered under this plan. What is the trend by species, stable, up or down?

Announcements
Experts Species Meeting scheduled for 10/26/2000 at 201 N. Stone, basement conference Room B at 8:30 AM.

The next STAT meeting is scheduled for 11/16/2000 with the location to be announced.