[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 213 (Friday, November 4, 1994)] [Unknown Section] [Page 0] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 94-27374] [[Page Unknown]] [Federal Register: November 4, 1994] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service Availability, Oil Spill Restoration Plan AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) herein releases the draft Apex Houston Oil Spill Restoration Plan (Plan) for public review. The Plan covers the Service proposal to restore natural resources injured as a result of the 1986 Apex Houston barge oil spill. DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before December 5, 1994. ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the Plan may be made to: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ecological Services, 2800 Cottage Way, Room E- 1803, Sacramento, CA 95825. Written comments or material regarding the Plan should be sent to the same address. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Daniel Welsh, Natural Resource Damage Assessment Branch Chief, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2800 Cottage Way, Room E-1803, Sacramento CA 95825. Interested parties may also call (916) 978-5603 for further information. Restoration of Nearshore Breeding Seabird Colonies on the Central California Coast Executive Summary Between January 28 and February 4, 1986 the transportation barge Apex Houston discharged an undetermined amount of San Joaquin Valley crude oil while in transit from San Francisco Bay to the Long Beach Harbor. The oil spill caused damage to natural resources from San Francisco to the Big Sur coast. Approximately 9,000 seabirds were killed, including 6,000 common murres (Uria aalge), in addition to other aquatic life in and around the coastal waters of central California. State and Federal personnel responded to the spill and assessed damages as a result of the spill. The State and Federal natural resource trustees commenced litigation in this matter against potentially responsible parties in January 1989. The complaints alleged claims for natural resource damages, costs, and penalties pursuant to the Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. Sec. 1251 et seq., Title III of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, 16 U.S.C. Sec. 1431 et seq. (formerly the National Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act, ``MPRSA''), the California Harbors & Navigation Code Secs. 293 and 294, and other State Law. In August, 1994 the parties settled this matter in a Consent Decree entered by the Federal District Court for the Northern District of California for $6.4 million. As part of this natural resources damage settlement, approximately $4.92 million has been allocated for the restoration of common murres. An additional $500,000 has been allocated for the acquisition of habitat for the Federally endangered marbled murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus), another species impacted by the spill. The marbled murrelet project will be the subject of future restoration planning efforts in this case and is not included in this plan. The remainder of the $6.4 million collected in the settlement is for penalties and costs incurred as a result of the spill. A Trustee Council, comprised of representatives of each Trustee (California Department of Fish and Game, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) was established to review and select restoration actions. This Trustee Council will meet regularly during the duration of the project to review progress and make necessary changes. The goal of this effort is to restore common murres in areas where colonies were extirpated or severely depleted by the Apex Houston oil spill. Social attractants (decoys and recorded vocalizations of common murres) will be used to attract common murres to nest at historic nearshore colonies in the vicinity of San Francisco and Monterey. Behavior and phenology of common murres will be monitored at these sites and at reference sites at Point Reyes and the Farallon Islands to determine when the goal has been met. This project may take approximately 10 years to achieve success because common murres have inherently low reproductive rates and do not breed until they are several years old. Restoration of Nearshore Breeding Seabird Colonies on the Central California Coast Introduction Nearshore breeding colonies of common murres (Uria aalge) throughout central coastal California decreased by 60% between 1980 and 1986 (Takekawa et al. 1990). This population decline was attributed to high mortality from gill-net fishing, oil spills (including the Apex Houston spill), and a severe El Nino-Southern Oscillation event in 1982-1983 (Takekawa et al. 1990, Swartzman and Carter 1991). The Apex Houston oil spill, which occurred principally between San Francisco and the Monterey Peninsula, killed nearly 9,000 seabirds in February 1986 (Siskin et al. 1993). These mortalities included approximately 1,293 rhinoceros auklets (Cerorhinca monocerata), 180 small alcids, 12 marbled murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus), and 1,206 other birds (including loons, grebes, scoters, cormorants, shorebirds, and gulls) killed as a result of the spill (Siskin et al. 1993). In addition, approximately 6,000 common murres were killed (Siskin et al. 1993). The common murre colony at Devil's Slide Rock was found to be abandoned, subcolonies at Castle Rocks disappeared, and other central coastal breeding sites (e.g., Hurricane Point Rocks, Point Reyes) were greatly reduced after the spill (Takekawa et al. 1990, Swartzman and Carter 1991)(Figure 1). In the early 1900's, common murres bred at Prince Island in southern California (Carter et al. 1992), However, the central coastal California population currently represents the southernmost range for breeding common murres in the Pacific. Future oil spills and other catastrophic events (e.g., disease, predation, climate change) could result in the extirpation of this population as well as a reduction in the species' geographic range. The restoration of former common murre colonies would aid in securing the central coastal California common murre population and would spread the risk of future disasters among colony sites over a wider range of the California coast. The goal of this project is to recolonize common murres at historic breeding colonies in central California. The project will be conducted over approximately 10 years. A total of $4.92 million is available for this project. Purpose The restoration funds were recovered under the Clean Water Act, the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, the California Harbors & Navigation Code Secs. 293 and 294, and other State law. A Trustee Council, comprised of representatives of each Trustee, was established to review and select restoration actions. As part of the settlement in the Apex Houston litigation, approximately $4.92 million has been allocated for the restoration of common murre colonies that suffered damage from the Apex Houston oil spill. This project should protect the central California common murre populaton. This will be achieved by restoring this population to a larger part of its historic range and spreading the risk of future catastrophic events (e.g. oil spills, disease, storms) between more colony sites and over a broader section of the California coast. Proposed Restoration Alternatives Alternatives Considered Numerous studies have shown that oil spills impact coastal marine ecosystems by decreasing the species diversity, reducing genetic variability, disrupting food chains, and modifying community structure. However, human intervention in the form of restoration projects can promote the recovery of resources impacted by oil spills. Therefore, the Trustees concentrated their damage assessment and restoration efforts on the recovery of seabird populations, especially alcids, impacted by the Apex Houston oil spill. Alternatives considered for seabird restoration included active recolonization/restoration projects and habitat acquisition projects. Alternatives were compared based on their monetary costs, benefits to local populations of the impacted species, and location relative to impacted areas. Recolonization/restoration efforts were considered for common murres and rhinoceros auklets, two seabird species that suffered high mortality as a result of the spill. The rhinoceros auklet project involved use of artificial nest sites to enhance breeding populations along the central California coast. The common murre recolonization project (described herein for public comment) was given higher priority because its potential benefits were linked more closely to the injuries caused by the spill. Most of the impacted common murres came from local colonies, whereas many of the dead auklets were wintering birds that nest north of the impacted area. A third restoration project involving construction of a seabird breeding and rehabilitation facility was rejected because its cost was prohibitive relative to settlement funds. Four habitat acquisition projects were considered: purchase of Cape Vizcaino in northern Mendocino County to protect nesting seabirds, purchase of coastal land near Castle Rock to protect a mainland colony of common murres, purchase of lands within San Francisco Bay, and purchase of marbled murrelet nesting habitat along the central California coast. The first three projects were given lower priorities because they were outside of the area impacted by the spill (Cape Vizcaino), were too costly (mainland site near Castle Rock), or were beneficial primarily to species that were not affected by the spill (sites in San Francisco Bay). A restoration plan describing the marbled murrelet habitat acquisition project will be made public at a later date. Preferred Alternative: Recolonization of Impacted Common Murre Colonies The project the Trustee's prefer and on which public comment is invited is the recolonization of common murre colonies at Devil's Slide and San Pedro rocks in San Mateo County and Castle and Hurricane Point Rocks in Monterey County. A. Devil's Slide and San Pedro Rocks Common Murre Recolonization: Recolonize Common Murres at Devil's Slide and San Pedro Rocks (San Mateo County, California) Using Social Attraction Methods (Decoys and Recorded Vocalizations) and Develop Reference Information Needed To Evaluate and Refine Restoration Efforts Location(s): Devil's Slide and San Pedro Rocks, San Mateo County, California; Point Reyes area (Point Reyes, Point Resistance, Double Point, and Miller Point rocks), Marin County, California; Farallon Islands, San Francisco County, California Justification: The recolonization of abandoned common murre colonies in central California will contribute to the restoration of this seabird's historic geographic range. This population sustained severe losses from commercial and subsistence egging in the 1800's and early 1900's, from chronic oil pollution and spills in the early to mid 1900's, and from chronic oil spills and gill-netting in the 1980's and 1990's. Common murres were last recorded breeding at San Pedro Rock in 1909, when the colony was in the process of being extirpated by egg collectors (Ray 1909). The Apex Houston spill in 1986 contributed significantly to the loss of the Devil's Slide Rock colony near San Francisco. The San Pedro and Devil's Slide Rocks colonies are in close proximity and constitute the only common murre colonies between San Francisco and Monterey. This is a large portion of the range of the central California common murre population. Given the current depleted condition of the common murre population, extirpated colonies are not likely to be reestablished in the foreseeable future without human assistance. The San Pedro Rock colony has not recolonized over the past 85 years and the Devil's Slide Rock colony has not been recolonized in the 8 years following the Apex Houston spill. Similarly, the Prince Island colony in southern California has not been recolonized since extirpation in the early 1900's (Carter et al. 1992). Furthermore, all six nearshore colonies in central California have remained severely depleted since the mid- 1980's. The reduction of the geographic range and small numbers of common murres in central California increases the risk for extinction for the central California population. Studies of seabird colony formation in Maine demonstrated that recolonization can be achieved using social attractants (Kress 1978, Kress and Nettleship 1988, and Kress et al. 1991). The use of decoys and tape recordings has attracted prospecting seabirds, which have bred once a threshold has been reached. These techniques have assisted in the recolonization by several species of colonial nesting seabirds (Podolsky 1985; Podolsky and Kress 1989, 1991). Preliminary efforts at recolonizing common murres in Maine in 1992-1994 have attracted common murres during the breeding season (S. Kress, pers. comm.). However, social attraction techniques must be applied for many years before breeding begins and a self-sustaining breeding colony can be attained. In order to refine recolonization methods and evaluate their success, reference information will be needed on the reproductive biology, behavior, and phenology of common murres at an unmanipulated near-shore site in the local area. However, little information is available from near-shore colonies in central California. Monitoring attendance patterns, arrival dates, reproductive success, and behavior of breeding and nonbreeding common murres at accessible colonies in the Point Reyes area will provide a comparison to evaluate recolonization of Devil's Slide and San Pedro rocks. The Point Reyes colonies (i.e., Point Reyes, Point Resistance, Double Point, and Miller Point rocks) are the closest to the recolonization sites, are the most ecological similar, and should provide a reference for what would normally be expected in a near-shore common murre colony as well as a good comparison with the recolonization site. The monitoring conducted at these unmanipulated colonies will be used to assess recolonization responses and common murre activity patterns at recolonization sites, as well as support refinement of recolonization methods. In addition, unique information will be needed from the common murre colony at the South Farallon Islands at Farallon National Wildlife Refuge in order to evaluate recolonization responses and refine techniques. Common murre reproductive success, diet, and breeding biology have been studied for over 20 years at the South Farallon Islands as part of long-term monitoring of seabird populations required for the Farallon National Wildlife Refuge and other research conducted by the Point Reyes Bird Observatory (Ainley and Boekelheide 1990, Ainley et al. 1994). As a result of these studies, a small number of individually marked birds of known age and sex exist at the Farallon Islands. Little information is available concerning the attendance of breeding and nonbreeding common murres at breeding sites, especially during winter. Information obtained on individually-marked birds, where age and sex are known, would give a better understanding of expected time-in-attendance and behavior at breeding sites for adult and subadult common murres during the breeding and nonbreeding seasons. Detailed information on common murre attendance and prospecting in the winter will make it possible to evaluate the significance of winter attendance at the recolonization sites. If winter attendance is crucial to successful breeding, social attraction methods may have to be deployed for a longer period. In addition, all accessible subcolonies of common murres at the South Farallon Islands would be examined for more general attendance patterns throughout the year. Attendance, breeding biology, and behavior will be monitored during the breeding season in marked and unmarked birds in plots at the South Farallon Islands so that recolonization responses at recolonization sites can be more effectively evaluated. Certain colonies with potential for future intensive monitoring efforts may be examined in greater detail, including reproductive success. This information will be important in evaluating and modifying the social attraction methods used at the restoration sites. Information that is only available at this larger, more accessible, and closely monitored common murre colony, including known-aged common murre information, will be used to refine and assess recolonization efforts. Proposed Actions: Social attraction techniques will be used to recolonize common murres at Devil's Slide and San Pedro rocks. The use of decoys and tape-recordings, similar to those used elsewhere to encourage recolonization by several seabird species, is proposed (Podolsky and Kress 1989, Kress 1990, Podolsky 1985). Preliminary work will consist of selecting observation points to view recolonization sites, constructing and installing observation blinds, obtaining access permits, and purchasing needed equipment. Periodic observations of winter attendance of colonies will also be conducted in fall and winter 1994-1995. Aerial surveys of central California breeding seabird colonies and periodic observations of breeding colonies from vantage points will be conducted in the spring and summer of 1995. Additional aerial reconnaissance of Devil's Slide and San Pedro rocks will be conducted to obtain photographs for mapping the restoration sites. Reconnaissance trips to Devil's Slide and San Pedro rocks will take place to determine equipment and procedures needed to deploy social attraction equipment. Ladders may be installed to allow safe access onto the colonies for project personnel. Decoys and audio equipment will be placed on the rocks in fall 1995 before common murres begin to frequent nesting islands. Recordings of common murre breeding vocalizations will be made at the Farallon NWR. Life-size common murre decoys will be positioned on suitable nesting habitat. The decoys will be secured to the rock in a fashion that simulates occupied common murre colonies. Several omnidirectional weather resistant loudspeakers will be positioned at the recolonization sites. Endless tape loops or compact disks of California common murre vocalizations will be played throughout the breeding season from December to August. Daily observations of the recolonization sites will begin once decoys have been deployed and will continue through July. Devil's Slide Rock will be observed from the mainland using a portable blind and telescope. San Pedro Rock observations will occur from a blind located on the rock, from a boat, and/or from the mainland. Data collected will include common murre arrival date, number of common murres present, behavior of common murres, interaction with other species (e.g., Brandt's Cormorants (Phalacrocorax penicillatus)), location on rock, attendance patterns, and presence of predators. Prospecting common murres will be plotted by location on maps of the recolonization site. One or more aerial photographic censuses of the central California common murre colonies will be conducted annually between May and June. The censuses will be used to calculate annual breeding population sizes at the recolonization sites and nearby reference colonies in central California, compare trends between years, and assist in determining numbers of common murres not visible from the mainland or boats. Social attractants will be displayed through the breeding season until after common murres normally leave the breeding sites, usually in August. The decoys and audio equipment will be collected after all bird breeding on the rock has been completed. Equipment will be checked, cleaned, and replaced as necessary. The equipment will be redeployed during the following fall before common murres begin to frequent nesting islands. Monitoring of recolonization sites will continue annually after the first social attractants are deployed. The restoration efforts will be evaluated annually and revised as necessary. The breeding behavior and colony attendance of common murres will be monitored at four nearby colonies in the Point Reyes National Seashore and/or the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary: Point Reyes, Point Resistance, Double Point Rocks, and Miller Point Rocks. Several variables will be monitored to allow comparison to recolonization sites, including population size and status, attendance patterns, timing, breeding phenology and success, behavior, interaction with other species, impacts of predators, and human and other disturbances. The population size and status would be determined using similar methods employed by Birkhead and Nettleship (1980), Gaston et al. (1983), Mudge (1988), and Hatch and Hatch (1989). Only subcolonies that can be viewed from a safe location will be selected. Reconnaissance work and preliminary observations and logistics would begin in spring-summer 1995. This work would consist of obtaining access permits to conduct work, selecting subcolonies to be studied, selecting plots within subcolonies, and conducting aerial surveys of the colony. The monitoring period would parallel that followed at Devil's Slide and San Pedro rocks. Winter and summer attendance, and selected aspects of breeding biology of banded and unbanded common murres will be monitored at breeding sites at the South Farallon Islands at Farallon NWR. Established and new study plots, individually-banded birds, blinds, and other facilities will allow for the study of summer and winter attendance in more detail than at nearshore locations. Monitoring would include determining arrival dates, winter attendance patterns (breeding versus nonbreeding common murres), winter behavior of nonbreeding and breeding common murres, site fidelity of breeding common murres, reproductive success, population size, and impacts of predation. Monitoring at the South Farallon Islands will continue for at least two years and may be extended beyond two years if needed to support refinement of recolonization methods or to facilitate interpretation of data at other colonies. Schedule: Fall and winter 1994-1995: Begin preliminary work, including contracting, planning, logistics, permits, and purchasing. Spring-summer 1995: Conduct aerial surveys of seabird colonies in central California to obtain baseline data, conduct aerial flights of Devil's Slide and San Pedro rocks to obtain aerial photos for mapping purposes, and record breeding common murre vocalizations at the Farallon NWR for use in the recolonization project. Select colonies and study plots to be monitored in the Point Reyes area. Conduct safety training for personnel as required. Fall and winter 1995-1996: In fall 1995, conduct reconnaissance trips to recolonization sites in preparation for deployment of social attractants. Before December 1995, deploy social attractants and initiate daily observations of recolonization sites. Initiate daily observations of study plots in December 1995. Complete field season in August when common murres generally leave breeding colonies. Observations of study plots will continue from December through August for a minimum of 5 years to 10 years in order to provide necessary information to adequately evaluate the recolonization project. Work at the South Farallon Islands will begin the winter of 1995-1996 and will continue for a minimum of two years. Regular progress reports and an annual report will be submitted by the contractor performing the work at the South Farallon Islands. B. Castle and Hurricane Point Rocks Restoration: Restore Common Murres at Castle and Hurricane Point Rocks Using Social Attraction Methods (Decoys and Recorded Vocalizations) Location: Castle and Hurricane Point rocks, Monterey County, California. Justification: As described above, the recolonization of historic common murre colonies in central California will contribute to the reversal of the dramatic reduction of this seabird's historic geographic range. The 1986 Apex Houston spill severely affected the breeding colonies that make up the southern half of the central California breeding range. Two breeding colonies near Monterey, Castle and Hurricane Point rocks, were hard hit by the Apex Houston spill and are in serious danger of perishing entirely. The remaining subcolonies on these rocks are very small and disjunct. These colonies are particularly important because they are at the current southern end of the central California population as well as the southern extreme of the species' range in the Pacific Ocean. These colonies are in close proximity to each other and constitute the only active common murre colonies south of San Francisco, a large portion of the range of the central California common murre population. Given the current fragile condition of the overall common murre population and the lack of recovery over time, colonies once lost are not likely to be reestablished in the foreseeable future without human assistance. If the colonies at Castle and Hurricane Point rocks are lost, the resulting reductions in the geographical range, numbers, and productivity of common murres further increase the risk of extinction of the entire central California population. Proposed Action: The common murre colonies at the Castle and Hurricane Point rock complexes will be evaluated to determine the best means of employing social attractants at these locations. A minimum of two years would be required to determine appropriate methods. Both of these colonies are composed of several subcolonies on different rocks. Subcolonies will be examined to obtain a comprehensive understanding of colony dynamics in a severely depleted condition. Breeding population levels, reproductive success, attendance patterns, behavioral observations, and nesting locations will be determined at as many subcolonies as possible. Particular attention will be paid to prospecting birds within established subcolonies and at unoccupied rocks. In addition, all unoccupied rocks and potential mainland breeding habitats will be assessed for the use of social attractants to encourage common murre breeding. Habitat will be assessed for suitability to support a common murre subcolony, including such factors as slope, size, protection from human and other disturbance, surf conditions, and predation threats. The unoccupied rocks will be regularly monitored to detect prospecting common murres. A phased approach to employing social attractants may be used to refine the use of social attractants on the colony. Criteria to be used to determine the use of social attractants include: loss of subcolonies or colonies, below normal reproductive success, lack of colony growth, limited availability of breeding sites in existing subcolonies, high numbers of prospecting common murres in existing subcolonies, presence of prospecting common murres in areas with no breeding, and population status at each colony. The use of social attractants would be employed at sites where it was deemed necessary to encourage common murres to recolonize lost subcolonies or prospect and nest on unoccupied rocks. The goal would be to prevent colony loss and/or restore the breeding colony to historic numbers without negatively impacting existing subcolonies. If, for any reason, social attractants are not deemed advisable after two years, the colonies at these sites will be monitored for three more years to insure adequate reproductive success, activity, colony survival, and recovery and, if necessary, to develop alternative restoration techniques. Schedule: Fall and winter 1994-1995: Preliminary work will begin, including selection of observation points, obtaining access permits, planning, and purchasing. In December 1994, observations of breeding colonies will begin in order to obtain necessary baseline information. Spring and summer 1995: Aerial surveys of breeding common murre colonies will be conducted in May-June to obtain baseline data. These surveys will be conducted in conjunction with aerial common murre surveys for central California. Observations of breeding colonies will continue each year from December 1994 until August 1997, at a minimum. In August 1997, the use of social attractants will be assessed to restore these common murre colonies. In fall 1997, social attractants will be deployed where suitable. Goals The Apex Houston oil spill killed an estimated 6,000 common murres, eradicated the Devil's Slide Rock colony, and damaged colonies at Castle and Hurricane Point Rocks. If the latter two colonies are lost, over 75% of the recent range of the central California common murre population will have been lost. The Trustee Council has selected restoration alternatives designed to restore common murres to colonies in the areas most severely affected by the spill. An important goal is to make significant progress toward the establishment of 100 breeding pairs of common murres at Devil's Slide Rock and San Pedro Rock colonies. The time frame needed for common murres to become established at extirpated colonies is unknown but is suspected to be many years. If possible, the project will attempt to restore the colonies to pre-spill population levels. The time frame needed for common murres to reach pre-spill population levels is unknown but is suspected to take several generations. Ultimately, the long-term goal is to restore the common murre colonies to historic breeding levels, although this would probably require funds in addition to those currently budgeted. The Trustee Council plans to review the common murre restoration project at least annually at which time the effectiveness of the project and possible improvements will be considered. The annual review process may result in revisions to the plan. Revisions will be reviewed by the Trustee Council. Revisions to the plan will be guided by documented evidence, scientific literature, and best professional judgement. Environmental Compliance The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has determined that the project is categorically excluded from the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq, according to the Department of Interior's Departmental Manual, 516 DM 6, Appendix I, 516 DM 2, Appendix I. Resource management activities such as the type described for this project, which include research, reintroduction of established species into their historic range, and small structures or improvements, are categorically excluded from NEPA. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has prepared an Environmental Action Memorandum setting forth the basis for the categorical exclusion of this project. The State of California has determined that the project is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), Cal. Pub. Resources Code 21000 et seq., and has filed a Notice of Exemption with the State Clearinghouse. The Trustee Council is submitting a Consistency Determination pursuant to the Coastal Zone Management Act, 16 U.S.C. Sec. 1456(c) with the California Coastal Commission. The Trustee Council has concluded that the proposed project will have no impact on California's coastal zone. Literature Cited Ainley, D.G. and R.J. Boekelheide, editors. 1990. Seabirds of the Farallon Islands: Ecology, dynamics, and structure of an upswelling- system community. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California. 450 pages. Ainley, D.G., W.J. Sydeman, S.A. Hatch, and U.W. Wilson. 1994. Seabird population trends along the west coast of North America: causes and extent of regional concordance. Studies in Avian Biology No. 15:119-133. Birkhead, T.R. and D.N. Nettleship. 1980. Census methods for murres, Uria species: a unified approach. Canadian Wildlife Service Occasional Papers. Paper Number 43. 25pp. Carter, H.R. and M.L. Morrison, editors. 1992. Status and conservation of the Marbled Murrelet in North America. Proceedings of a 1987 Pacific Seabird Group symposium. Proceedings of the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology No. 5. 134 pages. Carter, H.R., G.J. McChesney, D.L. Jaques, C.S. Strong, M.W. Parker, J.E. Takekawa, D.L. Jory, and D.L. Whitworth. 1994. Breeding populations of seabirds in California, 1989-1991. Gaston, A.J., D.G. Noble, and M.A. Purdy. 1983. Monitoring breeding biology parameters for murres Uria spp.: levels of accuracy and sources of bias. Journal of Field Ornithology 54:275-282. Hatch, S.A., and M.A. Hatch. 1989. Attendance patterns of murres at breeding sites: implications for monitoring. Journal of Wildlife Management 53(2):486-493. Kress, S. 1978. Establishing Atlantic Puffins at a former breeding site. Pp. 373-377 in S.A. Temple (ed.). Endangered birds: management techniques for preserving threatened species. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, Wisconsin. Mudge, G.P. 1988. An evaluation of current methodology for monitoring changes in the breeding populations of Guillemots Uria aalge. Bird Study 35:1-9. Podolsky, R.H. 1985. Colony formation and attraction of the Laysan Albatross and Leach's Storm-Petrel. Ph.D. dissertation. Ann Arbor, University of Michigan. Podolsky, R.H. and S.W. Kress. 1989. Factors affecting colony formation in Leach's Storm-Petrel. Auk 106(2):332-336. Siskin, B.R., G.W. Page, and H.R. Carter. 1993. Impacts of the 1986 Apex Houston oil spill on marine birds in central California. Unpublished report, U.S. Department of Justice. Swartzman, G. and H.R. Carter. 1991. Response of the California population of Common Murres (Uria aalge) to Mortality from the 1986 Apex Houston oil spill. Unpublished report, U.S. Department of Justice. Takekawa, J.E., H.R. Carter, and T.E. Harvey. 1990. Decline of the Common Murre in Central California 1980-1986. Studies in Avian Biology 14:149-163. Dated: October 28, 1994. Thomas Dwyer, Acting Regional Director, Fish and Wildlife Service, Portland, Oregon. [FR Doc. 94-27374 Filed 11-3-94; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310-55-M