Endangered species training for Shelmark construction site

1. Endangered Species Training
Shelmark 2/20/17
Amanda Hackney

2. Endangered Species on the Worksite
•Why do we care?
• Construction site activities must not violate the
Endangered Species Act or Migratory Bird Treaty Act
• Endangered Species Act
• Protects listed species from harm or “take”
• Migratory Bird Treaty Act
• Protects migratory birds on both wintering and breeding
grounds

3. Endangered Species on the Worksite
•“It’s a dumb bird, so what?”
•Endangered Species help systems by:
•Acting as ecological monitors for others
•Acting as “umbrella species”
•Adding economic value to areas

4. Endangered Species on the Worksite
• The USFWS may impose administrative, civil, and criminal
sanctions for failure to comply with the ESA.
• Civil penalties can reach $27,500 per day per violation.
• Stiffer penalties are authorized for criminal violations of the
Act – for negligent or knowing violations – of as much as
$50,000 per day, 3 years' imprisonment, or both.
• A fine of as much as $250,000, 15 years in prison, or both,
is authorized for “knowing endangerment” violations that
knowingly place another species in imminent danger of
death or serious bodily injury.

5. Biological monitors
•Here to assure USFWS that no violations are
occurring
•Conducting surveys before work begins each day
•Surveys will occur every hour during the day
•Send reports in to Shelmark, USFWS
•Looking for target species and informing site
managers if present

6. What your role is….
•If you see something, call monitor
immediately!
•Things to report:
•Small birds with dark collars- Piping Plover
•Small reddish birds- Red Knot
•Sea Turtles
•Sea turtle tracks

7. Piping Plovers
(threatened, on Texas Coast July-May)

8. PIPING PLOVER
(Charadrius melodus)
Description:
• 4- 5 inches tall
• dry sand-colored upper
• plumage and white undersides
• yellow-orange legs
• during winter, the short bill turns
black, dark breast band fades
(partial breast band at shoulders
still visible)

9. Sanderling- most
common
From: Birds of North America
Kaufman Focus Guides, 2000
Similar Species

10. Red Knots
• About 7 inches
tall
• 9-10 inches long
• Dark legs, dark bill
• In winter, body is
pale grey and
mottled

11. Red knot
Sanderling

14. Where could you see piping plovers?
In tidal areas
(swash zone)

15. Here in higher sand flats roosting,
sometimes with other species

16. Cryptic coloration of shorebirds can make
them difficult to spot when they are roosting.

17. Not Here – Piping plovers and red knots
avoid vegetated areas
Shorebirds
normally
avoid even
sparsely
vegetated areas.

18. Some Issues of Concern for
Wintering Piping Plovers And Red Knots
•Cold Temperatures – below 40 º F
•High Winds – above 15-20 mph
•Precipitation
Under these conditions, especially in combination,
piping plovers are likely to roost to conserve energy
and body reserves
Disturbing birds under these conditions will cause
stress to the birds. Goal – Avoid harming the piping
plover from beach activities.

19. Vehicle Ruts and Construction Debris
When roosting, especially during bad weather, piping plovers
(like some other shorebirds) will seek shelter behind low piles
of sand and other small debris. Vehicle ruts make good
shelters from the wind for this small species.

20. Why is this a problem when the birds can fly
away?
• Flushing the birds out of
their roosting sites when
the weather is bad takes a
toll on their energy
reserves – can make them
weak and more susceptible
to disease, predators,
especially when bad
weather goes on for several
days and birds are
repeatedly disturbed.

21. What to do?
•Do not store equipment on the beach
•Check around equipment for roosting plovers
•Keep vehicle speeds slow – ESPECIALLY first thing in
the morning and if work is going on when a cold
front is moving through the area during the work
day.
•Pick up debris – so that roosting sites are not
intentionally created in the work area
•Smooth out ruts

22. Other Actions that can be a help to piping
plovers in the area
• Keep all food debris picked
up – food debris can attract
predators to areas with
roosting piping plovers
• Work area lighting – keep it
focused on active work
zone as much as possible
• Don’t drive vehicles in the
swash zone (intertidal zone)

23. Sea Turtle Training

24. SEA TURTLE NESTING SEASON:
March 15 – October 1

25. (1) Kemp’s ridley
(2) Hawksbill
(3) Loggerhead
(4) Green
(5) Leatherback
Five Turtle
Species

26. Leatherback

27. Hawksbill

28. Green
Photo: © Caroline S. Rogers, USGS

29. Loggerhead

30. Loggerhead
Photo: NOAA

31. Kemp’s Ridley

32. MOST LIKELY TO NEST ON UPPER TEXAS COAST:
Kemp’s Ridleys
(Daytime nesters)
 Loggerheads
(Nighttime nesters)

33. Recognizing Sea Turtle Tracks and
Nests
 Sea turtle or red-eared
slider?
 Sea turtle tracks and nests
 Who to Contact

34. Red-eared Slider

35. Red-eared Tracks

36. Loggerhead Tracks

37. Loggerhead Tracks

38. Loggerhead Tracks

39. Loggerhead Nest

40. Kemp’s Ridley Turtle Tracks

41. Kemp’s Ridley Tracks – Close Up

42. Kemp’s Ridley Tracks

43. Kemp’s Ridley Tracks

44. IF YOU FIND TRACKS OR NESTS, CONTACT RESPONDER
IMMEDIATELY!
 CALL 1-866-TURTLE-5
 Follow the instructions provided
by responder
 Safeguard tracks and nests until
help arrives

45. Kemp’s Ridley in Front of Dune

46. Kemp’s Ridley and Tracks

47. Watch for Exposed Eggs…

48. Kemp’s Ridley Hatchlings

49. Stranded Turtles
Report all Stranded Sea Turtles to NMFS/NOAA Fisheries by calling
(409) 771-2872 (Direct Line)

50. Contact information
•Amanda Hackney
•Lead Biologist
•936-554-9033
•Taylor Bennett
•Biological monitor
•757-309-5459