Chapter 3 - Natural Resources - Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton

Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan [March 2012 - Update]
California brown pelican and Initiation of a 5-Year Review was approved by the USFWS.
This finding was based upon significant scientific evidence of recovery of the subspecies
throughout its range as presented in the petition (USFWS 2006h). On 20 February 2008, a
12-Month Petition Finding and Proposed Rule to delist the California brown pelican by the
USFWS recommended that the species be removed from the Federal List of Endangered
and Threatened Wildlife due to recovery; delisting was finalized on 17 December 2009.
The California brown pelican remains protected under the MBTA, the Fish and Wildlife
Coordination Act, and the Estuary Protection Act (USFWS 2008k & 2009i).
California Status
The CDFG listed the brown pelican as an endangered, fully protected species on 27 June
1971 (CDFG 2005). On 19 December 2008, the California brown pelican was
recommended as a State Candidate for Delisting (SCD) by the CDFG, and on 5 February
2009 the recommendation for delisting was adopted (CDFG 2008 & SCFGC 2008). The
CDFG finding was based upon the following criteria: 1) the breeding population size of the
California brown pelican in the Channel Islands has increased from 1969 to the present,
after the banning of DDT, and now exceeds the five-year mean 3,000 pair standard noted in
the recovery plan (current Channel Islands population size for 2006 is roughly 8,500
breeding pairs); 2) California brown pelicans have gradually expanded their nesting sites in
the Channel Islands to former breeding sites, and numbers on Santa Barbara Island have
increased substantially since 2001; 3) productivity has increased to 0.7 and now meets or
exceeds the five-year mean 0.7 standard noted in the recovery plan for downlisting; 4)
relative to the five-year mean standard for fledged young in the recovery plan, brown
pelicans at West Anacapa Island have achieved the 2,700 fledgling standard for delisting 9
times from 1997-2005; 5) in spite of known threats (e.g., oil spills, human disturbance,
starvation events, domoic acid poisoning, fish hook/line mortality), the breeding population
of brown pelicans in California has increased substantially; and 6) nesting sites are under
generally-protective NPS ownership or management. The California brown pelican will
remain a fully protected species under Fish and Game Code section 3511(b)(2) (SCFGC
2008).
Regional Status
The California brown pelican is a covered species in the following southern California
NCCP documents:
• Cal. Dept. of Corrections Statewide Electrified Fence Project.
• MHCP, City of Carlsbad Habitat Management Plan.
• MSCP, City of Chula Vista Subarea Plan.
• MSCP, City of La Mesa Subarea Plan.
• MSCP, City of Poway Subarea Plan.
• MSCP, City of San Diego Subarea Plan.
• MSCP, County of San Diego Subarea Plan.
• SDG&E.
Chapter 3 – Natural Resources 3-37