Restoring the endangered San Francisco lessingia to Fort Funston, GGNRA: Final project completion report

San Francisco lessingia (lessingia germanorum) is an endangered plant species found in dune habitats on the northern San Francisco Peninsula of California, USA. Expanding habitat for this species through dune restoration is a key component of its recovery plan. The Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) established a project to reintroduce San Francisco lessingia to potential habitat at Fort Funston. We (park staff, contractors, and volunteers) prepared restoration areas through invasive plant removal and installation of protective fencing. Over a three-year period, we collected seeds of San Francisco lessingia from the Daly City population throughout the summer fruiting season. GGNRA nursery staff propagated San Francisco lessingia and other associated dune plants, which were planted and direct seeded at Fort Funston. A monthly volunteer stewardship program was established to support ongoing habitat restoration at Fort Funston. Park staff have initiated annual monitoring of San Francisco lessingia. As of the writing of this report, a small population of San Francisco lessingia has persisted in the primary reintroduction site. Although it is too early to determine if the reintroduction is successful in the long term, the restored dune habitats now support a more diverse dune flora with greatly reduced invasive plant threats.