Final Habitat Management Plan for Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
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U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Final Habitat Management Plan Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge Brigham City, Utah Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge Habitat Management Plan The mission of the U.S. Fish and The mission of the National Wildlife Service is working with Wildlife Refuge System is to others to conserve, protect, and administer a national network of enhance fish, wildlife, plants, lands and waters for the and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the conservation, management, and, American people. where appropriate, restoration of the fish, wildlife, and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of present and future generations. Cover photograph © Brian Ferguson Final Habitat Management Plan Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge Utah March 2021 Submitted by Concurred with by Erin Holmes Date Lisa Talcott Date Project Leader Mountain Zone Refuge Supervisor Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge Complex U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Interior Region 7 Brigham City, Utah Approved by Stacy Armitage Assistant Regional Director U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge System Interior Regions 5&7 CITATION: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2021. Habitat Management Plan: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Brigham City, Utah. U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. 74 pages. Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge Habitat Management Plan This page intentionally left blank. Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge Habitat Management Plan Abbreviations °F degrees Fahrenheit % percent msl mean sea level mi2 square mile NEPA National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended Improvement Act National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 Refuge Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge AWP Annual Work Plan Refuge System National Wildlife Refuge System BIDEH Biological Integrity, Diversity, and Environmental Health Policy Service United States Fish and Wildlife Service BRCC Bear River Canal Company SP State Park cfs cubic feet per second USDA United States Department of CCP Comprehensive Conservation Plan Agriculture CEQ Council on Environmental Quality USEPA United States Environmental CMP Comprehensive Management Plan Protection Agency EA Environmental Assessment USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife EDRR Early Detection and Rapid Response Service EIS Environmental Impact Statement USGS United States Geological Survey ELU Equivalent Livestock Unit UTDAF Utah Department of Agriculture and Food FONSI Finding of No Significant Impact UTDWR Utah Division of Water Resources GSL Great Salt Lake WRCC Western Regional Climate Center HMP Habitat Management Plan WMA Waterfowl Management Area MBR Migratory Bird Refuge Abbreviations i Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge Habitat Management Plan Executive Summary The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has prepared a Habitat Management Plan (HMP) for the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge (Refuge or Bear River MBR) in Utah. The following summary provides a brief overview of the plan including (1) a general description of the Refuge, (2) purpose of plan, (3) goals and objectives, and (4) the proposed projects. The Refuge As part of the National Wildlife Refuge System, the Bear River MBR was established by Presidential Proclamation in 1928 and Public Law 304 of the 70th Congress as "a suitable refuge and feeding, and breeding grounds for migratory wild fowl". Currently, the Refuge encompasses 77,102 acres and is comprised of deltaic wetlands that make up numerous wetland impoundments, wet meadows, and uplands. Located at the terminus of the Bear River and part of the Great Salt Lake (GSL) ecosystem, the Refuge is a priority area within the Bear River Watershed and plays a critical role in providing habitat for migratory birds along the Central Flyway. More than 210 species of birds have been documented during migration on the Refuge, and 70 species are known to nest there. During migration, the GSL ecosystem provides habitat for an estimated 217 million waterfowl use-days in the fall and 60 million waterfowl use-days in spring (Intermountain West Joint Venture 2013). Refuge habitats alone may support up to 500,000 waterfowl and 200,000 shorebirds annually during migration. In addition, about 15% of the western population of tundra swan utilize Refuge habitats during fall and may remain throughout the winter in mild years (Refuge records). The GSL ecosystem also is one of the most critical breeding and staging sites for colonial waterbirds, waterfowl, and shorebirds (Downard 2010). In addition, the ecosystem also supports the largest breeding colony of white-faced ibis in the world (Paul and Manning 2002), as well as one of the three largest American white pelican breeding colonies in North America (Parrish et al. 2002). Refuge contributions to GSL breeding statistics include up to 1% and 2% of the continental breeding populations of American avocet and black-necked stilt, respectively, and an average of 11,000 molting northern pintail (Refuge records). In addition, the Refuge historically has provided important breeding habitat for long-billed curlew and is the most important foraging site in the GSL ecosystem for American white pelican. Terrestrial habitats on the Refuge, although limited in size, support several mammalian species. Among the most common are mule deer, long-tailed weasel, muskrat, raccoon, striped skunk and several species of mice and voles. Less common are badger, beaver, coyote, red fox, and yellow-bellied marmot. Alkali knolls, meadows, and wooded riparian habitats also support limited numbers of other bird species including vesper sparrow, savannah sparrow, western meadowlark, sage thrasher, loggerhead shrike, northern harrier, short-eared owl, and burrowing owl. Mission and Purpose To effectively manage a diverse and widespread system of lands in the National Wildlife Refuge System, Congress passed various laws, including the National Wildlife Refuge Administration Act (1966), that not only established the Refuge System but provided specific guidance for its Executive Summary ii Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge Habitat Management Plan administration and management. The National Wildlife Refuge Systems Improvement (Improvement Act), passed in 1997, amended the National Wildlife Refuge Administration Act and established a singular conservation mission for the Refuge System: “To administer a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management, and where appropriate, restoration of the fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans”. Every refuge within the Refuge System has a purpose for which it was established. The purpose is the foundation upon which to build all refuge programs, including biology and habitat management. No uses of a refuge may be allowed if they are determined to materially detract from or interfere with the purposes for which the refuge was established or the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System. The refuge purpose is found in the legislative acts or administrative orders that allow authorities to either transfer or acquire a piece of land to establish a refuge. The goals and objectives identified in this HMP are intended to support the purpose for which the refuge was established. The legislative purpose for Bear River MBR is as follows: 1. As "a suitable refuge and feeding, and breeding grounds for migratory wild fowl". (Presidential Proclamation 1928 and Public Law 304 of the 70th Congress) 2. “For the establishment and maintenance of migratory waterfowl refuges”. (Utah Code Annotated 23-21-6(1)) Future of the Refuge The goals and objectives developed for the HMP were developed to support the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System and the purposes for which the Refuge was established. They are based on the principle of ecological sustainability, which requires ensuring the long-term productivity of habitats. In this context, the Refuge HMP is focused on providing habitats necessary to provide the resources (e.g., foods and plant structure) needed to fulfill life cycle events (e.g., migration, staging, feeding, and breeding) of species using the Refuge, with an emphasis on focal species and guilds. Focal species and guilds identified include, 1) American white pelican, 2) American avocet, 3) black-necked stilt, 4) cinnamon teal, 5) white-faced ibis, 6) tundra swan, 7) snowy plover, 8) migratory waterfowl, and 9) migratory shorebirds. The goals of this HMP are as follows. GOAL 1. Restore and manage Bear River deltaic wetland habitats and River Corridor units to emulate historic natural hydrology, where possible, to provide migration and breeding habitat for a diversity of waterfowl, wading birds and shorebirds. GOAL 2. Restore and manage wet meadow and upland habitats in the Wasatch Front to produce native grasses, sedges, rushes, and forbs, where possible, to provide foraging and breeding habitat for a diversity of waterfowl, wading birds, and shorebirds. GOAL 3. Prevent further physical alterations to maintain the existing hydrologic and topographic integrity of the Refuge. Executive Summary iii Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge Habitat Management Plan GOAL 4. Maintain and expand partnerships that contribute to the conservation and enhancement of Refuge habitats, the Bear River watershed, and the GSL Ecosystem. Within the goals are a series of objectives to support spring/fall migration and breeding. These objectives