Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge
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U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan CCPs provide long-term guidance for management decisions and set forth goals, objectives, and strategies needed to accomplish refuge purposes and identify the Service’s best estimate of future needs. These plans detail program planning levels that are sometimes substantially above current budget allocations and, as such, are primarily for Service strategic planning and program prioritization purposes. The plans do not constitute a commitment for staffing increases, operational and maintenance increases or funding for future land acquisition. Comprehensive Conservation Plan TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND.................................................... 1-1 1.1 Introduction................................................................................................ 1-1 1.2 History of Refuge Establishment and Purpose .......................................... 1-2 1.3 Purpose and Need for the Comprehensive Conservation Plan ................. 1-7 1.4 Legal and Policy Guidance........................................................................ 1-8 1.4.1 The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service............................................... 1-8 1.4.2 National Wildlife Refuge System .................................................. 1-8 CHAPTER 2: COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION PLANNING PROCESS........... 2-1 2.1 The Nisqually NWR CCP Process............................................................. 2-1 2.2 Consultation and Coordination with Others ............................................... 2-2 2.2.1 Public Involvement ....................................................................... 2-2 2.2.2 Interest Group and Other Agency Consultation/Coordination ...... 2-4 2.2.3 Tribal Consultation/Coordination .................................................. 2-5 2.3 Comment Response Process on the Draft CCP/EIS................................. 2-5 2.4 Planning Issues, Concerns, and Opportunities.......................................... 2-5 CHAPTER 3: REFUGE ENVIRONMENT ................................................................... 3-1 3.1 Physical Environment ................................................................................ 3-1 3.1.1 Climate......................................................................................... 3-1 3.1.2 Hydrology..................................................................................... 3-1 3.1.3 Geology........................................................................................ 3-3 3.1.4 Soils ............................................................................................. 3-4 3.1.5 Environmental Contaminants ....................................................... 3-5 3.2 Vegetation and Habitat Resources............................................................ 3-8 3.2.1 Habitats and Vegetation Communities ......................................... 3-8 3.2.2 State and Regional Trends for Key Habitats Represented at Nisqually NWR ....................................................................... 3-24 3.2.3 Plants, Including Exotic and Invasive Species ........................... 3-24 3.3 Fisheries Habitats and Resources........................................................... 3-26 3.3.1 Pacific Salmon ........................................................................... 3-26 3.3.2 Forage Fish................................................................................ 3-30 3.3.3 Other Fishes .............................................................................. 3-31 3.3.4 Threatened and Endangered Fish.............................................. 3-33 3.4 Wildlife..................................................................................................... 3-34 3.4.1 Waterfowl ................................................................................... 3-34 3.4.2 Waterbirds and Seabirds............................................................ 3-37 3.4.3 Shorebirds.................................................................................. 3-38 3.4.4 Landbirds ................................................................................... 3-39 3.4.5 Marine Mammals........................................................................ 3-41 3.4.6 Land Mammals........................................................................... 3-41 3.4.7 Reptiles and Amphibians ........................................................... 3-42 March 2005 Page i Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) 3.4.8 Invertebrates .............................................................................. 3-42 3.4.9 Invasive and Exotic Wildlife Species .......................................... 3-43 3.4.10 Federally Endangered and Threatened Species........................ 3-43 3.4.11 State-listed Species ................................................................... 3-44 3.5 Special Uses............................................................................................ 3-44 3.5.1 Haying........................................................................................ 3-44 3.5.2 Scientific Research .................................................................... 3-44 3.5.3 Tribal Fishing.............................................................................. 3-44 3.6 Public Access, Education, and Recreational Opportunities ..................... 3-45 3.6.1 Public Access............................................................................. 3-45 3.6.2 Recreation.................................................................................. 3-46 3.6.3 Environmental Education ........................................................... 3-52 3.7 Cultural Resources ................................................................................. 3-53 3.7.1 Native American Cultural History and Landscape...................... 3-53 3.7.2 Euro-American Cultural History.................................................. 3-54 3.8 Socioeconomics ...................................................................................... 3-56 3.8.1 Socioeconomic Setting............................................................... 3-56 3.8.2 Environmental Justice ................................................................ 3-60 3.8.3 Land Use.................................................................................... 3-61 3.8.4 Refuge Management Economics .............................................. 3-64 3.8.5 Area Recreation Sector.............................................................. 3-67 3.8.6 Agricultural Sector .................................................................... 3-69 3.8.7 Commercial Shellfishing............................................................. 3-69 CHAPTER 4: MANAGEMENT DIRECTION ............................................................... 4-1 4.1 Refuge Management Policies and Guidelines........................................... 4-1 4.2 Land Protection Policies and Guidelines ................................................... 4-1 4.2.1 Refuge Boundary and Expansion................................................. 4-1 4.2.2 Land Protection Methods ............................................................. 4-2 4.2.3 Land Protection Priorities ............................................................. 4-3 4.3 Management Plan for Nisqually NWR ....................................................... 4-3 4.4 Goals, Objectives, and Strategies ........................................................... 4-11 4.4.1 Overview .................................................................................... 4-11 4.4.2 Detailed Description of the Goals, Objectives, and Strategies ... 4-11 CHAPTER 5: IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING ............................................. 5-1 5.1 Funding and Personnel............................................................................... 5-1 5.2 Step-Down Management Plans .................................................................. 5-1 5.3 Partnership Opportunities........................................................................... 5-4 5.4 Projects ...................................................................................................... 5-5 5.5 Monitoring and Evaluation ........................................................................ 5-12 5.6 Plan Amendment and Revision ................................................................ 5-12 Page ii Table of Contents Comprehensive Conservation Plan FIGURES: Figure 1.1-1 Regional Context............................................................................... 1-3 Figure 1.1-2 Current Ownership within the CCP Study Area ................................. 1-5 Figure 3.2-1 Major Habitat Types and Wildlife Typical of the Refuge .................... 3-9 Figure 3.2-2 CCP Study Area Habitat Types ....................................................... 3-11 Figure 3.2-3 National Wetland Inventory of Regional Estuarine Wetlands .......... 3-15 Figure 3.2-4 Historic (1878) and Current Wetlands in the Nisqually Delta........... 3-17 Figure 3.2-5 Overall Losses in Salt Marsh Acres for Puget Sound River Deltas..................................................................................... 3-25 Figure 3.2-6 Distribution of Invasive Reed Canary Grass, 1997.......................... 3-27 Figure 3.4-1 Waterfowl Survey Units ..................................................................