Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment
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Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment The mission of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish and wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System is 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. Comprehensive Conservation Plans provide long‐term guidance for management decisions; set forth goals, objectives and strategies needed to accomplish refuge purposes; and, identify the Fish and Wildlife 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. Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment Table of Contents Chapter 1: Purpose of and Need for Action .................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Purpose of and Need for the Proposed Action ............................................................................. 3 1.3 Decisions Needed .......................................................................................................................... 4 1.4 Overview of the Planning Process................................................................................................. 4 1.5 Refuge Management Guidance .................................................................................................... 5 1.6 Ecological Context and Landscape Goals ...................................................................................... 8 1.7 Brief History of Refuge Establishment and Acquisition .............................................................. 16 1.8 Refuge Vision and Goals .............................................................................................................. 17 1.9 Planning Issues ............................................................................................................................ 17 1.10 Other Issues Considered ............................................................................................................. 19 Chapter 2: Alternatives ............................................................................................................................... 21 2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 21 2.2 Development of Alternatives ...................................................................................................... 22 2.3 Focal Species ............................................................................................................................... 22 2.4 Selecting the Preferred Alternative ............................................................................................ 22 2.5 Alternatives Considered but not Analyzed in Detail ................................................................... 22 2.6 Summary of Alternatives ............................................................................................................ 23 Chapter 3: Affected Environment and Current Management .................................................................... 42 3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 42 3.2 Physical Environment .................................................................................................................. 42 3.3 Biological Environment ............................................................................................................... 47 Big Stone NWR / Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment i 3.4 Socioeconomic Environment ...................................................................................................... 57 Chapter 4: Environmental Consequences ................................................................................................... 64 4.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 64 4.2 Effects Common to all Alternatives ............................................................................................ 64 4.3 Physical Environment .................................................................................................................. 67 4.4 Biological Environment ............................................................................................................... 70 4.5 Social Environment ..................................................................................................................... 81 Appendix A: Implementation of the Preferred Alternative (Draft CCP) ..................................................... 82 Appendix B: Glossary .................................................................................................................................. 96 Appendix C: Species Lists ............................................................................................................................ 99 Appendix D: Focal Species ........................................................................................................................ 119 Appendix E: Literature Cited ..................................................................................................................... 130 Appendix F: Priority Projects ..................................................................................................................... 135 Appendix G: Compliance Requirements ................................................................................................... 136 Appendix H: Mailing List ........................................................................................................................... 144 Appendix I: Draft Compatibility Determinations ..................................................................................... 146 Appendix J: Finding of Appropriateness of a Refuge Use ......................................................................... 208 Appendix K: List of Preparers and Contributors ....................................................................................... 223 Big Stone NWR / Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment ii Chapter 1: Purpose of and Need for Action Chapter 1: Purpose of and Need for Action In this chapter 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Purpose of and Need for the Proposed Action 1.3 Decisions Needed 1.4 Overview of the Planning Process 1.5 Refuge Management Guidance 1.6 Ecological Context and Landscape Goals 1.7 Brief History of Refuge Establishment and Acquisition 1.8 Refuge Vision and Goals 1.9 Planning Issues 1.10 Other Issues Considered 1.1 Introduction This document presents an Environmental Assessment (EA) that evaluates alternatives for, and expected consequences of, managing Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge (NWR, Refuge). Alternative 6 is the preferred action of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS, Service) and is presented in Appendix A: Implementation of the Preferred Alternative (Draft CCP) as the draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) for the Refuge. This chapter provides an introduction to the CCP process including the purpose and need for the planning effort. It also describes: the history of the Refuge; existing laws and policies that guide management; involvement of the Service, the State of Minnesota, the public, and others; and conservation issues and plans that affect the Refuge. The remaining chapters provide more specific information on the alternatives (Chapter 2: Alternatives), Refuge resources (Chapter 3: Affected Environment and Current Management), and consequences associated with each alternative considered (Chapter 4: Environmental Consequences). Appendix A provides objectives and rationale for the preferred alternative, which is also considered the Draft CCP. When finalized, the CCP will serve as a working guide for management programs and actions over the next 15 years. The Refuge is located along the Minnesota River in west‐central Minnesota near Odessa and Ortonville and includes portions of the river and its floodplain (figure 1‐1 Location of Big Stone NWR). Present Refuge management is focused on maintaining and restoring native Big Stone NWR / Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment 1 Chapter 1: Purpose of and Need for Action prairie, wetland management, and providing a variety of wildlife‐dependent recreation. A unique visual and geological feature of the Refuge is the red, lichen covered granite outcrops for which the Refuge was named. Most of the granite outcrops are highly visible from the entrance to and along the Auto Tour Route