Rose Atoll National Wildlife Refuge C/O National Park Service Rose Atoll Pago Pago, AS 96799 Phone: 684/633-7082 Ext
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U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Draft Comprehensive Conservation and Environmental Plan Assessment Refuge Wildlife National Rose Atoll U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Rose Atoll National Wildlife Refuge c/o National Park Service Rose Atoll Pago Pago, AS 96799 Phone: 684/633-7082 ext. 15 National Wildlife Refuge Fax: 684/699-3986 Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment October 2012 Font Cover Photos Main: An array of seabirds find refuge at Rose Atoll USFWS Inset: Pisonia tree JE Maragos/USFWS Red-tailed tropic bird chick Greg Sanders/USFWS Tridacna maxima JE Maragos/USFWS Pink algae found on the coral throughout the Refuge gives Rose Atoll its name. USFWS October 2012 Refuge Vision Perched on an ancient volcano, reef corals, algae, and clams grow upwards thousands of feet on the foundation built by their ancestors over millions of years. Here, Rose Atoll National Wildlife Refuge glows pink in the azure sea. This diminutive atoll shelters a profusion of tropical life. Encircled by a rose-colored coralline algal reef, the lagoon teems with brilliant fish and fluted giant clams with hues of electric blue, gold, and dark teal. Sea turtles gracefully ply the waters and find safe haven lumbering ashore to lay eggs that perpetuate their ancient species. On land, stately Pisonia trees form a dim green cathedral where sooty tern calls echo as they fly beneath the canopy. Their calls join the cackling of the red-footed boobies, whinnying of the frigate birds, and moaning of the wedge-tailed shearwaters. Inspired by their living history at the atoll, tamaiti perpetuate Fa’a Samoa through an understanding and shared stewardship of their natural world. In the vast deep South Pacific, Rose Atoll survives as a monument from the past and beacon for the future of biological, geological, and cultural diversity for all Samoa. Pale o Galuega o le Faasao mo Meaola O lona taoto mai, o se pala ma¯tu¯ na eaea ma¯lie a’e lona faavae i luga o se maugamu¯, si’omia e ‘amu lona a’au, o ituaiga limu eseese e ola i lona gataifale, ma faisua e ola lauusiusi aga’i i luga e pe a ma le afe ni futu lona maualuga o lo o taoto mai ai lenei nofoaga na foa mai e ona tua’a¯ i le miliona o tausaga ua mavae. I lea la nofoaga, o le Faasao a le Ma¯lo¯ Tele mo Meaola e pei ona mautu nei i le motu ‘amu o Rose e sulugia mai ai le lanu piniki i le sami tioata. O lenei tama’i motu ‘amu ua fai ma nofoaga e tua i ai le tele o meaola o le si’osi’omaga. E si’osi’omia lona a’au e se limu e soa ma le lanu o le rosa, e mau lona aloalo i i’a matagofie ma ‘amu tetele faatasi ai ma meaola ninii e felanulanua’i solo ma o lo o atagia mai ai le lanu moana, lanu auro, ma le lanu uliuli e sosolo faapei o se faititili lona tino mai. E fega¯soloa’i laumei o le gataifale i le foga¯sami ae ma¯lo¯lo¯ mai i lo latou mapusaga i le mata¯faga e tu’ufua ai ma atili olaola ai lo latou tupu’aga na amata asa¯ le vavau se i o’o mai nei ona po. I luga o lea fanua, e fa’alafua¯ le tuputupu a’e o laau e ta’ua o laumatui ua fai ma nofoaga tumau o gogo ma lagona leotele ai le fetalia’i o o latou leo i lalo o le malu o pupu laau. E fea¯lumi nei leo o manu tagi ma le pa¯fuga o le ‘a¯, o le tagi lea o le fua’o¯, faatasi ai ma le tagi mai o le ‘atafa, ma le uio¯ o le toloa. Ona o le taualoa tele o talatuu tau measina o lea motu ‘amu, ua teu fatu ai le naunauta’iga a tupulaga talavou e u’una’i pea le Faasamoa i se faagaoioiga malamalama toe manino ma avea ai i latou o ni tausimea i le taavili soifua o lea si’osi’omaga tu¯pito. I le vasa loaloa o i le Pasefika i Saute, o lo o pa¯pa¯’aveloa le soifua o le motu ‘amu o Rose ua avea ai o se motu iloga toe faailogaina na amata mai lava i lona anamua ma o lea ua avea o se taula’iga e faasinoala i su’esu’ega tau paiolo (biological), su’esu’ega o le eleele (geological), ma le talia lelei o eseesega tau aganuu mo Samoa atoa. Reef life at Rose Atoll JE Maragos/USFWS Rose Atoll , as seen from low Earth orbit Comprehensive Conservation Plans 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. USFWS/DMWR Rose Atoll National Wildlife Refuge Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment Prepared by: Rose Atoll National Wildlife Refuge/Marine National Monument c/o National Park Service Pago Pago, American Samoa 96799 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Hawaiian and Pacific Islands Planning Team 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room 5-231 Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96850 October 2012 Rose Atoll National Wildlife Refuge Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment Table of Contents Chapter 1. Introduction and Background ...................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 Significance of the Refuge ........................................................................................................ 1-2 1.3 Proposed Action ........................................................................................................................ 1-5 1.4 Purpose and Need for Action .................................................................................................... 1-5 1.5 Legal and Policy Guidance ....................................................................................................... 1-6 1.5.1 The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service .................................................................................. 1-6 1.5.2 National Wildlife Refuge System ..................................................................................... 1-6 1.5.3 Presidential Proclamation 8337 ........................................................................................ 1-8 1.5.4 Other Laws and Mandates ................................................................................................ 1-9 1.6 Refuge Establishment and Purposes ......................................................................................... 1-9 1.6.1 Legal Significance of the Refuge Purpose(s) .................................................................... 1-9 1.6.2 Purpose and History of Refuge Establishment ............................................................... 1-10 1.6.3 Land Status and Ownership ............................................................................................ 1-10 1.7 Relationship to Other Planning Efforts ................................................................................... 1-13 1.7.1 Relationship to Refuge Plans .......................................................................................... 1-13 1.7.2 Other Plans and Assessments .......................................................................................... 1-13 1.8 Special Designation Lands ...................................................................................................... 1-14 1.9 Planning Process and Issue Identification ............................................................................... 1-14 1.9.1 Planning Process ............................................................................................................. 1-14 1.9.2 Key Issues Addressed in the CCP ................................................................................... 1-15 1.9.3 Issues outside the Scope of the CCP ............................................................................... 1-15 1.10 Refuge Vision and Goals ...................................................................................................... 1-16 1.10.1 Refuge Vision (Pale o Galuega o le Faasao mo Meaola).............................................. 1-16 1.10.2 Refuge Goals (Manulautī o le Faasao mo Meaola) ....................................................... 1-16 Chapter 2. Management Alternatives ............................................................................................. 2-1 2.1 Alternatives Development ........................................................................................................ 2-1 2.2 Actions Considered but not Developed .................................................................................... 2-1 2.3 Alternative Descriptions ........................................................................................................... 2-1 2.3.1 Features Common to All Alternatives .............................................................................. 2-1 2.3.2 Summary of Alternatives .................................................................................................. 2-5 2.4 Goals, Objectives, and Strategies ............................................................................................ 2-13 2.4.1 Goal 1: Protect and maintain the lagoon habitats to meet the life-history needs of native species in this community. ............................................................................................ 2-14 2.4.2 Goal 2: Restore, protect, and maintain the perimeter crustose coralline algal reef to