Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan September 2011 Cover Photo Bald Eagle Steve Hillebrand/USFWS
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U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan September 2011 Cover Photo Bald Eagle Steve Hillebrand/USFWS Inset Photos Wood Turtle John Mosesso/NBII Spotted Salamander USFWS Karner Blue Butterfly Joel Trick/USFWS This blue goose, designed by J.N. “Ding” Darling, has become the symbol of the National Wildlife Refuge System. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 150-million acre National Wildlife Refuge System comprised of more than 550 national wildlife refuges and thousands of waterfowl production areas. It also operates 70 national fish hatcheries and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, administers the Endangered Species Act, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance Program which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state wildlife agencies. 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. Theresa E. Rabot U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan September 2011 Abstract Type of Action: Administrative Lead Agency: U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service Responsible Official: Wendi Weber, Acting Regional Director, Region 5 For Further Information: Thomas Roster, Refuge Manager Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge 1101 Casey Road Basom, NY Phone: (585) 948-5445 E-mail: [email protected] This Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) for the 10,828-acre Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge is the culmination of a planning effort involving the local community and many partners, including the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The CCP establishes 15-year management goals and objectives for wildlife and habitat, public use and access, and administration and facilities. This document also contains nine appendices that provide additional information supporting our analysis. This plan includes an array of management actions that, in our professional judgment, work best toward achieving the purposes of the refuge, our vision and goals for those lands, the National Wildlife Refuge System mission, and the goals in State and regional conservation plans. We will focus on enhancing the conservation of wildlife through habitat management, as well as providing additional visitor opportunities on the refuge. Our emphasis will be on decreasing habitat fragmentation and restoring native habitats. To achieve this, we will increase grassland, shrubland, and forest habitats by removing hedgerows, and replacing non-native conifer plantation with native forest species. Our monitoring and inventory program will continue to help us better understand the implications of our management actions and identify ways to improve their effectiveness. We will increase some existing wildlife-dependent recreational activities including wildlife observation and hunting, which includes implementing a permit system for hunting upland game, migratory birds, and big game. To facilitate greater cross-program collaboration, we will co-locate the Lower Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office with a new visitor contact station and administrative building by adding on to the existing building. Finally, we will expand our existing staff to include a full-time permanent law enforcement officer, maintenance worker, biological technician, and one part-time biological technician. ii Abstract U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan September 2011 Refuge Vision Statement Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, known locally as part of the “Alabama Swamps” will be the ecological “puzzle piece” for western New York by creating and maintaining unsurpassed habitats including wetlands, grasslands, shrublands, and forests for migratory birds and other wildlife. By encouraging compatible wildlife-dependent recreation and working with partners, a deep understanding and appreciation for the refuge’s ecological integrity will be fostered in its visitors, regardless of generational, economic, or social boundaries. Through these efforts, future generations will cherish Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge’s interconnectivity to the much larger National Wildlife Refuge System. Table of Contents Chapter 1 The Purpose of and Need for Action Introduction ……………………………………………………... 1-1 Purpose and Need for Action ……………………….…………… 1-1 Project Area ……………………………………………………… 1-2 The Service, Policies, and Legal Mandates ……………………… 1-8 Our Mission …………………………………………….. 1-8 The National Wildlife Refuge System, Its Mission, and Policies…………………………………………… 1-9 Conservation Plans and Initiatives Guiding the Project …………. 1-12 North American Bird Conservation Initiative …….…….. 1-12 Partners in Flight Landbird Conservation Plan ………… 1-14 North American Waterfowl Management Plan: Atlantic Coast Joint Venture ……………………. 1-16 North American Waterbird Conservation Plan …..……… 1-16 U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan and Northern Atlantic Regional Shorebird Plan ……………... 1-16 New York State Wildlife Action Plan ……………..…….. 1-17 Important Bird Area and Bird Conservation Area Programs………………. 1-19 Refuge Establishment, History, and Purpose …….………..…….. 1-19 Step-down Management Plans ……………………………………. 1-22 Iroquois Refuge Vision Statement ………………………………… 1-23 Refuge Goals ……………………………………………………… 1-23 Chapter 2 The Comprehensive Conservation Planning Process Planning Process ………………………………………………… 2-1 Issues, Concerns, and Opportunities ……………………………. 2-2 Final Decision …………………………………………………… 2-4 Chapter 3 Refuge Resources Physical Environment …………………………………………… 3-1 Bird Conservation Region ……………………………... 3-3 Regional Conservation Lands and Land Use Patterns..... 3-3 Climate …………………………………………………. 3-3 Hydrology ………………………………………………. 3-6 Geology ………………………………………………… 3-7 Air Quality ……………………………………….…….. 3-12 Water Quality …………………………………………... 3-12 Noise ………………………………………………….... 3-14 Visual Resources …………………………………….…. 3-14 Biological Environment ……………………………………….... 3-15 Habitat Types …………………………………………… 3-15 Fish and Wildlife ………………………………….……. 3-19 Socioeconomic Environment …………………………….…….... 3-24 Population Demographics ………………….…………... 3-24 Economics of Genesee County ………………………..... 3-24 Economics of Orleans County ………………………….. 3-25 Contributions to Local Economy ……………………….. 3-25 Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan i Table of Contents Historical Picture ………………………………………………… 3-26 Native People ……………………………………………. 3-26 European Settlement ……………………………………. 3-27 The Erie Canal ………………………………………….. 3-27 The Feeder Canal ………………………………………. 3-27 The 1900s to Present ……………………………………. 3-27 Refuge Cultural and Historical Resources ……………... 3-28 Refuge Administration ………………………………………….. 3-29 Step-down Management Plans …………………………. 3-29 General Administration …………………………………. 3-30 Workforce and Budget ………………………………….. 3-30 Facilities and Maintenance …………………………….. 3-30 Volunteers ………………………………………………. 3-31 Refuge Public Use ………………………………………………. 3-31 Visitor Services …………………………………………. 3-31 Hunting …………………………………………………. 3-31 Trapping …………………………………………….….. 3-38 Fishing ………………………………………………….. 3-39 Wildlife Observation and Photography ……………….... 3-40 Environmental Education, Interpretation, and Outreach… 3-41 Finding of Appropriateness of a Refuge Use …………………… . 3-42 Compatibility Determinations …………………………………… 3-43 Chapter 4 Management Direction and Implementation Introduction ………………………………………………………. 4-1 Background ………………………………………………………. 4-1 Habitat Conditions…………………………….................. 4-2 Public Access....................................................................... 4-4 Refuge Goals, Objectives, and Strategies………………………….. 4-7 Goal 1. Refuge Impoundments……………………………………. 4-8 Background ………………………………………………. 4-8 Objective 1.1 Emergent Marsh – Migrating Waterfowl….. 4-11 Objective 1.2 Emergent Marsh – Spring Migrating Geese…………………………. 4-16 Objective 1.3 Emergent Marsh – Deep Water Breeding Marsh Birds……………………………………… 4-17 Objective 1.4 Emergent Marsh – Shallow Water Breeding Marsh Birds……………………………. 4-18 Objective 1.5 Emergent Marsh – Waterfowl Brood Rearing……………………….. 4-19 Objective 1.6 Open Water……………................................ 4-19 Objective 1.7 Mudflats……………………………………. 4-20 Objective 1.8 Seneca Pool Forested Wetlands……………. 4-21 Goal 2. Oak Orchard Creek………………………………………… 4-22 Background ………………………………………………. 4-22 Objective 2.1 Oak Orchard Creek and Associated Emergent Marsh and Forested Wetlands ……… 4-23 Objective 2.2 Natural Forested Wetlands………………. 4-24 Goal 3. Upland Habitats………………………………………… 4-25 Background ……………………………………………. 4-25 Objective 3.1 Grasslands