Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge
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Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region September 2009 Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION PLAN TENSAS RIVER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE FRANKLIN, MADISON, AND TENSAS PARISHES, LOUISIANA U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region Atlanta, Georgia October 2009 Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge TABLE OF CONTENTS COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION PLAN I. BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................................. 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 1 Purpose and Need for the Plan .................................................................................................... 1 Fish and Wildlife Service .............................................................................................................. 3 National Wildlife Refuge System .................................................................................................. 3 Legal and Policy Context .............................................................................................................. 5 Legal Mandates, Administrative and Policy Guidelines, and Other Special Considerations ............................................................................................................................................ 5 Biological Integrity, Diversity, and Environmental Health Policy ......................................... 5 National and International Conservation Plans and Initiatives ..................................................... 6 Relationship to State Wildlife Agency ........................................................................................... 7 II. REFUGE OVERVIEW ....................................................................................................................... 9 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 9 Refuge History and Purpose ........................................................................................................ 9 Special Designations .................................................................................................................. 10 Oil and Gas Activities ................................................................................................................. 10 Ecosystem Context .....................................................................................................................11 Regional Conservation Plans and Initiatives ..............................................................................13 Ecological Threats and Problems ............................................................................................... 16 Loss of Bottomland Hardwoods and Fragmentation .........................................................16 Encroachment of Invasives ...............................................................................................17 Altered Hydrology ..............................................................................................................20 Physical Resources .................................................................................................................... 21 Climate .............................................................................................................................. 21 Geology and Topography ..................................................................................................21 Soils .................................................................................................................................. 23 Hydrology .......................................................................................................................... 23 Air Quality ..........................................................................................................................23 Water Quality and QuanTity ..............................................................................................24 Biological Resources .................................................................................................................. 26 Habitat ............................................................................................................................... 26 Wildlife ............................................................................................................................... 34 Cultural Resources ..................................................................................................................... 49 Socioeconomic Environment ...................................................................................................... 50 Refuge Administration and Management ...................................................................................51 Land Protection and Conservation ....................................................................................51 Visitor Services ................................................................................................................. 53 Personnel, Operations, and Maintenance .........................................................................60 III. PLAN DEVELOPMENT ................................................................................................................. 63 Summary of Issues, Concerns, and Opportunities .....................................................................63 Habitat Management .........................................................................................................63 Fish and Wildlife Population Management ........................................................................64 Resource Protection ..........................................................................................................65 Table of Contents i Visitor Services ................................................................................................................. 65 Refuge Administration ...................................................................................................... 66 Wilderness Review ........................................................................................................... 66 IV. MANAGEMENT DIRECTION ....................................................................................................... 67 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 67 Vision ......................................................................................................................................... 68 Goals, Objectives, and Strategies .............................................................................................. 68 Habitat Management......................................................................................................... 68 Fish and Wildlife Population Management........................................................................ 74 Resource Protection and Management ............................................................................ 91 Visitor Services ................................................................................................................. 99 Refuge Administration .................................................................................................... 107 V. PLAN IMPLEMENTATION .......................................................................................................... 109 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 109 Projects .................................................................................................................................... 109 Habitat Management....................................................................................................... 109 Fish and Wildlife Population Management...................................................................... 111 Resource Protection ....................................................................................................... 112 Visitor Services ............................................................................................................... 112 Refuge Administration .................................................................................................... 112 Funding and Personnel ............................................................................................................ 113 Partnership and Volunteers Opportunities ............................................................................... 113 Volunteers ....................................................................................................................... 113 Partnership Opportunities ............................................................................................... 114 Step-down Management Plans ................................................................................................ 114 Monitoring and Adaptive Management ..................................................................................... 115 Plan Review and Revision.......................................................................................................