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Photo Credit: Bob Strader Photo Credit: Bob Strader Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region September 2015 Submitted By: JIMMY LAURENT Date: 10/19/2015 Jimmy Laurent, Project Leader St. Catherine Creek NWR Complex Concur: RICKY INGRAM Date: 10/26/2015 Ricky Ingram, Refuge Supervisor Southeast Region Approved by: BRETT HUNTER Date: 11/4/2015 for David Viker, Regional Chief Southeast Region Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION PLAN CAT ISLAND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region Atlanta, Georgia August 2015 Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION A. COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION PLAN Executive Summary ......................................................................................................................... vi Chapter I. Background ...................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1 Purpose And Need For The Plan ............................................................................................... 1 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service .................................................................................................... 1 National Wildlife Refuge System ................................................................................................ 2 Legal and Policy Context ........................................................................................................... 3 Legal Mandates, Administrative and Policy Guidelines, and Other Special Considerations ......................................................................................................................................... 3 National and International Conservation Plans and Initiatives .................................................... 4 Relationship To State Wildlife Agency ....................................................................................... 6 Chapter II. Refuge Overview ............................................................................................................. 7 Refuge History and Purpose ...................................................................................................... 7 Establishment ................................................................................................................... 7 Refuge Purpose and System Roles .................................................................................. 7 Special Designations ............................................................................................................... 10 Conservation Priority ...................................................................................................... 10 Hydrocarbon Extraction .................................................................................................. 12 Ecosystem Context .................................................................................................................. 12 Regional Conservation Plans and Initiatives ............................................................................ 12 Ecological Threats and Problems ............................................................................................ 14 Altered Flow Regimes .................................................................................................... 15 Habitat Loss ................................................................................................................... 15 Habitat Fragmentation .................................................................................................... 15 Habitat Alteration ............................................................................................................ 16 Physical Resources ................................................................................................................. 17 Climate ........................................................................................................................... 17 Geology and Topography ............................................................................................... 19 Soils ............................................................................................................................... 19 Hydrology ....................................................................................................................... 23 Air Quality ....................................................................................................................... 24 Water Quality .................................................................................................................. 24 Table of Contents i Biological Resources ................................................................................................................24 Habitat ............................................................................................................................24 Wildlife ............................................................................................................................25 Cultural Resources ...................................................................................................................28 Socioeconomic Environment ....................................................................................................28 Refuge Administration and Management ..................................................................................29 Land Protection and Conservation ..................................................................................29 Visitor Services ...............................................................................................................29 Personnel, Operations, and Maintenance .......................................................................30 Chapter III. Plan Development ........................................................................................................33 Summary of Issues, Concerns, and Opportunities ....................................................................33 Fish and Wildlife Population and Habitat Management ...................................................33 Resource Protection ........................................................................................................34 Visitor Services ...............................................................................................................35 Refuge Administration .....................................................................................................36 Wilderness Review ...................................................................................................................37 Chapter IV. Management Direction .................................................................................................39 Vision .......................................................................................................................................39 Goals, Objectives, and Strategies ............................................................................................39 Goal A: Fish and Wildlife Population Management ..........................................................39 Goal B: Habitat Management ..........................................................................................47 Goal C: Resource Protection ...........................................................................................50 Goal D: Visitor Services ..................................................................................................52 Goal E: Refuge Administration ........................................................................................55 Chapter V. Plan Implementation .....................................................................................................59 Introduction ..............................................................................................................................59 Projects ....................................................................................................................................59 Fish And Wildlife Population Management ......................................................................59 Habitat Management .......................................................................................................59 Resource Protection ........................................................................................................60 Visitor Services ...............................................................................................................60 Refuge Administration .....................................................................................................60 Partnership/Volunteers Opportunities .......................................................................................62 Step-Down Management Plans ................................................................................................62 ii Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge Strategic Habitat Conservation ................................................................................................ 62 Plan Review and Revision ......................................................................................................
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