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Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge Habitat Management Plan and Environmental Assessment

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Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge Habitat Management Plan and Environmental Assessment WHITTLESEY CREEK NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE HABITAT MANAGEMENT PLAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT June 2006 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building 1 Federal Drive Ft. Snelling, MN 55111 Local Address: Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge, Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center, 29270 County Hwy. G, Ashland, WI 54806; [email protected]; 715-685-2678. WHITTLESEY CREEK NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE HABITAT MANAGEMENT PLAN Table of Contents Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................ 1 List of Figures ................................................................................................................................. 4 I. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 5 A. Scope and rationale ................................................................................................................... 5 B. Legal Mandates ......................................................................................................................... 5 C. Relationship to other plans ........................................................................................................ 6 D. Relationship with private lands in the watershed ...................................................................... 7 II. Background ............................................................................................................................. 8 A. Inventory and description of habitat .......................................................................................... 8 1) Location .............................................................................................................................. 8 2) Physical or geographic setting ............................................................................................ 8 Watershed ........................................................................................................................... 8 Ecoregion .......................................................................................................................... 10 Topography ....................................................................................................................... 10 Climate .............................................................................................................................. 10 Historic Conditions ........................................................................................................... 10 Historic Vegetation ........................................................................................................... 11 Historic Hydrology and Streams Conditions .................................................................... 12 Current Conditions and Changes from Historic Conditions ............................................. 13 III. Resources of Concern ............................................................................................................. 27 A. Resource of Concern – Coldwater Streams ............................................................................ 31 Species of Concern Associated with Coldwater Streams ..................................................... 33 Wood turtle ....................................................................................................................... 34 Water shrew ...................................................................................................................... 34 B. Resource of Concern - Lowland Forest and Shrub ................................................................. 34 Species of Concern Associated with Lowland Forest and Shrub ......................................... 35 Northern waterthrush ........................................................................................................ 35 Northern black currant ...................................................................................................... 35 Marsh Horsetail ................................................................................................................. 35 Veery ................................................................................................................................. 35 C. Resource of Concern - Riparian Forest ................................................................................... 35 Species of Concern within Riparian Forest .......................................................................... 35 Veery ................................................................................................................................. 35 Wood Turtle ...................................................................................................................... 36 E. Resource of Concern – Coastal Wetland ................................................................................. 36 Species of Concern in Coastal Wetland ................................................................................ 36 Black Duck........................................................................................................................ 36 Common Mudpuppy ......................................................................................................... 36 Sora Rail............................................................................................................................ 36 IV. Habitat Goals, Objectives and Strategies ........................................................................ 38 Whittlesey Creek NWR, Habitat Management Plan June 2006, Page 1 A. Habitat Goals........................................................................................................................... 39 Habitat Goal 1 – Stream ........................................................................................................ 39 Brook Trout Population Goal................................................................................................ 39 Habitat Goal 2 - Sediments ................................................................................................... 45 Habitat Goal 3 – Floodplain and Wetland Hydrology .......................................................... 45 Habitat Goal 4 – Floodplain Habitat ..................................................................................... 45 V. Monitoring ............................................................................................................................... 49 A. Stream Hydrology ................................................................................................................... 49 Measurement ......................................................................................................................... 49 Monitoring Strategy .............................................................................................................. 49 B. Stream Habitat ......................................................................................................................... 49 Measurements ....................................................................................................................... 49 Monitoring Strategy .............................................................................................................. 50 C. Fish populations ...................................................................................................................... 50 D. Breeding Birds ........................................................................................................................ 50 Measurement ......................................................................................................................... 50 Monitoring Strategy .............................................................................................................. 50 E. Floodplain and Coastal Habitat ............................................................................................... 51 Measurement ......................................................................................................................... 51 Monitoring Strategy .............................................................................................................. 51 F. Terrestrial Invasive Species ..................................................................................................... 51 Measurement ......................................................................................................................... 51 Monitoring Strategy .............................................................................................................. 51 VI. Required Resources ................................................................................................................ 52 VII. References ............................................................................................................................ 53 VIII. Appendices ........................................................................................................................... 57 Appendix A. Private Lands Programs Available in the Whittlesey Watershed ........................... 57 Appendix B. Whittlesey Creek Oral History Interviews: An Overview ..................................... 60 Appendix C. Scientists who Met with the Service to Provide Expertise ....................................
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