MOOSEHORN NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Calais, Maine ANNUAL
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MOOSEHORN NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Calais, Maine ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT Calendar Year 1976 NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR (left to right) 1. Edwin H. Chandler Refuge Manager GS-Il 2. Helen E. Forsyth Clerk (Typing) GS-5 3. Merton L. Hatton Maintenance Worker WG-7 4. Stanley E. McConvey Biological Technician GS-8 5. Alton L. Sawyer Maintenance Worker WG-7 Review and Approvals Submitted by Date Area Office Date Moosehorn NWR, Calais. Maine Refuge Regional Office Date I ( I I e I..a II.lc.l.l ''-;..I 1 LEGEND Wilderness Area - Refuge Boundary / / / / / / / / / United States United State. / / )artm.nt of the Interior '" Filh and Wildlif. sarvie. Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge Washington CountYJ Maine , 12/4/75 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MOO N E 0 Fishing is regulations. CARt:TON S~~~~/~!~;~G,~WC~U~:'~~UM~;~~N .ARE~~:~7;;""c")';~'f;':Y:':~'~~D' ',.. ..... "'1 , " VICINITY' MAP Pvs/l(1W ....... ,#- , . ", \. , ;" ~ .. ,-,:," ,. '\""~' .. """, : " ""{\O" ' , ~ .. .. " .. -~.:. ~'."'.- , ~ ~I " ;',:;' "~,- -~ROY,' ", Of ;, '" ' ';"';~::!; .. ' ~ .. : . ,i ,.~;;'~"\' ',: ",~~f ~~<"~ .. ~.~ . .~~.' l' ~~,- \ .. ," 1., ; 'f ..;,. :~. ~ ' .. \ I~!:. ( .: .:.,j""'" '. (-:~ " ,', " ",I",SCALE' , :'" 1/2 I MJLE' ~~iw"~f=!:~\~;;,3er~b~)-3'~:i:~'$~'3~iDf*~,)~.§i~t9al. f • . .-]. ~ ,:. ~ .; ''1:.'' ',' ··.l':.... PETIT MANAN NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE UNITfD STAlES WASHINGTON COUNTY, MAINE UNITED SlATES ~fPARlMfNT Of THE INTERIOR fiSH AND WILDLIfE SERVICE Pigeon Hill 44°26'30" Over P;'int Yellow Birch Head 44°25'00" DYER POINT LEGEND --- FOOT TRAILS Petit Manan Point VICINITY MAP ~Old Bull 44°23'30" ATLANTIC OCEAN SCA~f IN MIUS ~ar Ledge 67°55'00" 67 53'30" COMPILU) IN THE DIVISION Of REALTY FROM SUIIVEYS BY G,S, Approx, 0_c:::J-==-1.21:0=0===2::4=-0.0___ 3.6.:0=0===4=800 FEET Approx, MEAN DECLINATION 1948 ~q$lON. MASSACHUSETtS JULY 1974 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. GENERAL A. Introduction. .. .. .. • • • • • • • • • • .. • • • .. • .. 1 B. Climatic and Habitat· Conditions· • .. • • • • .. .. ·• • • .. .. 1 C. Land Acquisition. • • .. • • • • • • • • • • • ·• • .. • • .. • 2 D. System Status • lJ • • • .. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 3 II. CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENAN~ A. Construction. · .. .. .. .. .. .. · .. .. 6 B. Maintenance .. .. .. .. .. • • • • 7 c. Wildfire. • • · . .. .. .. .. .. • • • • 10 III. HABITAT MANAGEMENT A. Croplands • • • • .. " • • .. • .. • .. • • • to • • • • • • • 10 B. Grasslands. • • • • .. • .. • • • .. • • .. • • .. .. • • ·.. • • • 10 C. \vetlands. • • • • • .. • .. .. • .. • .. • • • • • • • • • • • 11 D. Forestlands • • • • • .. • • • • • • • .. • • • ·.. .. • • • • .. 11 E. Other Habitat .. • .. • • • • • .. • • • • • • • • .. • .. .. .. 12 F. tiilderness and Special Areas.· • • • .. • .. • .. • • • • • .. 13 Ge Easements for Wa terfOlv1 Management. • .. .. • • • • ·• • • • .. 13 IV. WILDLIFE A. Endangered and Threatened Species " • .. .. .. • • • • .. • • 13 Bo Migratory Birds • • .. • • .. • • .. .. • • • • • .. • • 13 · .. • • c. Mammals and Non-Migratory Birds and Others. • • • • 14 · .. • • V. INTERPRETATION AND RECREATION A. Information and Interpretation. .. .. • .. e • • • · . .. 16 .. .. 18 B. Recreation. · . .. .. • • .. .. • • 0 . c. Enforcement · . .. · . .. .. · . .. • • • • • • 19 VI.. OTHER ITEMS A. Field Investigations. • .. .. • • · • • • .. • • .. • • · • • • 19 B. Cooperative Programs. • • • • • • • .. • 0 • • .. .. • .. • .. • 21 c. Items of Interest • • • • • .. • • .. • • • .. • .. • • • • • • 22 D. Safety. .. • • • .. • .. .' • • • .. .. • • • • ., • • .. .. .. .. .. • 22 APPENDIX Carlton Pond Waterfowl Production Area Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge Franklin Island National Wildlife Refuge Tlvo Bush Island National Wildlife Refuge. • • • • .. • • • • 7 pp I. GENERAL A. Introduction Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge is located in Washington CountYt Maine--the easternmost county of the United States--and is approximately 375 miles northeast of Boston, Massachusetts. The refuge is located in terrain that consists of rolling hills, large ledge outcrops, valleys, streams, lakes, bogs, and marshes. The waters adjoining the Edmunds Unit are tidal with fluctuations of up to 24 feet--the highest tides in the United States except for Cook Inlet, Alaska. Much of the 22,665-acre refuge is timbered, consisting of a cover of second-growth aspen, birch, maple, beech, spruce» fir, and pine. A total of 1,308 acres of managed impoundments exist on the area and range in size from one to 160 acres. Moosehorn is managed primarily for the American woodcock with secondary empha sis on breeding waterfowl. This is the only National Wildlife Refuge where the woodcock is intensively studied and managed. B. Climatic and Habitat Conditions Generally, 1976 can be characterized as colder and wetter than normal. Temperatures in 10 of the 12 months were below normal and the average annual temperature was 3° below normal (40 VB. 43). Only four months recorded sub-zero readings; extreme temperatures recorded were 98° in June and -220 in January. Precipitation totaled 49.68" vs. the normal 45.95"; above-average precipitation occurred during seven months of the year. Snowfall during 1916 totaled 102"; the winter of 1975-16 totaled 107". Average annual snowfall is 94.2". Heavy rainfalls in January and February kept accumulated snow cover much reduced l\Pith fields mostly bare by the end of February. One storm in March dumped 12" of snow on the area t but this did not last more than a few days. Ice began breaking up in the Magurrewock marshes on March 24 and a few ducks and geese appeared. After a day or ~Oj most flow ages and impoundments had open water and waterfowl scattered to these areas. Water levels began to rise by late April and with May's rainfall 25% above normal. much nesting cover in the down stream impoundments--Magurrewock and Barn Meadow--was flooded. Throughout the summer and fall habitat conditions for waterfowl were good as water levels held up well and were better than those of a year ago. Upland habitat for woodcock was in better condition, as well, due to the increased moisture present. In 1975 woodcock were sus pected of hanging their feeding and use patterns because of dry conditions. A return to "normal" seemed to be the rule in 1976. 2. However, habitat-wise, woodcock cover continues to deteriorate as vegetative succession reaches the stage that renders it less use ful each year. It is with this in mind that studies in experimen tal habitat management are now underway (see Section VII). The same thing appears to be the case with the deer habitat in and around the refuge. However, in the case of deer it may be a more complicated problem. Deer populations throughout the county seem to be still on the way downhill or, at least, recovery to higher numbers is very slow. Much of the county is owned by Georgia Pacific and word has it that even in areas they have harvested, deer numbers do not seem to respond to natural regeneration of forest types. On the refuge, we do not have that much regeneration as a result of recent timber harvest. It is obvious that refuge habitat has gone by and is of reduced value to our deer herd. It is doubtful that we will soon be able to restore our herd to levels present 10-15 years ago, partly because one-third of our acreage is in Wilderness and cannot be managed and partly because much of our timber is not now of a merchantable age. Any forest habitat management will be directed at woodcock and, although deer do benefit, the positive impact probably would not be that great. Therefore, it see~ that while habitat is probably the most criti~ eal aspect of our lowered deer population, the problem may well be more widespread than that. C& Land Acquisition 1. Fee Title Not applicable; acquisition program complete. 2fl Easements In preparation for the replacement of the Howard Mill water control structure, it was discovered that some of the ease ment property had not been fully taken care of--several signa tures for the easem~pt deed to Tract 62F-1-2 (Sadie Clark !!!l) apparently nad not been obtained in 1955. Subsequent to that time we had built the large concrete structure and we have been flooding this and other legal easements. There is still no real trouble. but we are apparently flooding land we shouldn't be; it amounts to only a few acres and it probably would not cause much of a problem, except that the Clark family has an internal squabble underway concerning land ownership in the area--undivided interests--and we could end up in the middle. The problem has been pursued and it is anticipated that it will be solved relatively soon as inter ested parties have been located. 3. Other Not applicable. 3. D. System Status Moosehorn is the only unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System whose primary objective is the study and management of the Ameri can woodcock. Secondary emphasis is placed on waterfowl manage ment, particularly as a breeding area for such species as black duck and ring-necked duck. Habitat for both categories of migra tory birds is unique--different from the wide expanse of marshes typical of the usual waterfowl refuge. Moosehorn is forested and sprinkled with bogs, flowages, streams, pockets and stretches of upland cover and, therefore, generally typical of northeastern United States and Maritime Canada wildlife habitato While our resource planning is slanted toward those species and their singu lar habitat requirements, our