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The Proposed Assateague Wilderness: Building Blocks for the Wilderness Character

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The Proposed Assateague Wilderness: Building Blocks for the Wilderness Character Appendix A Bill Thompson/USFWS American Black Duck The Proposed Assateague Wilderness: Building Blocks for the Wilderness Character Monitoring Report Appendix A May 2014 2012 U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service U.S. National Park Service Taryn Sudol Wilderness Fellow [THE PROPOSED ASSATEAGUE ISLAND WILDERNESS] Building Blocks for the Wilderness Character Monitoring Report A-1 Chincoteague and Wallops Island National Wildlife Refuges CCP/EIS Appendix A May 2014 Executive Summary The Assateague barrier island off the Maryland and Virginia mainland is managed, in part, by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge (CNWR), the U.S. National Park Service as the Assateague Island National Seashore (ASIS), and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources as Assateague State Park. Federal and state protection of this island provides a wildlife sanctuary, especially for shorebirds and migratory birds, and recreational opportunities for a high number of visitors. In response to the Wilderness Act, 1964, the entire island was reviewed to see which areas still possessed primeval characteristics. As a result, the central 6,500 acres of Assateague Island was proposed as wilderness in 1974, but has yet to receive designation. Until such a Congressional decision is made, ASIS and CNWR manage the area to preserve its wilderness character. An evaluation of the current land status will set a 2012 baseline for wilderness character and support a plan for monitoring long-term trends. An interagency team, representing the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and Bureau of Land Management (BLM), developed a guide for wilderness character monitoring. This national strategy is described in the 2008 “Keeping It Wild: An Interagency Strategy to Monitor Trends in Wilderness Character across the national Wilderness Preservation System” publication, and will be followed herein. The purpose of this document is to describe a wilderness character monitoring program for the proposed Assateague Island wilderness. The designed 33 measures are largely consistent for both ASIS and CNWR. They were developed with ASIS and CNWR staff as well as outside USFWS and NPS guidance. They are composed of readily available data such as field surveys, management policies, documented uses, and professional judgment. First, the setting of the proposed wilderness is described, including current boundary descriptions, the island’s ecology, a legislative history and refuge and park purposes. Second, a wilderness narrative expresses what makes the proposed Island Wilderness special. Third, the process for developing these measures is explained. Fourth, the wilderness character hierarchy is expanded upon to provide context for the fifth section, the Measures. This section describes the suite of proposed measures, such as their relevance to wilderness character, how the data is collected, and 2012 data. This section also includes measures under development and those measures considered but ultimately dismissed as not functional. Lastly, concluding thoughts are given on the proposed monitoring program and continuing issues. In effect, this document provides a 2012 baseline assessment and describes the wilderness character monitoring program for the proposed Assateague Island wilderness. 2 | P a g e A-2 Chincoteague and Wallops Island National Wildlife Refuges CCP/EIS Appendix A May 2014 Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................................................. 2 Section 1. Setting of the Assateague Island Wilderness ......................................................................................................... 5 1.1 Geographic setting: Current Land Status, Boundary Description and Map .................................................................. 5 1.2 Ecological setting .......................................................................................................................................................... 8 1.3 History of land status, legislation, and establishing the wilderness ............................................................................. 9 1.4 Refuge and Park purposes ............................................................................................................................................ 9 1.5 Significant resources and values ................................................................................................................................. 10 Section 2. Wilderness Character Narrative ........................................................................................................................... 11 UNTRAMMELED ................................................................................................................................................................ 11 NATURAL ........................................................................................................................................................................... 13 UNDEVELOPED .................................................................................................................................................................. 14 SOLITUDE OR PRIMITIVE AND UNCONFINED RECREATION .............................................................................................. 15 OTHER FEATURES OF THE WILDERNESS............................................................................................................................ 16 Section 3. Resources and Process ......................................................................................................................................... 17 3.1 Documents Consulted ................................................................................................................................................. 17 3.2 Assateague NS and Chincoteague NWR Staff Consulted ............................................................................................ 17 3.3 Process Used For Identifying Measures ...................................................................................................................... 18 Section 4. Framework For Wilderness Character Monitoring .............................................................................................. 19 Section 5. Measurements ..................................................................................................................................................... 21 5.1 Natural ........................................................................................................................................................................ 21 5.2 Untrammeled .............................................................................................................................................................. 28 5.3 Undeveloped ............................................................................................................................................................... 31 5.4 Solitude or Primitive and Unconfined Recreation ...................................................................................................... 40 5.5 Other Features ............................................................................................................................................................ 46 5.6 Measures under Development ................................................................................................................................... 47 5.7 Measures Not Used ..................................................................................................................................................... 49 Section 6. Issues and Conclusion .......................................................................................................................................... 50 Appendix A. Wilderness Act .................................................................................................................................................. 51 Appendix B. Worksheet to Prioritize Measures .................................................................................................................... 55 Appendix C. Summary of Measures ...................................................................................................................................... 69 Appendix D. Effort ................................................................................................................................................................. 75 Appendix E. Actions –Detailed .............................................................................................................................................. 81 Appendix F. List of Authorized Developments ...................................................................................................................... 82 3 | P a g e A-3 Chincoteague and Wallops Island National Wildlife Refuges CCP/EIS Appendix A May 2014 Appendix G. Authorized motorized vehicles, mechanical transport and motorized equipment –Detailed ........................ 84 4 | P a g e A-4 Chincoteague and Wallops Island National Wildlife Refuges CCP/EIS Appendix A May 2014 Section 1. Setting of the Assateague Island Wilderness 1.1 Geographic setting: Current Land Status, Boundary Description and Map The proposed Assateague Island Wilderness is located on
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