BOGUE CHITTO NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE St
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
DRAFT COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION PLAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT BOGUE CHITTO NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE St. Tammany and Washington Parishes, Louisiana, and Pearl River County, Mississippi U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region Atlanta, Georgia May 2011 Bogue Chitto National Wildlife Refuge TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION A. DRAFT COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION PLAN I. BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................................. 1 Purpose And Need For The Plan ................................................................................................. 1 Fish and Wildlife Service .............................................................................................................. 1 National Wildlife Refuge System .................................................................................................. 3 Legal and Policy Context .............................................................................................................. 5 National and International Conservation Plans and Initiatives ..................................................... 6 Relationship to State Wildlife Agency ........................................................................................... 7 II. REFUGE OVERVIEW ........................................................................................................................ 9 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 9 Bogue Chitto Refuge History and Purpose ...................................................................................9 Special Designations .................................................................................................................. 12 Landscape Conservation Context ..............................................................................................13 Regional Conservation Plans and Initiatives ..............................................................................16 Ecological Threats and Problems ............................................................................................... 18 Forest Loss and Fragmentation ........................................................................................18 Alterations To Hydrology ...................................................................................................19 Climate Change ................................................................................................................ 19 Urbanization ...................................................................................................................... 21 Proliferation of Invasive Plants And Animals .....................................................................21 Physical Resources .................................................................................................................... 22 Current Climate ................................................................................................................. 22 Geology and Topography ..................................................................................................22 Hydrology an d Water Quality ...........................................................................................23 Air Quality ..........................................................................................................................23 Biological Resources .................................................................................................................. 24 Habitat ............................................................................................................................... 24 Wildlife ............................................................................................................................... 26 Cultural and Historic Resources ................................................................................................. 29 Socioeconomic Environment ...................................................................................................... 30 St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana ........................................................................................30 Washington Parish ............................................................................................................32 Pearl River County, Mississippi .........................................................................................33 Refuge Administration and Management ...................................................................................34 Land Protection and Conservation ....................................................................................34 Visitor Services ................................................................................................................. 34 Personnel, Operations, and Maintenance .........................................................................35 III. PLAN DEVELOPMENT .................................................................................................................. 39 Summary of Issues, Concerns, and Opportunities .....................................................................39 Fish and Wildlife Population Management ........................................................................39 Habitat Management .........................................................................................................39 Resource Protection ..........................................................................................................40 Visitor Services ................................................................................................................. 41 Table of Contents i IV. MANAGEMENT DIRECTION ........................................................................................................ 45 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 45 Alternatives For Managing Bogue Chitto NWR .......................................................................... 45 Vision for Bogue Chitto NWR ..................................................................................................... 45 Goals, Objectives, and Strategies for Bogue Chitto NWR ......................................................... 46 Fish and Wildlife Population Management........................................................................ 46 Habitat Management......................................................................................................... 58 Resource Protection ......................................................................................................... 62 Visitor Services ................................................................................................................. 67 Refuge Administration ...................................................................................................... 73 V. PLAN IMPLEMENTATION ............................................................................................................ 77 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 77 Proposed Projects ...................................................................................................................... 77 Fish and Wildlife Population Management........................................................................ 77 Habitat Management......................................................................................................... 80 Resource Protection ......................................................................................................... 81 Visitor Services ................................................................................................................. 83 Refuge Administration ...................................................................................................... 84 Funding and Personnel .............................................................................................................. 85 Partnership/Volunteer Opportunities .......................................................................................... 86 Step-Down Management Plans .................................................................................................. 87 Monitoring and Adaptive Management ....................................................................................... 87 Plan Review and Revision.......................................................................................................... 88 SECTION B. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT I. BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................... 89 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 89 Purpose and Need for Action ..................................................................................................... 89 Decision Framework................................................................................................................... 90 Planning Study Area .................................................................................................................