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Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Suffolk, Virginia Annual

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Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Suffolk, Virginia Annual Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Suffolk, Virginia Annual Narrative Report Calendar Year 1998 I) S Department of Interior Fish and Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge System REVIEW AND APPROVALS GREAT DISMAL SWAMP NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Suffolk, Virginia ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT Calendar Year 1998 INTRODUCTION The Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), located in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina, was established in 1974 when Union Camp Corporation donated 49,100 acres to the Nature Conservancy which then conveyed the area to the Department of the Interior. The refuge now incorporates over 109,000 acres within the cities of Suffolk and Chesapeake, Virginia and the counties of Camden, Gates, and Pasquotank, North Carolina. It is the largest refuge that is administered within Region 5. The refuge is composed of forested wetlands that have been greatly altered by drainage and repeated logging operations. Lake DrUmmond, a 3,100 acre lake, is located in the heart of the swamp and is one of two natural lakes in Virginia (the other is Mountain Lake in the western part of the state). The primary purpose of the refuge can be traced to two public laws. The Dismal Swamp Study Act of 1972 (Public Law 92-478) authorized a study to determine the feasibility and desirability of protecting the Great Dismal Swamp and the Dismal Swamp Canal. The resulting study basically recommended establishment of the refuge, created several areas of management emphasis which have become refuge purposes, and directed that use of the Dismal Swamp Canal would not adversely affect the refuge. Human occupation of the Great Dismal Swamp began nearly 13,000 years ago. By 1650, few native Americans remained in the area, and European settlers showed little interest in the swamp. In 1665, William Drummond, a governor of North Carolina, discovered th lake which now bears his name. William Byrd II led a surveying party into the swamp to draw a dividing line between Virginia and North Carolina in 1728. George Washington first visited the swamp in 1763 and organized the Dismal Swamp Land Company that was involved in draining and logging portions of the swamp. A five mile ditch on the west side of the refuge still bears his name. Logging activities within the swamp proved to be commercially successful, and regular logging operations continued as late as 1976. The entire swamp has been logged at least once, and many areas have been burned by periodic wildfires. Presently, refuge staff are in the early phases of implementing various habitat management techniques, primarily directed at forest and water management, in an attempt to restore and protect the natural diversity of the Great Dismal Swamp. Most of these activities are still basically experimental, for many unknown factors related to the swamp's environment and responses to various habitat management techniques still exist. TABLE OF CONTENTS A. HIGHLIGHTS 1 B. CLIMATIC CONDITIONS 1 C. LAND ACQUISITION 2 1. Fee Title 2 2. Easements 3 3. Other NTR D . PLANNING 5 1. Master Planning NTR 2. Management Plans 5 3. Public Participation NTR 4. Compliance with Environmental and Cultural Resource Mandates NTR 5. Research and Investigations 5 6. Other , NTR E. ADMINISTRATION 7 1. Personnel 7 2. Youth Programs NTR 3. Other Manpower Programs NTR 4. Volunteer Program 8 5. Funding 8 6. Safety 9 7. Technical Assistance NTR 8. Other 9 F. HABITAT MANAGEMENT 10 1. General 10 2. Wetlands 12 3 . Forests 13 4. Croplands NTR 5. Grasslands NTR 6. Other Habitats NTR 7. Grazing NTR 8 . Haying NTR 9. Fire Management 13 10. Pest Control NTR 11. Water Rights NTR 12. Wilderness and Special Area 13 13 . WPA Easement Monitoring NTR G. WILDLIFE 15 1. Wildlife Diversity 15 2. Endangered and/or Threatened Species 15 3. Waterfowl 15 4. Marsh and Water Birds 17 5. Shorebirds, Gulls, Terns and Allied Species . NTR 6 . Raptors NTR 7. Other Migratory Birds 17 8. Game Mammals 17 9. Marine Mammals NTR 10. Other Resident Wildlife 18 11. Fisheries Resources NTR 12. Wildlife Propagation and Stocking NTR 13. Surplus Animal Disposal NTR 14. Scientific Collections NTR 15. Animal Control NTR 16. Marking and Banding NTR 17. Disease Prevention and Control NTR H. PUBLIC USE 18 1. General 18 2. Outdoor Classrooms - Students 18 3. Outdoor Classrooms - Teachers 18 4. Interpretive Foot Trails 19 5. Interpretive Tour Routes NTR 6. Interpretive Exhibits/Demonstrations NTR 7. Other Interpretive Programs 19 8. Hunting 19 9. Fishing 2 0 10. Trapping NTR 11. Wildlife Observation 21 12. Other Wildlife Oriented Recreation 21 13. Camping 22 14. Picnicking NTR 15. Off-Road Vehicling NTR 16. Other Non-Wildlife Oriented Recreation 22 17. Law Enforcement 22 18. Cooperating Associations 24 19. Concessions NTR I. EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES 25 1. New Construction NTR 2. Rehabilitation NTR 3. Major Maintenance 25 4. Equipment Utilization and Replacement 25 5. Communications Systems NTR 6. Computer Systems NTR 7. Energy Conservation NTR 8. Other NTR J. OTHER ITEMS 25 1. Cooperative Programs 25 2. Other Economic Uses NTR 3. Items of Interest 27 4 . Credits 27 L. INFORMATION PACKET Inside.Back Cover A. HIGHLIGHTS Using Migratory Bird Conservation Act funds, the refuge was expanded by 1827 acres after years of inactivity. (Section C.l) 1280 acres of pocosin habitat were maintained by burning, creating quite a stir in Norfolk. (Section F.9) Approximately 110 aces of mature pine understory was burned. (Section F.9) The refuge worked with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, other ecosystem team members (Roanoke-Tar-Neuse- Cape Fear), and stakeholders to address human-bear interaction issues. (Section J.l) Refuge staff continued to participate on the Roanoke-Tar- Neuse-Cape Fear ecosystem team and various committees. (Section J.l) B. CLIMATIC CONDITIONS 1998 Weather Data* 30 Year % Temp. Extremes Avg. Month Rainfall Averacre diff Max Min Temo January 5 . 83 3 . 64 +60 75 16 47 February 8.2 3.65 + 125 69 22 47 March 3 .81 3 . 95 - 3 86 20 52 April 3 .91 3.76 + 4 83 30 60 May 3 . 51 3 . 98 -12 94 41 69 June 2 .88 4 .49 -36 97 41 76 July 5 . 70 6.73 -15 100 52 76 August 4.35 5 . 92 -26 96 50 73 September 3.29 4.37 - 8 95 39 67 October 2 . 2 3 .20 -31 90 31 61 November 1. 79 3.45 -45 77 25 51 December 5 . 52 3 .28 +68 81 18 49 TOTAL 50 . 99 50 .42 + 1 100 16 61 *Weather data from Remote Access Weather Station located on west side of refuge. Rainfall in 1998 was extremely close to normal in total for the year, but unusually high in the winter. It tended to be lower than normal in the spring and summer months, but never approached drought conditions. The high temperature of 100 1 degrees Fahrenheit was in July this year. In 1997, the highest temperature of the year occurred in late June. June and July had the same average temperature. The net effect was good hydrologic recharge in the winter up until evapotranspiration began in the early spring. At that point, the rainfall began dropping off. The last freeze was in April as usual, and the first one in October. C. LAND ACQUISITION 1. Fee Title The refuge incorporates 108,835 acres within the following cities and counties in Virginia and North Carolina: Chesapeake (VA) 48,391 acres Suffolk (VA) 35,632 acres Gates County (NC) 11,841 acres Camden County (NC) 9,099 acres Pasquotank County (NC) 3,872 acres At long last, the refuge was able to pick up some land. Migratory Bird Conservation Act funds purchased 1827 acres on the northeast corner of the refuge in Chesapeake, Virginia. The willing seller had been offering the property for several years. This tract will provide wood duck habitat, neotropical migratory bird habitat, and provide a very important buffer for the North Ditch Bog area, where as many as 18 bald eagles have been counted roosting at one time. Using the Clean Water Act, Section 404 Mitigation Trust Fund, The Nature Conservancy purchased ten acres of the Bruff Tract (Tract 67) for the refuge. The parcel is immediately south of the Railroad Ditch. The transfer to the Service is expected to take place in 1999. Refuge staff and volunteers removed old fencing and developed the restoration plan. Water monitoring units were installed. Willing sellers continued to contact the refuge for updates on the progress of the land acquisition program. Unfortunately, no progress was made in obtaining acquisition funds, despite the efforts of Senator Warner and Senator Robb of Virginia to pursue funding for the refuge. The tracts that have been offered and are still available are as follows: A. Hitch (Tract 14c, acres) : This tract borders the northeastern refuge boundary (Tracts 10, 14) . It 2 consists of primarily maple/gum forested wetlands. Portions of this tract was logged in 1996. The City of Chesapeake's road master plan would eventually place a road that would affect this tract. B. N.B. Brothers (Tract 65, 200+ acres) : Consists of young stands of maple/gum forested wetlands within Suffolk. C. White Estate (Tract 21c, 400 acres) : The late Moses White had apparently specified his desire to sell this North Carolina parcel, located in Gates County along Highway 158, to the refuge. D. Bruff (tract 67, 20 acres) : The Nature Conservancy closed on 10 of the 20 acres early in the year. It will likely be transferred to the Service in 1999. The Gambardella tract, adjacent to the Washington Ditch entrance, has not been offered to the Service, but is within the acquisition boundary.
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