MONTEZUMA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
SENECA FALLS, NEW YORK
'ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT
CALENDAR YEAR 1990
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM REVIEW AND APPROVALS
MONTEZUMA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
Seneca Falls, New York
ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT
Calendar Year 1990
Aug 03/01/91 C fyge Manage Date Refuge Supervisor Review Date
Regional Off^zfe App;n6val Date INTRODUCTION
Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge is located at the north end of Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State. The refuge contains 6,432 acres and is situated in Seneca County. The refuge is 35 miles west of Syracuse, 40 miles north of Ithaca, and 45 miles east of Rochester. Land was initially acquired under Executive Order 7971, dated September 12, 1938. The purpose of the acquisition was; "...as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife...". For other lands acquired under the Migratory Bird Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 715-715r), as amended, the purpose of acquisition was: "...for use as an inviolate sanctuary, or for any other management purpose, for migratory birds".
Proposed objectives for the refuge are as follows;
1. Maintain and, when possible, enhance resting, feeding, and nesting habitat for migratory waterfowl and other migratory waterbirds.
2. Provide resting, feeding, and nesting habitats for bald eagles and ospreys (a state-designated threatened species).
3. Within constraints imposed by the two objectives above, efforts shall be made to provide adequate habitat diversification to permit the presence of self-sustaining communities and populations of other life forms that are typical of central New York State.
4. Provide opportunities for public wildlife education and enjoyment when these opportunities are compatible with the above objectives and the reasons for the area's establishment. LAND TYPE INVENTORY
LAND CLASSIFICATION ACRES % OF TOTAL
Wetland Types:.
Riverine 42 .7 Palustrine 3,600 56.0
Upland Types
Grassland 560 8.7 Woodland 2,000 31.1 Brush 170 2. 6 Administrative Lands (Bldgs., Parking, Roads etc.) 60 9
TOTAL REFUGE ACRES 6,432 100.0
Fall peaks of Canada geese approximate 50,000 birds; in spring this number has exceeded 100,000. Approximately 15,000 snow geese use the refuge in spring. Late fall use by mallards has annually approached or exceeded 100,000 birds. Use by American black ducks in the fall often reaches 25,000. Approximately 1,400 ducks and geese are produced annually.
Use of the refuge by other water-related avian species is significant. Bald eagles have been common at Montezuma since the hacking program was discontinued in 1980. They have been resident on the refuge since 1986, and first mated in 1987. Eagles have successfully nested on the refuge for three of the last four years, producing five young. One pair of osprey generally nest each year, a rare occurrence for the interior of New York. There are also nesting colonies of black-crowned night-herons and great blue herons.
Wildlife education opportunities abound for refuge visitors. Approximately 175,000 persons visit the refuge annually. In addition to a stop at the Visitor Center, visitors may drive the 3.5 mile auto tour route or walk dike trails or the Esker Brook Nature Trail. Some 3,400 area school students are annual recipients of formal on-site and off-site wildlife education programs by trained teachers, volunteers, or refuge staff. Many teachers are involved each year in refuge- affiliated workshops. i
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INTRODUCTION PAGE
TABLE OF CONTENTS i
A. HIGHLIGHTS
B. CLIMATIC CONDITIONS
C. LAND ACQUISITION
1. Fee Title Nothing to Report 2. Easements 3 3. Other Nothing to Report
D. PLANNING
1. Master Plan Nothing to Report 2. Management Plans 4 3. Public Participation 4 4. Compliance with Environmental and Cultural Resource Mandates 5 5. Research and Investigation 7 6. Other Nothing to Report
E. ADMINISTRATION
1. Personnel 11 2. Youth Programs 12 3. Other Manpower Programs Nothing to Report 4. Volunteer Program 13 5. Funding 15 6. Safety 16 7. Technical Assistance 18 8. Other Items 26
F. HABITAT MANAGEMENT
1. General 3 0 2. Wetlands 3 0 3. Forests 3 3 4. Croplands Nothing to Report 5. Grasslands 34 6. Other Habitats 3 5 7. Grazing Nothing to Report ii
F. HABITAT MANAGEMENT (Continued)
8. Haying Nothing to Report 9. Fire Management 36 10. Pest Control 3 6 11. Water Rights Nothing to Report 12. Wilderness and Special Areas 38 13. WPA Easement Monitoring Nothing to Report
G. WILDLIFE
1. Wildlife Diversity 39 2. Endangered and/or Threatened Species 3 9 3. Waterfowl 44 4. Marsh and Water Birds 46 5. Shorebirds, Gulls, Terns, and Allied Species. ... 47 6. Raptors 48 7. Other Migratory Birds 48 8. Game Mammals 49 9. Marine Mammals Nothing to Report 10. Other Resident Wildlife 53 11. Fisheries Resource Nothing to Report 12. Wildlife Propagation and Stocking Nothing to Report 13. Surplus Animal Disposal Nothing to Report 14. Scientific Collections 53 15. Animal Control 53 16. Marking and Banding 54 17. Disease Prevention and Control 55
H. PUBLIC USE
1. General ; 57 2. Outdoor Classrooms - Students 57 3. Outdoor Classrooms - Teachers 60 4. Interpretive Foot Trails 60 5. Interpretive Tour Route 61 6. Interpretive Exhibits/Demonstrations 61 7. Other Interpretive Programs 62 8. Hunting 63 9. Fishing 66 10. Trapping Nothing to Report 11. Wildlife Observation 66 12. Other Wildlife Oriented Recreation Nothing to Report 13. Camping Nothing to Report 14. Picnicking Nothing to Report 15. Off-Road Vehicling Nothing to Report Ill
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H. PUBLIC USE (Continued)
16. Other Non-Wildlife Oriented Recreation 66 17. Law Enforcement 66 18. Cooperating Associations Nothing to Report 19. Concessions Nothing to Report
I. EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES
1. New Construction 68 2. Rehabilitation 72 3. Major Maintenance 74 4. Equipment Utilization and Replacement 77 5. Communications System 78 6. Computer Systems 78 7. Energy Conservation 78 8. Other Nothing to Report
J. OTHER ITEMS
1. Cooperative Programs Nothing to Report 2. Other Economic Uses 8 0 3. Items of Interest 8 0 4. Credits 88
K. FEEDBACK - Page 89
L. INFORMATIONAL PACKET
(Inside Back Cover) 1
A. HIGHLIGHTS
Refuge staff assisted the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) staff with ten public information sessions and formal hearings (and numerous public appearances) regarding the Northern Montezuma Wetlands Acquisition (NOMOWET) Joint Venture.
The refuge provided office space and other support to three NYSDEC senior biologists and biological technicians who worked on NOMOWET.
The Cayuga Lake connector moved closer to completion when contractors drove four 48-inch pipes underneath U.S./N.Y.S. Routes 5 and 20 and installed a large water control structure in Unit 17.
Maintenance Mechanics from Montezuma, Presquile, Iroquois, and Long Island Complex NWR's worked for two 60-hour weeks on the lake connector ditch.
Tenneco lowered their 24-inch and 30-inch natural gas transmission lines and Consolidated Natural Gas lowered their 12-inch line to allow the lake connector project to proceed.
Refuge staff spent several weeks in St. Lawrence County and other locations throughout upstate New York in support of Farm Bill and private lands initiative wetlands restorations.
Significant support was provided to NYSDEC engineers in support of their efforts to handle a proposed 127-foot heighth increase by Seneca Meadows Landfill.
The refuge eagle "trio" hatched and fledged two young in Tschache Pool.
Governor Cuomo appointed a 26-member Central New York State - Finger Lakes Flooding Advisory Board; the Refuge Manager is a member and technical advisor.
Significant assistance was provided to Congressmen Horton and Walsh, U.S. Senator D'Amato, New York State Senator Keogh, the New York State Secretary of State, and a number of other elected officials regarding NOMOWET, regional flooding, the landfill, and other issues. 2 r B. CLIMATIC CONDITIONS
Weather data are obtained from a weather station at refuge headquarters, and also from nearby Locks 1 and 25 of the New York State Barge Canal System.
The year began and ended with a continuation of the warmer than normal conditions that have prevailed the past few years. However, the weather for 1990 was really dominated by precipitation, not temperature. Three months, February, April, and May, had double the normal amount of precipitation, and October rains totalled three times normal. June was the only month where precipitation was less than expected. Precipitation for the year totalled 48.34 inches: 65.37 inches of snow and 41.23 inches of rain, 14.1 inches more overall than the long-term average.
Not surprisingly, we had four distinct flood periods during the year, causing carp infestations into our pools and making for very difficult water level management. Each flood event takes a long time to discharge due to the "flat" nature of the Seneca River downstream of the refuge; thus, a heavy two-to-three day rainfall can affect our management for several weeks.
Water levels during the summer were stable due to normal rainfall and the expected hot and humid temperatures.
Monthly precipitation and temperatures for the year are summarized in the table below:
1990 PRECIPITATION
Total 38-Year 47-Year Snowfall Rain Prec. Temp (XF) Average Average Month (Inches) (Inches) (Inches) Max Min Snowfall Prec.
January 13.50 .55 2.27 56 12 16.64 2.04 February 16.50 2.94 4.67 54 -6 16.52 2.32 March 4.50 2.05 2.51 82 2 9.19 2.76 Apr i I 8.50 3.56 4.75 94 24 2.74 2.16 May 6.42 6.42 84 32 .01 3.37 June 1.65 1.65 94 38 3.12 July 4.52 4.52 98 50 3.41 August 2.46 2.46 92 50 3.23 September 2.84 2.84 86 34 2.98 October 6.95 6.95 84 24 1.90 3.29 November 5.37 3.02 3.51 74 20 4.76 3.38 December 17.00 4.27 5.79 61 6 15.32 2.18
TOTALS 65.37 41.23 48.34 98 -6 67.08 34.24 3
C. LAND ACQUISITION
2. Easements .
The Refuge Manager at Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge has been designated as the Easement Manager when interest in lands is conveyed to the Service for inclusion into the National Wildlife Refuge System by the Farmers* Home Administration (FmHA) under provisions of the Food Security Adt of 1985 (Farm Bill). This responsibility includes all lands in New York. The Cortland Fish and Wildlife Enhance ment (FWE) Field Office is responsible for recommending the conservation easement and assisting the easement manager in establishing administration of the easement. Conservation easements are the result of placing restrictions on existing wetlands on FmHA inventory properties.
In New York, the Service has requested that conservation easements be placed on 90 FmHA inventory properties totalling 2,738 acres. The easements range in size from one acre to 200 acres, and are located in 27 counties across the state. The average easement is slightly larger than 30 acres in size.
The Service has asked for formal fee title transfer on six of the 90 properties identified for conservation easements. The names of the six properties, acreage requested for fee title transfer, and property locations are as follows:
1. Spengler 180 Acres Cattaraugus County 2. Pollock 160 Acres Franklin County 3. MacDougal 80 Acres Steuben County 4. Davis 152 Acres St. Lawrence County 5. Fellion 82 Acres St. Lawrence County 6. Harris 200 Acres St. Lawrence County 4
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D. PLANNING
2. Management Plans
The following plans were written, revised, or approved during 1990:
Plan Submitted Revised Approved
Public Use 3/26/90 4/13/90
Safety 9/12/90
Hazard Communication Plan (prepared for station review/use only)
Fire Dispatch Plan 11/26/90 12/20/90
Oil and Hazardous Materials Pollution Contingency Plan 10/26/90 1/3/91
3. Public Participation
On February 13, Hocutt addressed 25 members of the Seneca Falls Chamber of Commerce about the water connector between Cayuga Lake and the refuge's Main Pool. Apparently, fears of catastrophe had been aroused by allegations against the project by the Cross Lake - Seneca River Association. We were able to allay their fears and secure their support — as well as set them thinking about the Association's recommendation to lower lake levels by 1-2 feet in Cayuga and Seneca Lakes.
On May 8th, Hocutt addressed 50 members of the Seneca Falls Rotary Club regarding the water connector to Cayuga Lake and it's anticipated benefits to refuge habitats.
On June 1st, Hocutt was invited by Congressman Frank Horton to attend his address to the Seneca County Chamber of Commerce in Seneca Falls. Four of Mr. Horton's staffers also were present. Mr. Horton addressed the 80 or so attendees about current Washington happenings. He asked Hocutt to speak for five minutes about the Northern Montezuma Project and the upcoming informational sessions and hearings. Colonel Frank Cochran, Commanding Officer of the Seneca Army Depot, also spoke for five minutes about safety programs and concerns over press reports about the safety of nuclear artillery warheads allegedly stored on the depot. The session was covered by area media. 5
On June 6, Hocutt served as keynote speaker to the annual Seventh District (Buffalo to Syracuse) Convention of the NYS Federation of Garden Clubs. Over 200 women heard the 30- minute address, about wetlands, the Northern Montezuma Project, the refuge, and citizens' responsibilities for wildlife habitats.
On August 27, Hocutt hosted 15 delegates of the Cayuga County Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs. Discussed were topics ranging from 1990 hunting seasons to user fees to a Idck of responsiveness of some clubs in support of NOMOWET expansion.
On November 3, Hocutt and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Senior Wildlife Biologist Wes Stiles jointly addressed the annual statewide meeting of chapters of The Nature Conservancy. Hocutt addressed "Stewardship and Accountability", while Stiles updated the group about NOMOWET. One hundred eighty persons attended the meeting at the Holiday Inn in Auburn, New York. Hocutt later led a field trip into Unit 17 for about 65 TNC members.
Please see Section E.8. for the refuge's role in public participation aspects of the Northern Montezuma Wetlands Acquisition Proposal.
4. Compliance With Environmental and Cultural Resource Mandates
In both 1988 and 1989, the refuge prepared Section 7 Evaluations for winter drawdowns of refuge pools. Peter Nye, Endangered Species Program Coordinator for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, requested the evaluations to assess the impact of the drawdowns on the three adult bald eagles that have established a nesting territory encompassing the Tschache Pool area of the refuge. The drawdowns were initiated to reduce extremely high carp populations in refuge pools. We concluded, and Mr. Nye agreed, that the drawdowns in both 1988 and 1989 would have little, if any, impact upon the eagles. It was determined that some fish would remain available in the pools after the drawdowns to supply food for foraging bald eagles. Fish would also be available in the river and canal system bordering refuge pools, and in the nearby Finger Lakes.
Based upon our experiences in 1988 and 1989, a less formal consultation process was followed in 1990 in anticipation of a winter drawdown of both Main and Tschache Pools. Refuge staff, together with Mr. Nye, agreed that the proposed drawdowns would have little adverse impact on the bald eagles. Past experience has shown that abundant food 6 sources will remain for the eagles during and after the drawdowns.
Beginning in late 1989 and continuing through early 1990, the refuge submitted joint state and federal wetlands permit applications for three separate projects on the refuge. Application materials were prepared and submitted to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The three proposed projects, date of permit applications, and brief project descriptions follow;
1. Rehabilitation Of Existing Channels And Ditches Within The Main And May's Point Pools (October 6, 1989); dredge approximately 52,800 feet of existing channels and ditches within the Main and May's Point Pools. The displaced material, approximately 156,450 cubic yards of "muck", will be side cast onto adjacent dikes, surrounding vegetation, and adjacent mudflats. The work will be accomplished by utilizing a "cookie cutter" dredge.
2. Willow Pond Wetland Creation (January 24, 1990); creation of approximately two to three acres of seasonal wetland adjacent to the Main Pool. The Project will entail placement of an 18-foot long by 5-foot wide low-head ditch plug in an existing drainage ditch. Construction of the ditch plug will require placement of approximately 10 cubic yards of fill and will create a two to three-acre seasonal wetland by impounding precipitation and surface runoff.
3. Benning Marsh Restoration (February 21, 1990); restoration of approximately ten acres of emergent (open water) marsh adjacent to the Main Pool. The proposal entails construction of a 1,400-foot low-head dike, which in conjunction with existing topography will impound ten acres of water. A 12-inch corrugated metal pipe (CMP) stoplog structure will be installed in the low-head dike to replace an existing deteriorated structure. The new stoplog structure will replace an existing ditch which currently drains the site.
Each of the three permit proposals became, in turn, controversial when the Cross Lake-Seneca River Association (1,200 members strong) formally objected to our proposals. The Association attempted to embroil the refuge (and our permit applications) in politically-motivated bickering over seasonal high water and nuisance flooding affecting homeowners on Cross Lake who have built directly in the floodplain. Future site of Benning Marsh. The planned low-head dike will cross the width of the area just before the trees. (90-1; BLC).
After prolonged delays, repeated written Congressional and other responses to ludicrous charges by the Cross Lake Group, and much frustration, the necessary State and Corps Permits were issued. The Cookie Cutter permits were issued in June, the Willow Pond Wetland Permits were issued in late March (Corps permit was nationwide) and early April, and the Benning Marsh permits were issued in late September (Corps) and late November (State):
Once again, we discovered that the wetlands permitting process can very easily become a vehicle for political gamesmanship and a soapbox for special interest groups. Unfortunately there are no winners in the current process and the biggest losers are, as always, the wildlife resource and the habitats we are charged with protecting.
5. Research and Investigations
Work was started on one study during 1990.
Montezuma NR90 - "Increasing The Nesting Productivity of Wood Ducks" (52550-21).
Dr. Paul W. Sherman (Section of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University) initiated a systematic investigation of 8 the effects of nest box proximity and visibility on brood parasitism (dump nesting), nesting efficiency, and productivity of wood ducks. The goal is to more rigorously test a hypothesis (developed during previous studies and supported by preliminary data) that nest boxes hidden in the woods near brood habitat are less often parasitized and produce more ducklings per egg laid in them than highly- visible boxes located over open water (singly or in groups). Based on the results, specific management recommendations will be made regarding the future placement of nest boxes at Montezuma and elsewhere. The objective of Sherman's research is to find a more cost-effective way to use the thousands of wood duck nest boxes that are presently scattered all over the U.S. to enhance the birds' nesting productivity.
Wood duck nest boxes will be erected in three configurations: visible isolated, visible clumped, and well-hidden. The boxes will be monitored over three breeding seasons (1991-1993), and the following data will be recorded for each configuration: percent box use, clutch sizes, numbers of dump nests, nesting efficiency, and hatching success. At present there are about 100 boxes in use at Montezuma, the majority of which fall into the visible isolated or visible clumped categories. Approximately 30 boxes will be moved so they fit into the well-hidden category.
At the end of the three-year study period, enough information should be available to accept or reject the hypothesis that nest box proximity and visibility increase dump nesting in Montezuma wood ducks and decrease their per capita productivity. Information gathered during the three- year study should place the Refuge Manager in a position to make prudent and justifiable recommendations for managing healthy, growing wood duck populations. 9
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E. ADMINISTRATION
Front Row (L to R): 1, 5, 6, 3, 10 Back Row (L to R): 9, 12, 1, 8, 2, 11 (90-2; KSC)
PERMANENT PERSONNEL
1. Grady E. Hocutt Refuge Manager, GS-12, PFT 2. Barrett L. Christenson Refuge Manager, GS-11, PFT 3. J. Frederick Caslick..Outdoor Rec. Planner, GS-11, PFT (Transferred from Portland Regional Office, 8/26/90) 4. Kimberly A. Johnson...Outdoor Rec. Planner, GS-09, PFT (Transferred to Parker River NWR, 2/17/90) 5. Tracy A. Gingrich Biologist, GS-09, PFT 6. Judith A. McMahon Fiscal Assistant, GS-06, PFT 7. Nancy J. Estes Clerk/Typist, GS-03, PPT 8. Steven L. Flanders....Maintenance Mechanic, WG-10, PFT 9. Melvin J. Norsen Maintenance Mechanic, WG-09, PFT 10. Maura J. Sheehan Refuge Mgr. Trainee, GS-05, PFT (EOD 6/3/90 from Coop. Program) 10
TEMPORARY PERSONNEL
11. Kevin S.. Colton Tractor Operator, WG-04, TFT (1/1/90 - 12/30/90) 12. Marva J. Smith Recreation Assistant, GS-04, TFT (1/1/90 - 12/30/90) 11
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1. Personnel
1990 was a relatively quiet year for personnel changes here at Montezuma.
Kimberly Johnson, our ORP, was selected for a 9/11 ORP position at Parker River NWR in Massachusetts and transferred effective February 17.
Before recruiting to fill the ORP position, we submitted and received approval for a new GS-11 Position Description for our ORP slot.
J. Frederick Caslick was selected for the ORP position and entered on duty August 26. Fred was an Education Specialist with Federal Aid in the Portland Regional Office but is from New York originally.
Tracy Gingrich received his promotion to GS-9 Wildlife Biologist in January.
Maura Sheehan returned to Montezuma as a GS-5 Refuge Manager Trainee in early June following her graduation from Unity College in Maine. Maura worked here for two three-month periods in 1988 and 1989 as a Cooperative Education Student.
Tractor Operator Kevin Colton began the year with an extended period of sick leave following hospitalization for gall bladder surgery in December, 1989. Kevin remained in the hospital until February 28, and finally returned to work March 15. We submitted Kevin for approval in the Leave Sharing Program, and he eventually received nearly 400 hours of donated leave. This generosity shown by R5 Service employees allowed Kevin to receive a paycheck throughout this long, difficult period.
A summary of staff allocations for the last five years is displayed below: 12
Permanent Temporary
Total Full-Time Par -Time PTEs
FY 1990 10.5
FY 1989 10.4
FY 1988 9.5
FY 1987 10.1
FY 1986 11.4
FY 1985 11.4
2. Youth Programs
Montezuma's 1990 YCC crew completed a number of projects for the refuge while learning about wildlife and the environment. The group went on several field trips involving topics from erosion to hydropower. While on work sites the group learned about water level management, woody vegetation identification, the many roles of wetlands, and aquatic insect identification, as well as a little bit about the ecology of the various wildlife species they would routinely encounter on the refuge. The zenith of the summer was the two day hiking/camping trip in the Adirondacks where the importance of low impact public use of our natural playgrounds was stressed. We hope we may have influenced some of the students to pursue environmentally-oriented careers, or at the least, helped them develop a genuine respect for wildlife and its habitat.
The following is a list of some of the projects completed this summer:
- Reconstructed half of the environmental boardwalk. - Cleaned and painted May's Point and White Brook Spillways. - Landscaped the Black Brook gauge station. - Esker Brook Nature Trail maintenance, including building ramps to trail bridges. - Painted several dozen newly-constructed wood duck boxes. - Sealed main entrance and Tour Route exit pavement. - Removed trapped logs from a connecting spillway. - Weekly trash pickup from public use areas. - Walked the refuge boundaries and replaced needed signs. 13
1990 YCC Camp. Left to right (rear) - D. Baldwin, S. Rogers, V. Fordyce, S. Bozeat, and (front) Group Leader John Lawler, A. McClenathan, and S. Snyder. (90-3; KSC).
4. Volunteer Program
The total hours of refuge volunteer service increased in 1990, despite a decrease in the number of volunteers. Our sixteen refuge volunteers contributed 2,000 hours of service of critical importance to'the success of our public use program. Staffing the visitor center, taxidermy maintenance, and guided walks were key contributions made in 1990. For example, six volunteers were scheduled as required to assist Recreation Aide Smith at the Visitor Center on weekends. Also, we were able to keep the Center open additional hours during the week in 1990 because of volunteer contributions. The commitment of our volunteers is witnessed in Mrs. Anne Mayer, who was volunteering at the Center until 24 hours before the birth of her son.
Robert and Charlotte Hedler celebrated their 5th year anniversary as volunteers in May, 1990. The Hedlers are wildflower experts, who lead guided walks and also staff the Visitor Center.
The refuge's mounted specimens are maintained by volunteers Ed and Yvonne Klein. Mounts are cleaned and fumigated on a regular basis. Damages are assessed and repaired. The Kleins also staff the Visitor Center.
Six volunteers helped staff our 1990 New York State Fair Exhibit and evaluated it in order to improve our effort year.
Volunteers Ed and Yvonne Klein cleaning the refuge's collection of mounted birds (90-4; KSC). 15
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ORP Caslick and Volunteer Ed Klein banding ducks. (90-5; VH)
5. Funding
FY 1986 FY 1987 FY 1988 FY 1989 FY 1990
1261 & 1262 - 0 & M; ARMM; Resource Prob.; Fi re $351,000 $370,173 $433,445 $403,933 $412,302
4960 - Entrance Fee 0 & M 0 0 0 4,308 0
6860 - Expense For Sales 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000
8610 - Quarters Rehab. 3,200 1,800 3,429 3,556 5,200
1261 - YCC 25,000 0 0 14,280 14,280
9120 - Fire 0 0 0 0 3,500
TOTAL 381,800 373,973 438,874 428,077 437,282 16
The refuge received $15,000 under 1261/1262 for the ditch connector project.
6. Safety
On July 24, 1990, Donald Baldwin, a YCC enrollee, stepped into a woodchuck hole with his left foot and fell forward. This resulted in a fracture of his left foot. Donald missed four weeks of work following the accident. He returned to work for the final three days of YCC Camp.
Group discussions were held which again emphasized that work projects occur in uneven and rough terrain with many obstructions; therefore, caution is required of each enrollee.
Refuge Manager Hocutt suffered a back injury in late June, 1990 while stepping down a sloped ramp into a darkened auditorium. This occurred while representing the Service at a local high school in a public hearing about the acquisition proposal. After a summer of relative discomfort, the condition was greatly exacerbated by acute sciatic involvement when Hocutt drove a government Jeep Cherokee to Cape Cod for the Project Leaders* Conference. Subsequent X-Rays and an MRI scan resulted in a diagnosis of a recurrence of a 1986 accident which involved an L 4-5 disc herniation. Approximately five working days were lost.
Like many refuges and businesses around the country, Montezuma NWR has occasionally used products which were later banned due to suspected or proven health risks. Our use of Pentachlorophenol (Penta) as a wood preservative during the 1960*3 and 1970's fell into this category when it was banned in the late 1970*s due to dioxin residue. Since that time we have stored nearly 50 gallons of Penta in two separate containers. Although stored in a separate locked shed since 1988, the Penta had not been properly overpacked for long-term storage, nor had it been tested to determine if dioxin was present. In January, American Can Environmental Management, Inc., of Syracuse, New York overpacked the Penta into two separate drums and took small samples for testing. Dioxin results for both samples were negative. Despite the lack of dioxin, however, it appears that removal and disposal of the Penta is still out of the question, as no one in New York will touch it. That leaves us continuing to deal with long-term storage on-site until a solution can be found.
In March, Independent Asbestos Labs, Inc., of East Syracuse, New York completed a bulk sampling survey and assessment for asbestos-containing materials in five of the oldest refuge buildings: Old Shop, Fur House, Check Station, Residence, 17 and Residence Garage. A total of twenty-two bulk samples were collected from various locations where asbestos- containing materials were suspected to exist.
A summary of asbestos-containing materials found is presented in the Table below;
Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge Asbestos-Containing Materials
FRIABLE: House A) Basement - Duct Wrap 25 square feet B) Basement - Mortar 2 square feet
NON-FRIABLE; House A) Bath - Linoleum 20 square feet B) Kitchen - Linoleum 120 square feet C) Exterior - Siding 1,200 square feet
Garage A) Exterior - Siding 425 square feet
Fur House A) Exterior - Siding 280 square feet
Old Shop A) North Bay - Wall 100 square feet
Independent Asbestos Labs recommended that most of the asbestos materials be placed under a maintenance program until renovation or demolition of a building, which would then force handling of the materials. A maintenance program basically means be aware of the material's presence, seal it in place, and do not disturb it by sawing, sanding, or drilling. The exception to this recommendation was the duct wrap and mortar in the residence basement which they strongly urged be removed. Removal of that material was completed, and is described in Section 1.2.
In January Safety Officer Christenson travelled to Chicago for a 40-hour Collateral Duty Safety Course offered by the OSHA Training Institute.
On an individual as-needed basis, staff members attended New York State-certified Defensive Driver Courses. All staff members are on-schedule with the every-three-year refresher course which allows a 10% reduction in car insurance in New York.
All appropriate staff members are also current on Boating Safety. In October, Colton, Sheehan, Caslick, Christenson, Smith, and Norsen attended an eight-hour boating course offered by Seneca County Sheriff Boating Officer John Cleer. 18
Christenson and Sheehan assisted Paul Caldwell, Iroquois Assistant Manager, with the annual safety inspection at Iroquois NWR, our closest refuge neighbor. Paul reciprocated in September when he helped with our annual inspection. This was the first year of Region S's new policy of helping each other with Safety Inspections, and we feel that it worked really well.
Montezuma has a Cooperative Fire Agreement with Magee Volunteer Fire Department for response and control of structural and wildfires on the refuge. To improve their effectiveness and increase their personal safety, a fire drill for the entire unit was held one evening in August. Christenson reviewed entrances, internal layout, and possible hazardous situations in each building in the headquarters complex. Fire Chief Wahl covered critical points such as water sources, hose layout, truck parking, etc. All agreed it was a worthwhile effort and should be repeated at least bi-annually.
The Safety Committee at Montezuma is comprised of the Safety Officer and three other staff members who serve for six months. Each member is responsible for presentation of at least one meeting during that period. Committee members during 1990 included Sheehan, Caslick, Colton, Flanders, Norsen, Smith, and Safety Officer Christenson.
Safety Meetings are held at least monthly, and generally consist of a special topic and a discussion of safety alerts, general items, etc. Meeting topics for 1990 included: Electrical Safety, Office Safety, CPR, Chainsaw/Weedeater/Lawnmower Safety, Airboat Safety, First Aid, Buckle-up America Seat Belt Program, Gun Safety/Check Station Safety, Fire Extinguisher Use, Woodstove Use, and Winter Driving and Car Care.
7. Technical Assistance
On January 22 and 26, Hocutt assisted Staff Editor Cindy Bergen of the Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, in developing an understanding of the NAWMP, and it's importance to all wetland-related bird and other animal species. He later critiqued the draft article, which was printed in the Lab's Living Bird Quarterly and circulated widely.
On January 25, Hocutt assisted Greg Smith, Beaver Lake Nature Center (Onondaga County Parks) with biological and behavioral information about Canada geese. The information was incorporated in an informational bulletin about changes in overwintering, as well as spring and fall use by Canada geese in the Finger Lakes Region. 19
Hocutt spent considerable time in phone conversations with Laura Riley, who along with her husband. Bill, is completing a full revision of their book, A Guide To The National Wildlife Refuges.
On February 2, 7, and 9, Hocutt engaged in discussions about purple loosestrife management with Dr. Calvin Fremling, Professor of Biology at Winona State University in Minnesota. Referred to us by Jay Rendall of the Minnesota DNR, Dr. Fremling is directing the complete restoration of a 30-acre, neglected and abused wetland for the City of Winona. In view of their ability to control water levels +/- 12 inches during all seasons, we worked out a regimen involving level ditching, seedbed cultivation, and selected use of Japanese millet and reed canary grass. Coupled with water level manipulation and underwater cutting, the prescription should allow them, over a period of five years, to control loosestrife and incorporate the gains into the cyclical management programs.
During February, Hocutt held discussions with and provided technical materials to staffers at the Vermont Institute of Science for a paper they are completing about threats from and treatment of purple loosestrife.
Hocutt had numerous technical and strategy discussions during the period with John Baldwin (P.E.), Maintenance Supervisor with NYSDOT (Waterways Division). Baldwin has been under almost daily media attack by the Cross Lake - Seneca River Association, which has generated 1,600 signatures and a petition to Governor Cuomo to remove Baldwin from his job. The Association wrongly blames Baldwin's operating protocol for seasonal high water along the canal, which allegedly inundates yards, boat docks, and septic systems. In fact,'the real problem is that a large number of persons have built fairly expensive homes directly in the floodway and the floodplain of the river. The refuge supports Baldwin and DOT, and has publicly done so with groups, individuals, and media.
Hocutt held several discussions with Tony Shelton, Corporate Public Affairs Manager with Tenneco. Tenneco is very excited about the PR value associated with lowering their pipelines in Unit 17 to accommodate the Cayuga Lake/Main Pool connector. We will assist them in writing an article about the job for Tenneco's annual report to employees and shareholders in 1991.
On March 14, Hocutt met for three hours with NYSDEC R7 Regional Director Bill Kirschbaum and his Administrative Assistant Kate Lacey. The meeting was to discuss refuge water projects (Cayuga Lake Connector) and strategies for the upcoming public meeting on March 28 to consider alleged 20 flooding on Cross Lake and the Seneca River (New York State Barge Canal).
On March 15, the refuge set-up and hosted a meeting at the Visitor Center with agency engineers, hydrologists, and biologists (U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Corps of Engineers, NYS Dept. of Transportation - Waterways Division, and NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation). The meeting was to develop shared knowledge of refuge water management plans and to introduce "NOMOWET" to other officials pending release of the DEIS in late April. The meeting was very successful in accomplishing those goals. It was also helpful to discuss the proposed NOMOWET hydrological study in contrast to the one-million dollar, larger watershed study (of "flooding") which will be jointly done by USCE and NYSDOT (Waterways). Our suggestion was that the two proposed studies have much overlap, and that a lot of money could be saved by sharing data.
Hocutt held a number of conversations during February and March with Amy Gillenson, Syracuse Executive Assistant to Governor Cuomo, regarding various issues and also a possible format for the public meeting on March 28, in Auburn, New York, to discuss alleged flooding of Cross Lake and the Seneca River.
Hocutt and NYSDEC Senior Wildlife Biologist Wes Stiles met with Gerry Smith of the Onondaga (Syracuse) Audubon Society and The Nature Conservancy to provide background information for the group's statement of support at the March 28 public meeting. Hocutt also met with Lou Noga of the Cayuga County Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs and Steve Kahl of Owasco Valley Audubon regarding their statements on behalf of NYSDEC and USFWS.
On March 28, Hocutt represented the Service in Auburn, New York at a public information session to explore the question of flooding along the New York State Barge Canal between the dam and Cayuga Lake. The meeting was chaired by New York State Secretary of State Gail Schaffer. Also participating was Colonel Hugh Boyd III, Commanding Officer of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Buffalo District). A large number of Albany and regional officials from the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Waterways Division and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) were present. Of the total of 150 persons, at least 75-80 were members of the Cross Lake - Seneca River Association (CLSRA), a 1,200-member group opposed to NYSDOT (Waterways) and the refuge's water management. A number of Syracuse media (TV, radio, and print) were represented. After over an hour of attacks upon the State and refuge (about water management and expansion) by the CLSRA, and a few unfortunate remarks by the Colonel, the Service finally 21 had an opportunity to respond to allegations. Hocutt answered questions for well over an hour, and fortunately was able to defuse much of the criticism of the refuge. This was our first opportunity to provide meaningful technical knowledge of our operations to a broad spectrum of state and federal elected and appointed officials. Sadly, the CLSRA people are unimpressed with facts.
Richard Konsella (PE), Chief, Bureau of Flood Control and Protection (New York State Department of Environmental conservation - Albany) visited the refuge on March 29 to discuss events in the public meeting the previous evening about the Cross Lake - Seneca River "flooding" situation.
On April 19, Hocutt did a 30-minute taped interview with WSFW-FM (Seneca Falls, New York) regarding public informational meetings and the DEIS for NOMOWET expansion.
On Thursday, April 26, Buckeye Pipeline Company conducted an oil spill containment exercise at the Route 5/20 Fishing Access area. The exercise, an annual event held somewhere in New York or Pennsylvania, consisted of a "report" of an oil sheen on the water and the subsequent response by their crews. Two different teams responded to the "spill" and were evaluated for their control methods and containment success. The refuge provided the Visitor Center, storage facilities, and other technical support.
On May 18th, Hocutt again met with and provided a tour for Dick Konsella (PE), Chief of the Flood Control And Protection Division (NYSDEC). The meeting was to discuss issues associated with many of the claims and charges raised by the Cross Lake/Seneca River Association.
Issues created by the Cross Lake - Seneca River Association (CLSRA) continued to consume an appalling amount of time during the spring period. Their complaints generated yet another "friendly" congressional inquiry by Congressman James Walsh (R-27). Hocutt worked directly with Mr. Walsh's Executive Director, John McGuire, to provide the necessary information to CLSRA, and also to allow the Service to formally question the motives and effects of CLSRA's tactics. As an indirect spin-off of these activities, a response was sent to Colonel Hugh Boyd III, Commanding Officer of the Buffalo District of The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The CLSRA issue has become the refuge's most time-consuming issue-management effort of the past five to six years.
Literally dozens of inquiries were handled during the period regarding the public information meetings and the formal public hearings for the Northern Montezuma Wetlands Project (NOMOWET). A great deal of time was expended because many 22 persons came in to the office and raised complex questions about the proposal. Hocutt held numerous discussions regarding NOMOWET during the period with Bobby Schillinger, Executive Assistant to Congressman Frank Horton (R-29).
On May 16th, Hocutt met with Ron Bessette, Mike Berry, and Jack Baden, engineers with Tenneco, regarding their plans to lower the 24" and 30" natural gas lines (in the Unit 17 ROW). Details were agreed upon regarding dates and logistics. Also discussed was treatment of extensive stands of phragmites along their ROW. Tenneco is doing the work under the auspices of NOMOWET and NAWMP.
On May 31, Hocutt and Senior Wildlife Biologist Wesley Stiles (NYSDEC) spent almost three hours with reporter Jean Kessler, WIXT-TV (ABC Affiliate), Syracuse, to do a feature story regarding NOMOWET and the values of wetlands. In addition to interviews, we took Ms. Kessler and her videotographer on an airboat tour of the Main Pool. The upcoming public meetings regarding NOMOWET were discussed and the dates for formal hearings were screened during the two and a half minute segment.
Hocutt communicated frequently during early summer with Aides to U.S. Congressmen Horton and Walsh, to New York State Assemblyman Nozzolio, and directly with several township and county supervisors about the mosquito season and what to expect. We escaped relatively unscathed compared to the 1989 media and public uproar. In part, our "good fortune" in 1990 was due to our education/ extension efforts in 1989.
On June 26, Hocutt hosted Colonel Frank Cochran, Commanding Officer of the Seneca Army Depot, for an airboat and vehicle tour of the refuge. We discussed at length the wetlands outreach efforts of the Service, and explored technical assistance possibilities for depot lands. Colonel Cochran also offered us access to items of equipment. 23
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Manager Hocutt and Wes Stiles (Wildlife Biologist, NYSDEC) take WIXT-TV Reporter Jean Kessler and cameraman (ABC, Syracuse) out on Main Pool to film a feature story on the Northern Montezuma Wetlands Project and wetland values. (90-6; KSC)
On July 3, Hocutt and Christenson accompanied NYSDEC R8 Solid Waste Chief Frank Shattuck on a surprise inspection of Seneca Meadows Landfill. A later meeting was held with SML president Peter Thummler, Superintendent Ridley, and Contracts Director Caseca: Generally, the permit conditions were being met. However, a serious outbreak of leachate apparently escaped from the old south side (Phase II Superfund) and entered Black Brook. We do not believe DEC handled it well — and have said so.
On July 25, Hocutt spent two hours taping a variety of question/answer segments about wetlands and NAWMP with Bob Cantor, producer of the Cornell University Laboratory of Ornithology program "Bird Watch". The program is syndicated to 25 National Public Radio outlets across the U.S. The subjects ranged from wetlands issues to expansion programs.
A great deal of time was spent on July 26 and 27 in discussions with Hydrologist Fred Baglione (USCE/Buffalo) and regulatory staffer Suzanne Chubb regarding personal concerns of District Commander Colonel Hugh Boyd about our permit application for the so-called Benning Marsh. We expressed our determination to not make a'"federal case" out 24 of a non-issue (William Jaynes' contacts with the Colonel). We explained that under pressure we simply could cancel the shorebird project and explain the "why's" to the New York State Federation of Bird Clubs.
On July 30, Hocutt taped a session with WSKG-FM National Public Radio (Binghamton/Ithaca/Elmira) regarding the opposition of the New York State Grange to the NOMOWET proposal. The interview was carried statewide and regionally on NPR's "All Things Considered".
Hocutt assisted NYSDEC Senior Wildlife Biologist Wes Stiles in re-writing the hydrology section of the NOMOWET DEIS.
A number of discussions were held during the summer months with Amy Gillenson, Executive Assistant to the Governor's Syracuse office regarding the on-going Cross Lake - Seneca River Association controversy and the pending $1,000,000 study of alleged causes of flooding.
In mid-summer, Hocutt was appointed by Governor Cuomo as a special technical advisor and ex-officio member of the Central New York State - Finger Lakes Flood Advisory Board. The 28-member Board is charged with identifying methods of ameliorating so-called "flooding" along the New York State Barge Canal. $1,000,000 (half federal, half state) has been provided for the study. The board meets monthly and is chaired by the Secretary of State. We can think of better uses of scarce tax dollars.
On July 14, Hocutt met on-site with District Superintendent Fred Barger and three other engineers from Consolidated Natural Gas regarding lowering their pipeline in Unit 17 to accommodate our water transport ditch. We invited them to participate as a "partner"- under the NAWMP, and offered to work with CNG's Public Affairs staff.
On August 14, Hocutt provided a tour and hosted a meeting for State Chairman Bruce Michielsen and five other state directors for the New York State Chapter of Waterfowl USA. A cooperative agreement was discussed and their support was solicited for the NOMOWET expansion proposal.
On August 16, Hocutt was a guest speaker and panelist at a statewide Forestry Stewardship Workshop sponsored by the Cornell University/New York State Cooperative Extension Service. The workshop brought together 60 private loggers and forest owners, state and federal people, and academicians from area colleges and universities. Hocutt's topic was "Fish and Wildlife Stewardship in Forest Management". 25
On August 22, Hocutt led a tour and did an interview for WTVH-TV (CBS Affiliate, Syracuse, NY) about the threats of purple loosestrife to wetlands, and some of the control efforts under way and under consideration.
On August 23, Hocutt assisted writer/nature photographer Marie Read with a feature she is preparing for "National Wildlife" about purple loosestrife and it's threats to wetland habitats and wildlife.
Oh August 24, Hocutt hosted Bobby Schillinger, executive Assistant to Congressman Frank Horton, for a three-hour tour of the refuge. Discussed at some length were marsh restoration, Seneca Meadows Landfill (and FWS involvement), Cross Lake "flooding", the expansion project, and a number of other topics.
On October 16, Hocutt represented the Service at the first meeting of the Central New York State - Finger Lakes Flood Advisory Board. The Board met in Syracuse and was chaired by Secretary of State Gail Shaffer. Much time was spent on protocol and a mission statement.
ARM Christenson travelled to Brockport, New York, on October 24 and presented a talk on wildlife habitat management to 24 New York State Park Managers who were attending their annual in-service training.
On November 3, eight representatives of Waterfowl USA toured the refuge with ARM Christenson. The three-hour tour focused mostly on resource problems, water management, and development — on-going and future. Waterfowl USA held it's national meeting in Waterloo. We hope to receive some funding from this group in the future.
On December 6, Hocutt hosted a 3-hour refuge tour for Congressional Aides of U.S. Congressman Frank Horton (Rochester). The purpose of the tour was to familiarize newly-appointed Executive Assistant Jeffrey Kellmanson with the refuge and it's programs. Bobby Schillinger, outgoing Executive Assistant, and District Aide Hymen Klionsky accompanied Kellmanson to the refuge. Discussed were construction projects, the Cross Lake situation, Seneca Meadows Landfill, and a host of other topics. In addition to providing a brief slide presentation, Hocutt took the group on a tour of construction projects. Huge numbers of ducks and geese gave the visit a real boost. We discussed methods of handling constituent inquiries and agreed to continue the cooperative efforts which have been so effective for the past four years. Bobby Schillinger will most assuredly be missed. 26
Another formal inquiry was received late in the month from Congressman James Walsh (Syracuse), regarding complaints from the Cross Lake-Seneca River Association about proposed refuge construction projects. Questions were also raised about the level of interest of the Service in NOMOWET in view of the defeat in November of New York State's 21st Century Environmental Quality Bond Act. Hocutt worked with Walsh's District Representative, John McGuire, to provide suitable "answers" to the inquiries, and to adopt a protocol for future inquiries.
More discussions were held during the fall months with Amy Gillenson, Syracuse District Representative to New York State Secretary of State, and with the Governor's Office regarding the Central New York - Finger Lakes Flood Advisory Board. Additional discussions were held on the same topic with Fred Andersen, Legislative Assistant to New York State Senator Paul Kehoe, and with Fred Anders of Secretary of State Schaffer's staff in Albany.
On December 18, the refuge hosted the monthly meeting of the Central New York State Finger Lakes Flood Advisory Board. Twenty-seven members plus a number of technical staff attended — a total of 43 persons (for the 500th time, our sorely-undersized Visitor Center proved unsuitable for anything other than 25 school kids or passing out brochures). Presentations supporting the scope of the $1,000,000 study were made by hydrologists and engineers from the Buffalo District of the U.S. Corps of Engineers and by Syracuse and Albany officials of the New York State Department of Transportation. The Board's "mission statement" was approved. The January meeting will be held in Syracuse.
8. Other Items
Northern Montezuma Wetlands Acquisition (Joint Venture): 1990 was a year of hard work, many accomplishments, and some very real frustrations as we worked to complete the DEIS, public informational meetings, and public hearings for the Northern Montezuma Wetlands Acquisition Project. The Project shall always be known (to friend and foe) by the acronym "NOMOWET" — so named by NYSDEC Senior Biologist Dave Woodruff. The project calls for the eventual expansion of the refuge and nearby New York State Wildlife Management
Areas to approximately 35,000 acres from their current 10,000. The Joint Venture Project is R5's largest.
Much was accomplished during 1990. A joint DEIS was produced. Literally hundreds of personal inquiries were answered. Public informational meetings were held during 27 early June at seven locations. Formal administrative law public hearings were held on June 19, 20, and 21, respectively, in Seneca Falls (Seneca County), Weedsport (Cayuga County), and Savannah (Wayne County). The meetings were well-attended. As expected, some (especially Savannah and a lesser degree Weedsport) meetings and hearings were heated and sometimes acrimonious.
Issues shook out very quickly. As expected, they were (in order): 1) removal of farm lands from tax rolls; 2) hydrological effects (flooding); 3) wildlife depredations; and 4) latent, and frequently overt, anti-government (any government!) attitudes. The tax issue is very complex since New York State does not pay taxes on it's lands. At least we could offer revenue sharing. In Wayne County, where most of the muck farmland is located, the issue was complicated greatly because a handful of very vocal opponents persist in seeing mostly played-out muck farms (soil subsidence, erosion, etc.) as being "prime farmland". Despite the willing-seller, long-range nature of the project, these opponents stirred up a firestorm of controversy.
The "flood" issue is a non-issue. It was stirred up without hydrologic basis by the Cross Lake - Seneca River Association (CLSRA). CLSRA was represented and active in all meetings. Their contention is that expanded water management regimens would somehow exacerbate downstream flooding — where many of their members have built homes, summer cottages, and even commercial marinas squarely in the floodplain and even in the floodway. Unfortunately for the State and us, CLSRA doesn't have to deal in facts. While many competent observers believe their charges are outrageous, they have learned to play the game well and literally bombard politicians and media with "charges".
The real blow came on November 6, 1990 when New York State voters turned down the statewide 2.1 billion-dollar environmental quality bond act by a narrow margin of 51 to 49 percent. This deprived the State of monies with which to aggressively start acquiring land. At year's end, the State is looking for additional funding sources. The Nature Conservancy (a partner) has already picked up three or four key parcels. The Final EIS has been tied up in the Regional Office for over two and a half months, but should finally be released early in 1991. The NYSDEC Commissioner and our
Regional Director will make a determination after the final comment period is completed.
There will be a NOMOWET project. It's scope and direction is unknown. It is a very high priority for New York State and a relatively low one for the Service. The big losers are the region's largest single concentration of geese and 28
f ducks, and all of the allied species of waterbirds which share the habitats.
Refuge support, for the Joint Venture effort during 1990 was major, and included:
- Providing office space and logistical support to NYSDEC biologists and acquisition personnel.
- Providing technical support to the DEIS process, and technical and informational support to literally hundreds of public inquiries.
- Working directly with multi-media in developing accurate and timely features about the project, public meetings, etc.
- Speaking engagements throughout central New York State (often in the company of a NYSDEC senior biologist).
- Direct contacts with our U.S. Congressional delegates, as well as with several state legislators, and uncounted local officials from Seneca, Cayuga, and Wayne Counties.
Seneca Meadows Landfill: 1990 was a year of fierce jockeying for position in our fight to protect the refuge's wetlands from the possible effects of contaminants from the Seneca Meadows Landfill (SML). SML, a private landfill, is located upstream of the refuge on Black Brook, our major water source. The landfill is the 2nd largest in New York State, takes in 660,000 tons per year, and is a Phase Two Superfund site with at least 300,000 tons of toxic and hazardous waste known to be present.
The Service (refuge) has been active since August, 1979, with NYSDEC in the permitting and regulating of SML. Refuge staff meets fairly regularly with NYSDEC engineers and counsel, and occasionally with engineers, counsel, and operators from the landfill.
A new and dangerous era has evolved in regulation of the landfill. As their five-year permit reaches expiration in
August, 1991, the operators have filed for a permit modification to place an additional 127(1!) foot "lift" atop the site already filled (including an additional 40-foot "lift" in 1988, which we vigorously opposed). Mt. Trashmore lives 1
A real power play is involved. Metropolitan Syracuse and Onondaga County, plus nine other central New York State 29 counties are dependent upon this regional site. It is possible that Monroe County/Rochester will again return to the site. Political pressures upon NYSDEC are very strong as this is written. There simply is no way for SML to complete plans/DEIS/etc., in less than one and a half years. Personnel changes in NYSDEC complicate the issue.
During 1990, Hocutt met on six occasions with NYSDEC regional staff (Shattuck, David, Peachey, Leitner) and with Albany-based RECRA remediation specialist Mizerak. A great deal of time was spent reviewing and commenting on SML's permit application and proposed operating plan. We have gone on record as being inalterably opposed to the height increase.
Our opposition is based in three distinct premises: 1) hydrological relationships are too poorly understood to place an additional 127 feet (millions of tons) of new fill and garbage atop of the existing Mt. Trashmore; 2) granting the permit modification would allow another two to three years of extended operation without SML having to go through the formal permit renewal process (they would, thereby, have avoided this critical analysis since 1984); and 3) remediation of the RECRA "Superfund" site has been too long delayed, and allowing SML to continue operating by permit modification rather than renewal only stretches the delay.
If 1990 was sparring, 1991 will be the watershed year for Service and State efforts to protect water quality in Black Brook (and eventually downstream in the refuge). Undoubtedly, formal administrative law public hearings will be held during spring. Tremendous political pressure will be brought to bear upon NYSDEC to be "flexible" and "reasonable" since over three million people would be immediately affected if the State held to the August, 1991 permit renewal. Meanwhile, however, we believe the state must break SML's well-established cycle of avoiding the permit renewal process by proposing major modifications and then depending upon political pressures to continue operations. 30
f
F. HABITAT MANAGEMENT
1. General
The primary management objective at Montezuma is to serve as a feeding and resting area for migrating waterfowl and other water birds. A secondary objective is to create seasonal mudflats for use by migrating shorebirds, as well as providing nesting opportunities for a variety of bird species, including threatened or endangered species. To meet these objectives, moderate water levels are maintained during the nesting season and migration, with seasonal drawdowns of May's Point Pool for shorebird use.
2. Wetlands
Wetland management is the essence of habitat management at Montezuma. Of the refuge's 6,432 acres, approximately 80% is classified as wetland. Our lack of a reliable water source and inability to change water levels continues to limit the quality of our open marsh. Additional factors such as the eutrophication inherent with shallow, 50-year old impoundments, insufficient control of carp populations, and the invasion of purple loosestrife that started in the early 1950's combine to hold back the potential for the marsh. They have also frustrated most efforts to use more innovative management techniques.
We have done a great deal of work, though we are far from completion, on our Cayuga Lake to Main Pool connector ditch. This project, which is now about seven years in the making, would allow us to "turn back the clock", so to speak, and bring our marsh back to the condition it was in 50 years ago, when the refuge was created. This new water supply will allow us to bring water from Cayuga Lake, during summer months, by gravity flow through two water control structures, under New York State Route 5/20, and into our Main Pool. We will have better quality water, and we will be more capable of combatting purple loosestrife. The project is expected to be completed late in the summer of 1991.
Main Pool
This pool covers approximately 1,200 acres and has been the traditional purple loosestrife stronghold on the refuge. Again this year, water levels were held high enough to retard loosestrife germination, but not so deep as to unduly stress established cattail. Main Pool will be the primary recipient of benefits derived from the water transport channel from Cayuga Lake when completed. * Main Pool was twice inundated by high canal waters which came close to overtopping refuge spillways. Carp immigration was light, and by pulling stop logs after the canal receded,, we were able to return the pool to within refuge objective levels.
The creation of an approximately two to three acre seasonal wetland adjacent to the Main Pool was accomplished in the spring by placing a low head ditch plug in an existing drainage ditch, for impounding precipitation and surface runoff. Adjacent upland cover (approximately five acres of grasslands) will be managed to provide high-quality nesting cover for waterfowl and other ground nesting birds. The project is expected to aid in reaching refuge objectives of increasing waterfowl production. High-quality grassland fields suitable for waterfowl nesting have historically been limited at Montezuma.
Winter drawdown of Main Pool for carp and water lily eradication. (90-7; BLC)
Water quality on the Main Pool this year was less than desirable because of suspended solids in the water. Submerged aquatic plant expansion did not improve. The undesirable water lily, Nvmohaea odorata. has returned, but not in as great a quantity as in previous years. We learned that when we had drawn down Main Pool two winters ago for carp removal, and kept it drawn down through mid-winter, that lily growth was greatly reduced the following summer. 32
Tschache Pool
Traditionally known as the storage pool, Tschache Pool encompasses approximately 1,400 acres and is fed by Black Brook and White Brook. Tschache Pool was created by flooding a bottomland hardwood forest. This dead timber marsh hosts over 100 great blue heron nests as well as an active bald eagle nest - one of only 14 in all of New York State. The dike along the pool was again closed to the public so as not to unduly disturb the great blue heron colony or the bald eagle nest. Our own presence along the dike is minimal during key times of the year for the birds.
For the last few years we have drawn down Tschache Pool in an effort to reduce carp numbers, and each spring (and often other times of the year) the neighboring New York State Barge Canal has risen, allowing hundreds of thousands of carp back into the pool. These overwhelmingly high carp numbers play an important role in limiting expansion of aquatic and emergent vegetation in the pool, in addition to hampering water clarity. Until we can some day raise our dike and water control structures around the pool high enough to prevent inflow from the canal, we will be in an endless battle.
North Spring Pool
This pool is 118 acres in size and feeds into Tschache Pool. The high sulfur and tannic acid levels of this dead timber marsh have greatly restricted the growth and expansion of emergent vegetation. Purple loosestrife is confined to stumps, fallen decaying logs, hummocks, and along the dikes. Several of the stumps and hummocks were used as nesting sites by Canada geese and mallards. An abundance of duckweed during the autumn months provided a good source of food for migrating waterfowl. Through much of the fall this pool teemed with black ducks, mallards, and Canada geese.
South Soring Pool
This 37-acre pool is located directly south of the North Spring Pool and is supplied by several springs. Water from this pool can be diverted into Main Pool or to North Spring Pool. As is true with North Spring Pool, loosestrife is confined to disturbed or exposed areas, such as dikes and rotting tree stumps. Purple loosestrife is less prevalent in South Spring Pool than in North Spring Pool. 33
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May's Point Pool
This 200-acre pool is drawn down each spring and fall for shorebird migration. In May the pool was drawn down further to allow work to be done on the water control structure. New channel iron was added to facilitate additional boards needed to hold higher water levels for purple loosestrife control. At the same time, however, flooding from heavy May rains brought the Clyde River to levels which threatened to introduce carp into the pool. The threat became reality when fishermen or kids removed the fish screen on the structure and literally tens of thousands of carp entered the pool. After the river receded, we slowly drained the pool, forcing most of the fish to return to the river. Those carp that did not flush out were stranded in small pockets of water, eventually dying due to oxygen depletion. The pool was refilled to a new, higher level with water from the Tschache Pool to reduce the possibility of a botulism outbreak due to the hundreds of dead carp and small mudflats which would remain at the planned water level. Some concern was raised about the dead carp which washed into the Clyde River, and both the Seneca County Sheriff's Department and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation were contacted by local residents or fishermen. The issue was short-lived, however, and did not really create the odor problem first feared.
3. Forests
Approximately 1,800 acres of the refuge are non-commercial woodland, most of which is classified as forested wetland. Dominant tree species include red maple, black ash, green ash, slippery elm, and swamp white oak. Unit 17, a 600-acre tract of hardwood bottomland forest in the southern portion of the refuge, was seasonally flooded until 1978. There is significant mammalian activity in this tract, as well as in other water/forest interfaces.
Maintenance Mechanic Steve Flanders, utilizing the Hydro- Axe on loan from Iroquois NWR, completed woodcock habitat maintenance on several areas of the refuge. Approximately 77 hours of operation time were required to remove small trees and shrubby understory growth in the vicinity of the Auto Tour Route, Refuge Headquarters, Display Pool, Subheadquarters Field/Main Pool interface, and the Clark's Ridge/Tschache Pool interface.
During the annual qualitative browse observations in the spring, we again found that the refuge had been moderately browsed by deer during another relatively mild winter. Several periods of thaw prevented large snow accumulations from hindering deer movement. 34
5. Grasslands
The establishment and management of fields of undisturbed grassland covejr at Montezuma was initiated to provide increased nesting cover for waterfowl and ground nesting birds. To achieve this objective, the approximately 560 acres of grasslands on the refuge have been divided into several Grassland Management Units (GMUs). This was possible only after all on-refuge grazing was terminated in the early 1980's.
Current vegetative conditions in the grassland fields are representative of early old-field successional stages. The borders of some fields, notably in the Esker Brook and Clark's Ridge areas, were yielding to a variety of woody plant invaders which had grown beyond the capability of our mower deck. While working in these areas to improve woodcock habitat, Maintenance Mechanic Flanders used the Hydro-Axe from Iroquois NWR to remove trees and shrubs in these invasion areas.
Vegetation within all fields is dominated by species of tall grasses and perennial forbs remaining from tame pasture and hay field plantings during the past several decades. The resulting cover consists of tall, dense, rank live vegeta tion with loosely packed litter composed of dead vegetation from previous growing seasons. This ground litter serves to conceal nesting hens, and provides a deterrent to predatory mammalian and avian activity.
During 1990, mowing practices were instituted in GMU 2 (Subheadquarters) and North and South Esker Brook Fields according to the current rotational schedule. Clipping heights were maintained at 15 cm (six inches) using rotary and sickle bar mowing attachments. Mowing is normally delayed until August to prevent nest destruction of late- season and renesting waterfowl and ground-nesting bird species. This year mowing had to be delayed several months longer due to detailing of two key staff members to the St. Lawrence Private Lands Initiative for much of the season. Using Iroquois NWR's Hydro-Axe, Maintenance Mechanic Flanders removes invading trees from the Esker Brook grassland unit. Please note that the photographer used a telephoto lens from well outside the required safety zone for this machine. (90-8; BLC).
Nest searches have suggested limited use of refuge grassland units to date. However, this situation is not unlike the sharply-reduced levels of nest attempts and success on the State's two wildlife management areas. Future plans to increase nesting use and success include strip mowing, dense nesting cover plantings, and removal of brush from along pool/field interfaces. Monies have thus far been unavailable to undertake these fairly intensive treatments. It remains to be seen if these future actions, in conjunction with increased predator control, will result in significantly increased waterfowl production.
6. Other Habitats
In addition to the habitats already discussed, the refuge has approximately 102 acres classified as rivers, streams, brush, and small isolated grassland areas. These areas are not normally subjected to any periodic habitat manipulation. Several acres of land adjacent to administrative, maintenance, and recreational areas are managed in accordance with their respective uses. 36
9. Fire Management
No prescribed fires were initiated during 1990. The potential for prescribed burns at Montezuma is hindered by the presence of peat soils and the fact that two major highways traverse the refuge, thus making smoke management a serious problem.
A cooperative agreement for wildfire and prescribed fires remains in effect with the Magee Volunteer Fire Department, Ific. A blanket purchase order with the Department provides for reimbursement of costs associated with structural fires and alarm system responses.
We purchased the necessary Normal Unit Strength (NUS) supplies to have our three trained people prepared for fire detail, should they be called upon to assist in fire suppression activities.
On August 22, 1990, the Magee Fire Department came to the refuge for a fire drill in which building layouts, water access points, and hazardous fuel storage areas were investigated in detail.
We had no wildfires on the Refuge in 1990.
10. Pest Control
Only one herbicide was used on the refuge in 1990. Triox (Prometon) was used to kill weeds around buildings, gates, signs, etc., in order to reduce the amount of time needed for hand-trimming during mowing operations.
Efforts to control Phragmites included mowing approximately 15 acres along the east and north sides of the Main Pool. We intended to treat the regenerated areas the following month with Round-up, but due to the detailing of our two qualified applicators to the St. Lawrence Private Lands
Initiative, further phragmites control efforts for the season had to be cancelled. Future efforts will require continued mowing, treating mowed areas with Round-up, and, when possible, aerially applying Round-up to the inaccessible areas. 37
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Water lily growth was extensive in large portions of Main Pool this year, the second summer following the winter 1988-89 drawdown. (90-9; BLC)
Control of water lily on Main Pool has traditionally involved underwater cutting with a Hockney Weed Cutter, a very labor-intensive method. This created openings which attracted waterfowl, but results were short-lived. No cutting has been done since early 1989 since effective lily control has been an unexpected result of our mid-winter drawdown for carp control." The 1988-89 winter drawdown was followed by a sharp reduction in lily and a corresponding boom in submerged aquatic vegetation - primarily sago pondweed. Main Pool was not drawn down during the winter of 1989-1990. Vegetation response this year included a marked increase in lily once again and a decline in desirable aquatics. We feel that this resulted from the limited bottom consolidation gained during a winter drawdown. Main Pool was drained in early December this year and will be held down until February 1991, primarily for carp control. We expect to see a drop in lily growth next summer.
Winter drawdowns as a lily control method are certainly less labor-intensive than cutting and provide slightly longer benefits. However, a long-term management scheme of winter drawdowns is not desirable for many reasons, foremost of which is the near eradication of our muskrat population. Long-term lily control on Main Pool will be reevaluated 38 following completion of our water connector project and initiation of summer drawdowns in 1992.
12. Wilderness and Special Areas
There are two Research Natural Areas (RNA) on the refuge. Maple Knoll, an eight-acre tract located southwest of Tschache Pool, is the only beech-maple stand on the refuge. The second RNA, Swamp Woods, is a tract of approximately 100 acres of black ash, red maple, and swamp white oak located southwest of the Main Pool. 39
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G. WILDLIFE
1. Wildlife Diversity
As in most relatively-stable biotic communities, wildlife diversity at Montezuma typically does not vary much from one year to the next. The wide diversity of habitat types found on the refuge, from cattail marsh to grassland field to upland forest, support most migratory and resident wildlife species found in central New York. Of note in 1990 was the appearance of several rare or uncommon species on or in the immediate vicinity of the refuge. These included oldsquaw, cinnamon teal, horned grebe, red-throated loon, white pelican, and Caspian tern. In mid-January, a lone coyote was sighted crossing the ice on Tschache Pool. While still relatively uncommon in this part of the Finger Lakes region, coyote numbers seem to be increasing each year. No additional sightings of coyotes were reported during the remainder of the year.
Two very infrequent avian visitors were reported to refuge staff during the early spring of 1990. A sandhill crane was observed in mid-March near the village of Canoga on the shores of Cayuga Lake. The second sighting, a trumpeter swan, was reported to Refuge Biologist Gingrich during the last week of March. The bird was observed on a small farm pond south of Seneca Falls. A little checking revealed that the swan (with two patagial wing tags) had been released in southern Ontario during the fall of 1988. The last confirmed sighting placed the bird on the Allegheny River in western Pennsylvania during March of 1989. Mr. Harry Lumsden (Coordinator of Ontario's trumpeter swan reintroduction program) was very appreciative of the sighting information we provided.
2. Endangered And/Or Threatened Species
In the mid-1970,s New York State launched one of the most comprehensive bald eagle restoration programs in the nation, designed to return breeding bald eagles to all portions of the state still suitable for their existence.
In 1976, a program designed to re-establish nesting bald eagles in New York was undertaken at the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The program involved the use of "hacking" to release young bald eagles to the wild. Montezuma was chosen as the site for the release program because of its central location, large amounts of open water and suitable habitat, abundance of fish and mammal prey 40 species, and limited disturbances. In addition, Montezuma was formerly an active bald eagle nesting site as recently as 1959, with young last successfully produced in 1956.
From 1976 to 1980 a total of 23 bald eagles were released at the refuge through the hacking program. The birds were obtained from wild nests in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, and from the captive breeding stock at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Research Laboratory in Patuxent, Maryland. The project demonstrated that young bald eagles Cctn be reared in man-made situations and still learn to hunt, feed, and survive on their own. The program attained its first success in the spring of 1980 when the first two eagles released in the program (1976) successfully nested in northern New York. In 1981, the hacking project was expanded and relocated to the Oak Orchard Wildlife Management Area in western New York.
In 1987, three adult bald eagles (a white-tagged male eagle released in 1978 at Montezuma, an unmarked female bird, and a yellow-tagged male bird released in 1982 at the Oak Orchard hacking site) successfully raised two young at an isolated nest site on the northern portion of the refuge. The two young bald eagles were the first to be produced at Montezuma in over 30 years. In late December of 1987, refuge staff worked with the New York State Electric and Gas Corporation (NYSEG) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) to stabilize the nest which was precariously perched in a dead elm tree. A 75- foot wooden pole was installed six feet from the nest tree and the nest was then transferred and secured to a platform bolted to the pole.
Despite 1987's success, and our efforts to insure the long- term stability of the nest site, 1988 proved to be year of disappointment when the birds failed in their nesting attempt. During 1989, the three adult bald eagles were once again successful in their nesting attempt on the refuge. A single eaglet was fledged from the pole nesting site.
On February 14, 1990, Biologist Gingrich and Maintenance Mechanic Norsen discovered that the three adult bald eagles were constructing a second (new) nest in a dead snag on Tschache Pool. The birds were observed adding sticks to an old great blue heron nest in the tree. Peter Nye, New York State Bald Eagle Restoration Program Coordinator, confirmed that it was not unusual for eagles to build two or sometimes three nests within their established nesting territory and alternate yearly use between the multiple nest locations.
In late April of 1990 the trio of eagles successfully hatched two young eaglets at the new nest site. On June 5, NYSDEC personnel and Refuge Manager Hocutt banded the two 41 young birds. Peter Nye climbed the tree and lowered the eaglets to Mike Allen and Hocutt. Mr. Nye pronounced both birds to be in good physical condition. The young birds ultimately fledged in early July.
Our two young bald eagles immediately following banding on June 5, 1990. (90-10; PN)
The young bald eagles raised at Montezuma in 1990 were but two of sixteen birds fledged throughout the state this year. The sixteen birds were raised on nine of the fourteen active nesting territories identified statewide. The reestablish- ment of nesting bald eagles throughout the state within the last decade is a success story, for which NYSDEC can be justifiably proud.
Throughout CY 1990, the refuge has worked closely with NYSDEC Endangered Species personnel to provide an opportunity for the general public to view the refuge's nesting bald eagles via live television. The project consists of the installation of a mini-surveillance camera on the nesting tower that will allow for transmission of a closed-circuit video picture (via microwave transmitter) from the nest site to a monitor in the refuge's Visitor Center. Funding for the project has been provided through New York State's "Return A Gift To Wildlife Program". 42
The video camera, microwave transmission tower, microwave sending and receiving dishes, cable, and video monitor were installed during non-critical (pre and post-breeding) periods of the. 1990 season. The New York State Electric and Gas Corporation (NYSEG) was once again a cooperator in the project.
Hopefully, the system will be fully operational for the 1991 breeding season. If all goes as planned, the project will provide a unique opportunity to the general public to comfortably view nesting bald eagles without compromising the welfare and success of the birds. Refuge staff await the 1991 breeding season with anticipation and crossed fingers.
On July 10, refuge staff assisted New York State Department of Environmental Conservation personnel with the banding of the two osprey nestlings which hatched on the man-made platform on Main Pool. The birds were approximately eight weeks old, and in excellent physical condition.
1990 was the third consecutive year that osprey (a threatened species in New York State) successfully nested at the platform site on the Main Pool. The nest site is located just west of the Visitor Center observation deck. The proximity of the nest provided excellent viewing opportunities for refuge visitors throughout the spring and summer. Many dedicated local birders made repeated visits to the refuge to monitor the progress of the nesting adults and their young. Wildlife Biologist Mike Allen (NYSDEC), Refuge Manager Gene Hocutt, and Assistant Manager Maura Sheehan banding a young osprey (90-11; BP)
One of the two young osprey that successful ly fledged from the platform nest on Main Pool (90-12; MA) 44
3. Waterfowl
Since 1938, the refuge has assumed a significant role in the Atlantic Flyway as a resting and feeding area for migratory waterfowl. A significant proportion of the mid-Atlantic population (MAP) of Canada geese now utilizes Montezuma and central New York during spring and fall migrations. Surface feeding ducks, principally mallard, American black duck, wood duck, green-winged teal, and blue-winged teal, comprise the bulk of other migratory waterfowl using the refuge. McTllard, wood duck, and Canada geese are the most abundant nesting waterfowl species.
Overwintering of Canada geese in the Cayuga Lake Basin continued the trend of the last fifteen years. An aerial survey by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation in early January tallied 87,000 Canada geese, 11,000 mallards, and 4,500 American black ducks overwintering in the Finger Lakes Region. Most of these birds were on Cayuga Lake.
Many of these "lake" birds spent portions of mild winter days sitting on the ice or slush covering refuge pools. Relatively mild weather throughout much of January and February encouraged an average of approximately 16,000 Canada geese to rest on refuge pools. During the same period, mallards and American black ducks peaked at 5,000 and 3,000 birds respectively. The birds almost certainly came up to the refuge from Cayuga Lake. This phenomenon is repeated each winter with every major freeze/thaw cycle.
Spring migration began gradually in early to mid-March as alternating periods of freezing and thawing encouraged birds to move north. Peak goose numbers for March were 11,000 snow geese and 42,000 Canada geese. April saw snow goose numbers peak at 14,000 while Canada goose numbers declined to 37,000. The majority of the Canada geese and all of the snow geese left the area during the last weekend of April. Of particular interest during late March and early April was a peak of 90 tundra swans on refuge pools. This was by far the highest number of swans observed on the refuge in many years.
Spring duck numbers peaked in late March and early April with approximately 6,000 birds utilizing refuge pools. Most impressive were numbers of northern pintails, green-winged teal, northern shoveler, and canvasbacks. The latter species reached a high of approximately 2,000 birds during the middle of March.
Fall waterfowl migration started slowly when approximately 1,200 Canada geese arrived in the area during the last week of September. Waterfowl numbers gradually- increased 45 throughout the remainder of the autumn. The fall peak occurred during the last week of October, with approximately 50,000 Canada geese using the refuge. Fall duck numbers peaked during November with nearly 43,000 birds observed on the refuge. Fall waterfowl numbers were significantly lower than in recent years. This was due, in part, to increased use of Cayuga Lake by the birds, and also due to abundant standing water areas as result of rainfall.
One noteworthy event occurring during fall migration was the pfesence of over 8,000 diving ducks on the Main Pool in late November. Large rafts of canvasbacks, ring-necked ducks, and scaup were easily observed from the Auto Tour Route for several days as they foraged on sago pondweed. Several thousand diving ducks are an impressive site - for visitors and refuge staff alike.
The first Canada goose brood of the spring was observed on April 28. The first mallard brood of the spring was sighted on May 22, and the first wood duck brood was spotted on May 30.
Canada goose production was down slightly from last year to 168 goslings. Overall duck production was down significantly from 1,410 in 1989 to 566 in 1990. Above- normal precipitation and subsequent repeated flooding of the New York State Barge Canal contributed to poor nesting success in the refuge vicinity. Floodwaters inundated many duck nests mid-way through incubation. For unexplained reasons, wood duck box abandonment was also high.
The wood duck nest box program at Montezuma has been very successful over the last decade. Yearly monitoring of box use has aided us in attaining a fairly accurate estimate of wood duck production from'boxes on the refuge. Natural cavities in suitable habitat appear to be abundant; however, we have no information on their use, locations, or predation rates, so overall production estimates must be considered conservative.
Wood duck data are normally collected in late January or early February for the previous nesting season. For that reason we have traditionally been one year in arrears reporting wood duck box use data. This year, however, refuge biologist Gingrich completed box servicing and data collection in time for inclusion in the narrative, so data for both 1989 and 1990 are provided.
Wood duck box use in 1989 continued the trend in recent years of strong box use and production. Eighty-two percent of the refuge's 108 boxes wee used, with a total of 730 young wood ducks exiting the boxes. In addition, 10 hooded mergansers were produced in the boxes during 1989. 46 <
Wood duck box use in 1990 paralleled the overall drop in waterfowl production (calculated from brood observation) mentioned earlier. The percentage of boxes used dropped six percent from last year to 76%, and the number of ducklings leaving the nest dropped by 27% to only 540. Only 56% of the eggs laid hatched in 1990.
The wood duck box program at Montezuma represents a traditional nest box program with fairly densely-placed boxes in highly-visible areas. While Montezuma has not yet experienced the classic "rise and crash" syndrome of other wood duck box programs around the country, the potential exists. Such a "rise and crash" traditionally results in a severe reduction in hatching ability. In an effort to prevent just such a scenario from occurring at Montezuma, the refuge is currently cooperating in a study designed to test the hypothesis that nest boxes hidden in the woods near brood habitat are less often parasitized and produce more ducklings per egg laid in them than highly-visible boxes located over open water. Based on the results of the study, specific management recommendations will be made regarding the judicious placement of nest boxes at Montezuma and elsewhere. The work is being carried out under the direction of Dr. Paul W. Sherman, Section of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University. Further details on the project are provided in Section D.5.
4. Marsh and Water Birds
The great blue heron rookery on Tschache Pool remained active in 1990. Since 1982, great blue herons have nested atop dead snags in the east-central portion of the pool. Prior to 1982, when two pair of birds first nested in the snags, this species had not successfully reproduced at Montezuma since the mid-1940,s. Approximately 140 nests were active in 1990, with an estimated 300 young being produced.
While the number of great blue herons nesting in the Tschache Pool rookery has steadily increased over the last eight years, the number of suitable nesting sites (dead snags over water) has gradually declined. The snags are the remains of a hardwood forest that was flooded in the 1940's. Over the intervening years, the snags have rotted and fallen. During the late summer and fall of 1990 several passing weather fronts with accompanying high winds accelerated the rate of snag loss. The heron rookery will probably relocate within the next several years to a location with a greater abundance of suitable nesting sites.
Black-crowned night herons again nested in.the purple loosestrife and cattail stands fringing sections of the Main 47
Pool. Production was estimated at 25 to 30 birds. Other species observed nesting on the refuge this year included green-backed heron and Virginia rail. Double-crested cormorants capitalized on the abundant carp and bullhead populations in refuge pools. Although no nesting was in evidence, upwards of 500 birds could be observed on Main and Tschache Pools throughout the late summer and early fall.
The status of the black tern in New York State is currently undergoing review. Historical tern nesting colonies are being evaluated to determine if it is necessary to upgrade the protected status of black terns throughout the state. Montezuma NWR has been participating in the black tern population status evaluation for the last two years.
The first documented observation of black terns at Montezuma occurred in 1942. However, it is probable that terns occurred on the marshes for many years prior to the establishment of the refuge in 1937, Terns were observed nesting on the refuge nearly every year from 1942 to 1986. Historical records document a gradual decline in black tern populations from several hundred in the early 1950*s. From 1987 to 1989, there were no known black tern nests on the refuge. Throughout 1990, no nests were observed, and a maximum of only six individuals were sighted at any one time.
The decline of the black tern nesting population at Montezuma may simply be a reflection of declining populations throughout New York State. However, there may be more localized reasons to explain the decline. The aggressive colonization of the refuge by purple loosestrife caused a decline in the diversity and abundance of native wetland vegetation. The resulting management of the refuge to reduce purple loosestrife encroachment required an increase in water levels, and may have negatively altered many of the historical black tern nesting sites at Montezuma.
5. Shorebirds. Gulls. Terns, and Allied Species
For the past several years, Montezuma has instituted a program of both spring (April - May) and fall (mid-August - late October) drawdowns of water levels on the 200-acre May's Point Pool. This effort is specifically designed to expose mudflats for migratory shorebird use. This program has proven extremely successful in providing both foraging and resting habitat for migratory shorebirds, and excellent viewing opportunities for upstate New York birding enthusiasts. 48
Total shorebird numbers and species diversity were down slightly throughout the spring drawdown period, but approached normal levels during the fall drawdown. The reason(s) for the spring decline are still unknown at this time. As a whole, yearly shorebird species diversity was quite impressive. Killdeer, lesser yellowlegs, spotted sandpiper, semipalmated sandpiper, dunlin, and semipalmated plover were most numerous. The more unusual sightings included ruddy turnstone, Baird's sandpiper, willet, stilt sandpiper, Wilson's phalarope, and red-necked phalarope. Virtually every species of shorebird representative of central New York was recorded during the spring and/or fall on May's Point Pool.
Fifteen hundred to two thousand ring-billed and herring gulls were observed "cleaning up" the winter-killed carp and small bullheads after ice-out in mid-March.
1990 refuge woodcock singing-ground surveys counted an average of 4.5 singing males per survey route. Last year's average was 5.0, the highest since the survey routes were established in 1986.
6. Raptors
Other than the preceding comments (Section G.2) concerning bald eagle and osprey use of the refuge, raptor populations underwent no noticeable changes in 1990. Species known to have successfully fledged young on the refuge during 1990 included red-tailed hawks, American kestrels, eastern screech-owls, and great horned owls. A northern harrier nest was suspected, but not confirmed.
7. Other Migratory Birds
The refuge's efforts to assist in the recovery of the eastern bluebird were first rewarded in 1981 when a single
pair of birds used one of our bluebird nesting boxes to fledge five young. Since then, 56 additional bluebirds have fledged from nest boxes on the refuge.
In 1990, one nest box was occupied by eastern bluebirds. Unfortunately, the nesting attempt was abandoned before any eggs were laid. Species using the remaining boxes included tree swallows, house wrens, and black-capped chickadees. Tractor operator Kevin Colton donated several hours of volunteer time to monitor the refuge's twenty bluebird nesting boxes throughout the nesting season. 49
8. Game Mammals
The 1989-90 refuge trapping season marked the thirteenth consecutive year that the Fur Management Program has used the bid system to select trappers. Ten individuals attended the mandatory trapper orientation meeting on either September 20 or 23, 1989. Minimum bids for all units were set at $100.00. Five trappers were awarded one unit each. A total of $684.50 was collected as a result of sealed bids, compared to last year's total of $1,086.70. No bids were received for one of the six trapping units. A depressed fur market, low fur prices, and static furbearer populations continue to take their toll on the refuge's trapping program. These three factors combined to result in low initial bids and subsequent decreased trapping effort.
Trapping dates were October 28, 1989 through February 18, 1990. Muskrat trapping in Tschache Pool was limited to the two-week period from November 13, 1989 through November 29, 1989. Tschache Pool was drawn down during the month of December to reduce carp numbers. The drawdown effectively prevented any further muskrat trapping on Tschache Pool. Muskrat trapping on the remaining pools continued through February 18, 1990. The total number of muskrats harvested was 250, a slight decline from the previous season's take of 268.
Trappers also reported harvesting 43 raccoons, 1 red fox, 24 mink, and 18 opossum. Twenty of the raccoons were caught by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation biologists as part of a state-wide study using padded traps versus conventional unpadded 1 1/2 double coil traps. Final results of the multi-year padded trap study are scheduled to be released in the near future.
The size of the refuge's non-wintering white-tailed deer herd has remained relatively stable for several years. The estimated population is between 300 and 400 animals. The deer are transitory, constantly moving on and off the refuge on a daily and seasonal basis. The most important factors affecting deer numbers and movements are farming practices on adjacent agricultural lands, the severity of winter weather, and the intensity of harvest efforts by New York State in the Deer Management Units surrounding the refuge.
Throughout the year, deer leave the refuge on a daily basis to feed on surrounding farmlands. During occasional severe winters the refuge serves as a "yarding" area for deer from a distance of eight to ten miles. The refuge's 2,000-acre tract of moist hardwood bottomlands and cattail swales provide escape cover not only for refuge deer, but also for those deer from adjacent, non-sheltered farmlands. The deer 50 seek out the thermal protection afforded by the bottomland hardwoods and cattail marshes.
The recent series of consecutive mild winters have resulted in too many deer for winter carrying capacities. The large over-wintering deer population has had negative impacts upon the overall vigor and diversity of the refuge's plant communities. Large areas of the refuge's deer habitat have been heavily browsed (up to a height of six feet in some instances) in recent years. The refuge's deer hunts were designed and implemented to reduce the deer population and thus lessen the damage to the vulnerable plant communities.
A total of 83 white-tailed deer were harvested by hunters during the 1990 refuge season (November 1 through December 11). Archery hunting accounted for 38 deer, with shotgun hunters removing an additional 45. Sixty-six (66) of the 83 deer harvested were examined by refuge personnel at the voluntary hunter check station (four staff members attended a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Deer Aging Techniques Workshop). Information collected on each deer included sex, age, antler beam diameter, total number of antler points, and fawn weight. The sex and age breakdown of the 66 deer examined at the Check Station is summarized in Table 1. 51
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Table 1. Summary Of Check Station Data For the White-tailed Deer Hunt On The Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, 1990.
AGE CLASSES
1 1/2 2 1/2 3 1/2 4 1/2 Number S^x Fawns Years Years Years Years Examined
Male 14 16 2 3 0 35
Female 4 12 5 6 4 31
TOTALS 18 28 7 9 4 66
Table 2 provides a five-year (1986 to 1990) summary of antler beam diameter (measured with calipers one inch above the base of the antler burr) for 1 1/2 year old male deer and dressed fawn weights for deer harvested on the refuge.
Table 2. Five-Year Summary of Mean Yearling Antler Beam Measurements and Dressed Fawn Weights For Deer Harvested On The Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge.
Hunt Average Yearling Average Dressed Year Beam Diameter (mm) Fawn Weight (lbs)
1986 17.11 (n = 9) —
1987 17.88 (n = 8) 48.45 (n = 11)
1988 18.18 (n = 22) 52.30 (n = 22)
1989 19.00 (n = 24) 52.43 (n = 32)
1990 19.69 (n = 16) 56.61 (n = 18) 52
Although sample sizes are small, both yearling beam diameters and fawn weights have increased each year since 1986. These two measurements of herd health seem to indicate that current hunts are succeeding in reducing deer numbers to levels adequate to insure the overall vigor of the refuge's deer population.
Information in Table 3 is included to demonstrate the impact of the collection of a $10.00 per day user fee on hunter participation and deer harvest during the 1990 shotgun hunt oh the refuge. Hunter participation declined by over 50% from 1989 to 1990. While shotgun hunter success rates were similar for both years, total deer take declined by 45% (1989 = 151, 1990 - 83), due in large part to the decrease in shotgun hunter participation.
Table 3. Five-Year Summary Of Selected White-Tailed Deer Hunt Information On Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge (1986-1990).
Year
1986 1987 1988 1989 1990
# Archery Hunt Days 27 45 37 35 19
# Shotgun Hunt Days -- -- 6 14 11
Total # Hunt Days 27 45 43 49 30
# Archery Hunt Visits 1,648 2,953 2,300 1,618 1,188
# Shotgun Hunt Visits -- -- 562 916 352
Total # Hunt Visits 1,648 2,953 2,862 2,534 1,540 # Deer Harvested-Archery 63 89 73 40 38
# Deer Harvested-Shotgun -- -- 61 111 45
Total # Deer Harvested 63 89 134 151 83
Hunter Success Rate-Archery 3.82% 3.01% 3.17% 2.47% 3.19%
Hunter Success Rate-Shotgun -- -- 10.85% 12.11% 12.78%
Total Hunter Success Rate 3.82% 3.01% 4.68% 5.95% 5.38%
Ave. # Hunters/Day-Archery 61 66 62 46 63
Ave. # Hunters/Day-Shotgun -- -- 94 65 32
Ave. # Hunters/Day-All Hunts 61 66 67 52 51 53 f 10. Other Resident Wildlife
The ring-necked pheasant population has steadily increased over the last several years. A string of mild winters, in conjunction with the availability of good habitat (in the form of managed grassland field/cattail marsh associations) have probably been the two most important factors contributing to this increase. Throughout the late spring and summer of 1990, several pheasant broods were observed on and in the immediate vicinity of the refuge.
14. Scientific Collections
Richard Malecki and two students from the New York Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit at Cornell University collected 200 purple loosestrife plants on May 30. The plants were shipped to a quarantine facility at the Virginia Polytechnical University where the initial studies will be undertaken testing the introduction of a European beetle species as a biological control agent for purple loosestrife.
15. Animal Control
Several woodchuck burrows were treated with rodent control cartridges (gas cartridges) during 1990. Control efforts are annually limited to a few select areas along dikes where woodchuck activity, if left unchecked, would result in structural damage to the integrity of the dikes. Woodchuck control efforts were also undertaken in the vicinity of the Esker Brook Nature Trail where the existence of burrows constitutes a safety hazard for refuge visitors.
Raccoons have historically been a problem during waterfowl banding operations at Montezuma. They frequently find baited areas and discourage ducks from using the banding site, rendering it useless for waterfowl banding. If raccoons do not discover the site during pre-baiting, but find it after the traps are set and ducks are captured, there is the possibility that the raccoons will kill or maim captured ducks. In 1990, five raccoons were captured in traps at the banding sites during the banding period and removed to other areas of the refuge. The success of this removal program is reflected, in part, in the success of our banding program. Not only were several hundred ducks banded, no ducks were lost to depredation during the waterfowl banding project. 54
f 16. Marking and Banding
The preseason waterfowl banding effort at Montezuma was again successful during 1990. The refuge banding quota of 200 mallards (50 each age and sex) was met. The refuge quota of 50 American black ducks was fulfilled for the third consecutive year. Several wood ducks and additional mallards were again banded at the request of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to assist them in reaching their statewide goals.
Assistant Manager Maura Sheehan with one of the one hundred and one wood ducks banded on the refuge in 1990 (90-13; VH)
All birds were captured with a three-compartment (Montezuma) walk-in trap. A total of 463 ducks were banded at two sites adjacent to the Main Pool during eight trap-nights of effort. 55
The final results of the 1990 preseason banding project were as follows:
• HYM AHYM HYF AHYF TOTAL
Mallard 86 92 69 61 308
American Black Duck 16 3 26 9 54
Wood Duck 20 19 46 16 101
GRAND TOTAL 463
Refuge staff and volunteers banding water fowl on a fall evening. (90-14; VH)
17. Disease Prevention and Control
During the refuge's 1990 archery and shotgun deer hunts, refuge staff members staffed a hunter check station to obtain information on deer population age structure and physical condition. Physical condition of the animals was good, indicating the success of the hunt in meeting its objective of maintaining a healthy herd (see Sections G.8 and H.8). 56
This year, 67 confirmed cases of rabies have been reported in raccoons in New York. These represent the first confirmed cases of raccoon rabies in the state for several years. At present, no confirmed cases have been reported in the immediate vicinity of the refuge. The general movement of rabies appears to be from northern Pennsylvania to New York's southern tier of counties and northward. 57
H. PUBLIC USE
1. General
Montezuma's public use program provides wildlife-oriented educational and recreational opportunities in support of management objectives. Total visitation for 1990 approximated 175,000, an increase of 13,000 over 1989. This increase in annual visitation can be attributed in part to increased visitor and environmental education opportunities at the Visitor Center, and also to our ability to keep the auto tour route open due to reduced snow and ice in the winter months.
2. Outdoor Classrooms - Students
The are no formal outdoor classrooms at Montezuma. Teachers are encouraged to use locales such as Esker Brook and South Spring Pool. The Visitor Center is the primary "indoor" classroom, and is the focus of current environmental education activities. The past practice of opening the Visitor Center to school groups during the week on Tuesdays only was changed in 1990 to Monday through Friday. Student visitation increased nearly 300 percent. The 3,400 students that visited Montezuma were given a refuge orientation, provided opportunity to view video tapes and mounted birds, and given "follow-up" environmental education activities to be done in their respective schools. The concepts of habitat, extinction, the role and importance of wetlands, and migration were among topics addressed during student visitation.
Refuge staff Smith, Sheehan, and Caslick participated in "Conservation Days" in Seneca and Cayuga Counties. Sixth grade students from various schools rotate through approximately 10 "stations" or locations, each with a mini- conservation education program in-place. Over 400 students from Seneca County and 500 students from Cayuga County listened to an overview of the importance of wetlands, observed a simulated wetland demonstration, and participated in a question and answer session.
The refuge hosted it's own Conservation Day on April 28 for brownie and cub scouts. Approximately 200 scouts participated in this program, which involved 14 volunteers as instructors, traffic directors, time keeper, and photographer. This was the second Conservation Day the refuge has hosted. Both were very successful, and will be repeated in the future. Volunteer Charlotte Hedler discussing wildflowers with scouts during Conservation Day (90-15; KSC)
i. if17
Refuge Tractor Operator and bluebird expert Kevin Colton presenting a bluebird workshop to scouts during Conservation Day (90-16; MKS) 59
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MONTHLY VISITATION, CALENDAR YEAR 1990
JANUARY 2,3 00 JULY 21,000 FEBRUARY 3,300 AUGUST 16,600 MARCH 9,600 SEPTEMBER 19,200 APRIL 26,300 OCTOBER 16,100 MAY 23,700 NOVEMBER 9,800 JUNE 22,100 DECEMBER 3,400
VISITATION BY PUBLIC USE CATEGORY, 1989-1990
1989 1990 Wildlife Observations
Tour Route 68,700 75,600 Towers 11,400 8,650 Trails 10,300 8,000 Guided Walks 250 Photography 3,400 600
Visitor Center (staffed) 12,200 15,500
Visitor Center (unstaffed) 3,800 2,900
Special Programs 400
Informational Visits - Office 800 600
Environmental Education Students 900 3,400 Teachers 50 800
Hunts Waterfowl 300 300 Archery 1,600 1,200 Firearms 900 200 Small mammal 70 2 5
Trapping 80
Fishing 45,500 54,300
160,000 172,705 60
The refuge film library was again used heavily by area teachers. The refuge purchased several videos during the year, and will use them in conjunction with next year's Visitor Center, environmental education activities.
Recreation Aide Smith participated in the "Career Day" workshop at Clyde-Savannah High School on December 11, 1990. Approximately 40 students attended the presentation on careers with the Fish and Wildlife Service.
Area colleges and universities continued to use the refuge as a resource. Among them were groups from The State University of New York (SUNY) College of Environmental Science and Forestry at Syracuse, SUNY Cobbleskill, SUNY Community College of the Finger Lakes, SUNY Cayuga County Community College, Wells College, Ithaca College, Cornell University, and SUNY Binghamton. Some of these were seminar/field trips conducted by Hocutt and Gingrich.
3. Outdoor Classroom—Teachers
Although there were no formal teachers' workshops during 1990 (due to staff changes in the public use program), teacher interest in environmental education remains high in area school systems. Nearly 800 teachers received environmental education services from the refuge. Services included assistance in developing environmental education teaching modules, education information packets, films, and videos. Eighty-five requests for film loans were filed during 1990. Recreation Aide Smith, for example, prepared an environmental education packet for teacher use during "Environmental Awareness Week" at Frank Knight Elementary School. The educational theme was "habitat", and the packet contained suitable educational materials. Also, Maura Sheehan and Marva Smith met with eight Science teachers from the Seneca Falls School District at their request. The topics discussed during the three-hour visit were refuge history, management and environmental education opportunities.
4. Interpretive Foot Trails
Esker Brook Nature Trail is a popular 1.5-mile foot trail, but lacks interpretive displays and improvements. A new trail head sign purchased in 1990 will be in place by the spring of 1991. Minor repairs and improvements to the various trail bridges were made by a local Scout as his community service requirement for his Eagle badge, and by the YCC crew. Over 8,000 persons travelled the trail in 1990. 61
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5. Interpretive Tour Route
The auto tour route continues to attract the most visitation on the refuge,, despite the absence of interpretive facilities. Over 77,000 people traveled the 3.5-mile route adjacent to the northeast side of the Main Pool. The tour route offers a convenient method of viewing wildlife, especially the thousands of ducks and geese present during Spring and Fall. Inclement weather caused closure of the tour route to vehicles during January, February, and one- half of March. When closed in winter, it becomes an increasingly-popular place for winter hiking, cross-county skiing, and snowshoeing. The tour route was closed for eleven days during the gun hunt for deer to reduce user conflicts and safety hazards.
6. Interpretive Exhibits/Demonstrations
The refuge continued to assist the Cortland, New York Fish and Wildlife Enhancement (FWE) Office to staff an exhibit at the New York State Fair held in Syracuse, New York. "Wetlands" was the theme of the exhibit. Refuge staff members and volunteers worked with FWE staff members to jointly provide information about wetlands and the Service, in addition to dispensing Golden Age and Golden Access Passports. A wood duck box display, complete with mounted female wood duck, was the exhibit highlight. This display was designed by staff members Kevin Colton and Steve Flanders.
Refuge interpretation and information at Esker Brook Nature Trail and along the auto tour route will be enhanced in 1991 after the arrival of ten custom-ordered signs. The signs address interpretive and informational shortcomings in the areas of marsh ecology, migratory birds, and refuge visitor protocol.
A new North American Waterfowl Management Plan display arrived in September to join various other permanent and temporary displays or exhibits housed at the refuge. The new display received instant attention when presented at our Visitor Center, soon after arrival. This year's schedule of displays is provided below. 62
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INTERPRETIVE DISPLAY CALENDAR
DISPLAY SITE/DATE
Northern Montezuma Acquisition Cayuga Lake State Park Seneca Falls, New York February 2-5
North American Waterfowl Erie NWR, Guys Mills, PA, Management Plan (Tabletop) April 20 - 22, May 18 - June 1, July 23 - August 25
Missisquoi NWR, Swanton, VT, May 4-12
Cayuga Sportsman1s Show Auburn, NY, September 22 - 23
North American Waterfowl Great Northeastern Management Plan (Free Sportsman's Show, standing) Syracuse, NY, January 27 - 28
Iroquois NWR, Alabama, NY, April 20 - 22
Erie NWR, April 28 - May 5
Fish and Wildlife Enhancement Office, Cortland, NY, May 16 - 18
Frank Knight Elementary School, Seneca Falls, NY, October 18 - 19
7. Other Interpretive Programs
Refuge volunteer staff led 10 birdwalks and four wildflower walks this year. These walks were attended by 244 people. An "Explore the Refuge System" program began in February and ran through September. Twenty-two refuges in the refuge system were presented through the use of slides, videotapes, 63 and films. This monthly program was quite popular, with 150 people attending the seven programs. It was terminated because we could no longer obtain suitable material from other refuges..
Thirty-five people attended a "Cavity Nesters" program at the Visitor Center. This program was presented by refuge staff member Kevin Colton. It featured a variety of nesting boxes from his collection, along with plans and instructions for building the boxes and placing them for avian use.
Assistant Manager Christenson presented a program in February on his Peace Corps travels and experiences while stationed in Burkina Faso, West Africa.
Professional photographer David Spier presented a wildlife photography seminar to approximately 25 people in February.
It was standing room only for Michael Allen's Bald Eagle program on Bald Eagles in New York State. Mike, senior wildlife biologist for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, presented the program in July to about 75 people. Thank God one wasn't a fire marshall; we were plagued on a number of occasions in 1990 by our ridiculously small auditorium.
8. Hunting
Waterfowl
The waterfowl season opened at Tschache Pool on October 6, and concluded November 10. Hunting was permitted from legal shooting time until 12:00 noon on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The opener coincided with that set by New York State for the Western Zone, and was an "early" one based on previous hunting seasons. Not unexpectedly, resident or early migrant species such as teal and mallard comprised most of the bag until the last several hunt days of the season.
Refuge personnel provided pre-season duck identification classes (required of all waterfowlers hunting the refuge), staffed the check station, took reservations, and conducted law enforcement for the duration of the hunt. The primary issues of the waterfowl hunt were the lottery and the $10.00 per party daily reservation fee. Our lottery system was to draw a parking area randomly when a hunting reservation was taken by telephone. Several hunters complained about the random draw because of it's "all or nothing" outcome. They wanted to select from available parking areas at the time of their reservation, and in this manner have some say as to where they were hunting on the pool. The -same hunters 64
< thought our fee was excessive, and should be reduced and/or charged to other and all user groups. These and other issues — the scope of law enforcement and segregating public uses —, will be dealt with prior to next year's hunt program.
A total of 459 ducks and 110 geese were taken by 293 individuals during the hunt. The average of 1.94 birds per hunter per half-day hunt was the highest ever recorded at the refuge. Green-winged teal (185, 40%), mallard (155, 34"%) and American black duck (47, 10%) were most prevalent in the bag.
Some excitement for the refuge staff and one landowner adjacent to the Pool resulted when "Thor," a deaf chocolate lab, was lost during a hunt. His owners, the landowner, and refuge personnel all hunted for the dog. Thor (the wonder dog) would bark just enough to give his direction to the searchers, and then go silent. All ended well when he was found none the worse for his three-day stay in the marsh.
White-Tailed Deer
The deer hunts were confusing in 1990 because of the requirement for a $10.00 per hunter daily fee for gun hunters, but no fee for archery. The difference in fee/no fee was based upon the very high cost of administering the gun hunt. A total of $4,991.00 was collected for the deer- gun and waterfowl hunts. Our 30% "cut" was $1,497.00.
Refuge staff began preparations in September for the archery hunt for deer with news releases announcing our first-day lottery, and considerable staff time spent on the telephone answering questions. The-season was set from November 1st to November 22nd, for a total of 19 hunt days. There was no fee, but this was 16 days less than in 1989, and we braced for a public outcry. It never came. Thirty-eight deer were harvested, and the hunter success rate of 3.19% was higher than the 2.47% in 1989. Our deadline for receiving appli cations for the first-day lottery was extended an additional two weeks because we did not attain our quota of hunters. A major Syracuse metropolitan newspaper failed to publish one or more of our news releases, and we believe this accounted for the initial under-response. The extension allowed us to meet our first-day quota of 600 hunters.
The gun hunt for deer opened November 27 and closed December 12th. As in the archery hunt, we held a lottery for the 115 slots allotted for first day. We had 115 hunters in the field opening day, but only because approximately 50 stand by hunters arrived and were allowed to fill spots unclaimed by lottery winners. We think the large number of "no-shows" 65
< were hunters who had taken deer off-refuge prior to our opener. Unlike the archery hunt, subsequent days were not self-service, since a $10.00 fee per hunter was charged. We feel the $10.0.0 fee was a significant factor in the dramatic reduction in total number of deer hunters in 1990. We had 916 hunt visits in 1989, but only 352 in 1990, for a 62% reduction. Hunters felt their success was impeded by the wet and mild weather during much of our season, along with thick vegetation and many acres of standing corn adjacent to the refuge.
Partial closures of refuge areas during hunts are problems at best, and downright controversial at worst. A 100-acre rectangle was closed in Unit 17 to protect construction personnel working on our water connector ditch and other workers who were rehabilitating NYSDOT's Cayuga Lake Dam. Thanks to good publicity at our Check Station and in news releases, refuge hunters were very understanding and cooperative.
The situation was far more complicated regarding the temporary closure of the auto tour route during the gun hunt for deer. The weather was uncharacteristically mild and sunny during parts of the hunt period — especially Thanksgiving weekend. Special efforts, much tact, and lots of luck were required by refuge staff to deal with visitors who (a) opposed hunting or opposed hunting on refuges, and (b) opposed being barred from the auto tour route because of hunting. Involved staff handled the issue very well.
Small Game
Our small game hunt extends across calendar years. Small game, primarily rabbits and squirrel, were hunted in 1990 from January 1st through February 28th, and then again between December 12th and the 31st. The tally was 32 hunters taking 20 rabbits and 3 squirrels. A significant change initiated for the December, 1990 hunt was the closure to hunting of the Tschache Pool area to eliminate disturbance to the bald eagle trio during courtship.
A total of 44 raccoons were harvested by night raccoon hunters in the 1989-90 hunt. The hunters, who have special use permits, are allowed to use dogs and to hunt between sunset and sunrise. Because of low raccoon prices, little interest was shown in this year's hunt. Only nine people applied for the ten available permits. 66
< 9. Fishing
No refuge waters are open to fishing, but the refuge maintains two fishing areas along the Clyde River. We jointly manage with New York State a third fishing area and boat launch ramp into the state Barge Canal. This area is across Routes 5/20 from our headquarters road. Over 54,000 people participated in fishing-related activities in these areas in 1990, which is over 10,000 more than in 1989. Brown bullheads are viewed very seriously in upstate New York.
10. Trapping
Please see Section G-8.
11. Wildlife Observation
The majority of refuge visitation is for wildlife observation. Facilities available include two observation towers, the Auto Tour Route, Esker Brook Nature Trail, and the cross-country ski and snowshoeing trails. Refuge volunteers led guided bird walks during the spring and fall migrations, as well as wildflower walks during each season.
16. Other Non-Wildlife Oriented Recreation
Assistant Manager Christenson and Recreation Aide Smith participated in the Frank Knight Elementary School reading week program. They and other professionals were invited into the classroom to read to the students as a demonstration of the importance of reading skills in the "real world."
The Visitor Center deck was the site for an "authorized" wedding on May 26th. The event lasted much longer than planned. Future requests will probably be denied.
17. Law Enforcement
Law Enforcement problems and issues continued to be low key here at Montezuma as no real problems surfaced during 1990.
Only three Violation Notices were issued during the fall hunt season, which was the lowest number in quite a while. One individual was cited for hunting during a closed season, and two persons were cited for hunting in a closed area. 67
Several verbal and written warnings were given to ensure compliance with refuge-specific regulations, particularly the blaze orange requirement during deer (gun) season.
Sergeant Gary Strater, Seneca Falls Police Department, met with Assistant Manager Christenson in early June, following a tip, that marijuana was being grown on the refuge. Follow-up discussions included FWS Special Agent Lisenbee, David Stebbins of the New York State Police, and Manager Hocutt. Extensive ground searches by Agent Lisenbee, Strater, and Stebbins, however, failed to locate any evidence of marijuana cultivation. Difficult search conditions could have prevented its discovery, but it is more likely that the information provided was inaccurate.
Again this year we were concerned about the strong possibility of anti-hunting protests on the refuge during archery season. Christenson met with Special Agent Lisenbee to once again develop a variety of contingency plans in the event a protest was staged. Despite strong feelings against our hunts by members of the local community, no protests occurred this year on the refuge. We will continue to plan for that eventuality, however, as the number of anti-hunt protests in upstate New York increased markedly this year. Several protests received extensive TV and newspaper coverage. 68
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I. EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES
1. New Construction
After seven years of dreaming, planning, and negotiating, the Cayuga Lake Connector project (the Ditch) moved significantly closer to reality in 1990. Initial funding for the project, lost in 1989, was restored when $293,000 in construction funds were programmed by Engineering for the first water control structures. Refuges and Wildlife provided an additional $15,000 to our budget to support our force account efforts.
Clearing of the 7,000 foot x 150 foot Right-of-Way started in mid-winter using Iroquois NWR's Hydro-Axe. Brush and trees up to 7" in diameter were cleared using the rotary cutting head, after which trees up to 20" were dropped using the feller-buncher. Trees greater than 20", mostly large cottonwood and willow, were dropped by chainsaw. Maintenance Mechanic Flanders expended 95 hours on this portion of the project. The many piles of downed, stacked trees (primarily ash and cottonwood) could not be sold due to the intermixing of State and Service ownership of the right-of-way, so we made the wood available free of charge to the public. Response to our offer was not overwhelming, but was steady enough to meet our goal of removing the piles from the work zone.
Final preparations for our force account earth moving work were completed in May when Roger Tornstrom (RO Surveys and Maps) and Kevin Colton did the final surveying of the Right- of-Way. Working around heavy rainstorms, they marked the centerline and set elevation stakes and benchmarks for the entire length of the ditch.
The second phase began in July with the assembly of a force account crew consisting of Steve Flanders, Kevin Colton, Luther Vick (Presquile NWR), Don Lima (Wertheim NWR), A1 Nice (Iroquois NWR) and Ira McCoy (Iroquois NWR). In addition to our JD 690C hydraulic excavator and JD 550 dozer, we borrowed a JD 750B dozer from Iroquois NWR and rented a Komatsu 120 hp. dozer. Wet working conditions and inadequate equipment size proved to be limitations, but the crew succeeded in clearing and burying all stumps in the right-of-way and in completing 800 feet of ditch to rough grade. The crew worked nearly 500 hours during the all-out two week effort, and we were very pleased with the end result. 69
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Our Force Account crew begins to shape the first 800 feet of the 7,000-foot Cayuga Lake Water Connector Project. (90-17; KSC)
Final engineering designs for the "Cayuga" control structure and the "transport pipes" under State Route 5/20 were completed in mid-summer. Bid packages were sent out in August, and the contract was awarded to Suburban Pipeline of Syracuse for $220,000.
Actual construction of the Route 5/20 structure began in early December following delays due to heavy November rains. Four 48" steel casings were "bored" under the highway using horizontal boring machinery. Four 42" x 100* corrugated pipes were placed inside the casing, and the void between the pipes was filled with blown in pea stone. Rip rap at each end of the pipes and guardrails along the road should complete the job, which benefitted greatly from warmer than normal December weather. 70
These four 42" pipes will carry Cayuga Lake water under New York Routes 5/20 to the Main Pool. (90-18; KSC)
The Cayuga Water Control Structure was pre-cast off-site and set in place by two 50-ton cranes. The structure itself weighed 16 tons. Two 48" x 50' corrugated pipes were attached to the structure and backfilled to grade. The aluminum screw gates were attached and rip rap placed on both sides of the structure. Final grading and seeding will be completed next spring.-
Despite initial delays which forced construction into the early winter months, completion of this contract went very well. Suburban Pipeline proved to be extremely competent, and finished the job in a timely and professional manner. Contract inspector Kevin Jacob, RO Engineering, and Maintenance Mechanic Flanders were impressed with the quality of their work on both structures.
Another large, costly segment of the overall Ditch project was completed this year when Consolidated Natural Gas and Tenneco Corporation lowered their pipelines where they crossed our Right-of-Way. Consolidated1s 24" pipe and Tenneco's 24" and 36" pipes were all lowered at least eight feet to put them below our final ditch elevation of 380.0 feet. Total costs including engineering, actual construction, and value of lost gas were estimated at $100,000 and $500,000 for Consolidated and Tenneco, 71
The crew from Consolidated Natural Gas prepares to lower the new pipe section into place in our water transport ditch Right-of-Way. The pipe was set four to five feet below bottom grade of our channel. (90-19; KSC) respectively. Both companies are to be highly commended for the positive, willing cooperation given to this project.
Without question, the Cayuga Lake Water Connector Project is the single-most important habitat project at Montezuma since it's establishment in 1938. Once in place, the new water supply will allow water management regimes, such as summer drawdowns, which will effectively set back the ecological clock and allow us to improve and restore desired plant communities while controlling purple loosestrife, carp, and the risk of botulism.
1990 was a milestone in the seven-year "battle" to get this project off the ground, but much remains to be done before we have a working ditch. We are pursuing funding to allow us to complete the entire project by contract in FY-91. Our FY-91 funding included $620,000 towards this goal: we will seek an additional $112,000 from Ducks Unlimited and $300,000 from the North American Wetlands Conservation Council to meet the estimated remaining costs of nearly $1,000,000. 72
2. Rehabilitation
Major rehabilitation efforts were put into the main maintenance shop and the Visitor Center this year. In addition to routine, cyclical staining of both buildings, extensive renailing or replacement of the Tl-11 plywood siding was needed on both buildings due to excessive buckling and delamination.
The maintenance shop project also included:
- replacement of the wall-mounted exhaust fan - new electric eyes on the outside lights - new weather stripping on the overhead doors - removal, repair, and rehanging of the gutters - recaulking of doors and windows.
The Visitor Center project also consisted of:
- extensive replacement of 2" x 6" decking with new pressure-treated lumber - recaulking of windows and doors - repair or replacement of small directional signs - new information/hours sign for main door - thorough cleaning and servicing of the upper deck telescope - replacement of weathered wooden hand rails.
Total material costs were $1,028.00 and $446.00 for the shop and Visitor Center, respectively.
The May's Point water control structure was rehabilitated to allow us to hold higher water levels. New channel iron was shaped, welded, and bolted into place on the structure sill, allowing stoplog installation up to three feet above our previous capacity. This increased ability to hold water will be used to temporarily stress-flood purple loosestrife which is dominant in shallower pool areas.
The refuge residence received some much needed improvements this year. GSA Contract wall to wall carpeting was installed by a local dealer in the living room and two bedrooms. Maintenance Mechanic Norsen designed and constructed two new storage areas: an open oak shelving unit was put in the kitchen; and a hallway linen closet was built into a wall using space borrowed from the adjoining bedroom. Both projects helped address a long-standing deficiency. A local contractor refinished the dining room hardwood floor in the early fall as a precursor to a total remodel of the room next year.
Asbestos-wrapped heat ducts were removed from the quarters basement by an asbestos removal contractor, T & H Clean Air 73
< of Geneva, New York. The eight "boots" were removed and disposed of at an appropriate landfill. New "boots" were installed by a local contractor, so the system is now on line and asbestos-free.
New interpretive signs were ordered from the USFWS Sign Shop to address long-standing needs or to replace deteriorated route signs. The eleven signs ordered included a mix of large free-standing interpretive or regulatory signs as well as a series of smaller trail-side interpretive signs for Esker Brook Trail. Installation of all signs will occur in spring of 1991 if the winter delivery dates are met.
The excavated spoil from the channel along Grassland Management Unit I near the Visitor Center was leveled, graded, tilled, and seeded. This channel will become part of the Cayuga Lake Water Connector when that project is completed.
In accordance with Service policy and appropriate New York State regulations, several abandoned underground storage tanks were removed this year.
Myers Pump and Tank of Waterloo, New York was awarded the contract for removal and appropriate disposal of the tanks and contents. Some of the smaller tanks still held fuel oil which was recycled, but the other tanks had been filled with water which had to be treated as a costly contaminant, considerably raising the overall price. A description of each tank, including removal cost, is given below:
Location Size Contents Removal Cost
Fur House 550 gal. Fuel Oil $ 600.00 Old Shop 1, 000 gal. Gasoline/Water $1,600.00 Old Shop 1,000 gal. Diesel/Water $1,600.00 Old Office Site 550 gal. Fuel Oil/Water $ 800.00 Old Shop 550 gal. Fuel Oil/Water $ 800.00 Check Station 550 gal. Fuel Oil/Water $ 800.00 Unit 17 Pumphouse 275 gal. Fuel Oil $ 600.00 74
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All of the old underground storage tanks were opened and thoroughly cleaned in preparation for disposal. The accumulated sludge was vacuumed into a barrel and then taken by a licensed oil waste disposal company. (90-20; BLC)
The 1,000-gallon diesel tank (Old Shop Site) left residue in the hole and surrounding soils. A New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Oil Spill Engineer inspected the hole on the day after -the tank was removed. Oil- absorbing pads were used to soak oil from the ground water. No further oil seeped into the hole, and permission was granted by the State to close up the hole and refill to grade.
3. Major Maintenance
Routine water control structure maintenance included construction and installation of new hemlock stoplogs for White Brook, Black Brook, and Seneca Spillways. Additionally, the YCC crew expended considerable efforts to clear logs from the Route 89 connector spillway. They worked for over three days and removed a high pile of logs, but they were unable to complete the project as the large size of the remaining logs was beyond the scope of handwork. We were unable to complete the job using heavy equipment due to conflicts with other/ higher-priority projects. 75
While painting the shop (see Section 1.2), Maintenance Mechanic Norsen noticed buckling in several sections of the shop roof. Closer inspection and discussions with several roofing contractors, as well as the building architects (Beardsley and Beardsley of Auburn, New York) lead us to believe that plywood delamination had occurred due to inadequate venting. Our original plan was to issue a contract to strip the shingles, replace all deteriorated plywood, and reshingle the 3,000 square foot roof. However, following discussions with Engineering and CGS, we soon realized that contract costs would exceed our available funds. With that in mind we purchased materials to complete the project force account using FY 90 funds and scheduled the job to follow the on-going Visitor Center rehabilitation. We were forced to alter plans once again when the Visitor Center project continued much longer into the fall than anticipated. As a result, we eventually solicited new bids for labor only using FY 91 funds, and the project was begun in late October. Once they started stripping shingles, though, it quickly became clear that plywood delamination was not the problem. Because the rafters were spaced 20" on center, the specifications did not require clips between the butt-ends of the plywood sheets. Without those clips, numerous sheets warped, thus causing the buckling and sponginess seen and felt through the shingles. To install the missing clips would have required complete removal of the entire roof - considerably raising our costs. Instead it proved to be less expensive to simply overlay with a new layer of 3/8" plywood, covering the old seams and nailing the new plywood on all sides. New shingles and roof vents completed the job. Total cost for this project was $4,715.00: $1,850.00 for materials and $2,865.00 for labor.
Work on the shop roof brought another unrelated problem to light with the onset of the winter heating system. The pounding and general activity on the roof apparently caused a leak in the hot water pipes feeding the center fan unit in the shop. Investigation into the leak uncovered nearly complete disintegration of several feet of pipe which was covered by airtight insulation. The tight insulation had trapped and held any minor leaks which caused the 10-year old pipe to rust at an accelerated rate. It seems that our energy conservation methods need some refinement! 76
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Roofers laying 3/8" plywood over the original shop roof due to the warping and buckling which resulted from not using clips between the original 1/2" sheets. (90-21; BLC)
At the request of refuge neighbor Ed Lawrence, refuge staff removed the deteriorated barbed wire fence along our mutual boundary. The 3/4-mile fence had not been maintained since grazing was discontinued in the 1970*3, and was actually hindering his operations in several areas. Mr. Lawrence agreed to replace the old fence with an electric one to keep his dairy cows off the refuge.
The refuge's nonpotable water supply system required major repairs in July when its failure caused us to close the Public Restrooms and Visitor Center restrooms on a busy weekend. Eventually the problem was traced to a wiring problem in an underground junction box, but it had already burned out the submersible pump set in the barge canal. Locating and replacing the pump proved to be a difficult job for the divers due to murky waters and inadequate documentation of just where the pump was set. Personnel from the Sutterby Well Drilling Company and Tractor Operator Colton spent several days working on the system before we 77 were finally back on-line. Costs to Sutterby Well Drilling for parts (a 1 h.p. Goulds submersible pump, adapters, etc.) and labor were $1,214.00.
4. Equipment Utilization And Replacement
In conjunction with scheduled vehicle maintenance, washing and waxing, and safety inspections, the following is a list of major repairs accomplished by the refuge staff on the vehicle/equipment fleet:
1980 Chevy LUV Pickup A - Rewelding of rusted frame sections by a certified welding shop.
1982 Dodge Pickup - Replaced the battery, windshield, and four tires.
1980 Chevy LUV Pickup B - Replaced two rear tires, muffler and tailpipe, steering stabilizer, clutch disc and plate.
1984 Plymouth K-Car - Replaced front brake calipers and pads, turned the front rotors.
1985 Jeep - Replaced front brake rotors and pads, installed a PA system from the K-Car, and relocated the radio system.
1988 GMC Dump Truck - Replaced the front tires and aligned the front end, replaced the front bumper and muffler.
1987 Dodge Dakota - Replaced front brake pads and rear shoes, turned the drums and rotors.
1989 W350 Rack Truck - Traded in bias ply tires that were original equipment for radial tires.
1980 Dodge 4x4 - Replaced muffler and tailpipe, right front U-joint, and the fuel transfer pump on the diesel tank.
1989 Jeep - During warranty work to correct a stalling problem, the dealer replaced the fuel pump, fuel pump relay, ECU, flywheel sensor, and fuel filter before finally correcting an open circuit in the fuel pump wiring connection.
Tag-A-Long 15-Ton Trailer - Replaced the oak plank decking.
JD 690C Excavator - Replaced the four main batteries. 78
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JD 4040 Tractor - Replaced fuel injectors and adjusted valves.
Bush Hog Side Mower - Replaced gear housing and bearings.
Airboat - Magnetos were repaired by Sair Aviation.
The following is a list of new or replacement equipment purchased in 1990:
Kubota 1200-watt Generator
A replacement 4x4 1/2-ton pickup was ordered through GSA using salary savings. Delivery is expected mid-year 1991.
5. Communication Systems
No major additions or changes were made to the radio systems in 1990. Our only significant problem this year occurred when a lightning strike destroyed a desk set which was replaced by a spare set already on hand. Other repairs completed this year were routine items such as new batteries, output tests, etc.
6. Computers
Funds saved through salary savings allowed us to purchase a much-needed third computer this year. This unit is used by the ORP, biologist, and assistant managers for word processing and data base management, and is in nearly constant use most days. The system consists of an Epson Equity lie base with a 40Mb hard disc, a 5.25 inch floppy drive, and a 3.5 inch disc drive; a Magnavox color monitor; and a Hewlett-Packard Laserjet Series III printer. We purchased a new workstation to support the system which is positioned in a cubicle in our open office space. The computer seems on-line performancewise with our other two systems, but the Laserjet printer is an unqualified improvement for high quality text printing. Costs for the system totalled $3,698.00; $2,081.00 for the computer and $1,617.00 for the printer.
7. Energy Conservation
Most buildings at Montezuma are relatively new and were built incorporating energy conservation methods, or they have already been modified in terms of updated furnaces, insulation, etc. The only physical improvements made this year were window recaulking and overhead door stripping replacement done during the maintenance shop rehabilitation 79
project. A few other energy-conserving projects have been identified and will be addressed in FY-91.
Considerable efforts were made to increase energy awareness and decrease unnecessary energy use. In December Christenson met with Mr. Don Wells, energy specialist for New York State Electric and Gas, to discuss ways the refuge can lower its overall energy consumption. As a result, we will undergo a complete energy audit early in 1991, and several conservation measures were implemented. In addition td reminding staff members to turn off unneeded lights and close window shades at the end of the day, we implemented a policy of weekend thermostat setbacks. Staff members have also been reminded to drive the more energy-efficient vehicles whenever possible. 80
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J. OTHER ITEMS
2. Other Economic Uses
One permit was issued for commercial carp fishing. The fish are actually removed from the adjacent canal (state waters) as they attempt to swim through our water control structures to the pools to spawn. We consider it appropriate to charge a small fee for using our control structures as fish traps. Fishing conditions were average this year, and the service received $1,980.00 ($.03 per pound for 66,000 pounds of carp).
Our two beekeeping permittees paid $60.00 for keeping beehives on the refuge.
3. Items of Interest
The Finger Lakes National Forest's new District Ranger, Jorge* Negron, and Range Conservationist Joel Fiske visited Montezuma February 14. Manager Hocutt and ARM Christenson discussed current refuge programs and controversies. We explored possible means of cooperation between our respective stations, particularly in terms of fire management. They would very much like our assistance with prescribed burns and would be quite willing to reciprocate in kind. No decisions or commitments were made, but the framework for future discussions was laid.
On February 3 and 4, at the request of Alaska Zone Supervisor Paul Schmidt and Adak NWR Manager Mike Boylan, Hocutt and Christenson represented the Service in Syracuse, New York, at calling hours and at the funeral of Karen Norton, a Student Conservation Association volunteer who died in a boat accident at Adak on January 30, 1990. Karen and a refuge maintenance mechanic died of hypothermia; the accident seriously injured another maintenance mechanic and another SCA volunteer. Although shattered, Karen's parents and brother and sisters were warm and caring people. They sure made it easier for a couple of old duck farmers. We have invited them to visit and tour the refuge with us during the summer.
On March 13, Colonel Wayne Brewer (NYSDEC Environmental Conservation Police) requested use of refuge space to meet with his captains and lieutenants from central and western New York. Brewer heads enforcement of all toxic/hazardous waste programs in New York State. A decade ago, when Brewer was a Conservation Officer, he, Hocutt, and Flanders spent many nights in law enforcement activities. The meeting provided a welcome homecoming. 81
On June 28, Hocutt hosted Ms. Amy Gillenson, Syracuse Regional Representative to the NYS Secretary of State/Governor's Office, and her husband John, for a vehicle and airboat tour of the refuge. The recent public information meetings (Northern Montezuma Project) were discussed, as were on-going complaints by the Cross Lake - Seneca River Association.
On July 29, Hocutt spoke to 75 persons at the morning worship service of the Plymouth Congregational Church in downtown Syracuse. The subject was "Our Wildlife Legacy and Stewardship".
On August 23, Assistant Manager Christenson provided an airboat and vehicular tour of the refuge for Ed, Joyce, Kris, and Kevin Norton. The Nortons are father, mother, sister, and brother (respectively) of the late Karen Norton, SCA volunteer at Aleutian Islands NWR, who died last January in the tragic boating accident at Adak. Their visit followed up on the offer made when Hocutt and Christenson represented the Service at Karen's funeral.
On November 2, Regional Director Ron Lambertson, Assistant Regional Director Ralph Pisapia, and Cortland FWE Supervisor Lenny Corin visited the refuge. Ron visited briefly with the staff and took the time to ask each staff person a little bit about their personal background and aspirations. Unfortunately, their flight time only left about two hours for all of the festivities. Instead of ducks, the entourage got to see the Seneca Meadows Landfill. Ron's visit to SML should prove helpful to the Service as we enter into a very trying year which entails a major expansion program by the landfill and blatant attempts to wriggle out of water quality testing protocols in Black Brook. These are very important to the Service. '
On November 5, ORP Fred Caslick, Recreation Aide Marva Smith, and Refuge Manager Hocutt met with Seneca County Chamber of Commerce President Dick Compo to "brainstorm" a "Migration Celebration" to be jointly sponsored by the Chamber and the Refuge. Tentatively, we will sponsor a number of events (open house, displays downtown, special EE and film offerings) during "Earth Week" next spring. The Chamber Council has responded very favorably to the concept.
On November 24, Deputy Director Dick Smith visited the refuge. Although on a Saturday, a number of staffers were present due to the opener on the refuge of gun hunting for deer. There was an opportunity for Smith to meet four other staff members. Hocutt provided a brief slide presentation about the refuge, the Cayuga Lake Connector, purple loosestrife efforts, NOMOWET, the Seneca Meadows Landfill, and a number of other issues. We then did-a fast, four- 82 hour tour of all of the locations and sites. It was a good visit.
Hocutt spoke several times to aide Tracy Curran of U.S. Senator Patrick Moynihan's Buffalo Office. Seems the Senator was driving along the New York State Thruway, saw and was impressed by all of the ducks and geese in the air, and asked for more information. This piqued his curiosity about the name "Montezuma". We made several inquiries of historical offices in Cayuga and Seneca County to learn that Dr. Peter Clarke, a New York City entrepreneur (salt wells, merchandizing, medicine, etc.), who apparently had visited Mexico City, built a fabulous (for the day) home on a drumlin overlooking the swamp. Remembering Mexico City, he named the swamp after the last of the Aztec emperors. Beats the Iroquois name "Squagonna", which means "paradise of mosquitos". Apparently, the Senator was very happy - so were we; we learned a lot!
On December 5, Bill Kearney of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation visited the refuge to review projects for inclusion into work details for the New York State Shock Incarceration Camp prisoners. This concept (tough "boot camp") for youth is a concept in which the New York State Department of Corrections has been a leader. We identified several projects including additional clearing for the water connector ditch Right-of-Way and dike clearing in Unit 17. Following his visit, we prepared project descriptions and maps which were sent for state approval. Approval was quick, and the first work crews arrived on- site 12/12/90. By month's end they had cleared the largest remaining section of trees in the Right-of-Way, and had started on other aspects of the project. To date, this has proven to be a very cost-effective, efficient means of completing this sort of work.
On the 12th, representatives of Ducks Unlimited, George Gavutis, and refuge staff members met to fully review the water connector project. Ray Whittemore, A1 Sterling, and Don Beardsley were on hand for Ducks Unlimited. Following a short in-office discussion of current project status, most of the time was spent on the ground along the right-of-way. We inspected work completed to date and discussed in depth the various methods available to complete this large project. Ray verbally approved the project, but official acceptance by Ducks Unlimited won't be received until February or March. At this point we are planning on receiving $112,000 from Ducks Unlimited for this project.
In 1990, Region 5 initiated a successful wetlands restoration program in New York State with the help of several Refuges and Fish and Wildlife Enhancement Field Offices. The program was generally carried out on lands 83 that had been ditched or tiled and could be easily restored through the placement of ditch plugs, removal of drainage tiles, raising of culverts, and/or construction of small low-head dikes.. Occasionally, water control structures were installed where site conditions required them to restore the natural hydrology of the area.
Montezuma Maintenance Mechanic Steve Flanders (operating dozer) and Mason Neck Maintenance Mechanic Steve Boska (holding survey rod) complete work on a private lands wetland restoration site in Jefferson County; New York. (90-22; TAG)
Two Montezuma staff members, Maintenance Mechanic Steve Flanders and Wildlife Biologist Tracy Gingrich, spent a considerable amount of time and energy throughout the summer months working on projects located in the northern New York counties of Jefferson and St. Lawrence. Flanders, working as a construction team group leader, spent a total of approximately four weeks participating in restoration efforts. For most of that time, Steve was working with the station's JD 550 dozer and dump truck/trailer combination. Gingrich, serving as a site identification group leader, spent approximately 40% of his time from mid-March to late September on wetlands restoration work details. 84
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Training in 1990 included;
Caslick - New York State Boating Safety, Montezuma NWR, 10/29/90 - 11/5/90 (8 hours)
Christenson - Collateral Duty Course For Other Federal Agencies, Chicago, IL, 1/9/90 - 1/12/90 (40 hours)
Community CPR Refresher, Montezuma NWR, 3/21/90 - 3/22/90 (8 hours)
Law Enforcement In-Service Training, Cape Charles, VA, 4/1/90 - 4/6/90 (48 hours)
Northeast Non-Game Bird Management Workshop, Tilghman, MD, 9/18/90 - 9/20/90 (24 hours)
R-Base Training, Geneva, NY, 1/24/90 - 1/26/90 (6 hours)
Defensive Driver Training, Safety Council of Central New York, Port Byron, NY, 1/27/90 (6 hours)
New York State Boating Safety, Montezuma NWR, 10/29/90 - 11/5/90 (8 hours)
Colton - Defensive Driver Training, National Safety Council, Auburn, NY, 5/12/90 (6 hours)
New York State Boating Safety, Montezuma NWR, 10/29/90 - 11/5/90 (8 hours) 85
Flanders - Community CPR Refresher, Montezuma NWR, 3/21/90 - 3/22/90 (8 hours)
Law Enforcement In-Service Training, Cape Charles, VA, 4/23/90 - 4/26/90 (32 hours)
Gingrich - Community CPR Refresher, Montezuma NWR, 3/21/90 - 3/22/90 (8 hours)
Symposium: Managing Predation To Increase Production of Wetland Birds, Jamestown, ND, 8/13/90 - 8/17/90 (40 hours)
New York State Boating Safety, Montezuma NWR, 10/29/90 - 11/5/90 (8 hours)
Hocutt - Community CPR Refresher, Montezuma NWR, 3/21/90 - 3/22/90 (8 hours)
Law Enforcement In-Service Training, Cape Charles, VA, 4/23/90 - 4/26/90 (32 hours)
Project Leaders' Conference, Eastham, MA, 9/10/90 - 9/11/90 (16 hours)
McMahon - Community CPR Refresher, Montezuma NWR, 3/21/90 - 3/22/90 (8 hours)
R-Base Training, Geneva, NY, 1/24/90 - 1/26/90 (6 hours)
Norsen - Community CPR Refresher, Montezuma NWR, 3/21/90 - 3/22/90-(8 hours) 86 f
New York State Boating Safety, Montezuma NWR, 10/29/90 - 11/5/90 (8 hours)
Sheehan - New York State Boating Safety, Montezuma NWR, 10/29/90 - 11/5/90 (8 hours)
Smith - Defensive Driver Training, Safety Council of Central NY, Port Byron, NY, 1/27/90 (6 hours)
Community CPR Refresher, Montezuma NWR, 3/21/90 - 3/22/90 (8 hours)
New York State Boating Safety, Montezuma NWR, 10/29/90 - 11/5/90 (8 hours)
Special Assignments/Details:
Maintenance Mechanic Flanders was an Instructor for the Region 5 Heavy Equipment Training held at Cape Charles, Virginia during the period 5/7/90 - 5/13/90.
Mr. Flanders attended a Farm Bill Planning Meeting in Basking Ridge, New Jersey'on 2/15/90 (8 hours).
Mr. Flanders also operated heavy equipment for the regional Farm Bill Project: Gouverneur, NY (5/13/90 - 5/15/90) and Watertown, NY (8/21/90 - 8/27/90; 9/10/90 - 9/20/90).
Barry Christenson and Tracy Gingrich participated in a large goose banding effort in Ogdensburg, New York on 7/10/90 (8 hours) in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Biologist Tracy Gingrich's travel assignments for CY 90 included:
- Attended a Farm Bill Planning Meeting in Basking Ridge, New Jersey on 2/15/90
- Gouverneur, NY (4/10/90 - 4/11/90) (Farm Bill) 87
- Gouverneur, NY (5/3/90 - 5/4/90) (Farm Bill)
- Gouverneur, NY (5/14/90 - 5/15/90) (Farm Bill)
- Gouverneur, NY (6/4/90 - 6/6/90) (Farm Bill)
- Massina, NY (6/10/90 - 6/11/90) (Farm Bill)
- Watertown, NY (8/22/90 - 8/23/90) (Farm Bill)
- Watertown, NY (9/9/90 - 9/14/90) (Farm Bill)
- Watertown, NY (9/16/90 - 9/20/90) (Farm Bill)
Fiscal Assistant McMahon was detailed to the Regional Office two times during 1990. Ms. McMahon worked directly with Contracting and General Services Division, handling small purchases (3/26/90 - 3/30/90). She also worked directly with the Program Development/Budget Division of Refuges and Wildlife, assisting them with funding and personnel management (9/10/90 - 9/14/90).
Ms. McMahon served with the R-5 Regional Office team for Administrative and Biological Field Inspections of Edwin B. Forsythe NWR (5/14/90 - 5/16/90) and Iroquois NWR (6/12/90 - 6/13/90). 88
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Awards
The following employees received Special Achievement Awards in 1990 for their work performance:
- Grady Hocutt - Tracy Gingrich - Steve Flanders - Judy McMahon - Marva Smith
4. Credits
Typing and Proofreading - Estes Climatic Conditions - Norsen, Christenson Planning - Hocutt, Christenson, Gingrich Administration - Hocutt, Christenson, McMahon, Sheehan, Smith Habitat Management - Sheehan Wildlife - Gingrich Public Use - Caslick, Smith Equipment and Facilities - Norsen, Flanders, Christenson Other Items - Hocutt, Christenson, McMahon Editing - Hocutt, Christenson
Photograph /'s 5, 13, and 14 were taken by Ms. Vonda Hussey of The Rochester Institute of Technology
Photograph #10 was taken by Mr. Peter Nye of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Photograph #11 was taken by Mr. Bruce Penrod of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Photograph # 12 was taken by Mr. Michael Allen of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. 89
K. FEEDBACK
Refuge staff were impressed and gratified by the dedication, skill, and plain hard work demonstrated for two long weeks in July by Maintenance Mechanics from three refuges who assisted our staff in starting the Cayuga Lake water connector ditch. Luther Vick (Presquile), Don Lima (Long Island Complex; now at Parker River), and A1 Nice and Ira McCoy (Iroquois) came early, stayed late, and really broke their tails. Their work was professional and their attitudes were exemplary. All of these folks are welcome at this refuge anytime for any reason. Their managers (Barry Brady, Tom Stewart, and Don Tiller) are commended for their understanding of the magnitude and complexity of the connector ditch, and their sacrifice of key staff at a very busy season at their respective refuges. Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge Wooded areas, grasslands, and wetland habitat are Winter also managed to provide a healthy, self-sustaining The self-guided Auto Tour Route is generally closed population of many wildlife species including to traffic (depending upon snow/ice/road mammals, resident birds, reptiles, amphibians, and conditions). Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing insects which are normally found in Central New on the Tour Route and Esker Brook Trail provide an York. excellent opportunity to see white-tailed deer, small mammals, and resident birds such as blue jays, In 1976, the Refuge cooperated with the New York woodpeckers, nuthatches, and black-capped State Department of Environmental Conservation on chickadees. a bald eagle release program at Montezuma. Over a period of four years, 23 eagles were released through a "hacking" program. Since the program's Summer inception, bald eagles have returned to Montezuma and have successfully reared young. Waterfowl Nesting - Canada geese and several duck species nest on the Refuge beginning in early March. The Refuge has been a study site for learning about Broods first appear in early May and can be seen the impacts of the pest plant purple loosestrife on throughout the summer. marsh ecosystems and establishing techniques to control its spread. The Refuge has worked with Heron Rookery - Great blue herons nest in the Cornell University on these studies. flooded timber area of Tschache Pool. Black- crowned night-herons may also be seen in Main The Refuge also provides compatible wildlife- Pool. oriented educational and recreational opportunities for thousands of visitors each year. Recreational Flowering Plants - Throughout the summer opportunities are carefully planned to complement flowering plants may be seen from the Auto Tour the management of the Refuge. Route. Purple loosestrife, iris, mallow, and white water lily peak in late July. Spring Migration Waterfowl - Late February through April - varies as Year-Round to weather and thaw - 85,000 Canada geese, 12,000 White-tailed deer, rabbits, foxes, and other resident Wildlife snow geese (both color phases are present). Many wildlife can be seen throughout the year. Best species of ducks are present though not as numerous viewing times are early morning and late afternoon. Calendar as in the fall. Best viewing times are in early You may wish to plan your trip accordingly. morning and late afternoon. Fall Migration With advance notice, educational programs are Waterfowl - Mid-September to freeze-up; Canada Shorebirds - Shorebird migration is less spectacular available to organized groups throughout the year. goose numbers peak (50,000) in mid-November; than,in the fall, but birds are common early May to The Refuge provides area teachers and students duck numbers peak (150,000) late November. Best mid-June. with three outdoor classroom sites for viewing times are early morning and late afternoon. environmental education. Teacher workshops are Warblers - The peak of warbler migration is mid- held at various times during the year which enable Shorebirds/Wading Birds - Mid-August through May. Itest viewing is on Esker Brook Trail from teachers to effectively utilize the Refuge for sched mid-October; peak mid-September. Sandpipers can dawy until mid-morning. uled field trips. be seen on exposed mudflats, while herons and egrets use the shallow water areas throughout the Wildflowers - From April through June; peak is in The Refuge provides an extensive assortment of day. Shorebird watching is best at May's Point Pool, May. Violets, trilliums, mayapples, vetches, 16mm wildlife films and videos (free of charge) to where water levels are managed seasonally for their mustards and others can be seen along Esker Brook area educators. Films are also available for viewing benefit. Trail. in the Visitor Center. Welcome to Montezufria In 1937"the Bureau of Biological Survey, which later became the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge lies at the purchased 6,432 acres of the former marsh. This land north end of Cayuga Lake, in the heart of the Finger would become the Montezuma National Wildlife Lakes Region of New York State. Located 5 miles Refuge. The Civilian Conservation Corps began east of Seneca Falls, in Seneca County, Montezuma work on a series of low dikes which would hold Refuge serves as a major resting area for waterfowl water and restore part of the marsh. Efforts to and other waterbirds on their journeys to and from restore and preserve the marsh continue today. The nesting areas in northeastern and east-central Service, working cooperatively with New York Canada. Refuge management benefits wildlife and State, several conservation organizations, provides a place for people to visit and enjoy corporations, and private landowners, is seeking to wildlife in its natural habitat. protect even more of the original Montezuma Marsh. The project which joins all of these organizations together is the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. The Plan is an international agreement between the United States and Canada to conserve, restore, and enhance wetlands and waterfowl habitat.
Why a Refuge? Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1938 as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife. The Refuge Once Extensive Marshes provides resting, feeding, and nesting habitat for The Finger Lakes Region was shaped during the last waterfowl and other migratory birds. Montezuma is glacial period, some 10,000 years ago. The retreating situated in the middle of one of the most active flight glacier created a vast system of lakes. In time, the lanes in the Atlantic Flyway. shallower northern and southern ends of the lakes developed into extensive marshes.
The earliest known inhabitants of this region were Algonquin Indians. They were succeeded by the Cayugas of the Iroquois Nation. These early Americans derived part of their livelihood from the wildlife and plants of the area's bountiful marshes.
Prior to the turn of the century, the Montezuma Marsh extended north from Cayuga Lake for twelve miles and was up to eight miles wide. The marsh was one of the most productive in North America. As with most wetlands during that era, the importance of the marshes went unrecognized. Careful management of the Refuge's 3,500 acres of Construction of the dam at the outlet of Cayuga diked pools ensures that migrating birds will find Lake and changes made to existing rivers during the suitable food in a mix of emergent and submergent building of the New York State Barge Canal contrib plants along with open water and mudflats. Water uted to the loss of the marsh. By the early 1900's all levels are carefully manipulated throughout the year but a few hundred acres had been drained. to provide habitat and food for many bird species. Enjoying the Refuge Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge Mission: As the Nation's principal conservation agency, the Recreational and educational activities abound at Department of the Interior has responsibility for most of our nationally-owned public lands and natural and cultural Montezuma throughout the year. The Refuge is resources. This includes fostering wise use of our land and open daily during daylight hours. Since Montezuma water resources, protecting our fish and wildlife, preserving is a National Wildlife Refuge, collecting, disturbing, the environmental and cultural values of our national parks injuring or damaging plants or animals is and historic places, and providing for the enjoyment of life prohibited. through outdoor recreation. The Department assesses our energy and mineral resources and works to assure that their The Visitor Center, staffed on weekends development is in the best interests of all our people. The from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (summer), 9:30 am Department also promotes the goals of the Take Pride in to 4:00 pm (winter), most Tuesdays and America campaign by encouraging stewardship and citizen holidays, contains exhibits, leaflets and responsibility for the public lands and promoting citizen restrooms. The Observation Deck and participation in their care. The Department also has a major responsibility for American Indian reservation communities Tower provide excellent opportunities to see and for people who live in Island Territories under U.S. wildlife. Administration. The self-guided Auto Tour Route provides e opportunities to observe and photograph TAKE4 wildlife from your car. Please stay in your vehicle since it serves as a 'blind" and minimizes disturbance to wildlife. Snow, ice and poor road conditions generally keep the road closed during the winter and early spring months. For further information, contact: Esker Brook Trail, a two-mile walking trail, is open year-round. The Trail and Auto Tour Refuge Manager Route are open for cross-country skiing and Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge snowshoeing during the winter. All hiking, 3395 Routes 5 & 20 East skiing, etc. is limited to established trails. Seneca Falls, New York 13148 Telephone: (315) 568-5987
Although fishing and boating are prohibited •U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1990-0-701-715 in Refuge waters, the Refuge maintains a boat launch providing access to the State- Illustrations by Julien D. Beauregard owned Barge Canal. Three public fishing sites provide bank fishing access to the canal.
Public hunting, primarily for waterfowl and 1 Mile deer, is permitted under special regulations on portions of the Refuge during the State seasons. Contact Refuge Manager for additional information.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
RL-51530-1 July 1990 Birds Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge
New York Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge in Seneca County, New York, was established in 1937 to provide nesting, resting, and feeding areas for ducks, geese, and many other LOONS - GREBES - CORMORANT Red-breasted Merganser water birds and songbirds. This Refuge contains 6,432 acres Red-throated Loon Ruddy Duck t — of widely diversified habitat, from extensive marshes to Common Loon VULTURES - HAWKS - FALCONS upland hardwoods. In addition to meeting habitat require Pied-billed Grebe t Turkey Vulture ments for tens of thousands of spring and fall migrant birds, Horned Grebe Osprey t the refuge annually provides wildlife education and recrea Red-necked Grebe Bald Eagle tion to a quarter of a million visitors. Double-crested Cormorant Northern Harrier f Public uses include a 3.5 mile self-guiding auto tour around BITTERNS - HERONS - IBIS Sharp-shinned Hawk t the Main Pool, a Visitor Contact Station, a 2-mile hiking trail American Bittern t Cooper's Hawk and ample opportunities to photograph wildlife. Least Bittern f Northern Goshawk Great Blue Heron t Red-shouldered Hawk Great Egret Broad-winged Hawk Snowy Egret Red-tailed Hawk f Little Blue Heron Rough-legged Hawk Cattle Egret Golden Eagle Green-backed Heron t American Kestrel t Birding opportunities are best from March through November Black-crowned Night-Heron t Merlin with peak migrations of waterfowl in mid-April and early Glossy Ibis October. Warblers are abundant in late May to early June. Peregrine Falcon Summer nesters and broods provide excellent viewing - there SWANS - GEESE - DUCKS PHEASANT - GROUSE is always something to see on a birding tour. Tundra Swan Ring-necked Pheasant t Mute Swan Ruffed Grouse f This folder lists 314 species of birds that have been identified Snow Goose RAILS-CRANES , on Montezuma Refuge since its establishment in 1937. Brant King Rail Please report any sightings of birds that are not included in Canada Goose t Virginia Rail f this list to the Refuge Manager. Wood Duck f Sora t Green-winged Teal f Common Moorhen f Most birds are migratory, therefore, their seasonal occur American Black Duck t American Coot t rence is coded as follows: Mallard t PLOVERS - SANDPIPERS Northern Pintail t Black-bellied Plover SEASON Blue-winged Teal f s - Spring March - May Lesser Golden-Plover S - Summer June - August Northern Shoveler t Semipalmated Plover F • Fall September - November Gadwall f Killdeer t W - Winter December - February Eurasian Wigeon Greater Yellowlegs American Wigeon f f - Birds known to nest on or near the refuge Lesser Yellowlegs Italics indicate threatened/endangered species Canvasback t Solitary Sandpiper Redhead t Spotted Sandpiper t RELATIVE ABUNDANCE Ring-necked t)uck Upland Sandpiper Relative abundance indicates how frequently you might see a Greater Scaup.. Whimbrel bird in its favored habitat. Lesser Scaup ^ Hudsonian Godwit a - abundant a species which is very Oldsquaw ,0 Ruddy Turnstone numerous Black Scoter Red Knot c - common likely to be seen or heard in Surf Scoter ..^.! Sanderling suitable habitat White-winged Scoter Semipalmated Sandpiper u - uncommon present, but not certain to be seen Common Goldeneye Western Sandpiper o - occasional seen only a few times during Bufflehead Least Sandpiper a season Hooded Merganser t White-rumped Sandpiper r- rare may be present but not every year Common Merganser Baird's Sandpiper s ' S F W
Pectoral Sandpiper c c c Eastern Phoebe t Dunlin c c Great Crested Flycatcher f Stilt Sandpiper 0 c c Eastern Kingbird t Ruff r r LARKS - SWALLOWS - JAYS - CROWS Short-billed Dowitcher c 0 c Horned Lark t Long-billed Dowitcher c Purple Martin t Common Snipe t 0 0 0 Tree Swallow t American Woodcock t 0 0 0 Northern Rough-winged Swallow Wilson's Phalarope r r Bank Swallow f Red-necked Phalarope r 0 0 Cliff Swallow t GULLS-TERNS Barn Swallow t Bonaparte's Gull 0 0 0 Blue Jay f Ring-billed Gull c c c American Crow t Herring Gull c 0 c TITMICE - NUTHATCHES - WRENS Greater Black-backed Gull 0 0 0 Black-capped Chickadee t Caspian Tern 0 0 Tufted Titmouse Common Tern t 0 0 0 Red-breasted Nuthatch f Black Tern f 0 0 0 White-breasted Nuthatch t DOVES - OWLS - HUMMINGBIRDS Brown Creeper t Rock Dove t 0 0 0 Carolina Wren Mourning Dove t c c c House Wren f Black-billed Cuckoo t 0 0 Winter Wren f Yellow-billed Cuckoo t 0 0 Sedge Wren t Common Barn-Owl r r r Marsh Wren t Eastern Screech-Owl t c c c KINGLETS - THRUSHES - THRASHERS Great Horned Owl f c c c Golden-crowned Kinglet Snowy Owl Ruby-crowned Kinglet-. Barred Owl t r r r Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Short-eared Owl 0 r 0 Eastern Bluebird f Northern Saw-whet Owl r r Veery t Common Nighthawk r Gray-cheeked Thrush Whip-poor-will r Swainson's Thrush Chimney Swift t 0 0 Hermit Thrush Ruby-throated Hummingbird t 0 Wood Thrush t Belted Kingfisher t c c c American Robin f WOODPECKERS - FLYCATCHERS Gray Catbird f Red-bellied Woodpecker f 0 0 0 Northern Mockingbird Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 0 0 Brown Thrasher f Downy Woodpecker t c c c WAXWINGS • SHRIKES - STARLINGS Hairy Woodpecker t 0 0 0 Water Pipit Northern Flicker t c c c Cedar Waxwing f Pileated Woodpecker t 0 0 0 Northern Shrike Olive-sided Flycatcher r r Loggerhead Shrike Eastern Wood-Peewee t c European Starling t Alder Flycatcher 0 0 VIREOS - WOOD WARBLERS Willow Flycatcher 0 c Solitary Vireo Least Flycatcher t c Yellow-throated Vireo t s S F W ACCIDENTALS U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE Warbling Vireo t c c c Grasshopper Sparrow t The following species have been seen on the refuge one or two Montezuma is one of more than 445 refuges in the National Philadelphia Vireo r r Henslow's Sparrow t times: Wildlife Refuge System administered by the U.S. Fish and Red-eyed Vireo t c c c Fox Sparrow Wildlife Service. The National Wildlife Refuge System is a Western Grebe Parasitic Jaeger Blue-winged Warbler r Song Sparrow t network of lands and waters managed specifically for the Eared Grebe Glaucous Gull Golden-winqed Warbler 0 0 Lincoln's Sparrow Leach's Storm-Petrel Iceland Gull protection of wildlife and wildlife habitat and represents the Tennessee Warbler 0 0 Swamp Sparrow t Wilson's Storm-Petrel Little Gull most comprehensive wildlife resource management pro Orange-crowned Warbler r White-throated Sparrow American White Pelican Least Tern gram in the world. Units of the system stretch across the Northern Gannet Nashville Warbler c c White-crowned Sparrow Arctic Tern United States from northern Alaska to the Florida Keys, and Black Swan Roseate Tern Northern Parula Dark-eyed Junco 0 0 Pink-footed Goose Forster's Tern include small islands in the Caribbean and South Pacific. The Yellow Warbler t c c c Lapland Longspur White-fronted Goose Gull-billed Tern character of the refuges is as diverse as the nation itself. Chestnut-sided Warbler 0 0 Snow Bunting Bar-Headed Goose Razorbill Magnolia Warbler c c BLACKBIRDS - FINCHES Egyptian Goose Thick-billed Murre The Service also manages National Fish Hatcheries, and Cinnamon Teal Dovekie Cape Mav Warbler c c Bobolink t provides Federal leadership in habitat protection, fish and Shelduck Black Guillemot Black-throated Blue Warbler c c Red-winged Blackbird t Fulvous Whistling Duck White-winged Dove wildlife research, technical assistance and the conservation Yellow-rumped Warbler c c Eastern Meadowlark f Barrow's Goldeneye Long-eared Owl and protection of migratory birds, certain marine mammals Black-throated Green Warbler c c Rusty Blackbird King Eider Scissor-tailed Flycatcher and threatened and endangered species. Blackburnian Warbler c c Common Grackle t Red-crested Pochard Western Kingbird Masked Duck Say's Phoebe Pine Warbler 0 0 Brown-headed Cowbird t Forfurther information or to report unusual sightings, please Gyrfalcon Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Prairie Warbler 0 0 Northern Oriole t Turkey Acadian Flycatcher contact: Palm Warbler 0 0 Purple Finch f Northern Bobwhite Gray Jay Bay-breasted Warbler 0 0 House Finch f Tricolored Heron Common Raven Refuge Manager Blackpoll Warbler c c Common Redpoll Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Boreal Chickadee Montezuma(National Wildlife Refuge White Ibis Cerulean Warbler t c 0 c Pine Siskin Sprague's Pipit 3395 Rts. 5 & 20 East Greater Flamingo Bohemian Waxwing Black-and-white Warbler c 0 c American Goldfinch f Greater Sandhill Crane Yellow-headed Blackbird Seneca Falls, New York 13148 American Redstart t c c c Evening Grosbeak Yellow Rail Brewer's Blackbird Telephone: (315) 568-5987 Prothonotary Warbler t 0 0 House Sparrow f Black Rail Boat-tailed Grackle Ovenbird t c c c Purple Gallinule Blue Grosbeak Northern Waterthrush 0 0 0 American Avocet Pine Grosbeak Black-necked Stilt European Goldfinch Louisianna Waterthrush 0 0 0 NOTES Northern Lapwing White-winged Crossbill Connecticut Warbler r r Piping Plover Dickcissel Mourning Warbler 0 0 0 Date Marbled Godwit Sharp-tailed Sparrow Common Yellowthroat t c c c Buff-breasted Sandpiper Lark Sparrow Red Phalarope Clay-colored Sparrow Hooded Warbler r r Observers Wilson's Warbler 0 0 Canada Warbler c 0 Weather Yellow-breasted Chat r r TANAGERS - SPARROWS Scarlet Tanaqer t c 0 0 Tides Northern Cardinal f c c c Rose-breasted Grosbeak f c c c Indiqo Buntinq f c c Rufous-sided Towhee f c 0 c American Tree Sparrow c Chippinq Sparrow t c c c UNITED STATES Field Sparrow t c c c DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Vesper Sparrow t 0 0 0 FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE Savannah Sparrow t 0 0 0 RL-52550-2 May 1989