BfB-DOL. tlH.PtIS Ptpwfi B«LBtyV/iU«««iA'«* DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT FES 75-83. PROPOSED BACK BAY WILDERNESS AREA VIRGINIA PREPARED BY: FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE U. S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR WASHINGTON, D. C. 20240 ,Jh SUMMARY ( ) Draft (X) Final Environmental Statement Department of the Interior, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1. TYPE OF ACTION: ( ) Administrative (X) Legislative 2. DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED ACTION: Proposal recommends that 2.165 acres of the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, located in the city of Virginia Beach, Virginia, be included in the National Wilderness Preservation System. 3. SUMMARY OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS: No immediate or long-range environmental change of significance would occur on the area involved as a result o^f the proposed action. Any impact would derive from protection against any exploitation of the natural resources. There are no developments within the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge that would adversely affect the wilder- ness character of the proposed wilderness area, except that control burning is proposed to continue to contribute to the wilderness resource. There are present and planned developments outside the Back Bay Refuge that will adversely affect the wilderness character of the proposed wilderness. Perpetuation of opportunities to participate in wilderness oriented pursuits will be assured and the added protection against future development will be beneficial to both threatened and non-threatened species of the marsh. 4. ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED: (a) No action, and (b) Modify the size of the proposal. 5. COMMENTS HAVE BEEN REQUESTED FROM THE FOLLOWING; *Department of Defense Department of Commerce *Environmental Protection Agency, Region III Department of Agriculture Department of Transportation U. S. Coast Guard Department of the Interior *National Park Service *Bureau of Land Management *Bureau of Outdoor Recreation *Bureau of Mines *U. S. Geological Survey Virginia State Planning and Development Clearinghouse *Southeastern Virginia Planning District Commission City of Virginia Beach, Virginia City of Portsmouth, Virginia City of Newport News, Virginia City of Hampton, Virginia City of Norfolk, Virginia City of Chesapeake, Virginia City of Suffolk, Virginia' *Currituck County, North Carolina 6. DATE STATEMENT MADE AVAILABLE TO CEQ AND THE PUBLIC: Draft Statement April 29, 1974 Final Statement September 29, 1975 *Comments received and attached. TABIJ3 OF CONTENTS MAP, VICINITY i MAP, VICINITY ii MAP, WILDERNESS PROPOSAL iii MAP, REFUGE DEVELOPMENTS iv I. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSAL 1 II. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT 8 III. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF PROPOSED ACTION 21 IV. MITIGATING MEASURES INCLUDED IN THE PROPOSED ACTION 27 V. ADVERSE EFFECTS WHICH CANNOT BE AVOIDED SHOULD THE PROPOSAL BE IMPLEMENTED 27 VI. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LOCAL SHORT-TERM USES OF MAN'S ENVIRONMENT AND THE MAINTENANCE AND ENHANCEMENT OF LONG-TERM PRODUCTIVITY 28 VII. IRREVERSIBLE AND IRRETRIEVABLE COMMITMENTS OF RESOURCES WHICH WOULD BE INVOLVED IN THE PROPOSED ACTION SHOULD IT BE IMPLEMENTED . 28 VIII. ALTERNATIVES TO THE PROPOSED ACTION 29 IX. CONSULTATION AND COORDINATION WITH OTHERS 38 A. Consultation and Coordination in the Development of the Proposal and in the preparation of the Draft Environmental Statement 38 B. Coordination in Review of Draft Environmental Statement 38 HEARING ANALYSIS 39 BIRD LIST 1^7 SUMMARY OF CHANGES MADE IN FINAL AS A RESULT OF DRAFT COMMENTS 45 BURNING PLAN 47 INVENTORY FORM OF HISTORIC and ARCHEOLOGIC PLACES 53 COMMENTS RECEIVED, DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT 54 RULING ON OPEN BURNING - VIRGINIA STATE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD . 67 United States Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife National Wildlife Refuges Region 5 N*w \ Iroquols • \ Montszuma Pennsylvania I Klllcohoo L-- —-r^"*j—-" ^v-^Sus~ rr^Mh Susquehanna//q 1 I jr l\ /-^Eastern TMgck U / "^^Md. e mj M»son Neck C" W«*l Virginia /• X / Virginia MSrfint magansatt Pre.quMe.^^.aqune.-^^a^ I Plum Tree IsTand *Flaherman >^*>< ^ Island ch B 1 Dismal Swamp. A^f ** Atl»" ^-•"^Mackay Island 1B73 !>(.AI.L 01 MILLS :: 30 ' ^t%%F^ "~ir ^'\.. —^VC?' "^«r< ^tOO1100 • v^fewis; \ S^>Kc?iVokNT IJ 9:i ,y-Vj -\w^F^4r.rA V n-V ,' -X 7 -)K.n%»'i «i iI «'•""- '.LJ--; I \V'\ c'^Vv r •$< ^•";i^....n.' -^- ,7- ^fe^j .r.:;;; 7^ & >-- ^'-^^'^^"^p^iS^ -x^^^£..^oiP^^^^V l^^^lf fT^;--., ^ ^?i^rr J ^^^f^^-pfy'i«°o"2A«l yi'y yir, T5ti/7 H7791 2/!-"\lM*Pt>»y''3/CoOi *-.-'-•• /XbTo/om V/ vVSN ly •'"" S"" '*: " " " r ^J> 11 <4rr>V8^£/Ne!sof la V ^i L JGu' lord I/,--YJ^*, ' ^b';«^^V'yf"- -"/^•/•/ModeslTo«i n BACK BAY N.W.R. CITY OF VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA UNITED ITATIS FI1H «NO WIIDUFE SEtVICE OIPAITMCNt Of tHl imtdlOl 1UIIAU OF SPOIT FISHEIIEI AND WHOLIFI C«mptl»4 In III* DIviilcM •! l«fllN»«rliifl Ir.m i.rv«ri kr 1.1.1.1 W. WILDERNESS PROPOSAL u£j Fr«p*i*4 WII4«r SCALI IN MILIS E *'••• Cid«4«4 f '•M Wtlrfvrncti Back Bay N.W.R. City of Virginia Beach, Virginia Refuge Developments Preliminary Subject to Change I. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSAL A. Proposed Action The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U. S. Department of the Interior, proposes that approximately 2,165 acres of the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge in the City of Virginia Beach, Virginia be designated as a wilderness unit within the National Wilderness Preservation System. A public hearing on the initial proposal of 1,950 acres was held on May 15, 1974-, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Following the public hearing approximately 215 acres known as the Green Hills area was added bringing the total acres proposed to 2,165. A complete descrip- tion and discussion of the proposal is contained in the Wilderness Study Summary which is available from the Refuge Manager, Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, 287 Pembroke Office Park, Virginia Beach, Virginia 23462, and the Regional Director, John W. McCormack Post Office and Courthouse, Boston, Massachusetts. The Wilderness Act of 1964 (P.L. 88-577:78 Stat. 890-96) directed the study of every roadless area of 5,000 acres of more and every roadless island within the National Wildlife Refuge System to determine the suitability or nonsuitability or each such area for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System. In fulfilling this respon- sibility, a full and comprehensive study has been made of the entire refuge area. The Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge is located on the Atlantic Coast, in the southeast corner of Virginia, within the limits of the City of Virginia Beach. The refuge consists of a four-mile stretch of barrier beach and marsh islands in Back Bay. Refuge headquarters are located in the Pembroke Office Park in Virginia Beach. Sub-headquarters are located one-mile south of the north refuge boundary at Sandbridge. The refuge lies about 110 miles southeast of Richmond, Virginia, and about 200 miles south of Washington, D. C. The Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge was established primarily to provide sanctuary and habitat for migratory birds, particularly the greater snow goose and other wildlife. Present refuge objectives, in addition to providing habitat for waterfowl and other migratory birds, include responsibilities for endangered wildlife species such as the peregrine falcon, southern bald eagle, and the status undetermined osprey. Objectives also provide for the maintenance of representative populations of native flora and fauna and wildlife- oriented used by the visiting public. The refuge was established by Executive Order 7907, on June 6, 1938, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Its boundary encompasses 4,608 acres located within a 9,208-acre area that is closed by Presidential Proclamation to the taking or molesting of migratory birds. Wilderness designation is recommended for all marsh islands and main- land marsh west of Deep Creek and west of the north-south center lines of Buck Island Bay and Sand Bay, plus the Green Hills area west of impoundment unit A. Controlled winter burning of the marsh lands (see attached burning plan) during November, December and January is planned to continue to perpetuate use by great flocks of snow geese which are considered an essential part of the wilderness resource. (see Map, Page iii). Long Island is included except for three upland areas totaling approximately 58 acres maintained for goose pasture, and an additional 50 acres of wooded upland which may be converted to pasture in the future. The majority of the proposed wilderness consists of marsh islands separated by shallow coves and bays. The waters, while legally navigable and not administered as Federal government property, are largely choked with dense accumulations of Eurasian milfoil during the summer months making travel by motorboat difficult. The only clear north-south passage is through the Great Narrows. These water areas are excluded from the wilderness proposal. The proposal is vegetated mostly with black needlerush, and cattail in the low areas, and wax myrtle, loblolly pine, sweet gum, red maple, black gum, and hackberry on the slightly higher sites. Milfoil, wild celery, Najas, widgeon grass, and sago grow in the coves and ponds. Bay waters are not strongly influenced by lunar tides, but wind can create a tidal effect. The marshes are an important part of the wintering habitat of a sizable population of snow geese, whistling swan, Canada geese, and various species of duck. Controlled burning of dead marsh vegetation during winter months to keep the marsh attractive to geese is essential to the attainment of wildlife objectives and is therefore made a part of this proposal. Proposed wilderness designation for marsh lands involved consideration of the following: 1. Preservation of 1,950 acres of marshland and 215 acres of upland on Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge in a natural state. 2. The effects on existing and future public use of the marsh.