DOCSLIB.ORG

A Plan to Establish a Population Of

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

Establishing a Population of New England Cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis) on Nomans Land Island National Wildlife Refuge U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Eastern Massachusetts National Wildlife Refuge Complex Sudbury, MA Final Environmental Assessment November 2018 Chapter 1 – Introduction ..................................................................................................... 1 Executive Summary .................................................................................................................... 1 Purpose and Need for Action ...................................................................................................... 1 Justification for this Proposal ...................................................................................................... 2 Decision to be made .................................................................................................................... 3 Chapter 2 - Species of Interest ............................................................................................ 4 The New England Cottontail .................................................................................................... 4 Description .................................................................................................................................. 4 Life History ................................................................................................................................. 4 Ecology ....................................................................................................................................... 4 Distribution ................................................................................................................................. 5 Chapter 3 - Affected Environments .................................................................................... 7 Mission and Refuge Purpose ...................................................................................................... 7 Description .................................................................................................................................. 8 History......................................................................................................................................... 8 Management ................................................................................................................................ 9 Likelihood of New England cottontail being present at Nomans Land Island NWR ............... ..9 Potential Donor Sites on Cape Cod........................................................................................... 10 Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge (Mashpee NWR) .......................................................... 10 East Sandwich Game Farm ................................................................................................... 15 Sandwich Fish Hatchery ....................................................................................................... 15 South Cape Beach State Park ................................................................................................ 16 Santuit Pond Preserve ........................................................................................................... 17 Camp Edwards ...................................................................................................................... 17 Captive Bred Cottontails ....................................................................................................... 19 Chapter 4 - Review of Translocation and Releases of Rabbits on Islands ........................ 20 Manipulative Population Management ..................................................................................... 20 Review of Translocation Literature .......................................................................................... 20 Record of Introductions of Cottontails (Sylvilagus spp.) on Island Habitats ....................... 20 Record of Introductions of New England Cottontails on Island Habitats ............................. 23 General Findings ................................................................................................................... 26 General Decision-making Tree for Population Manipulations ................................................. 27 Chapter 5 – Alternatives ................................................................................................... 29 Alternatives Considered but Eliminated from Detailed Analysis ............................................. 29 Alternative 1: No New Action .................................................................................................. 29 Alternative 2: Direct Translocation of Individuals from Existing Populations and Captive Breeding Facilities .................................................................................................................... 29 Chapter 6 - Environmental Consequences ........................................................................ 35 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 35 Alternative 1: No New Action .................................................................................................. 35 Alternative 2: Direct Translocation of Individuals from Existing Populations and Captive Breeding Facilities (Preferred) .................................................................................................. 36 Analysis of Decision-making Tree for Preferred Alternative ................................................... 37 Chapter 7 - Consultation and Coordination with Others ................................................... 40 Chapter 8 – List of Preparers ............................................................................................ 40 i Literature Cited ................................................................................................................. 41 APPENDIX A ................................................................................................................... 47 Habitat Analysis of Nomans Land Island NWR ....................................................................... 47 Methods................................................................................................................................. 47 Results ................................................................................................................................... 49 Discussion ............................................................................................................................. 49 Literature Cited ................................................................................................................. 64 APPENDIX B ................................................................................................................... 66 Response to Public Comments on. ............................................................................................ 66 Establishing a Population of New England Cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis) on Nomans Land Island National Wildlife Refuge ...................................................................................... 66 Draft Environmental Assessment.............................................................................................. 66 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 66 Summary of Comments Received ......................................................................................... 66 Responses to substantive comments ..................................................................................... 67 ii Chapter 1 - Introduction Executive Summary The New England cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis) was designated as a candidate species under the Endangered Species Act from 2006 through September 2015. Considered a habitat specialist, the New England cottontail occupies thicket habitat which can be found in early successional habitats, regenerating forests, and coastal barrens. Habitat loss to succession, fragmentation and development is thought to be the main threat to New England cottontails. Today, New England cottontails can be found in five distinct populations and have had a range reduction of approximately 86 percent since 1960 (Litvaitis et al. 2006). Technical and executive committees made up of representatives from each of the states with New England cottontail, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS, Service), National Resources Conservation Service, and the Wildlife Management Institute formed to coordinate conservation efforts for the species across the range and developed the Conservation Strategy for the New England Cottontail (Conservation Strategy) which was approved in 2012. Implementation of the Conservation Strategy including habitat management and creation, captive breeding, population augmentation, and reintroduction of New England cottontails within its historic range has benefitted the New England cottontail. In September of 2015, the Service removed the species from the candidate list, determining that it no longer met the criteria to be considered a threatened or endangered species and issued a “not warranted” finding (USFWS 2015). This decision was based on the conservation actions that had already occurred and a commitment from partners to continue with
Recommended publications
  • European Rabbits in Chile: the History of a Biological Invasion

    European Rabbits in Chile: the History of a Biological Invasion

    Historia. vol.4 no.se Santiago 2008 EUROPEAN RABBITS IN CHILE: THE HISTORY OF A BIOLOGICAL INVASION * ** *** PABLO C AMUS SERGIO C ASTRO FABIÁN J AKSIC * Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Ecología y Biodiversidad (CASEB) . email: [email protected] ** Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología; Universidad de Santiago de Chile. Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Ecología y Biodiversidad (CASEB). email: [email protected] *** Departamento de Ecología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Ecología y Biodiversidad (CASEB). email: [email protected] ABSTRACT This work analyses the relationship between human beings and their environment taking into consideration the adjustment and eventual invasion of rabbits in Chile. It argues that in the long run, human actions have unsuspected effects upon the environment. In fact rabbits were seen initially as an opportunity for economic development because of the exploitation of their meat and skin. Later, rabbits became a plague in different areas of Central Chile, Tierra del Fuego and Juan Fernández islands, which was difficult to control. Over the years rabbits became unwelcome guests in Chile. Key words: Environmental History, biological invasions, European rabbit, ecology and environment. RESUMEN Este trabajo analiza las relaciones entre los seres humanos y su ambiente, a partir de la historia de la aclimatación y posterior invasión de conejos en Chile, constatando que, en el largo plazo, las acciones humanas tienen efectos e impactos insospechados sobre el medio natural. En efecto, si bien inicialmente los conejos fueron vistos como una oportunidad de desarrollo económico a partir del aprovechamiento de su piel y su carne, pronto esta especie se convirtió en una plaga difícil de controlar en diversas regiones del país, como Chile central, Tierra del Fuego e islas Juan Fernández.
  • Prudence Island Narragansett Bay Research Reserve

    Prudence Island Narragansett Bay Research Reserve

    Last Updated 1/20/07 Prudence Island Narragansett Bay Research Reserve Background Prudence Island is located in the geographic center of Narragansett Bay. The island is approximately 7 miles long and 1 mile across at its widest point. Located at the south end of the island is the Narragansett Bay Research Reserve’s Lab & Learning Center. The Center contains educational exhibits, a public meeting area, library, and research labs for staff and visiting scientists. The Reserve manages approximately 60% of Prudence; the largest components are at the north and south ends of Prudence Island. The vegetation on Prudence reflects the extensive farming that took place in the area until the early 1900s. After the fields were abandoned, woody plants gradually replaced the herbaceous species. The uplands are now covered with a dense shrub growth of bayberry, blueberry, arrowwood, and shadbush interspersed with red cedar, red maple, black cherry, pitch pine and oak. Green briar and Asiatic bittersweet cover much of the island as well. Prudence Island also supports one of the most dense white-tailed deer herds in New England . Raccoons, squirrels, Eastern red fox, Eastern cottontail rabbits, mink, and white-footed mice are plentiful. The large, salt marshes at the north end of Prudence are used as feeding areas by a number of large wading birds such as great and little blue herons, snowy and great egrets, black-crowned night herons, green-backed herons and glossy ibis. Between September and May, Prudence Island is also used as a haul-out site for harbor seals. History of Prudence Island Before colonial times, Prudence and the surrounding islands were under the control of the Narragansett Native Americans.
  • Patience Island Narragansett Bay Research Reserve

    Patience Island Narragansett Bay Research Reserve

    Last Updated 1/20/07 Patience Island Narragansett Bay Research Reserve Background This 207-acre island lies to the west of northern Prudence Island. At their closest, the two islands are only 900 feet apart. The Patience Island is dominated by tall shrubs interspersed with red cedar and black cherry. Common shrubs include bayberry, highbush blueberry, and shadbush. Much of the island is also covered by brier, Asiatic bittersweet and poison ivy. A deciduous forest is gradually replacing the shrub habitat in some parts of the island. The small salt marsh on the southeastern shore provides habitat for seablite, a plant species common in other areas of the country, but rare in Rhode Island. The upland area of Patience Island supports a variety of wildlife including white-tailed deer, red fox, and Eastern cottontail rabbits. Coastal areas are used extensively by migrant and wintering waterfowl species such as horned grebes, greater scaup, black ducks and scoters. Quahogs are abundant in the sandy sediment. There is no ferry service available to this island. Visitors are welcome but you must provide your own transportation. Be aware that there is a high population of ticks, the trails may be overgrown, and camping is not permitted. History of Patience Island Historically, the Patience Island Farm covered an area of approximately 200 acres, nearly the entire island, and was a working farm as early as the mid-seventeenth century. The farm buildings were burned by the British during the Revolutionary War. After the war, the buildings were rebuilt and the farm remained in operation until the early twentieth century.
  • The Wild Rabbit: Plague, Polices and Pestilence in England and Wales, 1931–1955

    The Wild Rabbit: Plague, Polices and Pestilence in England and Wales, 1931–1955

    The wild rabbit: plague, polices and pestilence in England and Wales, 1931–1955 by John Martin Abstract Since the eighteenth century the rabbit has occupied an ambivalent position in the countryside. Not only were they of sporting value but they were also valued for their meat and pelt. Attitudes to the rabbit altered though over the first half of the century, and this paper traces their redefinition as vermin. By the 1930s, it was appreciated that wild rabbits were Britain’s most serious vertebrate pest of cereal crops and grassland and that their numbers were having a significant effect on agricultural output. Government took steps to destroy rabbits from 1938 and launched campaigns against them during wartime, when rabbit was once again a form of meat. Thereafter government attitudes to the rabbit hardened, but it was not until the mid-1950s that pestilence in the form of a deadly virus, myxomatosis, precipitated an unprecedented decline in their population. The unprecedented decline in the European rabbit Oryctolagus( cuniculus) in the mid- twentieth century is one of the most remarkable ecological changes to have taken place in Britain. Following the introduction of myxomatosis into Britain in September 1953 at Bough Beech near Edenbridge in Kent, mortality rates in excess of 99.9 per cent were recorded in a number of affected areas.1 Indeed, in December 1954, the highly respected naturalist Robin Lockley speculated that 1955 would constitute ‘zero hour for the rabbit’, with numbers being lower by the end of the year than at any time since the eleventh century.2 In spite of the rapid increases in output and productivity which British agriculture experienced in the post-myxomatosis era, the importance of the disease as a causal factor in raising agricultural output has been largely ignored by agricultural historians.3 The academic neglect of the rabbit as a factor influencing productivity is even more apparent in respect of the pre-myxomatosis era, particularly the period before the Second World War.
  • The History and Future of Narragansett Bay

    The History and Future of Narragansett Bay

    The History and Future of Narragansett Bay Capers Jones Universal Publishers Boca Raton, Florida USA • 2006 The History and Future of Narragansett Bay Copyright © 2006 Capers Jones All rights reserved. Universal Publishers Boca Raton , Florida USA • 2006 ISBN: 1-58112-911-4 Universal-Publishers.com Table of Contents Preface ...............................................................................................................................ix Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................... xiii Introduction..................................................................................................................... 15 Chapter 1 Geological Origins of Narragansett Bay.................................................................... 17 Defining Narragansett Bay ........................................................................................ 22 The Islands of Narragansett Bay............................................................................... 23 Earthquakes & Sea Level Changes of Narragansett Bay....................................... 24 Hurricanes & Nor’easters beside Narragansett Bay .............................................. 25 Meteorology of Hurricanes........................................................................................ 26 Meteorology of Nor’easters ....................................................................................... 27 Summary of Bay History...........................................................................................
  • Modeling Population Dynamics of Roseate Terns (Sterna Dougallii) In

    Modeling Population Dynamics of Roseate Terns (Sterna Dougallii) In

    Ecological Modelling 368 (2018) 298–311 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Ecological Modelling j ournal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ecolmodel Modeling population dynamics of roseate terns (Sterna dougallii) in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean a,b,c,∗ d e b Manuel García-Quismondo , Ian C.T. Nisbet , Carolyn Mostello , J. Michael Reed a Research Group on Natural Computing, University of Sevilla, ETS Ingeniería Informática, Av. Reina Mercedes, s/n, Sevilla 41012, Spain b Dept. of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA c Darrin Fresh Water Institute, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, 307 MRC, Troy, NY 12180, USA d I.C.T. Nisbet & Company, 150 Alder Lane, North Falmouth, MA 02556, USA e Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife, 1 Rabbit Hill Road, Westborough, MA 01581, USA a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t Article history: The endangered population of roseate terns (Sterna dougallii) in the Northwestern Atlantic Ocean consists Received 12 September 2017 of a network of large and small breeding colonies on islands. This type of fragmented population poses an Received in revised form 5 December 2017 exceptional opportunity to investigate dispersal, a mechanism that is fundamental in population dynam- Accepted 6 December 2017 ics and is crucial to understand the spatio-temporal and genetic structure of animal populations. Dispersal is difficult to study because it requires concurrent data compilation at multiple sites. Models of popula- Keywords: tion dynamics in birds that focus on dispersal and include a large number of breeding sites are rare in Roseate terns literature.
  • Introduction to Risk Assessments for Methods Used in Wildlife Damage Management

    Introduction to Risk Assessments for Methods Used in Wildlife Damage Management

    Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessment for the Use of Wildlife Damage Management Methods by USDA-APHIS-Wildlife Services Chapter I Introduction to Risk Assessments for Methods Used in Wildlife Damage Management MAY 2017 Introduction to Risk Assessments for Methods Used in Wildlife Damage Management EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The USDA-APHIS-Wildlife Services (WS) Program completed Risk Assessments for methods used in wildlife damage management in 1992 (USDA 1997). While those Risk Assessments are still valid, for the most part, the WS Program has expanded programs into different areas of wildlife management and wildlife damage management (WDM) such as work on airports, with feral swine and management of other invasive species, disease surveillance and control. Inherently, these programs have expanded the methods being used. Additionally, research has improved the effectiveness and selectiveness of methods being used and made new tools available. Thus, new methods and strategies will be analyzed in these risk assessments to cover the latest methods being used. The risk assements are being completed in Chapters and will be made available on a website, which can be regularly updated. Similar methods are combined into single risk assessments for efficiency; for example Chapter IV contains all foothold traps being used including standard foothold traps, pole traps, and foot cuffs. The Introduction to Risk Assessments is Chapter I and was completed to give an overall summary of the national WS Program. The methods being used and risks to target and nontarget species, people, pets, and the environment, and the issue of humanenss are discussed in this Chapter. From FY11 to FY15, WS had work tasks associated with 53 different methods being used.
  • Geological Survey

    Geological Survey

    imiF.NT OF Tim BULLETIN UN ITKI) STATKS GEOLOGICAL SURVEY No. 115 A (lECKJKAPHIC DKTIOXARY OF KHODK ISLAM; WASHINGTON GOVKRNMKNT PRINTING OFF1OK 181)4 LIBRARY CATALOGUE SLIPS. i United States. Department of the interior. (U. S. geological survey). Department of the interior | | Bulletin | of the | United States | geological survey | no. 115 | [Seal of the department] | Washington | government printing office | 1894 Second title: United States geological survey | J. W. Powell, director | | A | geographic dictionary | of | Rhode Island | by | Henry Gannett | [Vignette] | Washington | government printing office 11894 8°. 31 pp. Gannett (Henry). United States geological survey | J. W. Powell, director | | A | geographic dictionary | of | Khode Island | hy | Henry Gannett | [Vignette] Washington | government printing office | 1894 8°. 31 pp. [UNITED STATES. Department of the interior. (U. S. geological survey). Bulletin 115]. 8 United States geological survey | J. W. Powell, director | | * A | geographic dictionary | of | Ehode Island | by | Henry -| Gannett | [Vignette] | . g Washington | government printing office | 1894 JS 8°. 31pp. a* [UNITED STATES. Department of the interior. (Z7. S. geological survey). ~ . Bulletin 115]. ADVERTISEMENT. [Bulletin No. 115.] The publications of the United States Geological Survey are issued in accordance with the statute approved March 3, 1879, which declares that "The publications of the Geological Survey shall consist of the annual report of operations, geological and economic maps illustrating the resources and classification of the lands, and reports upon general and economic geology and paleontology. The annual report of operations of the Geological Survey shall accompany the annual report of the Secretary of the Interior. All special memoirs and reports of said Survey shall be issued in uniform quarto series if deemed necessary by tlie Director, but other­ wise in ordinary octavos.
  • A Survey of Anadromous Fish Passage in Coastal Massachusetts

    A Survey of Anadromous Fish Passage in Coastal Massachusetts

    Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries Technical Report TR-16 A Survey of Anadromous Fish Passage in Coastal Massachusetts Part 2. Cape Cod and the Islands K. E. Reback, P. D. Brady, K. D. McLaughlin, and C. G. Milliken Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries Department of Fish and Game Executive Office of Environmental Affairs Commonwealth of Massachusetts Technical Report Technical May 2004 Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries Technical Report TR-16 A Survey of Anadromous Fish Passage in Coastal Massachusetts Part 2. Cape Cod and the Islands Kenneth E. Reback, Phillips D. Brady, Katherine D. McLauglin, and Cheryl G. Milliken Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries Southshore Field Station 50A Portside Drive Pocasset, MA May 2004 Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries Paul Diodati, Director Department of Fish and Game Dave Peters, Commissioner Executive Office of Environmental Affairs Ellen Roy-Herztfelder, Secretary Commonwealth of Massachusetts Mitt Romney, Governor TABLE OF CONTENTS Part 2: Cape Cod and the Islands Acknowledgements . iii Abstract . iv Introduction . 1 Materials and Methods . 1 Life Histories . 2 Management . 4 Cape Cod Watersheds . 6 Map of Towns and Streams . 6 Stream Survey . 8 Cape Cod Recommendations . 106 Martha’s Vineyard Watersheds . 107 Map of Towns and Streams . 107 Stream Survey . 108 Martha’s Vineyard Recommendations . 125 Nantucket Watersheds . 126 Map of Streams . 126 Stream Survey . 127 Nantucket Recommendations . 132 General Recommendations . 133 Alphabetical Index of Streams . 134 Alphabetical Index of Towns . .. 136 Appendix 1: List of Anadromous Species in MA . 138 Appendix 2: State River Herring Regulations . 139 Appendix 3: Fishway Designs and Examples . 140 Appendix 4: Abbreviations Used . 148 ii Acknowledgements The authors wish to thank the following people for their assistance in carrying out this survey and for sharing their knowledge of the anadromous fish resources of the Commonwealth: Brian Creedon, Tracy Curley, Jack Dixon, George Funnell, Steve Kennedy, Paul Montague, Don St.
  • Raising Hares

    Raising Hares

    Raising Hares Photographs by Andy Rouse/naturepl.com The agility and grace of the European hare (Lepus europaeus) is a familiar sight in the British countryside, and their spirited springtime antics mark the end of winter in the minds of many. Despite their similarities in appearance to the European rabbit, the life history and behaviour of the European hare differs significantly from that of their smaller cousins. We join photographer Andy Rouse as he captures the story of the hare and discovers the true meaning of ‘Mad as a March hare’. Brown hares are widespread throughout central and west- ern Europe, including most of the UK, where they were thought to be introduced by the Romans. “I’ve been passionate about watching and photographing hares for years”, says Rouse. “They are always a challenge because they’re so wary and elusive. Getting decent images usually requires hours of lying quietly in a ditch! So I was de- lighted when I found a unique site in Southern England that has a thriving population of hares”. “Hares are wonderful to work with”, says Rouse. “Concentrating on one population opens up much greater opportunities than photo- graphing at a multitude of sites. It has been such a pleasure getting to know individuals on this project”. “I took these images at a former WWI airfield”, says Rouse. “It is the oldest in the world and still in use, with grass runways. The alternation of cut and long grass provides ideal habitat for hares, which are traditionally found along field margins”. “The hares here are used to people so it’s easier to observe them and predict their behaviour”, says Rouse.
  • City of Newport Comprehensive Harbor Management Plan

    City of Newport Comprehensive Harbor Management Plan

    Updated 1/13/10 hk Version 4.4 City of Newport Comprehensive Harbor Management Plan The Newport Waterfront Commission Prepared by the Harbor Management Plan Committee (A subcommittee of the Newport Waterfront Commission) Version 1 “November 2001” -Is the original HMP as presented by the HMP Committee Version 2 “January 2003” -Is the original HMP after review by the Newport . Waterfront Commission with the inclusion of their Appendix K - Additions/Subtractions/Corrections and first CRMC Recommended Additions/Subtractions/Corrections (inclusion of App. K not 100% complete) -This copy adopted by the Newport City Council -This copy received first “Consistency” review by CRMC Version 3.0 “April 2005” -This copy is being reworked for clerical errors, discrepancies, and responses to CRMC‟s review 3.1 -Proofreading – done through page 100 (NG) - Inclusion of NWC Appendix K – completely done (NG) -Inclusion of CRMC comments at Appendix K- only “Boardwalks” not done (NG) 3.2 -Work in progress per CRMC‟s “Consistency . Determination Checklist” : From 10/03/05 meeting with K. Cute : From 12/13/05 meeting with K. Cute 3.3 -Updated Approx. J. – Hurricane Preparedness as recommend by K. Cute (HK Feb 06) 1/27/07 3.4 - Made changes from 3.3 : -Comments and suggestions from Kevin Cute -Corrects a few format errors -This version is eliminates correction notations -1 Dec 07 Hank Kniskern 3.5 -2 March 08 revisions made by Hank Kniskern and suggested Kevin Cute of CRMC. Full concurrence. -Only appendix charts and DEM water quality need update. Added Natural
  • And Weasels, 1883–1920 163

    And Weasels, 1883–1920 163

    DOI:King: 10.20417/nzjecol.41.29 Spread of stoats and weasels, 1883–1920 163 REVIEW Liberation and spread of stoats (Mustela erminea) and weasels (M. nivalis) in New Zealand, 1883–1920 Carolyn M. King Environmental Research Institute, School of Science, University of Waikato, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand (Email: [email protected]) Published online: 29 May 2017 Abstract: This paper reviews the timing and spread of weasels and stoats across the South and North Islands of New Zealand during the late nineteenth century, entirely from historical records. The flavour of the debates and the assumptions that led to the commissioning of private and government shipments of these animals are best appreciated from the original documents. I describe the sites of the early deliberate releases in Otago, Canterbury, Marlborough, and Wairarapa, and list contemporary observations of the subsequent dispersal of the released animals to named locations in Southland, Westland, Wellington, Hawke’s Bay, Auckland and Northland. Originally, weasels were landed in far greater numbers than stoats (2622 weasels and 963 stoats listed in shipment records) and, while at first they were very abundant, they are now much less abundant than stoats. Two non-exclusive hypotheses could explain this historic change: (1) depletion of supplies of their preferred small prey including birds, mice, roosting bats, lizards, frogs and invertebrates, and (2) competition with stoats. Contemporary historic written observations on the first impacts of the arrivals of weasels and stoats on the native fauna offer graphic illustrations of what has been lost, but usually failed to consider the previous impacts of the abundant rats (Rattus exulans since the late 13th century, and R.