COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION PLAN CAPE ROMAIN NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Charleston County, South Carolina U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region Atlanta, Georgia July 2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................................... V I. BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................................. 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 1 Purpose And Need For The Plan ................................................................................................. 1 u.s. Fish and Wildlife Service ....................................................................................................... 1 National Wildlife Refuge System .................................................................................................. 2 Legal and Policy Context .............................................................................................................. 4 National and International Conservation Plans and Initiatives ..................................................... 5 Relationship To State Wildlife Agency ..........................................................................................6 Climate Change ............................................................................................................................ 8 II. REFUGE OVERVIEW ...................................................................................................................... 12 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 12 Refuge History and Purpose ...................................................................................................... 12 Special Designations .................................................................................................................. 14 Ecosystem Context .....................................................................................................................14 Regional Conservation Plans and Initiatives ..............................................................................15 Ecological Threats and Problems ............................................................................................... 17 Habitat Loss and Fragmentation .......................................................................................17 Alterations to Hydrology ....................................................................................................18 Proliferation of Invasive Aquatic Plants and Animals ........................................................18 Physical Resources .................................................................................................................... 19 Climate .............................................................................................................................. 19 Climate Change and Global Warming ...............................................................................19 Geology and Topography ..................................................................................................20 Soils .................................................................................................................................. 20 Hydrology .......................................................................................................................... 20 Air Quality ..........................................................................................................................21 Water Quality and Quanity ................................................................................................21 Biological Resources .................................................................................................................. 21 Habitat ............................................................................................................................... 21 Wildlife ............................................................................................................................... 23 Cultural Resources ..................................................................................................................... 26 Socioeconomic Environment ...................................................................................................... 26 Fishing ............................................................................................................................... 28 Hunting .............................................................................................................................. 28 Wildlife Watching Activities ...............................................................................................29 Refuge Administration and Management ...................................................................................30 Land Protection and Conservation ....................................................................................30 Visitor Services ................................................................................................................. 31 Personnel, Operations, and Maintenance .........................................................................32 Public Involvement and the Planning Process ...........................................................................34 Summary of Issues, Concerns, and Opportunities .....................................................................35 Wildlife and Habitat Management .....................................................................................35 Resource Protection ..........................................................................................................35 Visitor Services ................................................................................................................. 36 Table of Contents i Refuge Administration ...................................................................................................... 36 Wilderness Review ..................................................................................................................... 36 IV. MANAGEMENT DIRECTION ....................................................................................................... 38 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 38 Vision ......................................................................................................................................... 38 Goals, Objectives, and Strategies .............................................................................................. 41 Wildlife and Habitat Management ..................................................................................... 41 Habitat Management......................................................................................................... 52 Resource Protection ......................................................................................................... 56 Visitor Services ................................................................................................................. 63 Refuge Administration ...................................................................................................... 77 V. PLAN IMPLEMENTATION ............................................................................................................ 82 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 82 Proposed Projects ...................................................................................................................... 82 Wildlife and habitat Management...................................................................................... 82 Resource Protection ......................................................................................................... 83 Visitor Services ................................................................................................................. 83 Refuge Administration ...................................................................................................... 84 Funding and Personnel .............................................................................................................. 85 Partnership/Volunteers Opportunities ........................................................................................ 87 Step-Down Management Plans .................................................................................................. 87 Monitoring and Adaptive Management ....................................................................................... 87 Plan Review and Revision.......................................................................................................... 88 APPENDIX A. GLOSSARY ................................................................................................................ 89 Summary Of Public Scoping Comments .................................................................................. 116 Draft plan comments and service responses ..........................................................................