Culebra National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region September 2012 COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION PLAN CULEBRA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Culebra, Puerto Rico U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region Atlanta, Georgia September 2012 Culebra National Wildlife Refuge TABLE OF CONTENTS COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION PLAN I. BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................................. 1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................1 Purpose and Need for the Plan ....................................................................................................1 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ......................................................................................................2 National Wildlife Refuge System ..................................................................................................2 Legal and Policy Context ..............................................................................................................4 Legal Mandates, Administrative and Policy Guidelines, and Other Special Considerations .......................................................................................................4 National and International Conservation Plans and Initiatives .....................................................5 Relationship to State and Commonwealth Wildlife Agencies .......................................................6 II. REFUGE OVERVIEW .......................................................................................................................9 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................9 Refuge History and Purposes .......................................................................................................9 Special Designations ....................................................................................................................9 Ecosystem Context .....................................................................................................................12 Regional Conservation Plans and Initiatives ..............................................................................12 Ecological Threats and Problems ...............................................................................................13 Climate Change ................................................................................................................16 Physical Resources ....................................................................................................................16 Climate ..............................................................................................................................16 Geology and Topography ..................................................................................................18 Soils ..................................................................................................................................18 Hydrology and Water Resources ......................................................................................20 Air Quality ..........................................................................................................................20 Biological Resources ..................................................................................................................22 Habitat ...............................................................................................................................22 Critical Wildlife Areas ........................................................................................................27 Wildlife ...............................................................................................................................28 Cultural Resources .....................................................................................................................34 Socioeconomic Environment ......................................................................................................35 Population .........................................................................................................................35 Political Setting ..................................................................................................................36 Employment ......................................................................................................................36 Income ..............................................................................................................................36 III. PLAN DEVELOPMENT ..................................................................................................................39 Public Involvement and the Planning Process ...........................................................................39 Summary of Issues, Concerns, and Opportunities .....................................................................40 Fish and Wildlife Population Management ........................................................................40 Habitat Management .........................................................................................................40 Resource Protection ..........................................................................................................40 Visitor Services .................................................................................................................41 Refuge Administration .......................................................................................................41 Wilderness Review .....................................................................................................................41 Table of Contents i IV. MANAGEMENT DIRECTION ....................................................................................................... 43 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 43 Vision ......................................................................................................................................... 44 Goals, Objectives, and Strategies .............................................................................................. 45 Fish and Wildlife Population Management........................................................................ 45 Habitat Management......................................................................................................... 47 Resource Protection ......................................................................................................... 50 Visitor Services ................................................................................................................. 51 V. PLAN IMPLEMENTATION ............................................................................................................ 57 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 57 Proposed Projects ...................................................................................................................... 57 Fish And Wildlife Population Management ....................................................................... 57 Partnership and Volunteer Opportunities ................................................................................... 64 Step-down Management Plans .................................................................................................. 64 Monitoring and Adaptive Management ....................................................................................... 65 Plan Review and Revision.......................................................................................................... 65 APPENDICES APPENDIX A. GLOSSARY ................................................................................................................ 67 APPENDIX B. REFERENCES AND LITERATURE CITATIONS ...................................................... 77 APPENDIX C. RELEVANT LEGAL MANDATES AND EXECUTIVE ORDERS ............................... 79 APPENDIX D. PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT ............................................................................................ 93 Summary of Public Scoping Comments ..................................................................................... 93 Summary of Public Comments on the Draft CCP/EA and Service Responses .......................... 94 APPENDIX E. APPROPRIATE USE DETERMINATIONS .............................................................. 107 APPENDIX F. COMPATIBILITY DETERMINATIONS ..................................................................... 115 Approval of Compatibility Determinations ................................................................................ 128 APPENDIX G. INTRA-SERVICE SECTION 7 BIOLOGICAL EVALUATION .................................. 129 APPENDIX H. WILDERNESS REVIEW ........................................................................................... 135 APPENDIX I. REFUGE BIOTA ........................................................................................................ 137 APPENDIX