MISSISQUOI NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Swanton, Vermont ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT Calendar Year 1999 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM INTRODUCTION The Missisquoi NWR is located in Northwestern Vermont near the Canadian border. The 6600 acre refuge is the largest wetland complex in Vermont and provides migration habitat for nearly 200 species of birds and likewise provides a permanent home to another 50-60 species of birds, mammals and fish. Increasing interest in amphibians, reptiles and mussel species, has expanded refuge survey, research and monitoring responsibilities with these refuge populations especially numerous State threatened and endangered species found on the refuge. In addition to its prominence as the principal component of the delta wetland community in the Missisquoi Bay, the refuge provides large emergent marshes rich in wild rice and numerous other food and cover plants, seasonally flooded riverine bottomland hardwoods, grassland and old field units, and the largest acidic bog community in Vermont. Together these varying habitats provide unmatched diversity for a maximum of wildlife species. Expanding osprey nesting populations, diverse marsh and wading bird populations, and the largest great blue heron nesting colony in Vermont work in concert with waterfowl populations which peak at 15,000-25,000 in spring and fall to create spectacular wildlife richness. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page A. HIGHLIGHTS ············································· 1 B. CLIMATIC CONDITIONS ................................... 1 C. LAND ACQlITSITION 1. Fee Title ................................................................................................................ NTR 2. Easements ............................................................................................................. NTR 3. Other ..................................................................................................................... 2 D. PLANNING 1. Master Plan ......... · ··· · · ··· · ·········· .... ·· ... ·· · .. ·· ··· · ·· ·· ·· ··· · ··· .......... · ·· ............... · · · ... · · ··· ..... · NTR 2. Management Plan ............ · .................... ···· · ····· .... ............................................... .... 4 3. Public Participation · · .... ·· .... · ·· ·· .... · · ........ · ... · · .... · · .. · · · · · · · ·· · · · · · · · · · · ··· · ...... ·· ·· ·· ... · · ·· · ·· .... · · 4 4. Compliance with Environmental and Cultural Resource Mandates ·· ··· · · ·· ··· · ·· · ... ··· .... 7 5. Research and Investigations · ·........... .. ·.... ···· ··· ··· ·· ·· ·· ·· ·· .... ·· .... ·· ......... ·· ···· ·· ·· .. ··· ··· ·· ·· 8 6. Other .... · ...... · · · · · ... · · · .. · ..... · ··· · · · ··· · ... · · · ··· · ·· · .. ··· · · · · · · · · · ·· ····· ·· · · · · ·· · ..... ·· ·· ........ · · ... · ·· · · ·· ... · NTR E. ADMINISTRATION 1. Personnel ........ · ·· ··· · · · ··· · · ·· · ... ·· · · .. · ·· · .. · · ··· ·· ·· ·· ··· · · ·· ·· ···· ...... · ··· ·· · ·· · ·· · ····· · · · · ···· · · · ···· · ...... 9 2. Youth Programs ······· ·········· ·········· .............................................................. ··········· 11 3. Other Manpower Programs ............................ ....................................................... NTR 4. Volunteer Programs .............................................................................................. 11 5. Funding ................................................................................................................ 12 6. Safety ···················································································································· 12 7. Technical Assistance ............................................................................................. 13 8. Other NTR F. HABITAT MANAGEMENT 1. General ·················································································································· 13 2. Wetlands ............................................................................................................... 14 3. Forests ............................................................ .................... .................................. NTR 4. Croplands ............................................................................................................. NTR 5. Grasslands ·· ·· · ·· · · · ·· ·· · · · · ··· · · ·· · · ·· · · ·· · ·· ·· · · · · · · ·· · ··· · · ·· · · · · · · ·· · · · · · ··· ······· ··· · · · ·· · · · · ··· · · · ·· · ··· · ·· ··· · 16 6. Other Habitats ······································································································ NTR 7. Grazing ················ ················································· ················································ NTR 8. Haying ··················································································································· 16 9. Fire Management · · · ·· ·· ··· · · · ·· ··· · · ·· · · ··· · ·· · ···· · · ·· ·· ··· · · · · · ·· · · ·· ·· ·· · · ··· ·· ···· ·· ··· · · · · · ·· · ······· · ··· · ·· · · 16 10. Pest Control ·········································································································· 17 11 . Water Rights · · · · · ·· · · · · ·· ······ · · ·· · · · ·· · ··· · · ···· · · · · ·· · · ·· · · ·· · · · · · · ·· · · · · ····· · · ···· ····· · ·· ·· ··· · · · ··· · ·· · · ····· · NTR 12. Wilderness and Special Areas ···························· ···································· ················ 17 13. WP A Easement Monitoring ·················· ························ ········· ································ NTR G. WILDLIFE 1. Wildlife Diversity ························ ·············· ········ · ······ ·················· · ························· 18 2. Endangered and/or Threatened Species ············· ··························· ·························· 18 3. Waterfowl ···································· ········ ···················· ············· ································· 20 4. Marsh and Water Birds ·························································································· 20 5. Shorebirds, Gulls, Terns and Allied Species ·················· ·········································· 23 6. Raptors ·················································································································· 24 7. Other Migratory Birds · · ··· · ···· ··· · · ··· ··· · · · · · · ·· ·· ·· · ···· · ·· · ·· · · · ·· · · ·· · · ··· ···· ··· · · ···· ·· · · ·· · · · · · · ·· · ·· ··· 26 8. Game Animals ······································································································· 26 9. Marine Mammals ··································································································· NTR I 0. Other Resident Wildlife ························································································· 27 11. Fisheries Resources ··· ·· ··· ·· ···· ·· ·· ···· ·· ·· · · ·· · ·· ··· ··· ·· ·· · · ··· ···· ·· ··· ·· ·· ··· ··· ·· ·· ···· ·· ·· · ·· · · · ·· · · ·· · ··· NTR 12. Wildlife Propagation and Stocking ........................................................................ NTR 13. Surplus Animal Disposal ················· ··········· · ······································· ············ ······· NTR 14. Scientific Collections ·· · ··· · · · · · ···· · ·· ···· · · ·· · · ·· · · ···· ·· · · ·· · · ·· · · ··· · · ·· · · ·· · · ···· · · ·· · ····· · · · · · · ··· ·· ·· · ·· · · 27 15. Animal Control · · ·· · · ··· ····· ·· · ····· ···· ···· · · ·· · ···· ····· · ·· · ·· ···· · ··· ·· ···· · ··· · ···· ·· ···· ·· ·· ··· ·· ·· · ··· · ···· · ·· 28 16. Marking and Banding ····························································································· 28 17. Disease Prevention and Control · · ·· · · ·· · · ·· · · ·· · ·· ·· · ·· · · ·· · · · · · · ·· · ·· ··· · ·· · · · ·· ··· · ·· · · ·· · ·· ·· · · · · · · · · ····· NTR H. PUBLIC USE 1. General · · · ·· ··· ··· · · ·· · ·· · ·· ··· ·· ·· · · ··· · ··· ···· · ··· · · · · · ··· ·· ··· · ·· · · ··· · ·· · ··· ·· · ··· · · ·· · ·· ·· ·· · · · · ··· · ···· ·· ··· ·· · · ·· · 29 2. Outdoor Classrooms - Students ·· ····································· ······································ 30 3. Outdoor Classrooms -Teachers ············································································· 30 4. Interpretive Foot Trails ················ ················· ········ ···· ····· ....................... ················· 31 5. Interpretive Tour Routes ....................................................................................... NTR 6. lnterpretive Exhibits/Demonstrations ····································································· NTR 7. Other Interpretive Programs · ·· · ··· ·· ·· · ···· ··· · ··· · · ·· · · ·· · ····· ·· ·· ······· ··· ·· · ··· · ·· ···· · ··· ·········· ·· · · 31 8. Hunting ················································································································· 34 9. Fishing ··················································································································· 36 10. Trapping ················································································································ 37 11. Wildlife Observation · · ···· · ·· ·· · · · ··· ···· ·· ·· ·· ·· · · · ··· · ·· · ···· · · · · · ·· · · ·· · · ··· · · · · ······ · ··· · · ··· ···· · · · · · ··· · ·· · 3 7 11 12. Other Wildlife