Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge Draft Visitor Services Plan and Environmental Assessment __________________________________________________________ Project Leader / Refuge Manager Date __________________________________________________________ Refuge Supervisor Date _________________________________________________________ Chief, Division of Visitor Services Date _________________________________________________________ Regional Chief, National Wildlife Refuge System Date Florida Panther NWR Draft Visitor Services Plan Page 1 Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................ 2 SECTION A. VISITOR SERVICES PLAN .................................................................................. 6 SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................ 6 A. Refuge History, Purposes, and Resources .................................................................. 7 B. Visitor Services Program Purpose and Scope of Plan ................................................16 C. History of the Refuge Visitor Services Program ..........................................................17 D. Visitor Services Issues, Concerns, and Factors To Consider .....................................18 E. Themes, Messages, and Topics .................................................................................19 F. Visitor Facilities and Services .....................................................................................20 G. Visitor Services Maps .................................................................................................24 H. Refuge Visitation Trends and Identifying Audiences ....................................................32 I. Visitor Capacity ...........................................................................................................35 II. IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES ......................................................................................36 Standard 1: Develop a Visitor Services Plan ....................................................................41 Current Program Discussion ...................................................................................41 Standard 1: Goals, Objectives, and Strategies .......................................................41 Monitor and evaluate: .............................................................................................41 Standard 2: Welcome and Orient Visitors ........................................................................42 Current Program Discussion ...................................................................................42 Standard 2: Goals, Objectives, and Strategies: ......................................................43 Proposed Program Changes ..................................................................................44 Monitor and evaluate ..............................................................................................44 Standard 3: Hunting .........................................................................................................45 Current Program Discussion ...................................................................................45 Standard 3: Goals, Objectives, and Strategies .......................................................45 Proposed Program Changes ..................................................................................46 Standard 4: Fishing ..........................................................................................................47 Current Program Discussion ...................................................................................47 Standard 4: Goals, Objectives, and Strategies .......................................................47 Proposed Program Changes ..................................................................................48 Monitor and evaluate ..............................................................................................48 Standard 5: Wildlife Observation and Wildlife Photography .............................................49 Current Program Discussion ...................................................................................49 Standard 5: Goals, Objectives, and Strategies .......................................................49 Monitor and evaluate ..............................................................................................51 Standard 6: Environmental Education ..............................................................................51 Current Program Discussion ...................................................................................52 Standard 6: Goals, Objectives, and Strategies .......................................................53 Proposed Program Changes ..................................................................................55 Monitor and evaluate ..............................................................................................55 Standard 7: Interpretation ................................................................................................56 Current Program Discussion ...................................................................................56 Standard 7: Goals, Objectives, and Strategies .......................................................57 Florida Panther NWR Draft Visitor Services Plan Page 2 Proposed Program Changes ..................................................................................58 Monitor and evaluate ..............................................................................................58 Standard 8: Manage for Other Recreational Use Opportunities .......................................59 Current Program Discussion ...................................................................................59 Standard 8: Goals, Objectives, and Strategies .......................................................59 Proposed Program Changes ..................................................................................60 Monitor and evaluate ..............................................................................................62 Standard 9: Outreach ......................................................................................................63 Current Program Discussion ...................................................................................63 Standard 9: Goals, Objectives, and Strategies .......................................................64 Proposed Program Changes ..................................................................................65 Monitor and evaluate ..............................................................................................66 Standard 10: Volunteers and Friends ...............................................................................67 Current Program Discussion ...................................................................................67 Standard 10: Goals, Objectives, and Strategies .....................................................68 Proposed Program Changes ..................................................................................69 Monitor and evaluate ..............................................................................................70 11: Recreation Fee Program ............................................................................................71 Current Program Discussion: ..................................................................................71 Standard 11. Goals, Objectives, and Strategies .....................................................71 Monitor and evaluate ..............................................................................................72 12: Concessions ..............................................................................................................73 Current Program Discussion ...................................................................................73 Proposed Program Changes ..................................................................................73 13: Commercial Recreational Uses ..................................................................................74 Current Program Discussion ...................................................................................74 Standard 13: Goals, Objectives, and strategies ......................................................74 Proposed Program Changes ..................................................................................75 Monitor and evaluate ..............................................................................................75 14: Wilderness .................................................................................................................76 Current Program Discussion ...................................................................................76 III. IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE ........................................................................................77 IV. VISITOR SERVICES ANNUAL WORK PLAN .....................................................................79 V. VISITOR SERVICES ANNUAL PARTNERSHIP PLANNING ...............................................81 VI. LITERATURE CITED ..........................................................................................................86 SECTION B. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ....................................................................89