UNITED STATES FISH AND WilDLIFE SERVICE ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION STATEMENT Within the spirit and intent of the Council on Environmental Quality's regulations for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and other statutes, orders, and policies that protect fish and wildlife resources, I have established the following administrative record and determined that the proposed Habitat Management Plan for Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge in Bibb County, Alabama: Check One: is a categorical exclusion as provided by 516 OM 2, Appendix 1 and 516 OM 6, Appendix 1, Section 1.4 A (4). No further NEPA documentation will therefore be made. x is found not to have significant environmental effects as determined by the attached Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact. is found to have significant effects and, therefore, further consideration of this action will require a notice of intent to be published in the Federal Register announcing the decision to prepare an EIS. is not approved because of unacceptable environmental damage, or violation of Fish and Wildlife Service mandates, policy, regulations, or procedures. is an emergency action within the context of 40 CFR 1 506.1 1. Only those actions necessary to control the immediate impacts of the emergency will be taken. Other related actions remain subject to NEPA review. Other Supportinq Documents: Endangered Species Act, Section 7 Consultation, 2007 Siqnature Approval: ~-=SU1 c 1t/7 ':;/'f/tl; (1) Originator Date (2)£Se'gionalEnvironmental °0~/C77ate Coordinator ~~--- --~\b~ (3) RegiOnal~ N gional Director, Date Southeast RegionWRS, ~ate outheast Region CAHABA RIVER NATIONAL WILDLIFEREFUGE ~ ~ iii !l!m~.~ , ~ .~-~: ... ;:;:p Cf -'"' ~, - .~ :E' . ~ HABITAT MANAGEMENT PLAN ;5#1 4 1t~f 0/~:h 7 ~7YJ ~ .sfU6? (1) RefugeManager Date (2) Refuge SUDervisor ~ ~ MountainLongleafNWR Area 2 ~c4 )1; f/ c7 (3) Resource Management Date (4YChief - Divisionof Refuges SoutheastRegion FISH&~ 8EBVJCE ~ -w ~ May 2007 1.0 Introduction.................................................................................................................. 2 1.1 Planning Process................................................................................................................................2 1.2 Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge .......................................................................................... 3 1.3 Refuge Vision ..................................................................................................................................... 4 1.4 Biodiversity ........................................................................................................................................ 4 1.5 Habitat Management Plan................................................................................................................ 5 2.0 Environmental Setting and Background ...................................................................... 7 2.1 Location.............................................................................................................................................. 7 2.2 Management Units............................................................................................................................. 7 2.3 Physical Features............................................................................................................................... 7 2.3.1 Geology ........................................................................................................................................ 7 2.3.2 Topography................................................................................................................................... 8 2.3.3 Hydrology..................................................................................................................................... 8 2.3.4 Soils............................................................................................................................................... 8 2.4 History of Refuge Lands ................................................................................................................... 9 2.4.1 Prehistoric Land Use (Native American to 1814)......................................................................... 9 2.4.2 Historical Land Use (1814-2002) ............................................................................................... 10 2.4.3 Refuge (2003-Present)................................................................................................................. 11 3.0 Resources of Concern ................................................................................................ 12 3.1 Refuge Natural Communities .......................................................................................................... 12 3.1.1 Terrestrial Communities .............................................................................................................. 12 3.1.2 Mountain Longleaf Pine Forest Region...................................................................................... 13 3.1.3 Natural Community Descriptions............................................................................................... 15 3.1.4 Aquatic Communities ................................................................................................................. 24 3.1.5 Biota ........................................................................................................................................... 26 3.2 Federally Listed Species.................................................................................................................. 32 3.3 Exotic Species.................................................................................................................................... 37 4.0 Habitat Management Goals........................................................................................ 42 5.0 Habitat Management Strategies and Objectives ........................................................ 44 GOAL 1 ................................................................................................................................................... 45 Participate in regional and cooperative efforts for water quality improvement and ecological restoration of the Cahaba River aquatic system.................................................................................. 45 GOAL 2 ................................................................................................................................................... 49 Protect, restore and enhance the Cahaba River aquatic environment adjacent to the refuge ........ 49 GOAL 3 ................................................................................................................................................... 51 Provide an ecosystem management strategy for uplands that restores and maintains the mosaic cover of native pine and hardwood forest. ........................................................................................... 51 GOAL 4 ................................................................................................................................................... 53 Reestablish a recurring fire regime through prescribed burning to approximate conditions occurring in presettlement forests......................................................................................................... 53 GOAL 5 ................................................................................................................................................... 57 Restore longleaf pine and associated upland communities, where possible, to a condition that can be maintained through prescribed burning. ........................................................................................ 57 GOAL 6 ................................................................................................................................................... 60 Manage wetland, streamside and hardwood forests as a component of the mountain longleaf pine ecosystem................................................................................................................................................. 60 GOAL 7 ................................................................................................................................................... 61 Manage the refuge as part of the regional landscape, while minimizing forest fragmentation and disturbed edge habitat within the refuge boundaries.......................................................................... 61 GOAL 8 ................................................................................................................................................... 64 i Inventory, protect and manage rare, endangered, threatened and sensitive species and natural communities. ........................................................................................................................................... 64 GOAL 9 ................................................................................................................................................... 67 Inventory and control exotic and invasive species............................................................................... 67 GOAL 10 ................................................................................................................................................. 70 Maintain and restore native