Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge Valentine, Nebraska Annual Narrative Report Calendar Year 2003-2005 Fort Niobrara-Valentine NWR Complex Valentine, Nebraska Annual Narrative Report Calendar Year 2003-2005 Refuge Manager Date Refuge Supervisor Review Date Regional Office Approval Date 2 Introduction Fort Niobrara-Valentine National Wildlife Refuge Complex is compiled of three refuges and a satellite unit within a 100 mile radius of each other. The refuges are Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Valentine NWR and John W. & Louise Seier NWR. The satellite unit is Yellowthroat Wildlife Management Area. Fort Niobrara NWR is located five miles east of Valentine, Nebraska in Cherry County. The refuge consists of 19,131 acres of high and rolling prairie traversed by the Niobrara River. The Fort Niobrara NWR was created by Executive Order 1461, January 11, 1912, (with a designated acreage of 13,279 acres) " ... reserved and set apart for the use of the Department of Agriculture as a preserve anp breeding ground for native birds." Shortly after the Refuge's establishment, J.W. Gilbert, owner of a private game park at Friend, Nebraska, "offered his buffalo, elk, and deer to the Federal Government for preservation on a national reservation, with the understanding that they would remain in Nebraska. The acceptance of this offer was delayed through lack of a suitable range in the State. On November 14, 1912, however, an Executive Order was issued enlarging the Fort Niobrara Game Preserve (then known as the Niobrara Reservation) by" adding thereto the area formerly used as the parade grounds and headquarters for the old military post. This made the total area of the preserve about 14,200 acres. Mr. Gilbert's offer was then formally accepted by the Secretary of Agriculture, and arrangements were made to transfer the animals to Fort Niobrara." (Ruth 1938) As a result, the Refuge is to be managed (1) as a preserve and breeding ground for native birds, and (2) for the preservation of bison and elk herds representative of those that once roamed the Great Plains. 3 Furthermore, the Wilderness Act of 1964 calls for designated wilderness areas within a National Wildlife Refuge to receive equal consideration in management decisions and become a supplemental purpose of the Refuge. Section 4. (a) of this Act reads: "The purposes of this Act are hereby declared to be within and supplemental to the purposes for which national forests and units of the national park and national wildlife refuge systems are established and administered." Thus, the purpose of tbe designated wilderness area within this Refuge is to be supplemental and not subservient to the other purposes of the Refuge. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS B. CLIMATIC CONDITIONS ............................................................ 6 C. Land Acquisition ............................................................................... 7 C.2 Easements ...................................................................................................................... 7 D. Planning .............................................................................................. 7 D.5 Research ......................................................................................................................... 8 E. ADMINISTRATION ............. ............................................................ 8 E.1 Personnel........... ............................................................................................................. 8 E.1 Personnel ........................................................................................................................ 8 E.4. Volunteers ...................................................................................................................... 9 E.6. Safefy .........................................•...........................................•........................................ 9 E.8. Other ............................................................................................................................ 10 E.8.b Training ................... ....................................... .................................. .................................................. 11 F. HABITAT MANAGE"MENT ......................................................... 11 F.1. General ......................................................................................................................... 11 F.2 Wetlands ..•...........................•.........•....•........................................••..•...••.•...•................ 12 F.3. Woodlands ..........•••......•.......................•..................................................•......•...•......... 12 F.5. GrassJan.ds .........•.........................................................................•............................... 13 F.8. Haying ....................................................................................................................•..... 13 F.9. Fire Management ...•..•.•••••••••••••••..••••••..•••..••....•..••.••..•••...••....•••••..•.•••..•.••...•..•............• 13 F.10. Pest Control ................................................................................................................. 17 F.12. Wilderness and Special Areas. .................................................................................... 17 F.12.a. Fort Niobrara Wilderness ....... ......................................................................... ............................ 17 F.12.b. Niobrara National Scenic River......................................................................... ......................... l7 G. WILDLIFE ....................................................................................... 18 G.1. Wildlife Diversity .....................................................................................•........•...••.... 18 G.2. Endangered Species .................•.................................................................................. 18 G.2.a. Bald Eagle .................................. ... .... ........................................................................................... 18 G.2.b. Whooping Crane, Piping Plover and Tern .................................................................................... 18 G.2.c. American Burying Beetle .. .................... ..................... ...................................................................... 18 G.3. Waterfowl ...........................................................................................................•.....•.. 18 G.3.a. Ducks ............................... ................ ... ... ............................................................................................ 18 G.4. Marsh & Waterbirds ..•............•.........................•..................................•....•................ 19 G.4.a. Sandhill Cranes .............. .......................... ......................................................................................... 19 G.7. Other Migratory Birds ..........•....••..............................................•...................•.......•... 19 G.8. Game Mammals .............................•.................................•.•........•...••............., . ........•... 19 G.8.a. Elk ........................................................................ ... ........ ................................................................... 19 G.8.b. Deer .................................................................................................................................................... 20 G.8.d. Other ...................................... ............................ ................................................................................ 20 G.10. Other Resident Wildlife.......................... ..........•...................................••.....••............ 20 G.10.a. Bison ........................................................................... ............... .................................................... 20 G.10.b. Black-Tailed Prairie Dog ........................................... ................................................................... 22 G.10.c. Turkey ...................................................................................................................................... ... ...22 5 G.10.d. Sharp-Tailed grouse and Greater Northern Prairie Chicken ............................ ....................... 22 G.10.f. Bobwhite quail .......................... ................................................................................................... 23 G.10.g. Other .............................................................................................................................................. 23 G.13. Surplus Animal Disposal ........................................................................................... 23 G.13.a. Bison .............................................................................................................................................. 23 G.17. Disease prevention and Control ................................................................................ 24 H. PUBLIC USE ................................................................................... 26 H.1. General ......................................................................................................................... 26 H.2 Environmental Education - Stu.dents ......................................................................