DRAFT COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION PLAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ST. JOHNS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Brevard County, Florida U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region Atlanta, Georgia June 2011 St. Johns National Wildlife Refuge TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION A. DRAFT COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION PLAN I. BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................................. 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 1 Purpose And Need For The Plan ................................................................................................. 7 Fish and Wildlife Service .............................................................................................................. 7 National Wildlife Refuge System .................................................................................................. 8 Legal and Policy Context .............................................................................................................. 9 Legal Mandates, Administrative and Policy Guidelines, and Other Special Considerations ......................................................................................9 Biological Integrity, Diversity, and Environmental Health Policy ....................................... 10 National and International Conservation Plans and Initiatives ................................................... 10 North American Bird Conservation Initiative .....................................................................11 Relationship To State Wildlife Agency ........................................................................................12 II. REFUGE OVERVIEW ...................................................................................................................... 15 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 15 Refuge Purposes and History ..................................................................................................... 15 Special Designations .................................................................................................................. 16 landscape Context ...................................................................................................................... 17 Regional Conservation Plans and Initiatives ..............................................................................21 Recovery Plans ................................................................................................................. 21 State Wildlife Action Plan ..................................................................................................24 Surface Water Improvement and Management Plan ........................................................24 Florida Natural Areas Inventory ........................................................................................24 Florida Forever Program ...................................................................................................25 Preservation 2000 ............................................................................................................. 25 Critical Lands and Waters Identification Project (CLIP) and the Cooperative Conservation Blueprint (CCB) ......................................................................25 Brevard County Environmentally Endangered lands Program .......................................... 26 Ecological Threats and Problems ............................................................................................... 26 Potential Effects of Climate Change .................................................................................28 Physical Resources .................................................................................................................... 29 Climate .............................................................................................................................. 29 Geology and Topography ..................................................................................................30 Soils .................................................................................................................................. 31 Hydrology .......................................................................................................................... 32 Water Quality .................................................................................................................... 33 Air Quality ..........................................................................................................................34 Biological Resources .................................................................................................................. 35 Habitat ............................................................................................................................... 35 Native Wildlife ................................................................................................................... 46 Non-Native and Invasive Species .....................................................................................63 Cultural Resources ..................................................................................................................... 65 Socioeconomic Environment ...................................................................................................... 67 Refuge Administration and Management ...................................................................................70 Table of Contents i Land Protection and Conservation ................................................................................... 70 Visitor Services ................................................................................................................. 71 Personnel, Operations, and Maintenance......................................................................... 71 III. PLAN DEVELOPMENT .................................................................................................................. 75 Overview .................................................................................................................................... 75 Public Involvement in the Planning Process .............................................................................. 75 Scoping of Issues and Concerns ................................................................................................ 76 Issues ......................................................................................................................................... 77 Wildlife and Habitat Management ..................................................................................... 77 Resource Protection ......................................................................................................... 79 Visitor Services ................................................................................................................. 79 Refuge Administration ...................................................................................................... 80 IV. MANAGEMENT DIRECTION ....................................................................................................... 81 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 81 Vision ......................................................................................................................................... 81 Goals, Objectives, and Strategies .............................................................................................. 82 Wildlife and Habitat Management ..................................................................................... 82 Resource Protection ......................................................................................................... 97 Visitor Services ............................................................................................................... 102 Refuge Administration .................................................................................................... 111 V. PLAN IMPLEMENTATION .......................................................................................................... 113 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 113 Proposed Projects .................................................................................................................... 113 Wildlife and Habitat Management ................................................................................... 114 Resource Protection ....................................................................................................... 117 Visitor Services ............................................................................................................... 119 Refuge Administration .................................................................................................... 121 Funding and Personnel ............................................................................................................ 122 Partnership/Volunteers Opportunities .....................................................................................