Lower Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges Comprehensive Conservation Plan U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region October 2009 COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION PLAN LOWER FLORIDA KEYS REFUGES National Key Deer Refuge Key West National Wildlife Refuge Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge Monroe County, Florida U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region Atlanta, Georgia October 2009 TABLE OF CONTENTS COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION PLAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................................................... 1 I. BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................................. 3 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 3 Purpose and Need For The Plan .................................................................................................. 3 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ...................................................................................................... 6 National Wildlife Refuge System .................................................................................................. 6 Legal and Policy Context .............................................................................................................. 8 National and International Conservation Plans and Initiatives ..................................................... 8 II. REFUGES OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................... 11 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 11 Description of Refuges and History of Their Establishment ....................................................... 11 Key West National Wildlife Refuge ...................................................................................11 Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge .....................................................................11 National Key Deer Refuge ................................................................................................12 Refuge Purposes ........................................................................................................................ 12 Key West National Wildlife Refuge ...................................................................................13 Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge .....................................................................13 National Key Deer Refuge ................................................................................................13 Special Designations .................................................................................................................. 14 Ecosystem Context and Regional Conservation Plans and Initiatives ....................................... 18 Physical Resources .................................................................................................................... 19 Climate .............................................................................................................................. 19 Geology ............................................................................................................................. 19 Soils .................................................................................................................................. 19 Physiography .................................................................................................................... 20 Hydrology and Freshwater Resources ..............................................................................20 Water Quality and Quantity ...............................................................................................20 Air Quality ..........................................................................................................................21 Biological Resources .................................................................................................................. 21 Flora – Plant Communities and Cover Types ...................................................................21 Fauna – Fish and Wildlife ..................................................................................................26 Cultural Resources ..................................................................................................................... 36 Socioeconomic Environment ...................................................................................................... 38 III. PLAN DEVELOPMENT .................................................................................................................. 47 Summary of Issues, Concerns, and Opportunities .....................................................................47 Priority Resource Issues .............................................................................................................47 Overarching Issue (applies to all refuges across most program areas) .....................................48 Fish and Wildlife Population Management ........................................................................48 Habitat Management .........................................................................................................50 Visitor Services ................................................................................................................. 51 Resource Protection ..........................................................................................................52 Refuge Administration .......................................................................................................52 Table of Contents i IV. MANAGEMENT DIRECTION ....................................................................................................... 55 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 55 Vision ......................................................................................................................................... 55 Goals, Objectives, and Strategies .............................................................................................. 55 Habitat Management......................................................................................................... 57 Fish and Wildlife Population Management........................................................................ 63 Visitor Services ................................................................................................................. 73 Resource Protection ......................................................................................................... 77 Refuge Administration ...................................................................................................... 79 V. PLAN IMPLEMENTATION ............................................................................................................ 83 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 83 Proposed Projects ...................................................................................................................... 83 Fish And Wildlife Population Management ....................................................................... 83 Refuge Administration and Resource Protection .............................................................. 87 Visitor Services, Wildlife-Dependent Recreation, and Environmental Education ............. 88 Staffing and Funding .................................................................................................................. 89 Partnership Opportunities........................................................................................................... 89 Proposed Poject Costs ............................................................................................................... 89 Monitoring and Evaluation .......................................................................................................... 96 Plan Review and Revision.......................................................................................................... 96 APPENDICES APPENDIX A. GLOSSARY AND ACRONYMS ................................................................................. 97 APPENDIX B. REFERENCES AND LITERATURE CITED .............................................................. 109 APPENDIX C. RELEVANT LEGAL MANDATES AND EXECUTIVE ORDERS ............................. 123 APPENDIX D. PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT .......................................................................................... 135 Summary of Public Scoping ..................................................................................................... 135 Summary of Public Comment on the Draft CCP ...................................................................... 137 Fish and Wildlife population management ...................................................................... 149 Visitor Services ............................................................................................................... 159 Resource Protection ......................................................................................................