U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Plum Tree Island National Wildlife Refuge Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment January 2017 Front cover: Salt marsh Jeff Brewer/USACE This blue goose, designed by J.N. “Ding” Darling, has become the symbol of the National Wildlife Refuge System. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the National Wildlife Refuge System comprised of over 150 million acres including over 560 national wildlife refuges and thousands of waterfowl production areas. The Service also operates 70 national fish hatcheries and over 80 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, administers the Endangered Species Act, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance Program which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state wildlife agencies. Comprehensive Conservation Plans (CCPs) provide long-term guidance for management decisions on a refuge and set forth goals, objectives, and strategies needed to accomplish refuge purposes. CCPs also identify the Service’s best estimate of future needs. These plans detail program levels that are sometimes substantially above current budget allocations and, as such, are primarily for Service strategic planning and program prioritization purposes. CCPs do not constitute a commitment for staffing increases, operational and maintenance increases, or funding for future land acquisition. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Plum Tree Island National Wildlife Refuge Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment January 2017 Draft Vision Plum Tree Island National Wildlife Refuge encompasses the largest contiguous Statement salt marsh ecosystem in the lower Chesapeake Bay. Located along the Atlantic Flyway, the refuge offers diverse salt marshes, tidal streams, and wooded ridges that support fish, waterfowl, marsh and wading birds, and shorebirds. Serene shorelines offer secluded habitat for breeding and nesting wildlife, including the northern diamondback terrapin. The refuge offers a rare opportunity for residents and visitors of the Hampton Roads area to safely enjoy expansive views of abundant wildlife thriving in these important, vulnerable, and scarce salt marshes. In partnership with others, the refuge’s wildlife habitats support the rich traditions of hunting, fishing, and boating in the Chesapeake Bay. i U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Plum Tree Island National Wildlife Refuge Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment January 2017 Summary Administrative—Development of a Comprehensive Conservation Plan Type of Action: U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service Lead Agency: Plum Tree Island National Wildlife Refuge Location: Poquoson, Virginia Administrative Headquarters: Eastern Virginia Rivers National Wildlife Refuge Complex Warsaw, Virginia Responsible Official: Wendi Weber, Regional Director, Region 5 For Further Information: Meghan Powell, Natural Resource Planner Eastern Virginia Rivers National Wildlife Refuge Complex 336 Wilna Road Warsaw, VA 22572 Phone: 804/313–7729 Email: [email protected] This draft comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and environmental assessment (EA) analyzes two alternatives for managing the 3,502-acre Plum Tree Island National Wildlife Refuge (NWR, the refuge) over the next 15 years. This document also contains six appendixes that provide additional information supporting our analysis. Following is a brief overview of each alternative: Alternative A–Current Management: Alternative A satisfies the National Environmental Policy Act requirement of a “no action” alternative, which we define as “continuing current management.” It describes our existing management priorities and activities for Plum Tree Island NWR, and serves as a baseline for comparing and contrasting alternative B. Alternative B–Increased Ecosystem Monitoring, Partnerships, and Public Use: Alternative B is the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service)-preferred alternative. It combines the actions we believe would best achieve the refuge’s purposes, vision, and goals; address issues and concerns identified throughout the planning process; respond to public comments and inquiries; and is feasible to implement in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, policies, and guidance. Under alternative B, we would emphasize the conservation, restoration, and monitoring of specific refuge habitats to support priority refuge species whose iii habitat needs benefit other species of conservation concern in eastern Virginia, including those identified in the Virginia Wildlife Action Plan. We emphasize protecting the refuge’s wildlife habitats by allowing natural processes to occur unimpeded. Our refuge management efforts would continue to focus on minimizing human-caused disturbance of refuge habitats and wildlife, while working with a greater diversity of partners to conduct biological research, inventory, and monitoring efforts. We are primarily interested in learning more about the presence and sustainability of priority wildlife species through inventories and the monitoring of climate change impacts and changes in habitat conditions over the life of the plan. Collecting this information would serve as the basis for future refuge management actions in the next CCP. Under alternative B, we would evaluate opportunities to enhance and expand the waterfowl hunt program on Cow Island, with an emphasis on increasing adult and youth participation. Alternative B would also expand wildlife-dependent recreation on Cow Island by opening one designated location to recreational and commercial wildlife observation, photography, environmental education, and interpretation of natural and cultural resources. Access by canoe and kayak would complement the City of Poquoson’s Blueway Trail surrounding the refuge. In partnership with other government agencies and adjacent landowners, we would investigate the potential to establish viewing platforms on the mainland overlooking the refuge. iv Table of Contents Table of Contents Chapter 1: The Purpose of, and Need for, Action 1.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 Purpose of, and Need for, Action ................................................................................................. 1-7 1.3 The Service and Refuge System Policies and Mandates Guiding Planning ............................ 1-7 1.4 Conservation Plans and Initiatives Guiding the Proposed Action .......................................... 1-19 1.5 Refuge Establishment Authority and Refuge Purposes ......................................................... 1-24 1.6 The Comprehensive Conservation Planning Process .............................................................. 1-26 1.7 Issues, Concerns, and Opportunities ......................................................................................... 1-29 Chapter 2: Affected Environment 2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 2-1 2.2 Physical Landscape ........................................................................................................................ 2-1 2.3 Land Use History........................................................................................................................... 2-3 2.4 Climate .......................................................................................................................................... 2-16 2.5 Air Quality ..................................................................................................................................... 2-21 2.6 Water Resources .......................................................................................................................... 2-23 2.7 Soundscape ................................................................................................................................... 2-31 2.8 Socioeconomic Landscape ........................................................................................................... 2-32 2.9 Special Status Areas .................................................................................................................... 2-36 2.10 Refuge Administration .............................................................................................................. 2-40 2.11 Natural Resources ..................................................................................................................... 2-45 2.12 Cultural Resources .................................................................................................................... 2-67 2.13 Public Uses ................................................................................................................................. 2-69 Chapter 3: Alternatives 3.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................