Glossary accessible—Pertaining to physical access to areas breeding habitat—Environment used by migratory and activities for people of different abilities, es- birds or other animals during the breeding sea- pecially those with physical impairments. son. A.D.—Anno Domini, “in the year of the Lord.” canopy—Layer of foliage, generally the uppermost adaptive resource management (ARM)—The rigorous layer, in a vegetative stand; mid-level or under- application of management, research, and moni- story vegetation in multilayered stands. Canopy toring to gain information and experience neces- closure (also canopy cover) is an estimate of the sary to assess and change management activities. amount of overhead vegetative cover. It is a process that uses feedback from research, CCP—See comprehensive conservation plan. monitoring, and evaluation of management ac- CFR—See Code of Federal Regulations. tions to support or change objectives and strate- CO2—Carbon dioxide. gies at all planning levels. It is also a process in Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)—Codification of which the Service carries out policy decisions the general and permanent rules published in the within a framework of scientifically driven ex- Federal Register by the Executive departments periments to test predictions and assumptions and agencies of the Federal Government. Each inherent in management plans. Analysis of re- volume of the CFR is updated once each calendar sults helps managers decide whether current year. management should continue as is or whether it compact—Montana House bill 717–Bill to Ratify should be modified to achieve desired conditions. Water Rights Compact. alternative—Reasonable way to solve an identi- compatibility determination—See compatible use. fied problem or satisfy the stated need (40 CFR compatible use—Wildlife-dependent recreational 1500.2); one of several different means of accom- use or any other use of a refuge or district that, plishing refuge and district purposes and goals in the sound professional judgment of the Direc- and contributing to the National Wildlife Refuge tor of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, will System mission (“Draft Fish and Wildlife Service not materially interfere with or detract from the Manual” 602 FW 1.5). fulfillment of the mission of the National Wildlife amphibian—Class of cold-blooded vertebrates that Refuge System or the purposes of the refuge or includes frogs, toads, and salamanders. district (“Draft Fish and Wildlife Service Man- annual—Plant that flowers and dies within 1 year of ual” 603 FW 3.6). A compatibility determination germination. supports the selection of compatible uses and baseline—Set of critical observations, data, or infor- identified stipulations or limits necessary to make mation used for comparison or a control. sure there is compatibility. bioaccumulation—The accumulation within living comprehensive conservation plan (CCP)—Document organisms of toxic substances occurring in the that describes the desired future conditions of environment. the refuge or district and provides long-range biological control—Organisms or viruses used to guidance and management direction for the ref- control invasive plants or other pests. uge manager to accomplish the purposes of the biological diversity, biodiversity—Variety of life and refuge or district, contribute to the mission of the its processes including the variety of living or- National Wildlife Refuge System, and meet other ganisms, the genetic differences among them, relevant mandates (“Draft Fish and Wildlife Ser- and the communities and ecosystems in which vice Manual” 602 FW 1.5). they occur (“Fish and Wildlife Service Manual” concern—See issue. 052 FW 1.12B). The National Wildlife Refuge cool-season grasses—Grasses that begin growth System’s focus is on indigenous species, biotic earlier in the season and often become dormant communities, and ecological processes. in summer; grasses that germinate at lower tem- biotic—Pertaining to life or living organisms; peratures. Examples of cool-season grasses in the caused, produced by, or comprising living organ- refuge complex are western wheatgrass, needle isms. and thread, and green needlegrass. 152 Comprehensive Conservation Plan, Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Montana conservation—Management of natural resources to nity, together with its environment, functioning prevent loss or waste; actions may include pres- as a unit. For administrative purposes, the U.S. ervation, restoration, and enhancement. Fish and Wildlife Service has designated 53 eco- conservation easement—Perpetual agreement en- systems covering the United States and its pos- tered into by a landowner and the Service by sessions. These ecosystems generally correspond which a landowner gives up or sells one or more with watershed boundaries and their sizes and of the rights on their property for conserva- ecological complexity vary. tion purposes, with terms set by the Service. ecotype—Subspecies or race that is especially In return for a single lump-sum payment, the adapted to a particular set of environmental con- landowner agrees not to drain, burn, level, or fill ditions. habitats covered by the easement. Conservation emergent—Plant rooted in shallow water and having easements generally prohibit the cultivation of most of the vegetative growth above water such grassland and wetland habitats while still permit- as cattail and hardstem bulrush. ting the landowner traditional grazing uses. A endangered species, Federal—Plant or animal spe- single-habitat conservation easement is often cies listed under the Endangered Species Act of referred to as either a wetland easement or a 1973, as amended, that is in danger of extinction grassland easement. throughout all or a significant part of its range. coordination area—Wildlife management area made endangered species, State—Plant or animal species available to a State by a “cooperative agreement in danger of becoming extinct or extirpated in a between the United States Fish and Wildlife Ser- particular State within the near future if factors vice and the State fish and game agency pursuant contributing to its decline continue; species with to section 4 of the Fish and Wildlife Coordination a population at a critically low level or having Act (16 U.S.C. 664); or (B) by long-term leases habitat that has been degraded or depleted to a or agreements pursuant to the Bankhead–Jones significant degree. Farm Tenant Act (50 Stat. 525; 7 U.S.C. 1010 et environmental assessment (EA)—Concise public docu- seq.).” States manage coordination areas, but ment, prepared in compliance with the National they are part of the National Wildlife Refuge Environmental Policy Act, that briefly discusses System. CCPs are not required for coordination the purpose and need for an action and alterna- areas. tives to such action and that provides sufficient cover, cover type, canopy cover—Present vegetation evidence and analysis of effects to determine of an area; also see canopy. whether to prepare an environmental impact cultural resources—Remains of sites, structures, or statement or finding of no significant impact (40 objects used by people in the past. CFR 1508.9). dense nesting cover (DNC)—Composition of grasses evapoconcentration—Concentration of chemical con- and forbs that allows for a dense stand of vegeta- stituents in a liquid due to evaporative processes. tion that protects nesting birds from the view of extinction—Complete disappearance of a species predators, usually consisting of one to two spe- from the earth; no longer existing. cies of wheatgrass, alfalfa, and sweetclover. extirpation—Extinction of a population; eradication district—See wetland management district. of a species within a specified area. district purpose—See purpose of the refuge. °F—Temperature in degrees Fahrenheit. disturbance—Significant alteration of habitat struc- fauna—Vertebrate and invertebrate animals in an ture or composition from natural causes such as area. wildfire or human-caused activities and develop- Federal trust resource—Resource managed by one ment such as timber harvest and road building. entity for another who holds the ownership. The DNC—See dense nesting cover. Service holds in trust many natural resources for drawdown—A manipulated water level in an im- the people of the United States of America be- poundment that allows for the natural drying-out cause of Federal acts and treaties; examples are cycle of a wetland. species listed under the Endangered Species Act, duck, dabbling—Duck that mainly feeds on veg- migratory birds protected by international trea- etable matter by upending on the water surface ties, and native plant or wildlife species found on or by grazing and only rarely dives. a national wildlife refuge. duck, diving—Duck that mainly feeds by diving Federal trust species—Species where the Federal through the water. Government has primary jurisdiction including EA—See environmental assessment. federally endangered or threatened species, mi- ecosystem—Dynamic and interrelating complex of gratory birds, anadromous fish, and certain ma- plant and animal communities and their associ- rine mammals. ated nonliving environment; a biological commu- GLOSSARY 153 fee title—Acquisition of most or all of the rights to a hemimarsh—Emergent phase of a seasonal or semi- tract of land. permanent wetland where the ratio of open-wa- Federal land—Public land owned by the Federal ter area to emergent vegetation cover is about Government including lands such as national 50:50 and vegetation