Watercress Darter National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region October 2010 Watercress Darter National Wildlife Refuge COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION PLAN WATERCRESS DARTER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Jefferson County, Alabama U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region Atlanta, Georgia October 2010 Table of Contents iii Watercress Darter National Wildlife Refuge TABLE OF CONTENTS COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION PLAN I. BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................................. 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 1 Purpose And Need For The Plan ................................................................................................. 1 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ...................................................................................................... 1 National Wildlife Refuge System .................................................................................................. 3 Legal and Policy Context .............................................................................................................. 5 National and International Conservation Plans and Initiatives ..................................................... 6 Relationship To State Wildlife Agency ..........................................................................................8 II. REFUGE OVERVIEW ........................................................................................................................ 9 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 9 Refuge History and Purpose ........................................................................................................ 9 Special Designations .................................................................................................................. 14 Ecosystem Context .....................................................................................................................14 Regional Conservation Plans and Initiatives ..............................................................................14 Central Gulf Coast Ecosystem Plan ..................................................................................16 Alabama Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy (2005) ..................................... 16 Ecological Threats and Problems ............................................................................................... 17 Habitat Loss and Fragmentation .......................................................................................17 Alterations to Hydrology and Degradation of Aquatic Ecosystems ...................................18 Physical Resources .................................................................................................................... 20 Climate .............................................................................................................................. 20 Geology AND Topography ................................................................................................21 Soils .................................................................................................................................. 21 Hydrology .......................................................................................................................... 22 Air Quality ..........................................................................................................................23 Water Quality and Quanity ................................................................................................23 Biological Resources .................................................................................................................. 26 Habitat ............................................................................................................................... 26 Cultural Resources ..................................................................................................................... 28 Socioeconomic Environment ...................................................................................................... 29 Outdoor Recreation Economics ........................................................................................29 Tourism ............................................................................................................................. 32 Refuge Administration and Management ...................................................................................32 Land Protection and Conservation ....................................................................................32 Visitor Services ................................................................................................................. 32 Personnel, Operations, and Maintenance .........................................................................32 III. PLAN DEVELOPMENT .................................................................................................................. 35 Overview ..................................................................................................................................... 35 Summary of Issues, Concerns, and Opportunities .....................................................................36 Table of Contents i IV. MANAGEMENT DIRECTION ....................................................................................................... 39 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 39 Vision ......................................................................................................................................... 40 Goals, Objectives, and Strategies .............................................................................................. 40 Fish and Wildlife Population Management........................................................................ 40 Habitat Management......................................................................................................... 41 Resource Protection ......................................................................................................... 42 Visitor Services ................................................................................................................. 46 Refuge Administration ...................................................................................................... 48 V. PLAN IMPLEMENTATION ............................................................................................................ 49 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 49 Proposed Projects ...................................................................................................................... 49 Fish And Wildlife Population Management ....................................................................... 49 Habitat Management......................................................................................................... 51 Resource protection .......................................................................................................... 51 Visitor Services ................................................................................................................. 53 Refuge Administration ...................................................................................................... 54 Funding and Personnel .............................................................................................................. 54 Partnership/Volunteer Opportunities .......................................................................................... 54 Step-Down Management Plans .................................................................................................. 55 Monitoring and Adaptive Management ....................................................................................... 55 Plan Review and Revision.......................................................................................................... 55 APPENDICES APPENDIX A. GLOSSARY ................................................................................................................ 57 APPENDIX B. REFERENCES AND LITERATURE CITATIONS ...................................................... 67 APPENDIX C. RELEVANT LEGAL MANDATES AND EXECUTIVE ORDERS ............................... 71 APPENDIX D. PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT ........................................................................................... 85 Summary Of Public Scoping Comments .................................................................................... 90 Draft Plan Comments and Service Responses .......................................................................... 91 APPENDIX E. COMPATIBILITY DETERMINATIONS ....................................................................... 97 APPENDIX F. INTRA-SERVICE SECTION 7 BIOLOGICAL EVALUATION .................................. 105 APPENDIX G. WILDERNESS REVIEW .........................................................................................