DRAFT COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION PLAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT LOWER FLORIDA KEYS NATIONAL WILDLIFE 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 May 2008 TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION A. DRAFT COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION PLAN I. BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................................. 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 1 Purpose And Need For The Plan ................................................................................................. 1 Fish and Wildlife Service .............................................................................................................. 4 National Wildlife Refuge System .................................................................................................. 4 Legal and Policy Context .............................................................................................................. 6 National and International Conservation Plans and Initiatives ..................................................... 6 II. REFUGE OVERVIEW ........................................................................................................................ 9 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 9 description of refuges and History of their Establishment ............................................................ 9 Key West National Wildlife Refuge .....................................................................................9 Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge .......................................................................9 National Key Deer Refuge ................................................................................................10 Refuge Purposes ........................................................................................................................ 10 Key West National Wildlife Refuge ...................................................................................11 Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge .....................................................................11 National Key Deer Refuge ................................................................................................11 Special Designations .................................................................................................................. 12 Ecosystem Context and Regional Conservation Plans and Initiatives ....................................... 16 Physical Resources .................................................................................................................... 17 Climate .............................................................................................................................. 17 Geology ............................................................................................................................. 17 Soils .................................................................................................................................. 17 Physiograpy ...................................................................................................................... 17 Hydrology and freshwater Resources ...............................................................................17 Water Quality and Quanity ................................................................................................18 Air Quality ..........................................................................................................................18 Biological Resources .................................................................................................................. 19 Flora – habitat characteristics of native vegetation/Plant Communities ............................ 19 Fauna – fish and Wildlife ...................................................................................................23 Cultural Resources ..................................................................................................................... 31 Socioeconomic Environment ...................................................................................................... 31 III. PLAN DEVELOPMENT .................................................................................................................. 39 Summary of Issues, Concerns, and Opportunities .....................................................................39 Priority Resource Issues .............................................................................................................39 Overarching Issue (applies to all refuges across most program areas) .....................................39 Visitor Services ................................................................................................................. 40 Habitat Management .........................................................................................................40 Fish and Wildlife Population Management ........................................................................41 Refuge Administration .......................................................................................................43 Table of Contents i IV. MANAGEMENT DIRECTION ....................................................................................................... 45 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 45 Vision ......................................................................................................................................... 45 Goals, Objectives, and Strategies .............................................................................................. 45 Habitat Management......................................................................................................... 47 V. PLAN IMPLEMENTATION ............................................................................................................ 67 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 67 Proposed Projects ...................................................................................................................... 67 Fish And Wildlife Population Management ....................................................................... 67 refuge administration and Resource Protection ................................................................ 71 Visitor Services, Wildlife-Dependent recreation, and Environmental Education ............... 72 Staffing and Funding .................................................................................................................. 73 Partnership Opportunities........................................................................................................... 73 Monitoring and Evaluation .......................................................................................................... 80 Plan Review and Revision.......................................................................................................... 80 SECTION B. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ............................................................................. 81 I. BACKGROUND .............................................................................................................................. 81 Purpose and need ...................................................................................................................... 81 Proposed Action ......................................................................................................................... 81 II. AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT .......................................................................................................... 83 III. DESCRIPTION OF ALTERNATIVES ............................................................................................. 85 Formulation and description of Alternatives ............................................................................... 85 Alternative A - (Current Management - No Action) ........................................................... 85 Alternative b - (Proposed Alternative) ............................................................................... 86 Alternative c ...................................................................................................................... 87 Features Common to all Alternatives ......................................................................................... 88 IV. ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES ..................................................................................... 105 Overview .................................................................................................................................. 105 Effects on the Physical Environment ........................................................................................ 105 Soils ................................................................................................................................ 105 Hydrology .......................................................................................................................