Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region July 2012 Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION AND LAND PROTECTION PLAN CLARKS RIVER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE MARSHALL, MCCRACKEN, AND GRAVES COUNTIES, KENTUCKY U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region Atlanta, Georgia July 2012 Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION A. DRAFT COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION PLAN I. BACKGROUND .............................................................................................................................. 1 Purpose And Need For The Plan ............................................................................................... 1 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 ....................................................................................... 7 II. REFUGE OVERVIEW ..................................................................................................................... 9 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 9 Clarks River NWR History and Purpose ..................................................................................... 9 Special Designations ............................................................................................................... 11 Landscape Conservation Context ............................................................................................ 11 Lower Tennessee-Cumberland Ecosystem .................................................................... 11 Gulf Coastal Plains and Ozarks Landscape Conservation Cooperative .......................... 11 Related Resources ......................................................................................................... 12 Conservation Plans and Regional Initiatives ................................................................... 15 North American Waterbird Conservation Plan ................................................................ 15 United States Shorebird Conservation Plan .................................................................... 15 Fisheries Vision for the Future ........................................................................................ 15 Kentucky Wildlife Action Plan ........................................................................................... 16 Ecological Threats and Problems ............................................................................................ 16 Wetland Loss .................................................................................................................. 16 Hydological Alteration ..................................................................................................... 16 Strategic Land Protection ............................................................................................... 17 Climate Change .............................................................................................................. 17 Physical Resources ................................................................................................................. 18 Climate ........................................................................................................................... 18 Geology and Topography ............................................................................................... 19 Soils ............................................................................................................................... 19 Hydrology and Water Quality .......................................................................................... 20 Air Quality ....................................................................................................................... 21 Biological Resources ............................................................................................................... 21 Landcover Classes ......................................................................................................... 21 Wildlife ............................................................................................................................ 28 Socioeconomic Environment.................................................................................................... 36 Graves County ............................................................................................................... 36 McCracken County ......................................................................................................... 37 Marshall County.............................................................................................................. 37 Clarks River NWR .......................................................................................................... 37 Refuge Administration and Management ................................................................................. 38 Land Protection and Conservation .................................................................................. 38 Visitor Services ............................................................................................................... 39 Personnel, Operations, and Maintenance ....................................................................... 43 Table of Contents i III. PLAN DEVELOPMENT ................................................................................................................47 Summary of Issues, Concerns, and Opportunities ....................................................................47 Fish and Wildlife Population Management ......................................................................47 Habitat Management .......................................................................................................48 Resource Protection ........................................................................................................49 Visitor Services ...............................................................................................................51 Refuge Administration .....................................................................................................53 IV. MANAGEMENT DIRECTION .......................................................................................................55 Introduction ..............................................................................................................................55 Alternatives For Managing Clarks River NWR ..........................................................................55 Vision for Clarks River NWR ....................................................................................................55 Goals, Objectives, and Strategies for Clarks River NWR ..........................................................56 Fish and Wildlife Population Management ......................................................................56 Habitat Management .......................................................................................................71 Resource Protection ........................................................................................................81 Visitor Services ...............................................................................................................93 Refuge Administration .....................................................................................................98 V. PLAN IMPLEMENTATION ........................................................................................................ 103 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 103 Projects .................................................................................................................................. 103 Fish and Wildlife Population Management .................................................................... 103 Habitat Management ..................................................................................................... 105 Resource Protection ...................................................................................................... 105 Visitor Services ............................................................................................................. 107 Refuge Administration ................................................................................................... 108 Funding and Personnel .......................................................................................................... 109 Partnership/Volunteer Opportunities ....................................................................................... 111 Step-Down Management Plans .............................................................................................. 111 Monitoring