SWANQUARTER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE DRAFT COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION PLAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Hyde County, North Carolina U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region Atlanta, Georgia July 2008 Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuge 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 .............................................................................................................. 1 National Wildlife Refuge System .................................................................................................. 2 Legal and Policy Context .............................................................................................................. 4 National and International Conservation Plans and Initiatives ..................................................... 5 Relationship To State Wildlife Agency ..........................................................................................6 II. Refuge Overview .............................................................................................................................. 7 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 7 Refuge History and PurposeS ...................................................................................................... 7 Special Designations .................................................................................................................... 9 Ecosystem Context .....................................................................................................................11 Regional Conservation Plans and Initiatives ..............................................................................11 Ecological Threats and Problems ............................................................................................... 13 Regional Habitat Loss and Fragmentation ........................................................................13 Regional Alterations To Hydrology ....................................................................................14 Regional Siltation of Aquatic Ecosystems .........................................................................14 Regional Proliferation of Invasive Aquatic Plants ..............................................................15 Regional Conservation Priorities .......................................................................................15 Physical Resources .................................................................................................................... 16 Climate .............................................................................................................................. 16 Geology and Topography ..................................................................................................17 Soils .................................................................................................................................. 18 Air Quality ..........................................................................................................................21 Water Quality .................................................................................................................... 22 Biological Resources .................................................................................................................. 23 Habitat ............................................................................................................................... 23 Wildlife ............................................................................................................................... 26 Cultural Resources ..................................................................................................................... 30 Socioeconomic Environment ...................................................................................................... 31 History ............................................................................................................................... 31 Land Use ........................................................................................................................... 32 Demographics ................................................................................................................... 32 Employment ...................................................................................................................... 32 Forestry ............................................................................................................................. 33 Outdoor Recreation In The Area .......................................................................................34 Outdoor Recreation Economics ..................................................................................................36 Tourism ............................................................................................................................. 37 Transportation ................................................................................................................... 37 Cultural Environment .........................................................................................................38 Refuge Administration and Management ...................................................................................38 Land Protection and Conservation ....................................................................................38 Education and Visitor Services .........................................................................................40 Personnel, Operations, and Maintenance .........................................................................41 Table of Contents i III. Plan Development ......................................................................................................................... 43 Summary of Issues, Concerns, and Opportunities ..................................................................... 43 Fish and Wildlife Population Management........................................................................ 43 Habitat Management......................................................................................................... 44 Resource Protection ......................................................................................................... 46 Visitor Services ................................................................................................................. 46 Refuge Administration ...................................................................................................... 47 Wilderness Review ........................................................................................................... 47 IV. Management Direction ................................................................................................................ 49 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 49 Vision ......................................................................................................................................... 49 Goals, Objectives, and Strategies .............................................................................................. 50 Fish and Wildlife Population Management........................................................................ 50 Habitat Management......................................................................................................... 51 Resource Protection ......................................................................................................... 54 Visitor Services ................................................................................................................. 54 Refuge Administration ...................................................................................................... 57 V. Plan Implementation .................................................................................................................... 61 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 61 Proposed Projects ...................................................................................................................... 61 Funding and Personnel .............................................................................................................. 65 Partnership/Volunteers Opportunities ........................................................................................ 66 Step-Down Management Plans .................................................................................................. 68 Monitoring and Adaptive Management ....................................................................................... 70 Plan Review and Revision.........................................................................................................