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Waterfowl Hunting Update

Waterfowl Hunt Opening Postponed

Opening Nisqually NWR to waterfowl hunting has been postponed until fall 2010 due to delays related to a national-level lawsuit on hunting within national wildlife refuges.  A Draft Supplemental Cumulative Impact Analysis (Draft Supplement) for the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge waterfowl hunt program was made available for public review in November 2008.  It complemented a much more detailed analysis of the waterfowl hunt that was completed as part of the Nisqually NWR Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Impact Statement in 2004.  The Draft Supplement was prepared to provide additional analysis of the cumulative impacts of opening Nisqually NWR to waterfowl hunting.  This analysis was done in response to the Fund for Animals lawsuit against the Service on March 14, 2003, alleging noncompliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in opening 37 refuges to hunting during the 1997-98 through 2002-03 seasons.  During the public review of the Nisqually NWR Draft Supplement, 102 public comments were received.  Although none of the comments specifically addressed the cumulative impact analysis, several provided specific comments on hunt regulations or the hunt area. 

All comments received in response to the Draft Supplement were considered in developing a final package, which resulted in a decision to open Nisqually NWR to waterfowl hunting.  However, the ongoing lawsuit has precluded opening Nisqually NWR to waterfowl hunting in 2009, so it has been postponed until the fall 2010 hunt season.