Refuge conservation plans are called “Comprehensive Conservation Plans” (CCPs). The purpose of a CCP is to specify a management direction for the Refuge for the next 15 years. The goals, objectives, and strategies for improving Refuge conditions—including the types of habitat we will provide, partnership opportunities, and management actions needed to achieve desired conditions – are described in the CCP. The Service’s preferred alternative for managing the Refuge and its effects on the human environment, are described in the CCP as well.

Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge is in the early stages for a Refuge CCP, planning to begin the process in fiscal year 2014. Watch this website, our Facebook page and/or our Twitter account for upcoming public meetings and notices about the CCP planning process and public comment periods.

For more information on CCPs and the planning process, visit the National Wildlife Refuge Association's CCP page.

Bear River Watershed Conservation Area 

The Bear River provides important wildlife corridors for species migration in the western United States.  To protect this important habitat, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Refuge recognize that it is essential to work with private landowners throughout the watershed on conservation matters of mutual interest.  For more information, check out our page dedicated to the Bear River Watershed Conservation Area by clicking the link in the upper left menu.

National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997: The NWRS Improvement Act defines a unifying mission for all refuges, including a process for determining compatible uses on refuges, and requiring that each refuge be managed according to a CCP. The NWRS Improvement  Act expressly states that wildlife conservation is the priority of System lands and that the Secretary shall ensure that the biological integrity, diversity, and environmental health of refuge lands are maintained. Each refuge must be managed to fulfill the specific purposes for which the refuge was established and the System mission. The first priority of each refuge is to conserve, manage, and if needed, restore fish and wildlife populations and habitats according to its purpose.

For more on this Act, check out the National Wildlife Refuge System.