About Planning on National Wildlife Refuges When Congress amended the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act (Act) in 1997, it incorporated an underlying philosophy of “wildlife first” on refuges. The Act provided the Fish and Wildlife Service with guidance for managing refuges to ensure the long-term conservation of fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats. The Act also established six priority public uses on National Wildlife Refuges (wildlife observation and photography, hunting, fishing, interpretation, and environmental education) and strengthened the compatibility determination process for assuring that these and other activities do not conflict with refuge management purposes and goals. Comprehensive Conservation Planning The Act requires development of a Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) for each refuge. CCPs are intended to describe future conditions of a refuge and provide long-range guidance and management direction to achieve the purposes of the refuge, refuge policy requirements, and the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System. The Act requires that all National Wildlife Refuge System lands be managed in accordance with a CCP. The CCP for Malheur Refuge will outline refuge goals, objectives, and management strategies for achieving the purposes for which the Refuge was established. It will be a flexible, “living” document that will be updated every 15 years. Most importantly, a CCP ensures that the management of the refuge reflects the purposes of the refuge and the mission, policies, and goals of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Who Develops the Plan? Plans are developed by refuge staff with the help of planners, according to specific Refuge System policy guidelines. Plans are developed in collaboration with other Service personnel, and in consultation with other federal, state, tribal, and local governments. We also ask the public about their concerns and issues early in the process, and the public has a chance to comment on the draft plan before it is finalized. Once draft plans have been publicly reviewed, any necessary amendments are made and the plans are forwarded for approval by the Regional Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. How Do We Know the Plans are Environmentally Sound? Concurrently with the CCP, we will develop documentation that analyzes the environmental consequences of implementing various management alternatives. This analysis will be developed in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which requires the identification of resource issues, the development of alternative management scenarios, an evaluation of the effects of the alternative scenarios on the environment, and the solicitation of public comments on the alternatives. Implementing the CCP Because CCPs are strategic in nature, they do not constitute a commitment by the Service for staffing increases, operational or maintenance increases, or funding for future land acquisition. Thus, the Service envisions partnerships with other agencies and private organizations as a key to implementing the goals, objectives, and strategies of each plan. |
Last updated:
July 1, 2009
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