Where Are We in the Planning Process?
These are the steps that the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service follows in comprehensive conservation planning; the step that Muscatatuck NWR is currently working on is highlighted:
- Preplanning: Plan the Plan
- Initiate Public Involvement and Scoping
- Review Vision Statement and Goals and Determine Significant Issues
- Develop and Analyze Alternatives, Including the Proposed Action
- Prepare a Draft CCP and NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) Document
- Prepare and Adopt Final CCP
- Implement Plan, Monitor and Evaluate
- Review and Revise the Plan
Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan
Comprehensive Conservation Plan Under Way
Next Steps
The Refuge
For More Information
Comprehensive Conservation Plan Under Way
Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge is preparing a Comprehensive Conservation Plan, or CCP, that will guide Refuge management for the next 15 years. Planning ensures that the Refuge is managed in a way that fulfills its purposes and the mission and purpose of the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Planning is expected to take 2 years. Public involvement will be a key part of planning throughout the process. Comments let Refuge staff know what people want to see considered in the CCP and give staff a clear picture of how they feel about these issues. Comments from the public also give Refuge staff a broader perspective on the Refuge and what matters to neighbors and people who care about the Refuge's future. There will be opportunities for neighbors, local communities, and everyone interested in the management of Muscatatuck NWR to participate in the planning process.
Next Steps
Refuge staff hosted an open house on May 22, 2007, at the Refuge. Approximately 25 people attended. The Refuge has received about 20 comments via form, letters and e-mail.
The next step for Refuge staff will be to develop issues that will be addressed in the CCP and then to develop a range of management alternatives that address these issues. The management alternatives will be evaluated in an environmental assessment and a preferred alternative will be identified. The preferred alternative will then be developed into a proposed CCP.
The Refuge
Located in southern Indiana, the 7,802-acre Muscatatuck NWR is recognized as a "Continentally Important" bird area, and special management emphasis is given to waterfowl and other migratory birds as well as to endangered species.
The Refuge is located 3 miles east of Seymour, Indiana, and is about a 1-hour drive from Indianapolis, Indiana, or Louisville, Kentucky, and about an hour and a half from Cincinnati, Ohio. The Refuge includes the 78-acre Restle Unit located near Bloomington, Indiana.
Approximately 130,000 people visit the Refuge every year for wildlife-dependent activities such as hunting, fishing, environmental education, wildlife observation, photography and interpretation.
For More Information
To share your thoughts on Refuge management or for more information on Muscatatuck NWR, please send a comment either via e-mail or through the mail, or call Refuge Manager Marc Webber at: 812/522-4352. Individuals with hearing impairment can call the TTY line at: 1-800/877-8339 (Federal Relay).
Written comments are welcome. Although we appreciate your comments any time, to be most useful as we develop issues and alternatives, please submit your comments by June 30, 2007. Comments can be mailed to the Refuge at:
Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge
Attention: CCP Comment
12985 East Highway 50
Seymour, IN 47274
