Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan

Comprehensive Conservation Plan Approved
Overview of the CCP
The Refuge
For More Information
Where in the Plan Are We?

Comprehensive Conservation Plan Approved

The Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) for Swan Lake NWR was approved on Feb. 24, 2011.

The refuge and Fish and Wildlife Service staff thank everyone who took the time to review the Draft CCP and send a comment. Your comments were instrumental in shaping the CCP and the Refuge's future management direction.

A summary of the CCP is being mailed to everyone on the project mailing list. Copies of the full CCP are being printed and will be available in area libraries and at the Refuge Headquarters as soon as possible.

Overview of the CCP

Many of the comments the Refuge received on the Draft CCP in June and July focused on three main topics: water management on Silver Lake; converting cropland to native habitat; and increasing habitat for the eastern massasauga rattlesnake.

Very briefly, these issues are addressed as follows:

• Many of the people who commented on the Draft CCP urged the Service to postpone decisions about the management of Silver Lake until pending hydrogeomorphic stuides are complete. The Service is doing just that.
• Many comments urged the Service to maintain some row crops for supplemental food for wildlife and wildlife viewing purposes. The Refuge will keep 400 acres of row crops and convert 1,000 acres of cropland to natural habitat over the life of the CCP.
• The Refuge will continue to be open to fishing. However, the Refuge will also continue to study options for managing water levels for the purpose of increasing the amount of food for migratory birds.
• The completed CCP includes an objective to begin the process of opening Swan Lake NWR to duck and small game hunting.
• Within 5 years of completion of the CCP, the Refuge will develop an environmental education site that includes an outdoor classroom.

The Refuge

Located near the confluence of the Grand River and the Missouri River in north-central Missouri, Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) was established in 1937 as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife. The 10,795-acre Refuge is a wintering area for Canada Geese and Mississippi Flyway duck populations. During fall migration, more than 100,000 ducks pass through the Refuge. Major habitat management programs currently include cropland management, water management, and to a lesser extent grassland and forest management. The Refuge has nearly 7,000 acres of wetlands, and Silver Lake includes 2,100 acres of open water. Every year, 17,000 people visit the Refuge to hunt, fish, hike, observe wildlife and participate in environmental education programs.

For More Information

For more information on Swan Lake NWR, please send a note either via e-mail or through the mail, or call the Refuge at:

Telephone: 660/856-3323
TTY: 1-800-877-8339 (Federal Relay)

Address:
Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Attention: CCP Comment
16194 Swan Lake Avenue
Sumner, MO 64681.

Where in the Plan Are We?

These are the steps that the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service follows in comprehensive conservation planning; the step that Swan Lake NWR has reached is highlighted:

1. Preplanning: Plan the Plan
2. Initiate Public Involvement and Scoping
3. Review Vision Statement and Goals and Determine Significant Issues
4. Develop and Analyze Alternatives, Including the Proposed Action
5. Prepare a Draft CCP and NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) Document
6. Prepare and Adopt Final CCP
7. Implement Plan, Monitor and Evaluate
8. Review and Revise the Plan

Last updated: October 17, 2012

---

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Home Page | Department of the Interior  | USA.gov  | About the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service  | Accessibility  | Privacy  | Notices  | Disclaimer  | FOIA