U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
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Completed Plan Contacts
The Service completed this plan
in 2002.
REFUGE EMAIL
REFUGE ADDRESS
Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge
P.O. Box 700
Green River, Wyoming 82935
REFUGE TELEPHONE
307 / 875 2187
REFUGE WEB SITES
Description
The comprehensive conservation plan sets the management and use of Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge for 15 years. Located along the Green River in southwestern Wyoming, the refuge has a wide range of habitats that provide important migration, breeding, and wintering areas for wildlife such as trumpeter swan, sage-grouse, bald eagle, and pronghorn.
The purposes for the refuge follow: (1) to conserve, maintain, and manage wildlife and habitat; (2) to conserve the scenery and the natural, historic, and archaeological objects; (3) to provide for public use and enjoyment; and (4) to mitigate losses of habitats due to water storage projects.
- Established in 1965.
- Comprises 26,382 acres along the Green River.
- Located in Sweetwater County, about 30 miles from the town of Green River, Wyoming.
Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge was established as mitigation for the loss of habitat when Flaming Gorge and Fontenelle dams were constructed. Seven wetland management units provide a variety of water depths. Birds such as trumpeter swans prefer deep-water ponds, while migrating shorebirds such as American avocet use shallow, flooded mudflats.
The Green River's riparian habitat has a mix of cottonwood trees and willows. Thousands of migrating songbirds, such as the rufous hummingbird, rely on this habitat for refueling during migration. Other songbirds stop to nest here. Bald eagles, hawks, moose, and mule deer raise their young in the riparian areas. Sagebrush uplands dominate the landscape away from the river and support sage-grouse, sage thrasher, pygmy rabbit, pronghorn, and other species.
Plan cover showing a sage-grouse in courtship display.
Because of its location along the Green River and across the Oregon and Mormon Pioneer national historic trails, parts of the refuge protect and interpret cultural resources of great importance such as ferry sites, cabins, trading post buildings, and prehistoric sites.
The following are major actions in the comprehensive conservation plan:
- For protection and restoration of habitats, close illegal roads and trails created by the tracks of off-road vehicles crisscrossing refuge lands.
- Expand the refuge boundary to protect quality riparian habitats along Big Sandy River (other Federal agencies currently manage these habitats and want to transfer ownership to the Service).
Documents
Comprehensive conservation plan (CCP)
CCP 2002 (5 MB PDF)
By section, for faster download:
CCP (plan only) (2 MB PDF)
Appendixes (3 MB PDF)
Draft CCP and environmental assessment (EA)
Draft CCP and EA 2001 (7 MB PDF)
By section, for faster download:
Contents, summary (PDF)
Chapter 1, introduction (1 MB PDF)
Chapter 2, planning process (PDF)
Chapter 3, refuge and resource descriptions (5 MB PDF)
Chapter 4, management direction (1 MB PDF)
Chapter 5, implementation of the proposed action (PDF)
Environmental assessment (1 MB PDF)
Appendixes (1 MB PDF)
Planning process documents
Notice of availability of final CCP 2003 (PDF)
Notice of availability of draft CCP and EA 2001 (PDF)