Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Comprehensive Conservation Planning
Planning for the Future
A comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and environmental assessment (EA) will be prepared for Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). The refuge is managed by Parker River NWR, which is located in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Provisions of the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 require the development of CCPs for all national wildlife refuges. The planning process involves public input, and will consider many elements of refuge management, including habitat and wildlife management, endangered and threatened species management, public use, refuge infrastructure, and proposals for special area designations. The CCP will provide other agencies and the public with a clear understanding of the desired conditions for the refuge, and how the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) will implement management strategies.
Please visit “Planning Process” if you would like more information about the CCP process for Great Bay.
Latest News in Developing the Great Bay NWR CCP
For the last few months, the staff at Parker River NWR have been working with refuge planners from the Service’s Northeast Regional Office and members of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department on gathering data and getting organized for the CCP process (preplanning).
Click here to download the first Great Bay NWR
Comprehensive Conservation Planning Newsletter.
As part of the CCP process, the core planning team held a public scoping meeting on June 18, 2009 at the Newington Town Hall. Scoping meetings are part of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process to determine public opinion, receive comments and suggestions, and determine issues that are important to Tribal, State, and local governments; other Federal agencies; organizations; refuge neighbors; and the public. The twenty-two members of the community who attended the meeting heard presentations by Service staff, learned about current refuge management and resources, and voiced questions, comments, and concerns.
Click here to view the Public Scoping Meeting Presentation
USFWS Staff and members of the community discussing issues at the June Public Scoping Meeting.
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In early July, members of various State and Federal agencies will meet to further brainstorm issues relevant to the refuge and its CCP.
We encourage you to continue submitting your questions, comments, or ideas in writing by filling out a comment form or our issues workbook. If you are downloading forms and workbooks, please fill them out and then mail them to the address below.
Please submit all of your comments and workbooks by July 17, 2009. We will use the feedback that we gather from our public scoping meetings to help shape our CCP.
About Great Bay NWR
Great Bay NWR is located in Newington, New Hampshire. It was established in 1992 through the transfer of 1,054 acres from the Department of Defense. The refuge currently encompasses 1,089 acres of oak-hickory forest, grasslands, shrub thickets, fresh and saltwater wetlands, and open water habitats. Refuge purposes include encouraging natural diversity, protecting listed species, and preserving and enhancing water quality. The refuge is located on the eastern shore of the Great Bay estuary at the coastal boundary between New Hampshire and Maine. Great Bay NWR also includes a 28-acre conservation easement in Concord, New Hampshire, which is managed primarily for the federally endangered Karner blue butterfly.
For more information about Great Bay NWR, visit the refuge’s website.
Contact Information
If you would like to become involved in the planning process for Great Bay NWR, or if you would like to join our mailing list, please contact
Mao Teng Lin
Assistant Refuge Planner
Northeast Regional Office
300 Westgate Center Drive
Hadley , MA 01035
(413) 253-8556
Fax: (413) 253-8468
Email: northeastplanning@fws.gov
***Please include your mailing address if you would like to be on our mailing list! |
