John Hay National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Planning

Latest CCP News

We completed the Final CCP for John Hay National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in June 2010. The Draft CCP and Environmental Assessment (EA) was released in Feburary 2010. This document represents years of work among Federal and State agencies, local and regional officials and communities, conservation organizations, and user groups.

To learn more about the development of the CCP, check out the planning newsletters.

The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (PL 105-57) requires CCPs for each national wildlife refuge. CCPs are 15-year plans designed to provide strategic management direction that best achieves the refuge's purposes; attains the vision and goals developed for the refuge; contributes to the National Wildlife Refuge System mission; addresses key challenges, issues, and relevant mandates; and is consistent with sound principles of fish and wildlife management. To learn more about CCPs and the CCP process in general, please visit What Are CCPs?

How to Access the Document

To view or download the Final CCP, please click here.

To view or download the Draft CCP/EA, please click here.

Contact Information

If you would like to request a CD-Rom or hard copy of the documents, ask questions about the CCP and planning process, or learn about how you can get involved at the refuge, please visit the refuge Web site or contact refuge staff at:

Silvio O. Conte National Fish & Wildlife Refuge
103 E. Plumtree Rd.
Sunderland, MA 01375
Phone: (413) 548-8002
Email: barry_parrish@fws.gov

Credit: USFWS John Hay NWR (Click for PDF-1.3MB)

Refuge Description
John Hay NWR is the former estate of John Hay, private secretary to Abraham Lincoln, Ambassador to Great Britain, and Secretary of State under Presidents McKinley and Roosevelt. The Refuge is located in Newbury, New Hampshire on the shores of Lake Sunapee. It was established in 1972, after Alice Hay donated the property to the Service "...as a migratory bird and wildlife reservation to be known as the John Hay National Wildlife Refuge..." Currently, the refuge consists of approximately 80 acres of the original property, allowing the Service to focus its efforts on fulfilling the purpose of the refuge beyond maintaining the estate buildings and grounds. To this end, a recent land exchange gave The Fells fee title ownership of the house and grounds of the estate, for 727 acres of northern forest to be appended to Lake Umbagog NWR. The John Hay NWR is currently the southern 80 acres of the former estate.

Refuge History