Nantucket National Wildlife Refuge
Comprehensive Conservation Planning
Draft Nantucket NWR Goals & Objectives
Goal 1. Perpetuate the biological integrity and diversity of coastal habitats to support/enhance native wildlife and plant communities, including species of conservation concern.
Objective 1.1 Dune Habitat-Above High Tide
Manage 20+/- acres of beach dune habitat to provide nesting and migratory habitat for landbirds of conservation concern including Piping plover, American oystercatcher and neotropical migrants like the savannah sparrow and field sparrow.
Objective 1.2 Marine Intertidal Beach-Below High Tide
Protect and manage the marine intertidal beach and shoreline habitats to benefit marine mammals, and nesting and migrating shorebirds including American oystercatchers and colonial waterbirds including terns.
Objective 1.3 Species of Concern
Maintain X acres of dune habitat that would support nesting shorebirds, like the piping plover, and colonial waterbirds including common, arctic and roseate terns. Inventory and evaluate the suitability of the habitat for invertebrate species like the Northeast Tiger Beetle and Sea Beach Amaranth.
Objective 1.4 Conservation Partnerships
Work with partners to promote the conservation and management of additional upland and wetland communities to support native plant communities and breeding marshbirds including the Virginia rail.
Goal 2. Promote awareness and stewardship of our coastal natural resources by providing compatible wildlife-dependent recreation and education opportunities, both on the refuge and within the local and visitor community.
Objective 2.1 Environmental Education
Provide quality environmental education programs by expanding existing programs and partnerships to further communicate our knowledge and understanding of Nantucket’s coastal ecosystems and the federal trust resources that depend upon them.
Objective 2.2 Interpretation and Public Outreach
Provide quality interpretation and outreach programs by continuing to provide tours of the peninsula, exploring opportunities for partnerships within the community, increase awareness of the Service presence on Nantucket, and define how the biological resources that exist on Nantucket NWR fit into the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Objective 2.3 Community Partnerships and Outreach
Cultivate and encourage partnerships with elected officials, Tribal, regional, and local organizations and agencies to ensure that citizens of and visitors to Nantucket are aware of the Service presence on and the biological resources that exist on Nantucket and know about the connection of Great Point Service lands to the peninsula, island and Refuge System.
Objective 2.4 Wildlife Observation and Photography
Provide a quality, compatible experience for the public to enjoy and capture Great Point’s wildlife and habitat diversity.
Objective 2.5 Fishing
Continue to provide quality, compatible experiences when possible for those who come to Great Point for its unique fishing opportunities.
Goal 3. Provide additional wildlife habitat through land protection in collaboration with partners.
Objective 3.1 Lighthouse
Work with U.S. Coast Guard to acquire lighthouse and surrounding 1 acre inholding through Federal-Federal transfer of property, and collaborate with partners to manage and maintain the lighthouse as a priority destination.
Objective 3.2 Other Coast Guard Lands
Communicate with the U.S. Coast Guard our desire to acquire the remainder of their lands on Nantucket Island through Federal-Federal
transfer of property.
Objective 3.3 TTOR Overlay
Explore the possibility of an easement on adjacent Coskata-Coatue refuge lands owned by the Trustees of Reservations and continue to work with them for habitat maintenance and protection.
Objective 3.4 Muskeget and Tuckernuck
Explore the potential acquisition of Muskeget and/or Tuckernuck islands as additional Nantucket NWR lands.
Objective 3.5 Inholdings
Explore possibility of acquiring lands privately owned within Coskata-Coatue Refuge boundaries.
