What Are CCP's?

A comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) describes the desired future conditions of a refuge or planning unit; provides long-range guidance and management direction to achieve the purposes of the refuge; helps fulfill the mission of the Refuge System; maintains and, where appropriate, restores the ecological integrity of each refuge and the Refuge System; helps achieve the goals of the National Wilderness Preservation System; and meets other mandates. The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (Pub. L. 105–57) mandates that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service write CCPs for all national wildlife refuges and reevaluate them every 15 years or as needed. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) mandates that we develop either an environmental assessment or an environmental impact statement in the CCP. That planning provides a unique opportunity for the Service to involve individuals and local communities in the long-term management of refuges.

Click on each of the boxes below to learn more about the steps in comprehensive conservation planning and how they integrate NEPA requirements.