Management plan proposed for Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released a draft comprehensive conservation plan and environmental impact statement for the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, the nation's first watershed-based, landscape-scale refuge which conserves more than 36,000 acres throughout the 7.2 million acre Connecticut River watershed in New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. The plan, when final, will guide management of the refuge for a period of 15 years. It is available for public review and comment through November 16, 2015.

The draft plan, or CCP, can be found at http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Silvio_O_Conte/what_we_do/conservation.html.  The plan describes four alternatives that have been evaluated for management of the refuge. The Service has identified Alternative C as the preferred alternative for refuge management. This alternative balances habitat management with public use and access. Actions that would best meet refuge purposes, goals and a balanced management approach include:

Wildlife and habitat conservation: 
On existing and proposed refuge lands, the Service would manage habitat for a variety of aquatic and terrestrial species and habitats.  Examples include managing forests to increase diversity, creating early successional forest habitat for species such as New England cottontail and American woodcock, inventorying for the presence of key species such as Canada lynx, forest bats, and migratory songbirds, and improving and restoring in-stream habitats.

Recreational and public use access:
The Service would continue to support the extensive public use and visitor services opportunities already in place, while also working with partners to expand and diversify our connections to the larger communities.  Hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and photography, environmental education and interpretation are priority public uses that would continue to be promoted both on and off refuge lands.

Expanding the refuge boundary:
An expanded refuge boundary would broaden opportunities for the Service and partners to achieve common conservation goals, establish important habitat connections within the conserved lands network, and improve our management ability to address, and adapt to, climate change climate change
Climate change includes both global warming driven by human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases and the resulting large-scale shifts in weather patterns. Though there have been previous periods of climatic change, since the mid-20th century humans have had an unprecedented impact on Earth's climate system and caused change on a global scale.

Learn more about climate change and other environmental stressors.  The proposed refuge boundary expansion allows owners of important habitat an opportunity to voluntarily sell in fee, establish a conservation easement conservation easement
A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement between a landowner and a government agency or qualified conservation organization that restricts the type and amount of development that may take place on a property in the future. Conservation easements aim to protect habitat for birds, fish and other wildlife by limiting residential, industrial or commercial development. Contracts may prohibit alteration of the natural topography, conversion of native grassland to cropland, drainage of wetland and establishment of game farms. Easement land remains in private ownership.

Learn more about conservation easement , or donate their properties to the Service and thereby contribute to the permanent conservation of key habitats and associated wildlife for future generations.

The public may submit comments on the draft plan by one of the following methods:

1. Electronically via the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. In the “Search” box, commenters will enter the docket number for this project (FWS-R5-NWRS-2015-0036). Comments can be submitted by clicking on “Comment Now!” Attachments can be made to the electronic comment form.
2. By hard copy via U.S. mail or hand-delivery to: Public Comments Processing, Attn:  FWS-R5-NWRS-2015-0036; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; MS: BPHC; 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.
3. Via oral public testimony at one of the four public hearings that will be scheduled.

There are 13 informal public informational meetings and four formal public hearings scheduled during the comment period.  All meetings are scheduled from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.  The informational meetings are designed to help individuals understand the CCP/EIS’s layout and contents, and to describe the timeline and process for providing comments. These meetings will begin with a short presentation by refuge staff, followed by a Q&A session and open house with refuge staff.  The formal hearings provide an opportunity for individuals to provide oral comments.  The dates, times, and locations of the meetings and hearings are listed below and will be posted at http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Silvio_O_Conte/what_we_do/conservation.html.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is committed to providing access to this meetings for all participants.  Please direct all requests for sign language interpreting services, close captioning, or other accommodation needs to 413-548-8002, ext.  112 (TTY: 800-877-8339) with your request at least 5 business days prior to the meeting date.

The Conte refuge is a national model for conserving wildlife at a landscape scale. It was established in 1991 to protect the diversity of native species of plants, fish and wildlife and their ecosystems within the Connecticut River Watershed. The natural environment of the 7.2 million acre watershed is extremely diverse and expansive. Refuge lands are managed to support wildlife and habitats of conservation concern, such as federal listed species, migratory birds and fish and wetlands. The vast natural area also provides for an array of outdoor recreational opportunities for the public.

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Informal information sessions/open houses (all are scheduled for 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm)

Formal public hearings (all are scheduled for 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm)