The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on October 30 will release for public review the final comprehensive conservation plan and environmental impact statement (CCP/EIS) for Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge on Cape Cod in Chatham, Massachusetts.
Following a six-month comment period after releasing the draft plan in April 2014, the Service made important changes and clarifications in the final CCP/EIS to account for new information, especially related to fishing and shellfishing activities. In addition, the Service worked closely with the Town of Chatham and agreed to an administratively determined management boundary between North and South Monomoy Islands and Nauset/South Beach to ensure coordinated management of this area.
The full plan and a summary of changes that were made following public review of the draft CCP/EIS will be available online on October 30 at http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Monomoy/what_we_do/conservation.html. The CCP/EIS will be available for 30 days to allow federal and state agencies with jurisdiction or expertise, as well as parties that submitted comments on the draft plan, an opportunity to review it. After the review ends, the Service will evaluate and incorporate any new, substantive information and complete the process to approve and begin implementing the CCP.
The Service has identified a preferred alternative [Alternative B in the final CCP/EIS] for management of the refuge. Under this alternative, actions have been identified that will best meet refuge purposes and goals, including:
Wildlife and habitat management: Describes proposed priority actions to conserve the refuge’s wildlife and habitats, including actions to protect federally threatened and endangered species, such as roseate terns, piping plovers and red knots. Special emphasis would be placed on obtaining baseline data to increase knowledge of wildlife populations and habitats in this dynamic coastal environment to better understand our management impact on those resources in a regional context, and to better anticipate the effects of 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 .Refuge boundary: Describes how the Service worked closely with the town in 2015 to enter into a memorandum of understanding to agree upon an administrative management boundary line along the refuge’s North and South Monomoy Islands and Nauset/South Beach. Under this agreement, the Town will continue to manage most of North/South Beach. The description of the western boundary of the refuge in the draft CCP/EIS did not change in the final plan.
Fishing and shellfishing: Acknowledges historic fishing and shellfishing activities and how the Service will primarily use existing federal, state and/or town regulations to manage fin fishing, fish weirs, shellfishing for softshell clams, razor clams, quahogs and scallops. This reflects a change from the draft CCP/EIS. Consistent with the draft CCP/EIS, we would not allow the harvesting of horseshoe crabs and mussels in the final plan.
Wilderness: Identifies actions to preserve and maintain wilderness character and provide for the continued use and enjoyment of refuge lands that are designated under the Wilderness Act.
Public use and access: Explains which public uses would continue, as well as those that would be changed, and the reasons for these recommendations. Also identifies new opportunities to enhance recreational opportunities, and make visits more informative, accessible, and enjoyable.
Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1944 to provide habitat for migratory birds. Approximately 7,921 acres are managed as part of the refuge. Habitats include ocean, salt and freshwater marshes, dunes, and freshwater ponds. Of this, 3,244 acres are designated wilderness. The refuge provides important resting, nesting, and feeding habitat for migratory birds, including the federally endangered roseate tern and the federally threatened piping plover. More than ten species of seabirds, shorebirds, and water birds nest on the islands. The refuge also supports the second largest nesting colony of common terns on the Atlantic seaboard with over 8,000 nesting pairs.
