Ventura: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that it has prepared a Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment (CCP/EA) for the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes National Wildlife Refuge and is making the plan available to the public. A CCP is a formal management document intended to provide guidance for a national wildlife refuge national wildlife refuge
A national wildlife refuge is typically a contiguous area of land and water managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the conservation and, where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.
Learn more about national wildlife refuge for up to 15 years.
“The CCP outlines how the Service will fulfill its legal purposes at the refuge and contribute to the National Wildlife Refuge System,” said Michael Brady, project leader for the Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex. The CCP/EA evaluates a range of alternatives that present different scenarios of how the refuge could be managed over the next 15 years.
Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes NWR was established in 2000 as a satellite of the Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex, which is headquartered in Ventura, California. The 2,500-acre refuge was created to conserve central California coastal dune and associated wetland habitat and support the recovery of native plants and animals that are federally listed as threatened or endangered. Several specific refuge goals include the recovery of the federally endangered La Graciosa thistle, marsh sandwort, Gambel’s watercress, California least tern, the federally threatened California red-legged frog and western snowy plover. The refuge also serves to protect designated critical habitats for the La Graciosa thistle and western snowy plover.
Copies of the Draft CCP/EA are available online at: http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Guadalupe-Nipomo_Dunes/what_we_do/planning.html or by contacting U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at (805) 644-5185. Comments on the Draft CCP/EA should be provided by April 16, 2016 and can be sent electronically to fw8plancomments@fws.gov (e-mail); please include “Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes CCP” in the subject line. Alternatively comments can be mailed to: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Refuge Planning, 2800 Cottage Way, W-1832, Sacramento, California 95825.
Members of the public are also invited to meet with Service representatives who will provide information about the CCP process, answer questions, and accept comments on the draft CCP and EA at the following public meeting:
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Ramona Garden Park Center
993 Ramona Avenue
Grover Beach, CA 93433
For more information about the Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex visit http://www.fws.gov/hoppermountain
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals, and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit http://www.fws.gov/cno. Connect with our Facebook page, follow our tweets, watch our YouTube Channel, and download photos from our Flickr page.
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