What We Do

The National Wildlife Refuge System is a series of lands and waters owned and managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Wildlife conservation is at the heart of the refuge system. It drives everything we do from the purpose a refuge is established, to the recreational activities offered there, to the resource management tools we use. Selecting the right tools helps us ensure the survival of local plants and animals and helps fulfill the purpose of the refuge.

Management and Conservation

Fallon National Wildlife Refuge, Anaho Island National Wildlife Refuge and Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge are managed as part of the Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge Complex.

Refuge Planning 

National Wildlife Refuge planning sets the broad vision for refuge management and the goals, objectives, strategies, and actions required to achieve it. Planning ensures that each refuge meets its individual purposes, contributes to the Refuge System’s mission and priorities, is consistent with other applicable laws and policies, and enhances conservation benefits beyond refuge boundaries. 

Comprehensive Conservation Plans 

Comprehensive Conservation Plans (CCPs) are the primary planning documents for National Wildlife Refuges. As outlined in the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act, as amended, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is required to develop CCPs that guide refuge management for the next 15 years. CCPs articulate the Service’s contributions to meeting refuge purposes and the National Wildlife Refuge System mission. CCPs serve as a bridge between broad, landscape-level plans developed by other agencies and stakeholders and the more detailed step-downs that stem from Refuge CCPs.  

The 2000 Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan for Stillwater, Fallon, and Anaho Island National Wildlife Refuges can be found here: https://ecos.fws.gov/ServCat/Reference/Profile/1491 

Step-down Plans 

CCP step-down plans guide refuge-level programs for: (1) conserving natural resources (e.g., fish, wildlife, plants, and the ecosystems they depend on for habitat); (2) stewarding other special values of the refuge (e.g., cultural or archeological resources, wilderness, wild and scenic rivers, etc.); and (3) engaging visitors and the community in conservation, including providing opportunities for wildlife-dependent recreation. Like CCPs, step-down plans contribute to the implementation of relevant landscape plans by developing SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) objectives, strategies, implementation schedules, and decision support tools to fulfill refuge visions and goals. This ensures that refuges are managed in a landscape context and that conservation benefits extend beyond refuge boundaries.  

Laws and Regulations

Refuge Hunting Regulations (50 CFR 32.47)

(c) Fallon National Wildlife Refuge

  1. Migratory game bird hunting. We allow hunting of goose, duck, swan, coot, merganser, snipe, and dove on designated areas of the refuge subject to the following conditions:
    • (i) We allow motorized and nonmotorized boats for hunting.
    • (ii) We allow the use of dogs when hunting game birds.
    • (iii) We allow overnight stays while hunting subject to the following conditions:
      • (A) You may stay overnight only at designated sites within the refuge boundary.
      • (B) We limit overnight stays to 4 consecutive nights at one location, and to 12 consecutive nights on the refuge.
  2. Upland game hunting. We allow hunting of quail, rabbit, turkey, badger, beaver, and coyote on designated areas of the refuge subject to the following conditions:
    • (i) The conditions set forth at paragraphs (c)(1)(ii) and (iii) of this section apply.
    • (ii) We allow artificial lighting for hunting coyotes.
  3. Big game hunting. We allow hunting of mule deer and pronghorn on designated areas of the refuge subject to the following condition: The condition set forth at paragraph (c)(1)(iii) of this section applies.