Open house times and locations:
Thursday, Oct. 19, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the Red Bud Campus of Southwestern Illinois College. The College is located at 500 West South Fourth Street in Red Bud, Ill. The meeting will be in the Dining Room of the New Classroom Building.
Friday, Oct. 20, from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the Marion Hotel and Conference Center in Marion, Ill. The hotel is located off Interstate 57 (Exit 54B), on Illinois New Route 13 (2600 West DeYoung Street).
Saturday, Oct. 21, from 8 a.m. to noon at the Crab Orchard Refuge Visitor Center. The Visitor Center is located on the east side of Illinois Route 148 about 1 3/4 miles south of the intersection of Route 148 and New Route 13.
The CCP process for Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge is in the initial stages and may take two to three years to complete. "Soliciting public comments and gathering biological data is the next step in the CCP process, said Regional Refuge Supervisor Jon Kauffeld. "These meetings will provide the public with an opportunity to share opinions and information about the refuge and learn about the CCP process. We encourage the public to submit written and oral comments on management issues the plan should address.
Individuals may also submit written comments to the refuge (Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge, 8588 Route 148, Marion, IL 62959), by email at conwr-ccp@fws.gov or via the Internet at: http://midwest.fws.gov/planning All comments must be received by Dec. 31, 2000, so they may be adequately considered during the planning process.
In addition to these open houses, the refuge will host several focus group meetings. According to Kauffeld, the composition of these focus groups has not been finalized. "We are working with the refuge staff, state and federal partners, and the already established citizens advisory committee to ensure all interests will be represented in the focus groups."
In developing this plan, Kauffeld recognizes that in addition to managing the fish, wildlife and plants that inhabit the refuge, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will also consider the needs of the 1.2 million people who visit the refuge annually, concessionaires who operate businesses on the refuge, an industrial complex located on the refuge, and the local community. "With such a broad range of activities on the refuge, you can imagine the incredible diversity of ideas, opinions and interests that come through the refuge entrance," says Kauffeld. "We hope to develop a management plan that adequately addresses all the issues."
All comments will be analyzed, reviewed and considered along with biological data gathered during the planning process. Once this information is compiled, the refuge mission, vision and goals will be reviewed; significant issues identified; and a range of management alternatives developed. After these steps are completed, a draft CCP will be published for public comment and review by other agencies, partners and individuals. Comments on the draft CCP will be analyzed, reviewed and incorporated into the final CCP. Once the final CCP is approved, the plan will be implemented and monitored. Congress mandates that the plan be reviewed and revised every 15 years.
Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1947 for wildlife conservation, agricultural, recreational, industrial and related purposes. In addition to the legislation that established the refuge, national legislation also affects the management of the refuge, as well as the entire National Wildlife Refuge System. The National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966, the Refuge Recreation Act of 1962, Executive Order 12996 and the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 are primary mandates that define the mission and management of national wildlife refuges. These laws establish a unified mission for the Refuge System, develop a process for determining compatible uses, further define compatible uses, and identify six priority wildlife-dependent recreational uses (hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, wildlife photography, environmental education and interpretation).
In the 1997 Act, Congress mandated that a CCP be prepared for each refuge within the National Wildlife Refuge System. These plans will guide long-term management decisions and identify refuge goals, objectives, and strategies for achieving the Refuge System mission and refuge purpose. The plans provide other agencies and the public with a clear understanding of the desired conditions of the refuge and how the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will implement management strategies.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses more than 520 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
For further information about programs and activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region, please visit our website at http://midwest.fws.gov
