As part of a final report that will conclude the agencys study of the Little Darby Creek Watershed, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is seeking public opinion on local conservation initiatives within the watershed.
In March the Service announced that it would withdraw a proposal to create 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 in Madison County. Instead of completing an environmental impact statement documenting that proposal, the Service will complete a final report describing the communitys conservation objectives and potential strategies.
An open house is scheduled from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, July 17, at the Der Dutchman in Plain City. The restaurant is located at 445 South Jefferson Avenue.
Tom Larson, chief of the Services Branch of Ascertainment and Planning in the Great Lakes/Big Rivers region, will also be available to meet individually with people the week of July 15-19. Individuals who would like to meet with Larson are invited to make arrangements by calling 800/247-1247.
The final report will detail the original Service interest in the diverse aquatic life in the creek and in the historic prairie habitats of the region and its grassland-dependent wildlife. It will document the planning process that the Service went through beginning in 1998, when the agency began work on an environmental assessment of the proposal to permanently preserve and restore grassland and aquatic habitats as well as farmland in the area.
Many people in the local community were concerned about a Federal presence in the area and contended that they had been good stewards of the land and did not need a national wildlife refuge to preserve the natural resources to perpetuity. In withdrawing the refuge proposal, the Service is supporting interest in a local conservation effort.
"We are still very interested in the natural resources of the Little Darby Creek area," said the Services Regional Director, Bill Hartwig. "In acknowledging the interest of the community in local conservation action, we are not withdrawing our support for the area. We will assist local landowners as requested through existing programs, such as our Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program."
The final report is intended to help document the resource values of the Little Darby Creek area and to serve as a useful resource to the local community in future conservation efforts. The report, which is expected to be released in September, will include examples of local conservation success stories elsewhere in the nation that could provide models or useful examples for the Little Darby Creek area.
"Our final report is not guidance for the local community on how to approach their conservation efforts," according to Tom Larson, Chief of the Services Ascertainment and Planning Branch. "It is intended to document that the Little Darby Creek area is unique and worthy of preserving. We want to provide information that may help the local community in its efforts to preserve the agricultural and natural resources that they cherish."
The Service is asking anyone with thoughts on these or any other aspects of the local conservation action approach to share their ideas by July 22. In addition to participating in the open house on July 17, people interested in the project are also invited to submit ideas electronically through the "Contact Us" page on the Services Internet website at http://midwest.fws.gov/planning/index.htm Individuals may also call 800-247-1247 or write Tom Larson, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, BHW Federal Building, 1 Federal Drive, Ft. Snelling, Minnesota 55111.
