"We are committed to involving our State counterparts early in all aspects of refuge management, not just as reviewers, but as participants,"Williams said. The new policy was developed in cooperation with a team of State fish and wildlife agencies. It requires the Service to involve States early in the process, when initiating national policy development to address either a legislative requirement or a broad-scale refuge management concern, need, or issue.
Specifically, the Service will work cooperatively with interested State fish and wildlife agencies to help develop comprehensive conservation plans (CCPs). These plans guide management decisions for each refuge unit, and they outline a vision and the strategies to achieve it. They also provide valuable information about the refuge unit to other agencies and the public.
The Service will also work cooperatively with interested State representatives, on assignment to the Service, to participate in working groups to develop policies that affect Federal and State interests. Further, we will continue to provide State fish and wildlife agencies with opportunities to discuss and, if necessary, elevate decisions made by Service field staff or regional offices.
Soon to celebrate its Centennial, the National Wildlife Refuge System, the only system of federal lands devoted specifically to wildlife, is a network of diverse and strategically located habitats. The system teems with millions of migratory birds, serves as a haven for hundreds of endangered species, and hosts an enormous variety of other plants and animals.
"I expect the Service to involve our State counterparts early in all aspects of refuge management, not just as reviewers, but as participants," U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Steve Williams told the agency
