U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE DRAFTING NEW MANAGEMENT ALTERNATIVE FOR SWAN LAKE NWR COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION PLAN
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is responding to community concerns about the Swan Lake NWR Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) by creating a new alternative for future management of the Refuge.
Details about the new alternative will be available later this summer.
The Draft CCP and Environmental Assessment (EA) considered three management alternatives: a “no action” alternative in which no changes to existing management are proposed, a second alternative that proposes removing all levees and dikes to allow water to move freely across the Refuge, and the third alternative, which calls for retaining water impoundment structures but varying water levels seasonally to mimic natural hydrology. Alternative 3 was identified as the preferred alternative in the Draft CCP.
The Service has received more than 500 comments on the Draft CCP since the document was released for public review in June. While some people support the major points of the plan, others believe that the changes proposed will reduce the Refuge’s use for recreation and as wildlife habitat. Many of the comments objected to varying water levels in Silver Lake and converting cropland to native habitat. The comment period ended on July 5.
The planning team decided that developing a fourth alternative is the best way to address the concerns that area residents have expressed since the Draft CCP and EA was released. Refuge staff and regional planning staff are currently reviewing comments on the plan and will begin developing the new alternative once all of the comments have been reviewed.
“People clearly care about Swan Lake NWR and see it as being part of the history and character of the community,” Refuge Manager Steve Whitson said. “We appreciate that perspective, and we also have to consider the broader role every refuge plays in conserving this nation’s wildlife and habitat. We want the final CCP to respect both of those roles.”
A podcast with Whitson’s comments about the decision to prepare a new alternative is available on the Swan Lake NWR CCP website: http://www.fws.gov/midwest/planning/SwanLake The next steps for Refuge planning include developing the new alternative, revising the Environmental Assessment to include an evaluation of the new alternative, and making revisions to the CCP.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Drafting New Management Alternative for Swan Lake NWR Comprehensive Conservation Plan
