Public Meetings Concerning Cold Springs and McKay Creek National Wildlife Refuges
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be holding public open houses to discuss new management plans to be written for Cold Springs and McKay Creek National Wildlife Refuges.
Congress has directed that all national wildlife refuges have a management plan, known as a Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP), completed by the end of 2012. These open houses kick off the planning process for Cold Springs and McKay Creek, a process the Service hopes to complete by next summer. The open houses will be an opportunity for the public to learn about CCPs, but of greater importance is the chance for the FWS to gather ideas from the public.
"It's vital that we hear from the public about their management ideas, what issues need to be addressed in the plans and how we can protect wildlife while allowing people to enjoy the refuges," said Refuge Manager, Lamont Glass.
CCPs are designed to direct refuge management for at least 15 years, and they cover almost every aspect of a refuge-wildlife and habitat management, visitor use, cultural resource protection, mosquito control and research are just a few of the programs to be addressed in the plans.
The open house for McKay Creek will be June 2, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., in the Community Room at the Pendleton City Hall, 500 Southwest Dorion Avenue in Pendleton. The Cold Springs open house will be June 7, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., in the Robert Altrusa Room of the Hermiston Conference Center, 415 South Highway 395 in Hermiston. The open houses will begin with a short presentation on the refuge and the planning process, after which the public will have the opportunity to discuss refuge management with Service resource specialists in a one-on-one atmosphere.
Congress has directed that all national wildlife refuges have a management plan, known as a Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP), completed by the end of 2012. These open houses kick off the planning process for Cold Springs and McKay Creek, a process the Service hopes to complete by next summer. The open houses will be an opportunity for the public to learn about CCPs, but of greater importance is the chance for the FWS to gather ideas from the public.
"It's vital that we hear from the public about their management ideas, what issues need to be addressed in the plans and how we can protect wildlife while allowing people to enjoy the refuges," said Refuge Manager, Lamont Glass.
CCPs are designed to direct refuge management for at least 15 years, and they cover almost every aspect of a refuge-wildlife and habitat management, visitor use, cultural resource protection, mosquito control and research are just a few of the programs to be addressed in the plans.
The open house for McKay Creek will be June 2, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., in the Community Room at the Pendleton City Hall, 500 Southwest Dorion Avenue in Pendleton. The Cold Springs open house will be June 7, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., in the Robert Altrusa Room of the Hermiston Conference Center, 415 South Highway 395 in Hermiston. The open houses will begin with a short presentation on the refuge and the planning process, after which the public will have the opportunity to discuss refuge management with Service resource specialists in a one-on-one atmosphere.
