Fish and Wildlife Service Initiates Comprehensive Conservation Planning for Toppenish National Wildlife Refuge
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be holding a public open house to discuss a new anagement plan to be written for Toppenish National Wildlife Refuge.
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. The open house will kick off the planning process for Toppenish, a process the FWS hopes to complete by next summer. The open house will be an opportunity for the public to learn about CCPs, but of greater importance is the chance for the FWS to gather ideas about the future of the Refuge 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 Refuge," said Refuge Manager, Shannon Ludwig.
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, law enforcement and research are just a few of the programs to be addressed in the plans. The open house is scheduled in Toppenish on Thursday, June 16, 2011 from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Toppenish Middle School
104 Glendale Avenue, Toppenish, Washington
The open house 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 FWS resource specialists in a one-on-one atmosphere.
Toppenish National Wildlife Refuge is part of the National Wildlife Refuge System - the largest network of lands and water in the world set aside for the benefit of wildlife. Established in 1964 to provide habitat for migratory birds, the Refuge encompasses nearly 2,000 acres of lush wetlands and thick riparian riparian
Definition of riparian habitat or riparian areas.
Learn more about riparian forests along the Toppenish Creek in the Yakima Valley. More than 250 species of birds use the Refuge for resting, feeding, and breeding and countless other wildlife make it their home. Visitors can enjoy wildlife observation and photography on the nature trails, environmental education in an outdoor classroom, and waterfowl and upland game hunting on more than 640 acres. The Refuges current annual visitation is approximately 10,000.
If interested persons are unable to attend and would like to be part of the planning process, send your name and address, along with comments, to the Refuge by e:mail to mcriver@fws.gov or by regular mail to:
Mid-Columbia River National Wildlife Refuge Complex,
64 Maple Street, Burbank, WA 99323
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. The open house will kick off the planning process for Toppenish, a process the FWS hopes to complete by next summer. The open house will be an opportunity for the public to learn about CCPs, but of greater importance is the chance for the FWS to gather ideas about the future of the Refuge 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 Refuge," said Refuge Manager, Shannon Ludwig.
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, law enforcement and research are just a few of the programs to be addressed in the plans. The open house is scheduled in Toppenish on Thursday, June 16, 2011 from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Toppenish Middle School
104 Glendale Avenue, Toppenish, Washington
The open house 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 FWS resource specialists in a one-on-one atmosphere.
Toppenish National Wildlife Refuge is part of the National Wildlife Refuge System - the largest network of lands and water in the world set aside for the benefit of wildlife. Established in 1964 to provide habitat for migratory birds, the Refuge encompasses nearly 2,000 acres of lush wetlands and thick riparian riparian
Definition of riparian habitat or riparian areas.
Learn more about riparian forests along the Toppenish Creek in the Yakima Valley. More than 250 species of birds use the Refuge for resting, feeding, and breeding and countless other wildlife make it their home. Visitors can enjoy wildlife observation and photography on the nature trails, environmental education in an outdoor classroom, and waterfowl and upland game hunting on more than 640 acres. The Refuges current annual visitation is approximately 10,000.
If interested persons are unable to attend and would like to be part of the planning process, send your name and address, along with comments, to the Refuge by e:mail to mcriver@fws.gov or by regular mail to:
Mid-Columbia River National Wildlife Refuge Complex,
64 Maple Street, Burbank, WA 99323
