Minidoka National Wildlife Refuge Initiates Plan for the Future
Public comments accepted until November 30, 2011
The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is seeking input from the public in the development of a Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) that will guide the management of Minidoka National Wildlife Refuge for the next 15 years. The CCP will include guidance for improving resource protection and management on the Refuge while providing the public with opportunities for compatible wildlife dependent recreation.
The Service will provide several opportunities for public comment on issues, concerns and recommendations for future management of the Refuge. The Service will host two Open House meetings to collect public comments and provide the public with an opportunity to meet Refuge and Complex staff and receive more information on the Refuge and the CCP process:
Date: October 25, 2011
Time: 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Location: Red Lion Hotel
1555 Pocatello Creek Road
Pocatello, ID 83201
Date: October 26, 2011
Time: 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Location: Best Western Inn and Convention Center
800 N. Overland Ave.
Burley, ID 83318
“The planning process is a way for the Service and interested parties to evaluate management goals and objectives that will ensure the best approach to wildlife and habitat conservation, while providing for compatible wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities,” said SE Idaho Complex Project Leader Tracy Casselman.
Minidoka National Wildlife Refuge, located on Idaho’s Snake River Plain near the town of Rupert, was established by Executive Order of President Theodore Roosevelt in 1909 as a refuge and breeding ground for native birds. About 17,900 of the Refuge’s approximately 20,700 acres is an overlay over Bureau of Reclamation lands and waters, including Lake Walcott, which was created by the Minidoka Project in 1904 for irrigation purposes. The large expanse of water within this arid environment attracts numerous bird species, including waterfowl, shorebirds, and wading birds. The Service has documented 243 species of birds on the Refuge, of which 85 species are known to nest within its boundaries. The Refuge provides significant habitat for molting waterfowl in late summer, and nesting habitat for colonial nesting birds, including one of only two breeding colonies of American white pelicans in Idaho. The Refuge provides a variety of opportunities for wildlife-dependent recreation, including fishing, wildlife observation, wildlife photography and waterfowl hunting. Visitation is estimated at 50,000 per year.
“We look forward to hearing what the public has to say about the Refuge’s future management,” Refuge Manager Jeffrey Krueger said. “We invite comments by tribal, state and local governments, agencies, organizations and the public.”
Public comments will be accepted until November 30, 2010. Comments may be submitted by:
Email: FW1PlanningComments@fws.gov (please put “Minidoka NWR CCP” in the subject line)
Mail: Jeffrey Krueger, Refuge Manager
Minidoka National Wildlife Refuge
961 E. Minidoka Dam Road
Rupert, ID 83350
Fax: (208) 436-1570
Anyone interested in meeting with refuge staff or who wants to be placed on the Refuge’s mailing list to receive updates on Minidoka NWR’s CCP, is asked to contact Jeffrey Krueger at (208) 436-3589 or email Jeffrey_Krueger@fws.gov. More information about the planning process and the Refuge is available at http://www.fws.gov/minidoka and http://www.fws.gov/pacific/planning.
The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is seeking input from the public in the development of a Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) that will guide the management of Minidoka National Wildlife Refuge for the next 15 years. The CCP will include guidance for improving resource protection and management on the Refuge while providing the public with opportunities for compatible wildlife dependent recreation.
The Service will provide several opportunities for public comment on issues, concerns and recommendations for future management of the Refuge. The Service will host two Open House meetings to collect public comments and provide the public with an opportunity to meet Refuge and Complex staff and receive more information on the Refuge and the CCP process:
Date: October 25, 2011
Time: 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Location: Red Lion Hotel
1555 Pocatello Creek Road
Pocatello, ID 83201
Date: October 26, 2011
Time: 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Location: Best Western Inn and Convention Center
800 N. Overland Ave.
Burley, ID 83318
“The planning process is a way for the Service and interested parties to evaluate management goals and objectives that will ensure the best approach to wildlife and habitat conservation, while providing for compatible wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities,” said SE Idaho Complex Project Leader Tracy Casselman.
Minidoka National Wildlife Refuge, located on Idaho’s Snake River Plain near the town of Rupert, was established by Executive Order of President Theodore Roosevelt in 1909 as a refuge and breeding ground for native birds. About 17,900 of the Refuge’s approximately 20,700 acres is an overlay over Bureau of Reclamation lands and waters, including Lake Walcott, which was created by the Minidoka Project in 1904 for irrigation purposes. The large expanse of water within this arid environment attracts numerous bird species, including waterfowl, shorebirds, and wading birds. The Service has documented 243 species of birds on the Refuge, of which 85 species are known to nest within its boundaries. The Refuge provides significant habitat for molting waterfowl in late summer, and nesting habitat for colonial nesting birds, including one of only two breeding colonies of American white pelicans in Idaho. The Refuge provides a variety of opportunities for wildlife-dependent recreation, including fishing, wildlife observation, wildlife photography and waterfowl hunting. Visitation is estimated at 50,000 per year.
“We look forward to hearing what the public has to say about the Refuge’s future management,” Refuge Manager Jeffrey Krueger said. “We invite comments by tribal, state and local governments, agencies, organizations and the public.”
Public comments will be accepted until November 30, 2010. Comments may be submitted by:
Email: FW1PlanningComments@fws.gov (please put “Minidoka NWR CCP” in the subject line)
Mail: Jeffrey Krueger, Refuge Manager
Minidoka National Wildlife Refuge
961 E. Minidoka Dam Road
Rupert, ID 83350
Fax: (208) 436-1570
Anyone interested in meeting with refuge staff or who wants to be placed on the Refuge’s mailing list to receive updates on Minidoka NWR’s CCP, is asked to contact Jeffrey Krueger at (208) 436-3589 or email Jeffrey_Krueger@fws.gov. More information about the planning process and the Refuge is available at http://www.fws.gov/minidoka and http://www.fws.gov/pacific/planning.
