Eastern Shore of Virginia and Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuges Comprehensive Conservation Plan

              U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Eastern Shore of Virginia and
Fisherman Island
National Wildlife Refuges
Comprehensive Conservation Plan
May 2004
Cover: Drawing of Cape May and Blackburnian Warblers and Monarch Butterflies
Margaret Barnaby
This goose, designed by J.N. “Ding”
Darling, has become a symbol of the
National Wildlife Refuge System.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for
conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish and wildlife, plants, and their habitats for
the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million
acre National Wildlife Refuge System comprised of more than 540 national wildlife
refuges and thousands of waterfowl production areas. It also operates 65 national
fish hatcheries and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal
wildlife laws, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant
fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, administers the
Endangered Species Act, and helps foreign governments with their conservation
efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program which distributes hundreds of
millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state wildlife
agencies.
Comprehensive Conservation Plans provide long term guidance for management
decisions and set forth goals, objectives, and strategies needed to accomplish refuge
purposes and identify the Service’s best estimate of future needs. These plans detail
program planning levels that are sometimes substantially above current budget
allocations and, as such, are primarily for Service strategic planning and program
prioritization purposes. The plans do not constitute a commitment for staffing
increases, operational and maintenance increases, or funding for future land
acquisition.
Comprehensive Conservation Plan
Eastern Shore of Virginia and
Fisherman Island
National Wildlife Refuges
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Refuge Vision Statement
Lying at the tip of the Delmarva Peninsula, the Eastern Shore of
Virginia and Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuges are part of
a national system of lands managed to ensure the future of wildlife
and its habitats. These refuges serve as one of the country’s most
valuable stopovers for migratory birds. Nestled between the
Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay, the refuges include a variety of
habitats such as maritime forest, shrub thickets, grasslands,
beaches, and tidal wetlands. These habitats provide a vital link for
millions of songbirds, raptors, shorebirds, and butterflies to rest
and refuel before continuing the rigorous journey to their wintering
grounds.
Future conservation efforts lie in the refuges’ commitment to
protecting and enhancing the migration corridor through
preserving, acquiring, and revegetating hardwood, shrub, and
grassland areas. Alliances with nearby landowners will increase
available habitat and research will focus on augmenting our
knowledge to make biologically sound management decisions.
The thousands of people who annually visit this gateway to the
Eastern Shore of Virginia will gain an appreciation of the refuges’
unique ecological role. In partnership with the local community, the
refuges will also promote the area as a regional tourist destination
that contributes to the economic stability of and enhances the quality
of life on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Visitors will leave with an
understanding that this place of incredible diversity and ecological
importance is part of a larger network of protected lands within the
National Wildlife Refuge System, set aside specifically for wildlife.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Northeast Regional Office
300 Westgate Center Drive
Hadley, MA 01035
May 2004
Eastern Shore of Virginia and Fisherman Island
National Wildlife Refuges
5003 Hallet Circle
Cape Charles, Virginia 23310
757/331 2760
fw5rw_esvnwr@fws.gov
http://easternshore.fws.gov
Federal Relay Service
for the deaf or hard-of-hearing
1 800/877 8339
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
http://www.fws.gov
For National Wildlife Refuge System Information
1 800/344 WILD
May 2004