Annual Report of Lands Under Control of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as of September 30, 2002

              U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Annual Report of Lands
Under Control of the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service
as of September 30, 2002
On the cover:
Cahaba River
National Wildlife Refuge
On October 19, 2000, H.R. 4286, the
Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge
Establishment Act, was signed into
Public Law 106-331. This law established
the Cahaba River National Wildlife
Refuge in Bibb County, Alabama, and
directed the Secretary of the Interior to
acquire up to 3,500 acres of lands and
waters within the boundary of the refuge.
In partnership with The Nature
Conservancy, the Service began
acquiring land for the refuge in
September 2002 and currently has
1,120 acres.
The Cahaba River is Alabama’s longest
free-flowing stream and one of the
longest in the nation. This river provides
diverse habitat for fish and other aquatic
life due to a wide variety of geological
substrates including sandstone,
limestone, shale, dolomite, and chalk.
The newly established Cahaba River
National Wildlife Refuge lies between
the confluence of the Cahaba River and
Little Cahaba River and the Piper
Bridge. This section of the river is
extremely rich in species biodiversity,
contains an extensive series of shoals
vegetated with the Cahaba lilly and
waterwillow, and both sides of the river
are forested with loblolly, longleaf pine,
and upland hardwoods. The rolling
uplands around the river are typically
covered with pine or mixed pine-hardwood
forests.
The Cahaba River is recognized
nationally for its unique biological
diversity which includes rare and
imperiled fish, mollusks, and plant
species. Federally listed species within
the new refuge include two fishes (the
Cahaba shiner and the goldline darter)
and five mollusks (the upland combshell,
fine-lined pocketbook, triangular
kidneyshell, round rocksnail, and
cylindrical lioplax). This area is also
historic and potential recovery habitat
for five additional mollusk species,
one candidate plant species (Aster
georgianus), and one plant species of
concern (Hymenocallis coronaria).
Although the freshwater fauna of the
Cahaba River has experienced a dramatic
decline in the past 50 years, the Cahaba
River is still one of the nation’s most
biologically diverse rivers. It is also one
of the most threatened. The river
currently supports 64 rare and imperiled
species; 15 fish, snail, and mussel species
that are federally listed; 131 species of
fish, more than any other river its size in
North America; and 13 species (11 aquatic
snails and 2 fish) found nowhere else in
the world but the Cahaba River.
Degradation of water quality in the
Cahaba River has and continues to be the
greatest threat to aquatic species in the
river. Urbanization, sewage pollution,
siltation, and strip-mining activities in
the upper Cahaba River Basin are the
principle causes for the decrease in
water quality. Inadequately treated
effluent have caused problems such as
euthrophication, increased acidity and
conductivity, and other changes in water
chemistry. Other threats include nonpoint
source pollution which originates from
land surface activities and stormwater
runoff.
The Cahaba River National Wildlife
Refuge offers protection to a unique
section of the river and, through proper
management, will contribute to the
recovery plan goals for several federally
listed species. The primary refuge
objectives are to (1) preserve and manage
a unique section of the biologically
significant Cahaba River, (2) protect
the habitat integrity and water quality
of the Cahaba River, and (3) develop and
implement environmental education and
interpretation programs focusing on
ecosystem management and stewardship
responsibilities. For several years, The
Nature Conservancy has been developing
partnerships with corporations, local
communities, and other conservation
groups to protect the Cahaba River and
its unique natural resources. The Service
is working with these partnerships to
encourage a stream management
strategy that places a high priority on
conservation and restoration.
The Cahaba River NWR is located
approximately 25 miles southwest of
Birmingham, 25 miles southeast of
Tuscaloosa, and 70 miles northwest of
Montgomery. This area has outstanding
potential for fish and wildlife oriented
public uses such as fishing, bird watching,
and environmental education. Because of
its proximity to Birmingham and
Tuscaloosa, school groups and visitors
will have access to the refuge.
Cover Photo Courtesy of Edward Orth,
Birmingham, Alabama
Message from the Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Location Maps
Key to Real Property Numbers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Map of National Fish and Wildlife Management Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Map of Waterfowl Production Areas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Significant Land Acquisition Accomplishments in Fiscal Year 2002. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Tables
1 Summary by Categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2 Summary by States, Associated Governments and Possessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2A FY 2002 Summary by States, Associated Governments and Possessions . . . . . . . 13
3 National Wildlife Refuges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
4 Waterfowl ProductionAreas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
5 Coordination Areas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
6 Administrative Sites. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
7 National Fish Hatcheries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
8 Wilderness Areas in NationalWildlife Refuges and National Fish Hatcheries . . . 45
9 Migratory Waterfowl Refuges on Federal Water Resource Projects . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Notes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Compiled By: Division of Realty
Annual Report of Lands Under Control
of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
as of September 30, 2002
On March 14, 2003, the National Wildlife
Refuge System will celebrate 100 years of
extraordinary growth and achievement.
A century has passed since President
Theodore Roosevelt established the first
national wildlife refuge at Pelican Island,
Florida, sparking the American wildlife
conservation movement. For those of us
who work for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, there could hardly be a more
significant, exciting or gratifying
anniversary.
The National Wildlife Refuge System has
been called America’s best-kept secret.
During this Centennial year, we will
spread the word for the System to
become recognized for what it truly is,
one of America’s greatest national
treasures, and a resounding success story
for wildlife conservation.
On March 14, 1903, without fanfare,
President Roosevelt signed an executive
order establishing Pelican Island as a
federal bird reservation, the precursor to
the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Subsequently, Paul Kroegel was hired to
become the first national wildlife refuge
manager. He was paid $1 a month. With a
badge, a gun and a boat, Kroegel stood
watch over Pelican Island until the 1920s.
President Roosevelt would go on to
establish an additional 54 national wildlife
refuges during his two terms as
President.
Tiny, mangrove-covered Pelican Island
was the birthplace of an idea unique in
the world—that wildlife and wild places
should be protected. It was a
proclamation on behalf of a nation with an
emerging consciousness about the value
of things wild and free. And it was a
promise—radical for its time—to
preserve wildlife and habitat for its own
sake and the benefit of the American
people. From this humble start at Pelican
Island, the National Wildlife Refuge
System has emerged.
Today, the system has grown to nearly 95
million acres. It now includes 540 refuges
and more than 3,000 waterfowl
production areas spread across the 50
states and several U.S. territories.
Nearly 40 million people visit our national
wildlife refuges every year. These include
hunters, anglers, nature lovers, birders,
hikers, and photographers—they all
come for many reasons and often become
vocal advocates, first in line to defend and
protect our refuges and the goal of
wildlife conservation.
The Refuge System story is as simple
and compelling as one man and one boat
protecting birds on Pelican Island. One
President creating one system of refuges.
But the Refuge System story is also as
complex and challenging as seeking to
understand the intricacies of ecosystems
on millions of acres of land that include
tundras, deserts, forests, great rivers,
marshes, mountains, prairies, estuaries
and coral reefs.
During this Centennial Celebration, I’d
like to encourage all Americans to get out
and experience nature. There is a
national wildlife refuge located within an
hours drive of every major U.S. city and
I’d like to see more Americans take that
drive and re-connect with nature.
Refuges are living, breathing places
where the ancient rhythms of life can still
be heard, where nature’s colors are most
vibrant, and where time is measured in
seasons. They are gifts to ourselves and
to generations unborn—simple gifts
unwrapped each time a hunter sets a
decoy, an angler casts the waters, a
birder lifts binoculars, or a child
overturns a rock.
As we celebrate the remarkable success
of the National Wildlife Refuge System
during 2003, we should also heed
Theodore Roosevelt’s vision and warning:
“Wild beasts and birds are by right not
the property merely of the people who
are alive today,” he said, “but the
property of the unknown generations,
whose belongings we have no right to
squander.” For all of us who care about
the future of wildlife in America, those
words remain as much a call to action
today as they were 100 years ago.
Here’s to a second century of
conservation on our National Wildlife
Refuges.
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Message from the Director
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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
acquired fee title or other interest in
nearly 234,000 acres of land in Fiscal Year
2002, and the number of national wildlife
refuges increased from 537 in FY 2001 to
540 during FY 2002. Although four new
refuge units were established as part of
the National Wildlife Refuge System
(NWRS)—the Detroit River
International Wildlife Refuge (IWR) in
Michigan, Bayou Teche National Wildlife
Refuge (NWR) in Louisiana, the Red
River NWR in Louisiana, and the Cahaba
River NWR in Alabama—the Wyandotte
NWR was renamed and became a part of
the Detroit River IWR. Therefore, there
was a net increase of three refuges. It
should also be noted that the acquisition
boundary of the Northern Tallgrass
Prairie NWR in Minnesota was extended
into the State of Iowa, and Waseca
County in Minnesota was added as the
203rd Waterfowl Production Area (WPA)
County.
The remaining acreage at the New
London National Fish Hatchery (NFH)
was transferred to the State of
Minnesota, and the lease on tribal lands
for the Mescalero NFH was terminated
(also see Notes section). These hatcheries
no longer appear in this report (also see
Notes section).
Detroit River IWR: Public Law 107-91,
signed by the President on December 21,
2001, establishes the Detroit River
International Wildlife Refuge. The new
refuge is located in the area of the Lower
Detroit River, downstream from the
confluence of the Rouge River to the
mouth of Lake Erie, in the State of
Michigan. The Detroit River is an
international waterway that flows
through a metropolitan region of over five
million people. Originally the river had
extensive marshes along its banks and
expansive upland habitat supporting
abundant wildlife. It is estimated that 95
percent of the original wetlands were lost
due to development. The Act authorizes
the Fish and Wildlife Service to acquire
lands and other interests within the new
boundary that encompasses land around
the Detroit River. The existing 327-acre
Wyandotte NWR is included in the
boundary and is renamed the Detroit
River International Wildlife Refuge. The
Act encourages cooperative agreements
for managing the lands that remain in
state, local or private ownership, and
provides for a study of the north reach of
the Detroit River for potential future
inclusion of fish and wildlife habitats and
aquatic communities in the refuge.
Bayou Teche NWR: Established to
protect, preserve and restore habitat for
the Louisiana black bear population in St.
Mary Parish, the Bayou Teche National
Wildlife Refuge is the newest addition in
the Louisiana Black Bear Project that
also includes Bayou Cocodrie and Tensas
River NWRs. The Louisiana black bear
was federally listed as a threatened
species in 1992. Both the Black Bear
Conservation Committee, made up of
representatives from over 50 agencies
and organizations, and the Service
prepared a restoration or recovery plan
for the bear that includes the Bayou
Teche habitat. This refuge represents the
historic habitat of the only Louisiana
black bear population that previously had
no public land for a habitat base. These
wooded areas that link the existing bear
populations are important for ensuring
the genetic variation necessary for the
bears’ long-term survival. The woodlands
also offer a diverse habitat that is used by
migratory waterfowl and other forms of
terrestrial and aquatic life. The area is
the first landfall for many neotropical
birds after their flight across the Gulf of
Mexico.
Red River NWR: Public Law 106-300
authorizes the establishment of the Red
River National Wildlife Refuge in the
area of Louisiana known as the Red
River Valley, located along the Red River
Waterway in Caddo, Bossier, Red River,
Natchitoches, and De Soto Parishes. The
refuge is established to protect and
restore wetland habitats that will support
migratory and non-migratory birds and
other wildlife associated with the river
basin ecosystems. The refuge will provide
habitat and sanctuary for over 350
species of birds, including migratory and
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Significant Land Acquisition
Accomplishments in Fiscal Year 2002
resident waterfowl, shore birds, and
neotropical migratory birds.
Reforestation and restoration of the
native habitats will benefit a wide array
of species. The refuge also offers
recreational, research, and educational
opportunities. The refuge lands, along
with privately owned lands in the Red
River Valley, will play an important role
in the restoration of this ecosystem.
Cahaba River NWR (also see cover):
Public Law 106-331 authorizes the
establishment of the Cahaba River
National Wildlife Refuge in Bibb County,
Alabama. The refuge is located about five
miles west of the City of Blockton, just
north of the confluence of the Little
Cahaba and Cahaba Rivers. This section
of the river is extremely rich in species
biodiversity and contains an extensive
series of shoals vegetated with the
Cahaba lily and waterwillow. Both sides
of the river are forested with loblolly,
longleaf pine and upland hardwoods. The
refuge was established in the Cahaba
River watershed to protect species of
rare and imperiled fish and mollusks,
such as the Cahaba shiner, goldline
darter, round rocksnail, and cylindrical
liopax. It also protects one candidate
plant species and one plant species of
concern. In addition, the refuge supports
populations of resident game such as
white-tailed deer, wild turkey, gray
squirrels, and wood ducks.
Waseca County WPA: Administered as
part of the Minnesota Valley Wetland
Management District in Minnesota,
Waseca County became the 203rd
Waterfowl Production Area county within
which fee or less-than-fee interests in
small wetlands can be acquired for
waterfowl production.
Also, there were several major additions
to our existing national wildlife refuges.
A 21,378-acre tract on South Padre Island
near Brownsville, Texas, was acquired
from The Nature Conservancy and added
to the Laguna Atascosa NWR. This is a
staging area for peregrine falcons in the
spring and fall, and it is an important
wintering area for the endangered piping
plovers. It also provides excellent habitat
for snowy plovers and other shorebird
species. The Peregrine Fund and others
began releasing endangered aplomado
falcons in the project area with the goal
of reestablishing a self-sustaining
population there. In the last few years
the Atlantic ridley sea turtles began
nesting in small numbers on the Gulf side
of the Island.
A total of 33,805 acres on the Alaska
Peninsula NWR were acquired through
donation. This tract was acquired with
funds from the Mellon Foundation with
the assistance of The Conservation Fund
(TCF). These lands are located on both
sides of the mouth of Morzhovoi Bay. The
nearest villages are Cold Bay, located
about 15 miles northeast, and False Pass,
about the same distance southwest.
Morzhovoi Bay, at the southern end of
the Alaska Peninsula provides habitat for
important species of water birds and land
mammals, and these wetlands are
recognized as Wetlands of International
Importance. The entire populations of
Pacific flyway brant and emperor geese,
as well as the threatened Steller’s eider
rely on the abundance of nutrient-rich
foods found at the Izembek Refuge.
Resident tundra swans, numerous
species of ducks, and over 20 species of
shorebirds forage on the Refuge. Caribou
use the Morzhovoi Bay area as winter
range and an important migration
corridor. Predators, such as brown bears,
wolves, and wolverines are attracted
to the abundance of prey species in the
area. As a result of this and a previous
donation, Morzhovoi Bay is now
protected in the National Wildlife
Refuge System.
The Service also completed the
acquisition of lands located on the
extreme northern portion of the Kenai
NWR. These 4,247 acres are within the
Kenai Wilderness Area. The lands are
referred to as Point Possession as this
was the site where Captain James Cook
came ashore and claimed the Alaskan
Territory in the name of the King of
England during his quest for the
Northwest Passage. The lands lie directly
across the Turnagain Arm of Cook Inlet
and are visible from the City of
Anchorage.
The Canaan Valley NWR was established
in 1994 to preserve the unique plant and
wildlife communities of the nationally
significant Blackwater River wetlands
and to perpetuate migratory birds,
threatened, and endangered species. This
year’s 11,953-acre acquisition increased
the refuge to 15,245 acres. The addition
preserves 4,600 acres of the largest high
elevation wetlands east of the Rocky
Mountains. The valley has one of the
largest shrub swamps and the fourth
largest bog in the eastern United States.
The climate supports a relict boreal
ecosystem which includes at least 580
species of plants, 109 of which have
distinctly northern ranges. Fifty-two
plant species and 16 animal species, listed
as species of concern by the State of West
Virginia Division of Natural Resources,
are known or thought to occur on the
property. Canaan Valley offers important
staging habitat for the American
woodcock and contains a large breeding
population. The refuge supports
populations of the threatened Cheat
mountain salamander and endangered
West Virginia northern flying squirrel.
Threatened bald eagles use the valley in
the winter. Endangered Indiana bats may
forage and/or roost in the valley during
the summer months.
The acquisition of approximately 6,200
acres in partnership with the Trust for
Public Lands/Hancock Timber Resource
Group increases the size of the Lake
Umbagog NWR to over 16,000 acres. The
new acreage includes maple and birch
upland forest, spruce bog, and a large
emergent marsh. In addition to
protecting critical wetlands, this
acquisition links together many of the
previously acquired refuge holdings and
also provides significantly improved
public access. One of New Hampshire’s
most wild and scenic lakes, Lake
Umbagog and the surrounding wetlands
support enormous concentrations of
wildlife including waterfowl, songbirds,
loons, osprey, bald eagles, and moose.
The Centennial Valley Conservation
Easement Program in Beaverhead and
Madison Counties, Montana, protects and
provides an additional vital habitat
corridor between the Red Rock Lakes
NWR, the surrounding National Forest
and Bureau of Land Management lands,
The Nature Conservancy conservation
easements, and the Partners for Wildlife
projects. The acquisition of 6,146 acres of
easements by the Service in FY 2002
complements the other activities
undertaken by The Nature Conservancy,
the Montana Land Reliance, and the
Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife
and Parks. The project area is within a
watershed of the Upper Red Rock River
ecosystem. There are 24 plant and animal
species of special concern in the
Centennial Valley.
There are a number of inholdings
within the Charles M. Russell NWR in
northeastern Montana. During the
fiscal year, the Service acquired 2,740
acres from the Rocky Mountain Elk
Foundation. This refuge includes
wilderness, national historic sites, wild
and scenic river segments, habitat for
endangered and threatened species, and
8
migratory bird and resident species
habitat. The refuge also provides habitat
and release sites for the endangered
black-footed ferret and protection for the
endangered pallid sturgeon. Acquisitions
at CMR are coordinated with the
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks
Department.
San Joaquin River NWR currently
consists of 13,117 acres of sloughs, lakes,
seasonally flooded wetlands, grasslands,
pasture, cropland, and riparian habitat.
The Service in cooperation with the State
of California was able to secure
$7,000,000 in grant monies to put toward
completion of the 4,040-acre acquisition
of Mapes Ranch. The Mapes Ranch
comprises over 50 percent of the entire
refuge boundary. To date the Service has
fee and easement interests in almost
9,724 acres of valuable wildlife habitat.
A significant inholding of 1,298 acres was
acquired at the Great Dismal Swamp
NWR. The Service has been working with
the landowners since the 1970s. This tract
contains unfragmented habitat which
collectively provides protected feeding
and breeding areas for black bear, turkey,
great blue heron, neotropical migratory
birds, wood ducks, and amphibians and
reptiles such as the canebrake
rattlesnake.
9
A complete list of new additions to the National Wildlife Refuge System is as follows:
State Unit Name Acres Date Est.
Alabama Cahaba River NWR 1,120 09/25/02
Louisiana Bayou Teche NWR 9,074 10/31/01
Louisiana Red River NWR 3,857 08/22/02
Michigan Detroit River IWR 326 12/21/01
Minnesota Waseca County WPA 249 02/07/02
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In addition to the changes noted in the
accomplishments on page 6 and those
noted below, the figures in our tables may
show some changes from previous annual
reports. For example, decreases in
acreage figures may reflect expired
leases, real property disposals made in
land exchanges, or property transfers.
An increase or decrease may be noted
after new property surveys are
completed or when additional information
is entered into the database after the
data has been transmitted from the
regions for publication. Other changes
result from corrections that are made
when errors are found in the historical
data previously entered into the database
systems or when information was not
previously entered into the database
(e.g., see Table 3, Don Edwards San
Francisco Bay NWR in California where
the total acreage is corrected by deleting
double entries and Palmyra Atoll NWR in
Palmyra Atoll where the calculation of
the submerged lands within the 12-mile
limit changed).
Table 2A: Negative acreage will appear in
Table 2A when we dispose of or transfer
more acres than we acquire in that state
during the fiscal year. For example, two
leases totaling 3,930 acres expired on
Alligator River NWR in North Carolina.
Table 3: Four additional refuges were
established: Detroit River International
Wildlife Refuge in Michigan, Bayou
Teche National Wildlife Refuge and Red
River National Wildlife Refuge in
Louisiana, and Cahaba River National
Wildlife Refuge in Alabama. Public Law
107-91 includes the existing 327-acre
Wyandotte NWR in the boundary of the
Detroit River International Wildlife
Refuge. The Wyandotte Refuge will no
longer appear in this report but the
acreage is included in the Detroit River
IWR (also see Accomplishments section
of this report).
In addition to establishing four new
refuges, the Service expanded the
existing Northern Tallgrass Prairie
National Wildlife Refuge in Minnesota
into the State of Iowa. Although the new
acreage will appear under Iowa, it is not
counted as a new refuge.
Tables 3 and 4: The report summarizes
Farm Service Agency (formerly Farmers
Home Administration), Department of
Agriculture, units in Table 3 by state and
in Table 4 by state and county. These
entries, identified as “FSA Interest”
consist of lands or interests in lands
acquired from the Farm Service Agency
that are not located within existing
project boundaries. We include FSA units
in state and county acreage totals, but do
not count them as separate units.
Table 4: The Waterfowl Production Areas
are units of the National Wildlife Refuge
System established under the Migratory
Bird Conservation Act. For purposes of
this report, the acreage of the WPAs are
rolled up by county in each state and the
total number of NWRS Waterfowl
Production Area units are shown as the
total number of approved counties with
WPA acres.
A new Minnesota Waterfowl Production
Area County, Waseca, is added to Table 4
under the Minnesota Valley Wetland
Management District.
Table 6: We conveyed an excess
bunkhouse building in the village of
Kaktovik to the local community. The
bunkhouse is on land owned by the
village.
Table 7: The Ouray hatchery in Utah is
counted as a National Fish Hatchery but
it is located on the Ouray National
Wildlife Refuge and the acreage is
included in Table 3 rather than Table 7.
The Hagerman National Fish Hatchery
in Idaho is managed by the Service, but
the remainder of the land is managed by
the State and appears in Table 5 as the
Hagerman Coordination Area. In Fiscal
Year 1996 the majority of real property at
the 130-acre New London National Fish
Hatchery (NFH) was transferred to the
State of Minnesota to be used by the
State for fishery resources management
in accordance with Public Law 104-25.
The remaining 2.5 acres were transferred
in Fiscal Year 2002 and no longer appear
in this report (not previously counted as a
national fish hatchery). Also, a 32.07-acre
lease from the Mescalero Tribe was
terminated, and the Mescalero NFH in
New Mexico will no longer appear in this
report.
Table 8: An additional 4,247 acres were
acquired within the Wilderness area of
the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge in
Alaska.
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Section Heading
Section Subheading
Notes
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Division of Realty
http://realty.fws.gov
January 2003