Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan

              Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge
Comprehensive Conservation Plan
U.S. Department of the Interior
Fish and Wildlife Service
Southeast Region
September 2007
COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION PLAN
BIG BRANCH MARSH NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
ST. TAMMANY PARISH, LOUISIANA
U.S. Department of the Interior
Fish and Wildlife Service
Southeast Region
Atlanta, Georgia
September 2007
Table of Contents i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION PLAN
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................................................... 1
I. BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................................ 1
Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 1
Purpose of and Need for the Plan ................................................................................................ 1
Department of the Interior ............................................................................................................. 2
Mission of the Fish and Wildlife Service ....................................................................................... 2
Mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System ........................................................................... 2
Legal Policy Context ..................................................................................................................... 3
Relationship to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries ............................................ 3
Lower Mississippi River Valley Ecosystem ................................................................................... 5
II. THE REFUGE ................................................................................................................................... 7
Introduction and History ................................................................................................................ 7
Purposes of the Refuge ................................................................................................................ 9
Purposes of the Refuge .............................................................................................................. 10
Resource and Management Descriptions .................................................................................. 10
Refuge Administration and Management .......................................................................... 10
Physical Environment ........................................................................................................ 10
Biological Environment ...................................................................................................... 13
Socioeconomic Environment ............................................................................................. 13
Cultural Environment ......................................................................................................... 15
III. PLAN DEVELOPMENT ..............................................................................................................17
Public Involvement and the Planning Process ........................................................................... 17
Issues ........................................................................................................................................ 18
Wildlife Habitat .................................................................................................................. 18
Habitat Conservation ......................................................................................................... 19
Education and Visitor Services ......................................................................................... 19
Land Protection ................................................................................................................. 19
IV. MANAGEMENT DIRECTION ..................................................................................................... 21
Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 21
ii Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge
Vision ........................................................................................................................................ 21
Goals, Objectives, and Strategies .............................................................................................. 22
V. PLAN IMPLEMENTATION ............................................................................................................. 41
Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 41
Proposed Projects ...................................................................................................................... 41
Fish And Wildlife Population Management ....................................................................... 41
Habitat Management......................................................................................................... 43
Resource Protection and Refuge Administration .............................................................. 45
Visitor Services ................................................................................................................. 46
Funding and Personnel .............................................................................................................. 50
Partnership/Volunteer Opportunities .......................................................................................... 50
Step-Down Management Plans .................................................................................................. 50
Monitoring and Adaptive Management ....................................................................................... 50
Plan Review and Revision.......................................................................................................... 54
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A. GLOSSARY ................................................................................................................ 55
APPENDIX B. REFERENCES AND LITERATURE CITATIONS ....................................................... 65
APPENDIX C. RELEVANT LEGAL MANDATES AND EXECUTIVE ORDERS ................................. 69
APPENDIX D. CONSULTATION AND COORDINATION ................................................................... 81
Overview ................................................................................................................................... 81
Core Planning Team Members .................................................................................................. 84
APPENDIX E. PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT ............................................................................................ 85
Summary Of Public Scoping Comments .................................................................................... 85
Draft Plan Comments and Service Responses .......................................................................... 87
APPENDIX F. APPROPRIATE USE DETERMINATIONS ................................................................. 97
APPENDIX G. COMPATIBILITY DETERMINATIONS ..................................................................... 107
APPENDIX H. INTRA-SERVICE SECTION 7 BIOLOGICAL EVALUATION .................................... 123
APPENDIX I. WILDERNESS REVIEW ............................................................................................. 127
Table of Contents iii
APPENDIX J. REFUGE BIOTA ........................................................................................................ 129
APPENDIX K. BUDGET REQUESTS ............................................................................................... 131
APPENDIX L. LIST OF PREPARERS .............................................................................................. 133
APPENDIX M. FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ................................................................ 137
iv Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. Location of Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge in Relation to Regional
Conservation Areas ............................................................................................................... 4
Figure 2. The Location of Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge on the North Shore of Lake
Pontchartrain, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana ..................................................................... 8
Figure 3. 2006 Current and Acquisition Boundaries of Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge .... 9
Figure 4. The impacts from Hurricane Katrina on the Fritchie Marsh Unit of Big Branch Marsh
National Wildlife Refuge ...................................................................................................... 12
Figure 5. General habitat types on Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge ................................ 14
Figure 6. Public use areas and facilities on Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge. .................. 31
Figure 7. Current staffing chart for Big Branch Marsh NWR and Southeast Louisiana Refuge
Complex .............................................................................................................................. 51
Figure 8. Proposed staffing chart for Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge ............................. 52
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1. Summary of projects ............................................................................................................. 53
Table 2. Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge step-down management plans related to the
goals and objectives of the CCP ........................................................................................... 54
Comprehensive Conservation Plan
Executive Summary
The Fish and Wildlife Service has prepared this Comprehensive Conservation Plan to guide the
management of Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana. The
plan outlines programs and corresponding resource needs for the next 15 years, as mandated by the
National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997.
Before the Service began planning, it conducted a biological review of the refuge’s wildlife and habitat
management program, a visitor services’ review of the refuge’s public use program, and conducted a
public scoping meeting and workshops to solicit public opinion on the issues the plan should address.
The biological review team was composed of biologists from Federal and State agencies and
nongovernmental organizations that have an interest in the refuge. The refuge staff held a public
scoping meeting and two workshops to solicit public reaction to issues facing the refuge and to
develop the proposed alternatives. Also, a 30-day public review and comment period of the draft
comprehensive conservation plan and environmental assessment was provided.
The Service developed and analyzed three alternatives. Alternative A would maintain the status quo.
Under this alternative, no new actions would be taken to improve or enhance the refuge’s current
habitat, wildlife, and public use management programs. All natural resource management and public
use programs would continue at present levels and with current facilities and staff.
Alternative B would emphasize management of the natural resources of the refuge based on
maintaining and improving wetland habitats, monitoring targeted flora and fauna representative of the
Pontchartrain Basin, and providing quality public use programs and wildlife-dependent recreational
activities. Current forestry and fire programs would adapt to changing conditions and as
management practices are assessed. Public use programs would be improved by offering more
facilities and hiking trails, wildlife observation areas, and an auto-tour route. Overall public use would
be monitored to determine if any negative impacts are occurring to refuge resources from overuse.
Land acquisitions within the approved acquisition boundary would be based on importance of the
habitat for target management species. The headquarters area would be developed as an urban
public use area with trails; buildings presently not being used and landscaping would be refurbished
for visitor and community outreach.
Alternative C would emphasize managing the natural resources of the refuge for maximized public
use activities, including wildlife-dependent recreational activities. The majority of staff time and efforts
would support the public use activities of hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, wildlife photography,
and environmental education and interpretation. Federal trust species and archaeological resources
would be monitored as mandated, but other species targeted for management would depend on
which ones the public is interested in utilizing. Emphasis would be placed more on interpreting and
demonstrating conservation programs than on actual implementation. Providing access via roads,
trails, parking areas, and by dredging for boat access would be maximized, as well as providing
public use facilities throughout the refuge. Land acquisition within the approved acquisition boundary
would be based on importance of the habitat for public use. The refuge headquarters area would
provide administrative offices, a visitor center with surrounding historical gardens, and be developed
for hiking, fishing, birding, photography, and canoeing.
Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge
The Service selected Alternative B as its preferred alternative and is reflected in this comprehensive
conservation plan. Alternative B directs the development of programs to best achieve the refuge
purpose and goals; emphasizes maintaining and improving wetland habitats; collects habitat and
wildlife data; and ensures long-term achievement of refuge and Service objectives. At the same time,
these management actions provide balanced levels of compatible public use opportunities consistent
with existing laws, Service policies, and sound biological principles. Alternative B provides the best
mix of program elements to achieve desired long-term conditions.
Under this alternative, all lands under the management and direction of the refuge will be protected,
maintained, and enhanced to best achieve national, ecosystem, and refuge-specific goals and
objectives within anticipated funding and staffing levels. In addition, the action positively addresses
significant issues and concerns expressed by the public.
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 1
COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION PLAN
I. Background
INTRODUCTION
This Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) for Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge was
prepared to guide management actions and to provide direction for the refuge. Fish and wildlife
conservation will receive first priority in refuge management; wildlife-dependent recreation will be
allowed and encouraged as long as it is compatible with, and does not detract from, the mission of
the refuge or the purposes for which it was established.
A planning team developed a range of alternatives that best met the goals and objectives of the
refuge and that could be implemented within the 15-year planning period. The draft of this plan was
made available to State and Federal government agencies, conservation partners, and the general
public for review and comment. The comments from each entity were considered in the development
of this CCP, describing the Fish and Wildlife Service’s preferred plan (Appendix E).
PURPOSE OF AND NEED FOR THE PLAN
Under the provisions of the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, the Service is
required to develop comprehensive conservation plans for all lands and waters of the National Wildlife
Refuge System. These plans will guide management decisions and set forth strategies for achieving the
purposes of each refuge unit. The National Environmental Policy Act ensures that the Service will assess
the environmental impacts of any actions taken as a result of implementing this CCP.
The purpose of the CCP is to identify the role the refuge will play in supporting the mission of the
Refuge System and the Lower Mississippi River Valley Ecosystem (LMRE). The CCP outlines
issues, concerns, and opportunities expressed to the Service during a public scoping meeting, a
series of workshops, and on comment sheets. It also provides a description of desired future
conditions and proposes long-range guidance to accomplish the purposes, mission, and vision of the
refuge. This guidance is presented in a listing of refuge goals, objectives, and strategies resulting
from an analysis of possible management alternatives.
The CCP will serve as an operational guide for management of the refuge over the next fifteen years.
This plan will:
• Provide a clear statement of the desired future conditions when refuge purposes and goals
are accomplished;
• Provide refuge neighbors and visitors with a clear understanding of the reasons for
management actions on the refuge;
• Ensure management of the refuge reflects policies and goals of the Refuge System;
• Ensure refuge management is consistent with Federal, State, and local plans;
• Provide long-term continuity in refuge management; and
• Provide a basis for operation, maintenance, and capital improvement budget requests.
2 Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge
Perhaps the greatest need of the Service involves communication with the public and the public’s
participation in carrying out the mission of the Refuge System. Many agencies, organizations,
institutions, and businesses have developed relationships with the Service to advance the mission of
national wildlife refuges.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
The Service is a Federal bureau operated under the Department of the Interior, the Nation’s principal
conservation agency. The Department of the Interior is the principal landowner of most of the
nation’s public lands and cultural resources. Management responsibilities include fostering wise use
of our land and water resources, protecting our fish and wildlife, preserving the environmental and
cultural values of our national parks and historical places, managing the Refuge System, and
providing for the enjoyment of life through outdoor recreation.
The Service is the principal agency responsible for protecting threatened and endangered species,
migratory birds, anadromous and interjurisdictional fish, and certain marine mammals. In addition,
the Service administers a national network of lands and waters for the management and protection of
these resources.
MISSION OF THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
The mission of the Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance
fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.
The Service manages the Refuge System, the world’s largest collection of lands set aside specifically
for the protection of fish and wildlife populations and habitats. More than 540 national wildlife
refuges, covering more than 96 million acres, provide important habitat for native plants and many
species of insects, amphibians, reptiles, fish, birds, and mammals. These refuges also play a vital
role in conserving the habitats of threatened and endangered species, as well as offering a wide
variety of recreational opportunities. Many refuges have visitor centers, wildlife trails, and
environmental education programs. Nationwide, more than 30 million visitors annually hunt, fish,
observe, and photograph wildlife, or participate in interpretive activities on national wildlife refuges.
MISSION OF THE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM
The mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System, as defined by the National Wildlife Refuge System
Improvement Act of 1997, is to administer a national network of lands and waters for the conservation,
management, and where appropriate, restoration of the fish, wildlife, and plant resources and their
habitats within the United States for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.
The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 established, for the first time, a clear
legislative mission for wildlife conservation of the Refuge System. Actions were initiated in 1997 to
comply with the direction of this new legislation, including an effort to complete comprehensive
conservation plans for all refuges. These plans, which are completed with full public involvement,
help guide management of refuges. Consistent with this Act, approved plans will serve as the
guidelines for refuge management over the next 15 years. The Act provides that each refuge shall be
managed to:
• Fulfill the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System;
• Fulfill the individual purposes of each refuge;
• Consider the needs of wildlife first;
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 3
• Fulfill requirements of comprehensive conservation plans that are prepared for each unit of
the Refuge System;
• Maintain the biological integrity, diversity, and environmental health of the Refuge System; and
• Recognize that wildlife-dependent recreation activities, including hunting, fishing, wildlife
observation, wildlife photography, and environmental education and interpretation, are
legitimate and priority public uses; and allow refuge managers authority to determine
compatible public uses.
LEGAL POLICY CONTEXT
Administration of national wildlife refuges is guided by the mission and goals of the Refuge System,
congressional legislation, executive orders, and international treaties. Policies for management
options of refuges are further refined by administrative guidelines established by the Secretary of the
Interior and by policy guidelines established by the Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service. Refer to
Appendix C for a listing of relevant legal mandates.
Since refuges must be managed for wildlife first, lands and waters within the National Wildlife Refuge
System are closed to public uses unless specifically and legally opened under specified conditions
allowing compatibility with the refuges’ purposes. All programs and uses of a refuge must be
evaluated based on mandates set forth in the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act,
including those that:
• Contribute to ecosystem goals, as well as to refuge purposes and goals;
• Conserve, manage, and restore fish, wildlife, and plant resources and their habitats;
• Monitor the trends of fish, wildlife, and plants;
• Manage and ensure appropriate visitor uses as those uses which benefit the conservation of
fish and wildlife resources and contribute to the enjoyment of the public (these uses include
hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, wildlife photography, and environmental education and
interpretation); and
• Ensure that visitor activities are compatible with refuge purposes.
RELATIONSHIP TO THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES
A provision of the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, and subsequent agency
policy, states that the Service shall ensure timely and effective cooperation and collaboration with other
State fish and game agencies and Federal agencies during the course of acquiring and managing
refuges. This cooperation is essential in providing the foundation for the protection and sustainability of
fish and wildlife throughout the United States. Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge is located in a
region which includes several other State and Federal conservation areas (Figure 1).
In Louisiana, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF)
(http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov) is vested with conservation and management of wildlife in the State,
including aquatic life, and is authorized to execute the laws enacted for the control and supervision of
programs relating to the management, protection, conservation, and replenishment of wildlife, fish,
and aquatic life, and the regulation of the shipping of wildlife, fish, furs, and skins. LDWF’s mission is
to manage, conserve, and promote wise utilization of Louisiana’s renewable fish and wildlife
resources and their supporting habitats through replenishment, protection, enhancement, research,
development, and education for the social and economic benefit of current and future generations; to
provide opportunities for knowledge of and use and enjoyment of these resources; and to promote a
4 Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge
Figure 1. Location of Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge in relation to regional
conservation areas
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 5
safe and healthy environment for the users of the resources. LDWF is divided into seven divisions for
management of the State’s resources: Enforcement, Fur and Refuge, Public Information, Inland
Fisheries, Marine Fisheries, Management and Finance, and Wildlife.
The participation of LDWF throughout this comprehensive conservation planning process has been
valuable. Not only have LDWF personnel participated in biological and public use reviews, and
workshops as part of the planning process, they are also active partners in annual hunt coordination,
planning, and various wildlife and habitat surveys. A key part of the planning process is the
integration of common objectives between the Service and LDWF.
LOWER MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY ECOSYSTEM
Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge lies within a physiographic region designated by the
Service as the Lower Mississippi River Ecosystem (LMRE). The LMRE serves as the primary
wintering habitat for mid-continent waterfowl populations, as well as breeding and migration habitat
for migratory songbirds returning from Central and South America. Geographically, the refuge lies on
the extreme southeastern boundary of the LMRE. Big Branch Marsh Refuge has opportunities to
contribute to many of the goals and objectives of the LMRE. The following goals of the LMRE are
applicable to the refuge:
• Conserve, enhance, protect, and monitor migratory bird populations and their habitats in the
LMRE;
• Protect, restore, and manage the wetlands of the LMRE;
• Protect and/or restore imperiled habitats and viable populations of all threatened, endangered,
and candidate species and species of concern in the LMRE;
• Protect, restore, and manage the fisheries and other aquatic resources historically associated
with the wetlands and waters of the LMRE;
• Restore, manage, and protect national wildlife refuges and national fish hatcheries;
• Increase public awareness and support for LMRE resources and their management;
• Enforce natural resource laws; and
• Protect, restore, and enhance water and air quality throughout the LMRE.
National wildlife refuges in the Lower Mississippi Valley serve as part of the last safety net to support
biological diversity – the greatest challenge facing the Service. According to the LMRE Team, the
greatest threats to biological diversity within the Lower Mississippi Valley include:
• The loss of sustainable communities, including the loss of 20 million acres of bottomland
hardwood forest;
• The loss of connectivity between bottomland hardwood forest sites (e.g., forest
fragmentation);
• The effects of agricultural and timber harvesting practices;
• The simplification of the remaining wildlife habitats within the ecosystem and gene pools;
• The effects of constructing navigation and water diversion projects; and
• The cumulative habitat effects of land and water resource development activities.
Priorities identified by the LMRE to which the refuge can contribute include:
• Continue to work with the Louisiana Coastal Wetlands Task Force, private landowners, and
other entities to protect and restore coastal wetlands, consistent with the Coast 2050 Plan and
associated project planning, evaluation, and implementation activities;
6 Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge
• Consider all grant opportunities available to the LMRE Team and partners and work to
improve internal coordination of these programs to assure that the contributions to these
programs are of maximum benefit to the resource;
• Support environmental education efforts underway by Service offices to enhance and expand
knowledge, awareness, and appreciation of trust resources; and
• Control invasive/exotic species.
Conservation priorities for national wildlife refuges in the Lower Mississippi Valley focus on
threatened and endangered species, trust species, and species of local concern. Biological
objectives in the LMRE for species groups targeted in this CCP reflect the Partners in Flight Bird
Conservation Plan, North American Waterfowl Management Plan, Gulf Coast Joint Venture-
Mississippi River Coastal Wetlands Initiative, North American Waterbird Conservation Plan, United
States Shorebird Conservation Plan, and the North American Bird Conservation Initiative. The refuge
is also contributing to the goals and objectives of the Recovery Plan for the Red-cockaded
Woodpecker; Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act; Coast 2050: Towards a
Sustainable Coastal Louisiana Plan; Louisiana Coastal Area-Ecosystem Restoration Plan; Lake
Pontchartrain Basin Foundation; New Directions 2025-St. Tammany Parish Conservation Plan; and
the Lake Pontchartrain Estuary Conservation Planning Project.
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 7
II. The Refuge
INTRODUCTION AND HISTORY
Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge is located along the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain
between the communities of Mandeville and Slidell, in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana (Figure 2).
Boundaries of the approved acquisition are Cane Bayou on the west, Lake Pontchartrain to the south,
Louisiana Highway 90 on the east, and an irregular boundary south of and generally paralleling
Louisiana Highway 190.
Established in 1994, Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge is the 504th refuge under the National
Wildlife Refuge System. Big Branch Marsh Refuge is one of eight refuges managed as part of the
Southeast Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Prior to establishing the refuge, area
wetlands were threatened by urban expansion from the city of New Orleans. Several local
organizations, including Northshore Coastal Watch, St. Tammany Sportsman’s League, Coalition to
Restore Coastal Louisiana, and the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, supported and initiated the
establishment of the refuge (USFWS 2000). These organizations lobbied local senators and
congressmen to save the wetland areas, which resulted in the establishment of the refuge.
Public interest in the project and governmental support lead to the Service authorizing the
establishment of Big Branch Marsh Refuge on September 29, 1994, under the Emergency Wetlands
Resources Act of 1986. The original acquisition boundary of the refuge included 12,000 acres of
marshlands and forested wetlands between Cane Bayou on the west, Lake Pontchartrain on the
south, and the Southern Railroad trestle on the east. The initial acquisition occurred on October 13,
1994, when The Conservation Fund, with funding from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, donated
3,660 acres of wetlands. Subsequently, the refuge acquisition boundary went through two expansion
phases. The first expansion proposal, approved in December 1996, consisted of 10,000 acres, which
included 3 expansion sites: Oak Harbor, a 2,931-acre tract; Fritchie Marsh, covering 6,500 acres; and
a 500-acre tract along the east side of Lacombe Bayou. The second expansion proposal was
approved in April 1998, and included 1,770 acres of wetlands, hardwood ridges, and pine flatwoods
adjacent to existing refuge lands. These small tracts of land also included the current 110-acre site
for the Southeast Louisiana Refuge Complex headquarters. Additional acquisitions were made
possible by the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, Land and Water Conservation Act funds,
and donations from The Conservation Fund. Currently, Big Branch Marsh Refuge is approximately
18,000 acres of fee title lands within the 24,000-acre acquisition boundary of marshlands and
forested wetlands (Figure 3).
Additionally, the refuge manages, through a cooperative agreement with the LDWF, St. Tammany
Wildlife Refuge, which is 1,300 acres of marsh adjacent to Big Branch Marsh Refuge.
8 Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge
Figure 2. The Location of Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge on the north shore of
Lake Pontchartrain, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 9
Figure 3. 2006 Current and acquisition boundaries of Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife
Refuge
10 Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge
PURPOSES OF THE REFUGE
The purposes of the refuge were defined by the following authorities:
Emergency Wetlands Resources Act of 1986, 16 U.S.C. § 3901 (b):
• For the conservation of the wetlands of the Nation in order to maintain the public benefits they
provide and to help fulfill international obligations contained in various migratory bird treaties
and conventions.
North American Wetlands Conservation Act, 16 U.S.C. § 4401 2(b):
• To protect, enhance, restore, and manage an appropriate distribution and diversity of wetland
ecosystems and other habitats for migratory birds and other fish and wildlife in North America;
• To maintain current or improved distributions of migratory bird populations; and
• To sustain an abundance of waterfowl and other migratory birds consistent with the goals of
the North American Waterfowl Management Plan and the international obligations contained
in the migratory bird treaties and conventions and other agreements with Canada, Mexico,
and other countries.
The refuge purposes were further defined in the 1994 Final Land Protection Plan and two subsequent
Supplemental Environmental Assessments (1996, 1998) for expansion of Big Branch Marsh Refuge
as the following management objectives:
• To provide habitat for natural diversity of wildlife associated with Big Branch Marsh;
• To provide wintering habitat for migratory waterfowl;
• To provide nesting habitat for wood ducks;
• To provide habitat for non-game migratory birds; and
• To provide opportunities for public outdoor recreation, such as hunting, fishing, hiking, bird
watching, and environmental education and interpretation, whenever they are compatible with
the purposes of the refuge.
RESOURCE AND MANAGEMENT DESCRIPTIONS
REFUGE ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT
Refuge administration refers to the operation and maintenance of refuge programs and facilities,
including construction. Refuge personnel are not assigned solely to Big Branch Marsh Refuge, but
support the eight refuges in the Southeast Louisiana Refuge Complex. Six positions share
responsibility for Big Branch Marsh, Atchafalaya, and Bogue Chitto Refuges. The Complex staff
consists of 27 permanent full-time employees (see staffing chart, Chapter V). The refuge also
benefits from the help of interns and volunteers.
The major management activities on the refuge include forestry, fire, wetland restoration projects, law
enforcement, wildlife monitoring, and red-cockaded woodpecker recovery. Other important programs
are environmental education and providing public uses when they are compatible with refuge purposes.
PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
The climate in the area is humid and subtropical. The weather is dominated by the area’s proximity to
the Gulf of Mexico and daily weather patterns are influenced by Lake Pontchartrain. Average annual
rainfall is approximately 63 inches. Summer months are characterized by afternoon thunderstorms,
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 11
tropical storms, and the potential for hurricanes. Winters are mild with occasional nights in which the
temperature drops below freezing.
Big Branch Marsh Refuge is located within the Pontchartrain Basin in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana.
Sediments forming the basin were deposited during the Pleistocene geologic epoch, approximately
1.5 million to 25 thousand years ago. At the end of the glacial period, a depositional land form,
known as the Pleistocene prairie terrace, was formed. The sediments found in the prairie terrace are
more consolidated and formed the forested longleaf, loblolly, and slash pine and mixed pine-hardwood
areas. Sediments forming the basin consist of fine sands, silts, and silty clays in
landforms, and largely sand in marine environments. One common component is that all sediments
have high organic and water components.
About 18,000 years ago, the sea level rose and flooded the area. Approximately 6,000 years ago,
sea level rise slowed and a barrier beach system was created on the south shore forming the
Pontchartrain embayment. Sediments deposited by the Mississippi River enclosed the embayment.
Natural processes associated with deltaic development and abandonment eventually led to the
development of Lakes Maurepas, Borgne, and Pontchartrain. Land subsidence, faulting, storm
events, saltwater intrusions, erosion, and sea level rise have been natural occurrences throughout
the history of the Pontchartrain Basin.
Beginning about 300 years ago, European settlers began to exert an ever-increasing influence on the
area. Development, river stabilization, levees, canals, roads, etc., have had an impact on the
habitats and resources found in and around the refuge. These changes have been especially rapid
within the last 100 years. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recently
concluded that warming of the climate is undeniable and could cause changes in our stewardship of
land. Examples of potential changes are altered fire regimes, rain and snowfall patterns, access to
water resources, hydrology in rivers and wetlands, frequency of extreme weather events, and rising
sea levels at coastal refuges.
Urban development significantly changes hydrology. Natural landscapes allow water to slowly and
gradually filter into the ground. However, surfaces associated with urban development are
nonporous, causing water to accumulate above the surface and run off in large volumes. Areas that
have not been susceptible to flooding are now experiencing increased volumes of faster moving
water, which causes erosion.
Water quality is reduced as a result of urban development. A variety of pollutants are contained in
urban runoff. Pollutants include toxic chemicals from automobiles; sediments from new construction;
oil, grease, nutrients, and pesticides from garden, lawn, and road maintenance; bacteria from
improperly managed sewage; and household debris.
In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina directly hit the area with the eye passing over the eastern sections of
the refuge. The environment was drastically changed and will take years to recover; some areas were
changed permanently. All forested areas were heavily damaged. Many trees were uprooted or broken.
In some areas, tornadoes spawned by the hurricane left few trees standing where dense woods had
existed. The storm surge and winds introduced salt water that was detrimental to freshwater
vegetation. All refuge marshlands experienced some sediment and vegetation movement, resulting in
increased shallow ponding. The Fritchie Marsh experienced the most marsh loss (Figure 4).
12 Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge
Figure 4. The impacts from Hurricane Katrina on the Fritchie Marsh Unit of Big Branch Marsh
National Wildlife Refuge
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 13
BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT
The refuge contains diverse habitat types, such as open waters of Lake Pontchartrain, marshes,
ponds, bayous, submerged aquatic vegetation beds, prairie terrace, forested wetlands, and pine
ridges within a relatively small area (Figure 5).
The refuge is comprised of approximately 18,600 acres of coastal marsh and pine forested wetlands.
The coastal marsh consists of approximately 7,000 acres of vegetated marsh and 6,000 acres of
open water. Marsh types vary from brackish to fresh depending on proximity to Lake Pontchartrain
and are tidally influenced through numerous natural bayous and drainages and man-made canals.
Dominant marsh vegetation includes wiregrass (Spartina patens), smooth cordgrass (Spartina
alterniflora), and various rushes (Juncaceae sp.). Interior marsh ponds and bayous compose open
water habitat within the marsh system.
The transition from marsh to forested wetlands is distinct within the refuge. Pinelands along much of
the marsh edge are prone to shallow flooding and support an understory of wiregrass.
Typically, vegetation above the 5-foot contour line is characteristic of pine flatwoods and savannahs
found in the northern portions of the refuge. The predominate pine species are slash (Pinus elliottii)
and loblolly (Pinus taeda), with few pockets of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris). Within the
approximately 5,000 acres of forested lands, habitats are predominately pine forest with hardwood
hummocks and sumps scattered throughout. Hardwood forests and swamps are present along the
major and minor drainages, which bisect the refuge. Hardwood areas are dominated by oaks
(Quercus sp.), sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), red maple (Acer rubrum), and green ash
(Fraxinus pennsylvanica).
Diverse habitat types within Big Branch Marsh Refuge provide valuable habitat for numerous wildlife
species. Refuge habitats attract 15 species of migratory waterfowl, 2 species of resident waterfowl,
geese, shorebirds, wading birds, neotropical migratory birds, alligators, federally listed red-cockaded
woodpeckers and bald eagles, mammals, and other wildlife. The refuge ponds, bayous, and the
vegetated shoreline of Lake Pontchartrain provide spawning and nursery habitat for commercially
important species of fish, crab, and shrimp. Recreationally important fishes, such as largemouth bass
(Micropterus salmoides), red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus),
catfish (Ictaluridae), and sunfish (Centrarchidae), are also abundant within the waters of the refuge.
SOCIOECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT
In St. Tammany Parish, wetlands and forested lands are being converted to subdivisions, shopping
centers, and business complexes at a rapid rate. St. Tammany is the fifth largest parish in Louisiana
in population, with the 2005 population estimated at 220,295, and has been the fastest growing
parish since the 1970s. The influx of people looking for higher ground after Hurricane Katrina
increased this fast-paced trend. The economy is primarily retail trade, health care, and professional,
scientific, and technical services. Residents of the parish are employed in jobs ranging from
agriculture to space technology. The median household income in 1999 was $55,346. The
population growth can be attributed to the parish’s proximity to New Orleans, low business costs,
good school system, labor availability, and a strong medical community.
The refuge, with an estimated 49,300 visitors in 2005, provides an important source of recreation in
the parish. Most visitors are interested in wildlife observation, fishing, and hunting. Many people are
also interested in environmental education and interpretive programs, and wildlife photography.
14 Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge
Figure 5. General habitat types on Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 15
CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT
Indigenous Native Americans were present in the area dating back to 1800 B.C. The original
inhabitants were nomadic hunters, which later gave way to more sedentary mound building cultures.
Muskegon peoples were firmly established in the area, including the Bayougoula Tribe, which resided
along the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain and survived on seafood harvested from the lakes; the
Acolapissa Tribe, which lived along the Pearl Rive; the Houma Tribe, which was the most dominant
tribe; and the Chitimacha Tribe. Tribes that migrated to or through St. Tammany Parish were the
Biloxi, Kiasata, and Choctaw. No organized cultural resource surveys have taken place on the
refuge. There are no known mounds, but several middens are located along waterways.
As European exploration occurred, the French were the first to claim the area, and the native tribes
began to migrate west away from the intrusion. The French concluded that the land of St. Tammany
Parish was too low, the water too brackish to drink, and mosquitoes were too bad to accommodate
further settlement. By the 1700s, the forested north shore of Lake Pontchartrain was used to supply
the emerging city of New Orleans with meat and naval stores of tar, pitch, turpentine, and resin. The
first significant European settlement on the north shore occurred during the British occupation
through land grants. Britain’s claim to the area was transferred to Spain after its loss in the American
Revolution, and Spain continued to offer land grants. American control was exerted in the early
1800s. St. Tammany Parish’s history was greatly influenced by the abundant sources of water and
the navigable waterways. After the Civil War, the economy flourished as New Orleanians traveled to
the north shore for fresh air. A resort community built up as people flocked across Lake Pontchartrain
to escape epidemics, such as yellow fever, and to sample the artisian water with legendary healing
powers. Timber, bricks, porcelain, and glass became important trade items with the advent of the rail
system. The north and south shores of Lake Pontchartrain were linked by bridges, causing
thousands of New Orleanians to relocate to St. Tammany Parish and commute into the city.
A former Catholic seminary and high school in Lacombe now serve as the administrative
headquarters of the Southeast Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex. The headquarters site,
referred to as Bayou Lacombe Centre, includes historic buildings and gardens and poses a unique
opportunity for restoration.
16 Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 17
III. Plan Development
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND THE PLANNING PROCESS
In accordance with Service guidelines and National Environmental Policy Act recommendations,
public involvement has been a crucial factor throughout the development of the Comprehensive
Conservation Plan for Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge. This plan has been written with
input and assistance from interested citizens, conservation organizations, and employees of local and
state agencies. The participation of these stakeholders and their ideas has been of great value in
setting the management direction for the refuge. The Service, as a whole, and the refuge staff, in
particular, are very grateful to each one who has contributed time, expertise, and ideas to the
planning process. The staff remains impressed by the passion and commitment of so many
individuals for the lands and waters administered by the refuge.
In October 2002, the planning process began with a biological review to assess the status of current
biological information and programs on the refuge, to identify information gaps and needs, and to
gather input on potential management goals and objectives. A diverse team, consisting of Service,
State, university, and non-governmental personnel, was invited to attend and provide input. Issues
discussed were marsh and forest management; aquatic systems; migratory birds; threatened and
endangered species, including the red-cockaded woodpecker; non-game birds; mammals; reptiles
and amphibians; insects; water quality; contaminants; urbanization; and land acquisition.
A visitor services review was conducted in February 2003 to provide guidance for managing the
education and visitor services’ program and resulted in the development of short- to long-term
recommendations for improving the quality of visitor experiences and understanding of the refuge.
The review team was composed of staff and other professionals from the Service’s Regional Office,
other refuges, the State, and the local community. General recommendations were to develop a
visitor services plan, strengthen the volunteer program, address the litter problem, and provide
sufficient law enforcement.
Formal public involvement began with an open house held in November 2003 for the general public
to give suggestions and comments regarding the future of the refuge. Announcements giving the
location, date, and time for the scoping meeting appeared in local newspapers and were furnished to
local residents. Approximately 57 people attended the open discussion of the comprehensive
conservation planning process and future refuge management. After orienting attendees concerning
the process, they could move freely among the following discussion areas: 1) public programs and
visitor facilities; 2) wildlife and habitat management; and 3) refuge administration. Each area offered
information and a chance to make written and oral statements. Also, comment cards were made
available. Approximately 80 comments and questions were recorded (Appendix E). Input obtained
from the scoping meeting was used in the development of the CCP. No major conflicts were declared
in the comments received from the public.
Initial planning began in November 2003, with a meeting of planning team members. Early in the
process of developing this CCP, the planning team identified issues and concerns that were likely to
be associated with the conservation and management of Big Branch Marsh Refuge. These issues
and concerns were based on the reviews and public scoping. A mailing list was initiated, which
contained names of the public, landowners, State and Tribal agencies, non-profit organizations, local
governments, and other interested stakeholders.
18 Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge
Dr. Onnie Byers, representing the Conservation Breeding Specialist Group of the Species Survival
Commission of the World Conservation Union, was contracted to facilitate Planning Workshop I. The
purpose of the workshop was to develop a vision for the refuge and goals for achieving the vision
based on the purpose of the refuge. Thirty-one participants from various state, parish, city, and
private agencies, volunteers, and neighboring landowners met December 9-11, 2003, and drafted a
vision statement and goals.
The entire refuge complex staff met on January 14, 2004, for an abbreviated version of Planning
Workshop I. The outcome was an improved vision statement. A second meeting, held February 5,
2004, was attended by the planning team and any interested staff, to edit and improve the goals for
achieving the vision.
Dr. Onnie Byers returned July 19-21, 2004, to facilitate Planning Workshop II, during which changes
in the vision statement and goals were given, and alternatives for future management of the refuge
and objectives for achieving the goals were identified. Many of the same participants for Planning
Workshop I attended Workshop II.
In August 2004, the Service held a meeting with Shaw Environmental, Inc., to contract for assistance
with the CCP preparation.
In November 2004, the planning team met to join similar aspects among the six identified
alternatives, creating a more workable three-alternative document. The decision was made to have a
separate section in each alternative about the Bayou Lacombe Centre, which is the administrative
headquarters of the Southeast Louisiana Refuge Complex.
In early 2005, team leaders Souheaver and Boyle transferred and were replaced with project leader
Litzenberger and deputy project leader Dixson. Also, team member Kris Bly transferred out of state. The
remaining team worked on strategies for the alternatives, maps and pictures, writing and editing current
management objectives and goals, and gathering pertinent information for the CCP.
The planning team met with the new members on May 12, 2005, to discuss previous progress and
alternatives. The alternatives development for the environmental assessment was interrupted with
the arrival of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in fall 2005. The planning team was back on task in 2006,
and formed the basis for development and comparison of management alternatives, selecting the
proposed alternative and completing the CCP. The draft plan was made available for public
comments in April 2007 (Appendix E).
ISSUES
A result of these reviews and scoping meetings was the development of a list of significant issues that
needed to be addressed in the CCP. Alternatives for addressing these issues were developed, and
the proposed alternative formed the basis for the objectives and strategies to achieve the goals
developed by the planning team. This process ensures that the most significant issues are resolved or
given priority over the life of the CCP. Below is a summary of these significant issues.
Wildlife Habitat
• Management of threatened and endangered species is a priority.
• Monitor species of concern, targeted species, and species of Federal responsibility.
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 19
Habitat Conservation
• Maintain and, where feasible, restore the diverse habitats native to the Lake Pontchartrain Basin.
Education and Visitor Services
• Provide programs and improve existing programs for refuge visitors that are compatible with
refuge purposes.
• Increase public outreach to emphasize resource stewardship.
• Provide formal environmental education programs.
Land Protection
• Protect archaeological and historical sites on the refuge.
• Purchase remaining land inholdings within acquisition boundary.
20 Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 21
IV. Management Direction
INTRODUCTION
The Fish and Wildlife Service manages fish and wildlife habitats considering the needs of all
resources in decision-making. But first and foremost, fish and wildlife conservation assumes priority
in refuge management. A requirement of the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of
1997 is for the Service to maintain the ecological health, diversity, and integrity of refuges. Public
uses are allowed if they are appropriate and compatible with wildlife and habitat conservation. The
above-mentioned Act identified hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, wildlife photography, and
environmental education and interpretation as priority wildlife-dependent public uses of the Refuge
System. Hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, wildlife photography, and environmental education and
interpretation are therefore emphasized in this plan.
Described below is the comprehensive conservation plan for managing the refuge over the next 15
years. This management direction contains the goals, objectives, and strategies that will be used to
achieve the refuge vision.
Three alternatives for managing the refuge were considered in the draft comprehensive conservation
plan and environmental assessment:
A – No-Action (Current Management)
B – Resource-Focused Management
C – User-Focused Management
Each of the alternatives was described in the Alternatives section of the Environmental Assessment
(which was Section B of the Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan for Big Branch Marsh National
Wildlife Refuge). The Service selected Alternative B (Resource-Focused Management) as the
preferred management action.
Implementing the preferred alternative will result in a diversity of habitats for a variety of fish and
wildlife species, enhance resident wildlife populations, restore wetlands, and provide opportunities for
a variety of compatible wildlife-dependent recreation, education, and interpretive activities.
VISION
The Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, located along the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain,
embraces significantly diverse species and habitats of local to international importance. The refuge
conserves a significant remnant of the diversity of natural habitats within the rapidly urbanizing Lake
Pontchartrain Basin. It encompasses open waters of Lake Pontchartrain, nearshore grass beds and
estuarine marshes, bottomland hardwoods, pine flatwoods interspersed with hardwood hummocks,
bayous, and cypress sloughs and swamps. These habitats provide for a wide array of wildlife species
within an environmentally aware urban community.
Viable, healthy populations of plants, fish and wildlife are maintained through habitat management
activities that adapt to and mitigate the effects of external threats. The refuge serves as a model of
land stewardship and restoration practices and promotes sound habitat management activities within
22 Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge
and beyond refuge boundaries. It serves as a center for the development and application of
progressive and innovative techniques and practices in wildlife and habitat management, biology, fire
management, and habitat restoration. The refuge provides and supports opportunities for appropriate
studies and research by universities and other agencies.
The refuge maintains, nurtures, and promotes the tradition of community involvement and ownership
that led to its formation, and benefits from an expanding advocacy by refuge supporters and partners.
The refuge is recognized as a focal point for environmental education and wildlife-dependent
recreation, which fosters and creates a strong conservation ethic within the community. Cultural
resources are protected and, where appropriate, interpreted for the public.
As one of the last remaining undeveloped, contiguous tracts of wildlife habitat in the region, the
refuge provides broad opportunities for public use. From waterfowl hunting in the refuge’s marshes
to birding and wildlife photography in the restored pine forests, experiencing the refuge’s intense
natural beauty replenishes the spirit.
GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND STRATEGIES
The goals, objectives, and strategies presented are the Service’s response to the issues, concerns
and needs expressed by the planning team, the refuge staff, partners, and the public. Chapter V,
Plan Implementation, identifies the projects associated with the various strategies.
These goals, objectives, and strategies reflect the Service’s commitment to achieve the mandates of
the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, the mission of the National Wildlife
Refuge System, and the purposes and vision of Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge. The
Service intends to accomplish these goals, objectives, and strategies within the next 15 years.
GOAL 1. Identify, conserve, manage, and restore populations of native fish and wildlife species
representative of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin, with emphasis on migratory birds and threatened and
endangered species.
Background: The diversity and quality of habitats on Big Branch Marsh Refuge provide areas for
feeding, roosting, nesting, and staging for numerous species. The refuge attracts 15 species of
migratory waterfowl, 2 species of resident waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds, neotropical migratory
song birds, raptors, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, and numerous fisheries species. Threatened
and endangered species using the refuge habitats consist of the following: red-cockaded
woodpecker, bald eagle, eastern brown pelican, and occasionally the West Indian manatee and Gulf
sturgeon. Both freshwater and saltwater species are supported with the fishery varying with the
seasons and accompanying shifts in salinity. The refuge wetlands are important spawning, nursery,
and feeding grounds for many aquatic species, including crabs, shrimp, and fish.
Objective 1.1: Manage and protect threatened and endangered species through implementation of
recovery plans.
Discussion: The Service administers the Endangered Species Act, passed by Congress in 1973, to
protect and recover species at risk and the ecosystems on which they depend. Once species are
listed as threatened or endangered, the ultimate goal is to recover the population to a level so it does
not need special protection. Recovery teams made up of experts on the species and their needs are
designated. The teams develop and implement recovery plans that describe the steps needed to
restore a species to ecological health. Occasionally, critical habitat is designated as part of the plan.
Critical habitat identifies specific areas that are essential to the conservation of a listed species and
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 23
that may require special management considerations or protection. Big Branch Marsh Refuge is
within the Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes Ecoregion of the Red-cockaded Woodpecker (RCW)
Recovery Plan, second revision (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2003). The small refuge population is
the only one existing in this ecoregion and is not considered a recovery unit, but is designated as a
significant support population for the recovery of the species. The refuge’s role is to maintain the
RCW’s intrinsic value, conserve genetic resources, represent variations in habitats occupied by the
species, and serve as immigrants for core, recoverable populations.
The Gulf sturgeon was listed as a threatened species in September 1991. The species decline was
brought about by excessive harvest over 100 years ago. Populations could not recover because the
commercial harvest continued into the 1980s, and also due to reduction in overall habitat. Waters of
the refuge are within Unit 8 of the designated critical habitat for the Gulf sturgeon, which lists Lake
Pontchartrain east of the Causeway Bridge. Research has shown that juveniles and subadults use
Lake Pontchartrain as wintering habitat. Records in Lake Pontchartrain show concentrations near
Bayou Lacombe and Goose Point (Federal Register Part II 50 CFR Part 17).
No other refuge lands or waters are listed specifically in other recovery plans, but bald eagles use the
refuge for nesting and wintering, brown pelicans are commonly seen feeding and perching in the
area, and West Indian manatees are occasionally sighted during summer months.
Strategies:
• Follow guidelines of the RCW Recovery Plan.
Substrategies:
o Annually conduct spring roost surveys to determine number of family groups.
o Annually conduct nest surveys to determine success or failure.
o Annually survey 10 percent of refuge lands for unknown cavity trees.
o Annually add cavity inserts within clusters if needed to provide at least 4 usable cavities
per cluster.
o When 20 active clusters are attained on the refuge, provide banded young for
translocation to other populations.
o If possible, band adult population.
o Monitor bald eagle nests and conduct winter survey; coordinate information with LDWF.
o Monitor sightings of manatees and coordinate with Ecological Services Office.
o Conduct fish surveys to determine any use by Gulf sturgeon.
Objective 1.2: Monitor species of concern, targeted species, and species of Federal responsibility in
order to assess management goals.
Discussion: Although national wildlife refuges are established to provide for the habitat needs of
species of Federal responsibility, such as migratory birds or threatened or endangered species, they
are also responsible for all native species occurring on refuge lands. It is difficult to manage for every
species without negatively affecting some, so it is necessary to determine which species are most
representative of the habitat and monitor and manage or target those to determine the overall health
of the ecosystem for other species.
24 Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge
Strategies:
• Within 5 years of plan approval, compile lists of species present on the refuge based on
refuge lists, surveys, regional and national plans, etc.
• Within 7 years of plan approval, make available to the public lists of species of birds, fish,
mammals, reptiles, and butterflies that occur on the refuge.
• Within 10 years of plan approval, prioritize species of concern and target species for refuge
monitoring and management.
• Conduct annual aerial waterfowl surveys from October through February.
• Maintain wood duck box program.
• Conduct annual marsh bird surveys according to national protocol.
Objective 1.3: Management of fish and wildlife species at Bayou Lacombe Centre - Southeast
Louisiana Refuge Complex Headquarters.
Discussion: The 110-acre headquarters site, Bayou Lacombe Centre, is a detached administrative unit
of Big Branch Marsh Refuge. It was decided to include the headquarters site in the comprehensive
conservation planning for Big Branch Marsh Refuge. The distinctive site has historical prominence in
the community, having been the home of a Federal judge, a former Governor of Louisiana, the
horticultural attraction “Bayou Gardens,” and later the home of the Holy Redeemer Seminary before
being acquired by the Service. No at-risk species of plants or wildlife are found on the site.
Strategy:
• No active management of fish or wildlife populations is planned for this area except small
demonstration or environmental education projects.
GOAL 2. Restore, improve, and maintain a mosaic of forested and wetland habitats native to the
Lake Pontchartrain Basin in order to ensure healthy and viable plant and animal communities, with an
emphasis on threatened and endangered species.
Background: One of the most striking characteristics of the refuge is the diversity of habitats that occur
in a relatively small area. The diverse plant communities provide a wide variety of habitats for many
species of wildlife and fish. The key purpose of the refuge is to provide habitat for a natural diversity of
wildlife associated with Big Branch marsh, with emphasis on wintering and nesting habitat for migratory
and resident waterfowl, non-game migratory birds, and threatened and endangered species.
Objective 2.1: Manage and maintain fresh, intermediate, and brackish marsh, slough, cypress
brake, and other aquatic habitats for refuge resources.
Discussion: The shoreline of Lake Pontchartain consists of sandy, narrow beaches with near-shore
grass beds. The marshes of the refuge, most of which are tidally influenced, range from brackish to
fresh, with salinities varying with season, wind direction, and rainfall. Across much of the refuge, the
transition from marsh to forested wetlands is distinct and abrupt. The marshes are cut by bayous and
other small drainages with open ponds scattered throughout. Maintaining the wetlands of Big Branch
Marsh Refuge involves protection and management (restricted primarily to the use of prescribed fire)
of existing wetland habitat.
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 25
Strategies:
• Maintain GIS database of available historic and current maps and satellite images.
• Within 3 years of plan approval, determine current refuge aquatic acreage by vegetation types.
• In conjunction with fire monitoring, sample vegetation by habitat to determine species and
changes in species over time.
• Coordinate and provide study areas for research by partners and other agencies when the
research is relevant to wetland management and assessment.
• Within one year of plan approval, establish salinity monitoring points.
• Within 15 years, evaluate marsh habitat types to determine changes in coverage, type, and
vegetation.
• By 2017, in cooperation with fisheries biologists and aquatic systems specialists, establish a
monitoring program to obtain baseline information and provide long-term tracking of aquatic
habitats and faunal groups.
• Implement a prescribed fire and wildfire program.
Substrategies:
o Implement the 1997 and 2006 revised draft fire management plan with annual in-house
reviews and updates.
o Annually burn >1,000 acres of unsubsiding (high) marsh using a combination of
dormant and growing season burning.
o Continue a fire monitoring plan measuring impacts of season of burning on marshes;
by 2017, determine the effects of burning on marsh health and rate of subsidence.
o By 2017, develop burn rotation for desired results.
o Use fire to increase the availability and distribution of wildlife food plants, such as 2-
square.
o Provide for wildfire protection through hazard fuel reduction and fighting wildfires.
Objective 2.2: Improve and restore aquatic habitats, with emphasis on marsh habitat.
Discussion: The prevalent wetland habitat on Big Branch Marsh Refuge is marsh. Marsh land in the
refuge has been degraded by man’s activities in combination with natural processes, such as
subsidence, hurricanes, droughts, and floods. Restoration and enhancement of lost or degraded
habitat is necessary if the marshes are to continue being productive, providing essential environment
for the species dependent upon it. In 1988, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was
established by the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment
Programme to assess scientific, technical, and socio-economic information relevant for the
understanding of climate change. Recently, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
concluded that “warming of the climate system is unequivocal.” According to the IPCC, future
impacts to coasts are increases in coastal erosion due to sea level rise that will be exacerbated by
increasing human-induced pressures. The potential for rapid and lasting climate warming poses a
significant challenge for fish and wildlife conservation. The following strategies and substrategies
could lessen or slow the predicted negative impacts.
Strategies:
• Within 5 years of plan approval, determine hydrologic system and fire history existing 100
years ago.
26 Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge
• Within 10 years of plan approval, decide best management practices under the current
situation based on historic regimes and soil types given by USDA in 1990 soil surveys of St.
Tammany Parish.
Substrategies:
o Investigate burning effects on vegetative communities, wildlife, subsidence/accretion
rates, and determine optimal frequency and seasonality of burning.
o Throughout the life of the CCP, strive for mixture of shallow ponds with submerged
aquatic vegetation and emergent marsh by increasing vegetated areas through grants,
partners, Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act, and any other
available funding.
o Throughout the life of the CCP, research various marsh restoration techniques and
materials, including terracing, supplemental plantings, dedicated dredge material, and
addition of hard and/or soft structures.
o Monitor the success of all restoration projects in order to determine the most
economical and efficient techniques for specific sites and problems.
o Throughout the life of the CCP, fortify the lake rim with sediments, plantings, and other
feasible techniques to reduce shoreline erosion and damage/loss of interior marshes
using grants, partners, Restoration Act, and other available funding.
o Determine effects of pipeline canals on hydrology and salinity regime; consider
plugging openings leading to Lake Pontchartrain.
Objective 2.3: Manage and maintain pine flatwood, savannah, and hardwood hummock habitats for
refuge resources.
Discussion: The pinelands below the 5-foot contour are prone to shallow flooding and support an
understory of wiregrass (Spartina patens). Vegetation above this contour is more characteristic of
pine flatwood/savannah. Pine species present are predominantly slash and loblolly, with a few
pockets of longleaf. Hardwood hammocks, sumps, and swamps are interspersed within the pineland.
Scattered throughout the forests are ponds, drains, and bayous. Hurricanes, the most recent being
Katrina, and other storms, floods, and droughts have frequently impacted the land with storm surges,
salinity, and wind damage.
Strategies:
• Throughout the life of the CCP, implement an active forest management program to maintain
healthy and diverse forest communities and ensure a healthy forest ecosystem by providing a
natural diversity of plant species.
Substrategies:
o In conjunction with the fire monitoring program, determine vegetation present and
changes over time.
o Within 5 years of plan approval, develop a forest management plan as part of Habitat
Management Plan.
• Refine and implement a prescribed fire and wildfire prevention program to maintain healthy,
natural fire-dependent communities, while protecting refuge resources and neighboring urban
interface from wildland fires.
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 27
Substrategies:
o Implement the 1997, revised 2006, Fire Management Plan, with annual in-house
reviews and updates. Respond to wildfires within the fire management response zone
with properly trained staff and equipment readiness. Monitor fire severity and
condition class and respond according to approved step-down plans and procedures.
o Provide for wildland fire protection through hazard fuel reduction on the refuge while
protecting the pine overstory, and assist in reducing hazard fuel risks on neighboring
lands. Continue on an annual basis to use prescribed fire on at least 2,000 acres,
using a combination of dormant season and growing season burns
o By 2007, initiate a fire monitoring plan measuring impacts of burning frequency and
seasonality.
o By 2019, determine optimal burn rotation.
o Maintain historical fire-dependent plant communities in the pine forest by reducing the
height and abundance of midstory species.
o Maintain and promote broomsedge, bluestem grasses, and the availability and
distribution of wildlife food plants, such as legumes and forbes, by prescribed fire.
Objective 2.4: Improve and restore pine flatwood and savannah habitats for refuge resources.
Discussion: Pine flatwoods and savannah, with some pockets of longleaf, historically existed on the
refuge. The north shore was logged heavily to provide timber and other wood products to the New
Orleans area. Regrowth after logging became dense with a heavy midstory because of fire
suppression to protect urban development. Invasive species, such as Chinese tallow and cogon
grass, were introduced by man’s activities. A limited amount of acreage at higher elevations has
been identified for conversion to pine savannah with longleaf reestablishment.
Strategies:
• Within 5 years of plan approval, determine hydrologic system and fire history existing 100
years ago.
• Within 10 years of plan approval, decide best management practices under the current
situation based on historic regimes and soil types given by USDA in 1990 soil surveys of St.
Tammany Parish.
Substrategies:
o Create open stand conditions with basal areas of 60-80, and native groundcover
species by reducing woody understory and midstory vegetation following guidelines of
the Red-cockaded Woodpecker Recovery Plan and using the red-cockaded
woodpecker as an indicator species of a healthy southern pine ecosystem.
o Within 2 years of plan approval, identify longleaf pine and savannah restoration sites.
o Establish a 100-year timber rotation, moving current stands to an older-aged class.
o Restore uneven-aged forest management through use of prescribed fire and
mechanical manipulation.
o Implement an aggressive control program to reduce invasive, exotic vegetation.
28 Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge
Objective 2.5: Develop a Habitat Management Plan that includes evaluating the effects of
management actions on refuge habitats.
Discussion: The Refuge Improvement Act of 1997 states that the Secretary of the Interior shall monitor
the status and trends of fish, wildlife, and plants in each refuge as part of administering the Refuge
System. A Habitat Management Plan is the instrument to plan biological monitoring. Another step-down
plan for this purpose is the annual habitat work plan. Step-down plans provide more specific
details than the CCP. The Habitat Management Plan should provide the foundation to conserve and
protect functional communities and be linked to international, national, regional, state and ecosystem
goals and be consistent with other conservation plans, such as threatened and endangered species
recovery plans and State conservation plans. Available biological information and ecological principles
should be used to develop habitat goals, objectives, and strategies at the individual refuge level.
Wildlife and habitat inventory and monitoring can provide a good evaluation of the effectiveness of
management manipulations. Effectiveness of outcomes provides a basis for modification of actions or
adaptive management. The annual habitat work plan reviews the previous year’s habitat management
activities, analyzes results, and provides recommendations for the next year.
Strategies:
• Annually evaluate all management practices for previous year and plan for next year.
• Determine survival of long leaf seedlings in planting sites within 2 years of planting; replant if
necessary.
• Annually monitor effects of fuel moisture and associated fire intensity on vegetation.
• Annually monitor fire effects on vegetation by photo documentation.
• Annually determine if exotic species control is effective.
• By 2017 determine effects of equipment used in forest management on hydrology, and
vegetation composition and arrangement.
• Throughout the life of the plan, monitor the effectiveness of new management actions.
Objective 2.6: Support partnerships to protect natural habitats of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin.
Discussion: During all of the planning phases of the CCP, the importance of partnerships kept coming up
in discussions. At one time, cultivating partnerships was considered as one of the major goals, but it was
decided by the planning team that we should treat creating partnerships as a tool. Using partnerships as
a tool enabled us to use them under each goal as objectives and/or strategies. Because the health of the
environment is important to all, using partnerships is a logical method to increase funding, to increase the
number of people involved, and to increase the amount of work accomplished. Refuges are affected by
the influences of land uses surrounding them; therefore, working with other organizations and individuals
is necessary to protect resources from external impacts.
Strategies:
• Coordinate and participate with other government and private organizations to conserve lands
outside of refuge boundaries by offering technical assistance.
• Partner with others to identify and support mitigation of external impacts to refuge trust resources.
Substrategy:
o Attend meetings of partners and other agencies to identify, suggest, and support
alternatives for managing off-refuge influences.
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 29
Objective 2.7: Review public use programs, such as hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and
photography, to determine impacts on refuge resources
Discussion: Big Branch Marsh Refuge was established because of interest from local and regional
conservation organizations and individuals, and began with donated land. During planning
workshops, no controversial issues emerged; people are pleased that the refuge exists and want the
refuge land base to increase. In fact, local people were more concerned with overuse or how to
balance public use with protection of natural resources. As population numbers continue to increase
rapidly in the area, increases in public use on the refuge can be expected to rise also. Diligence in
assuring that wildlife needs come first and that all public use is compatible with refuge purposes and
is not negatively impacting the resources is required.
Strategies:
• Use special use permit program to authorize requested uses of the refuge other than those
offered to the general public.
• On an annual basis, review hunting and fishing regulations.
• Within 8 years of plan approval, develop monitoring program to ascertain amount of public
use; review every 5 years to ensure refuge resources are not being negatively impacted by
overuse by the public.
Objective 2.8: Manage habitat of Bayou Lacombe Centre - Southeast Louisiana Administrative
Headquarters
Discussion: The 110-acre Complex headquarters site, Bayou Lacombe Centre, is a detached
administrative unit of Big Branch Marsh Refuge located on the banks of Bayou Lacombe. The
grounds are landscaped with native and non-native plants, many planted when a commercial
attraction, “Bayou Gardens,” existed on the grounds. Many varieties of camellias are still present.
The overstory is predominantly mixed pine-hardwood that was exposed to the wrath of Hurricane
Katrina, causing considerable loss of trees.
Strategies:
• Maintain grounds and landscaping for administrative buildings, with no large-scale, active
habitat management.
• Create backyard habitat/wetland demonstration areas.
• Manage grounds as an urban public use area, including hiking trails, historical gardens, and
buildings.
Goal 3. Provide opportunities for environmental education, interpretation, and wildlife-dependent
recreation in accordance with the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997.
Background: Big Branch Marsh is in one of the most rapidly urbanizing areas of Louisiana and the
Gulf coast. Demand for wildlife-based education and recreation, already high, is increasing with
population gains and with the loss of other available and accessible natural areas. The provision of
opportunities for outdoor recreation was recognized as a management purpose upon the
establishment of the refuge. Facility and program development to date has provided a solid
foundation for continuing these opportunities (Figure 6).
30 Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge
In the resource-based context of the preferred alternative, expanding the public use program is
considered. The established visitor services requirements of the Refuge System provide a reference
point and framework for the development of objectives for Goal 3.
Objective 3.1: Develop and implement a visitor services’ management plan.
Discussion: A visitor services’ management plan is critical to the future of the refuge’s visitor services
program. This plan will communicate the goals, objectives, and strategies for the visitor services program
and will outline resource needs. The plan will also demonstrate how the visitor services program is
integrated with the natural and cultural resource management program, and how it will support visitor
understanding and appreciation of the natural and cultural resource management program.
Strategies:
• Within one year of plan approval, complete recommended improvements to parking lots,
kiosks, trailheads, boat launches, and piers as noted in Visitor Services Review.
• Designate visitor services staff to develop a completed visitor services plan by 2008
Objective 3.2: Provide opportunities for hunting and fishing on the refuge in a manner which
minimizes conflicts between consumptive and non-consumptive user groups.
Discussion: Hunting and fishing have been identified as priority public uses of the National Wildlife
Refuge System. Where appropriate and compatible, the best hunting and fishing opportunities
possible will be made available to the public. Big Branch Marsh Refuge offers attractive, easily
accessible current and potential opportunities for these two priority public use activities within the
suburban landscape of St. Tammany Parish.
Strategies:
• Upon implementation of the plan, and, where appropriate, continue and/or improve current
programs for quality hunting and fishing, seeking opportunities to increase capacity for these
activities without adversely affecting wildlife populations.
Substrategies:
o Improve distribution (scatter) of hunter access and determine hunter spatial
distribution.
o Consider additional fishing access facilities, such as trails and piers.
o Consider opportunities to increase the diversity of hunts where there are no negative
resource impacts.
o Manage the number of hunts where appropriate as a means to achieve wildlife
population goals.
o Review hunting and fishing programs annually to determine impacts to refuge
resources.
o Provide adequate law enforcement to prevent negative resource impacts from hunt
program.
o Improve facilities to provide accessibility for persons of all abilities as opportunities and
resources are available
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 31
Figure 6. Public use areas and facilities on Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge.
32 Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge
• Consider zoning for time and usage in areas such as Boy Scout Road to minimize user-group
conflicts.
• On an annual basis, conduct a maintenance and safety review for all public use facilities
relating to hunting and fishing.
Objective 3.3: Provide opportunities for wildlife observation and photography on the refuge.
Discussion: Wildlife observation and wildlife photography are two closely related priority wildlife-dependent
recreational uses of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Programs and facilities, which
enable visitors to view and photograph wildlife and their habitats, are essential parts of most national
wildlife refuges. The diversity of habitats on Big Branch Marsh Refuge offers very good birding
possibilities, including observing red-cockaded woodpeckers and bald eagles, along with waterfowl,
shorebirds, and wading birds that frequent the wetland areas of the refuge.
Strategies:
• Maintain existing wildlife observation and photography program on the refuge.
Substrategies:
o Continue offering occasional birding tours led by refuge staff and/or community
volunteers and bird clubs.
o Continue to offer tours through Great Northshore Bird Festival each April.
o Continue to issue occasional special use permits for special-access photography on a
case-by-case basis.
o Maintain existing facilities at Boy Scout Road, Lemieux Road, and Bayou Lacombe
Centre for wildlife observation and photography.
• Improve facilities to provide accessibility for persons of all abilities as opportunities and
resources are available.
• Review wildlife observation and photography programs annually.
Substrategies:
o Determine impacts to refuge resources and wildlife population goals.
o Identify opportunities to increase capacity without adversely affecting wildlife
populations.
o Conduct a maintenance and safety review for all public use facilities relating to wildlife
observation and photography.
o Partner with area birding groups to lead refuge birding trips.
o Consider establishment of viewing/photography blinds for self-guided birders where no
negative resource impact would result.
o Review suitability of existing roadways for possible implementation of a self-guiding
auto tour route with printed brochure.
o Explore partnerships with area and national conservation and/or wildlife organizations
to help provide/increase wildlife observation and photography opportunities.
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 33
Objective 3.4: Increase public outreach to emphasize resource management practices.
Discussion: Big Branch Marsh Refuge has the potential to be a ��living lab” where students and the
general public can observe and learn about a variety of management practices, including fire
management, marsh restoration, reforestation, and others. The benefits to the Service include
increased support for these practices, especially where they might be perceived as affecting the
public in negative ways, such as from smoke related to fire management. Successful strategies will
involve communicating management messages to the public and structuring ways in which
management practices can be observed first-hand.
Strategies:
• Print and distribute a quarterly Fish and Wildlife Service/Friends Group newsletter. Supply
refuge brochures, maps, and quarterly events calendar to St. Tammany Parish Tourist and
Convention Commission and State welcome centers.
• List guided activities schedules in local newspapers.
• Issue press releases to announce special events and changes to hunt seasons.
• Maintain and update refuge complex Internet website, as needed.
�� Supply to the public a tear sheet, maps, bird list, and refuge complex brochure.
• Plan and offer seasonal public programs that highlight on-going habitat and wildlife work and
studies on the refuge.
• Outreach to area schools and universities, inviting them to experience aspects of refuge
management practices.
• Implement a speakers program for refuge staff to visit civic groups (e.g., Kiwanis) to
communicate refuge management practices.
• Explore implementation of remote camera and Internet links that allow public to monitor refuge
conditions and wildlife activities.
Objective 3.5: Provide formal environmental education programs that promote understanding,
appreciation, and stewardship of refuge resources.
Discussion: An established array of environmental education activities offers students from St.
Tammany and surrounding parishes first-hand experiences of the refuge through formal, curriculum-based
programs delivered at Big Branch Marsh Refuge’s Lemieux Road educational site. Certain
refuge management practices, especially the fire management program, are highlighted, but many
others have the potential to become the focus of exciting hands-on learning for area students.
Classroom visits that currently focus on endangered species and on animal adaptations also offer
room for expansion and reemphasis so as to complement refuge management.
Strategies:
• Maintain the existing slate of curriculum-based environmental education programming.
• Within 1-2 years of plan implementation and in consultation with biology and forestry/fire staff,
assess and revise all environmental education opportunities to ensure that they complement
and emphasize current refuge management practices and landscape-level ecological issues
that affect the refuge.
34 Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge
Substrategies:
o Develop and implement evaluation instrument to assess effectiveness of
environmental programs in delivering desired messages about refuge management.
o As significant new management practices are implemented, explore their possibilities
for complementary environmental education programming.
o Ensure that all educational programming complements state curriculum standards and
Grade Learning Expectations.
• Annually review programming and curriculum developments at state and parish levels.
• Explore partnerships with local and national conservation organizations to provide
environmental educational programs with a larger, landscape-level focus (i.e., Lake
Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, National Audubon Society).
Objective 3.6: Provide interpretation that promotes understanding, appreciation, and stewardship of
refuge resources.
Discussion: Successful interpretation of refuge resources involves making a connection with the
visitor in a way that relates to the visitor’s personal experience and that makes the resource “come
alive.” The traditional forms of interpretation, most of which have been implemented on Big Branch
Marsh Refuge, include guided tours and walks, talks and presentations, and non-personal interpretive
media, such as signs and visitor center exhibits. Retooling of these to more strongly emphasize
refuge resource management practices and techniques is an achievable goal that would promote
greater support and stewardship among visitors and the general public.
Strategies:
• Review non-personal interpretive media and modify, as needed, to ensure that they
complement and accurately interpret resource issues and management actions.
• Explore development of an additional trail on the refuge to interpret refuge management, such
as from Sapsucker launch (e.g., marsh management), or Sammy Slough area (e.g., fire
ecology).
• Review personal interpretive programs and modify, as needed, to ensure that they
complement and accurately interpret resource issues and management actions, and
strengthen the resource management relevance where possible.
Substrategies:
o Consult with resource specialists on- and off-staff to revise programs as indicated by
review process.
o Partner with other conservation organizations to enhance resource messages
delivered in interpretive programs.
o Seek opportunities to develop the existing chapel building at Bayou Lacombe Centre
as a full-fledged visitor center for the refuge complex, as identified in existing
conceptual studies of refuge facilities.
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 35
Objective 3.7: Promote the Fish and Wildlife Service and career opportunities with an emphasis on
the Refuge System.
Discussion: Career outreach is a part of the overall outreach program at Big Branch Marsh Refuge,
with regular staff visits to school career fairs and similar events throughout the area. Students are
given an overview of Service and Refuge System occupations, educational requirements, and
possible career paths. Student Career Employment Program (SCEP) and Student Temporary
Employment Program (STEP) opportunities are also highlighted.
Strategies:
• Participate in the Youth Conservation Corps summer employment program.
• Look for opportunities to employ STEP students during the school year.
• Participate in Career Day fairs at area schools and universities to acquaint students with
Service career possibilities.
• Participate in the SCEP program for part-time employment and eventual placement of college
students into Service careers.
• Recruit full-time volunteer interns through the Student Conservation Association and other
sources as a means of supplementing the refuge staff and developing the potential of
students who may consider Service careers.
Objective 3.8: Manage the volunteer program to enhance all aspects of refuge management.
Discussion: The use of volunteers to supplement the work of paid staff is essential to completing the
mission of the Refuge System and the Big Branch Marsh Refuge. Resident volunteers, such as
student interns or retired recreational vehicle campers, have been invaluable in many arenas of
refuge activity, from education to maintenance to clerical duties. Local volunteers also work in these
areas. Expansion and improvement of the volunteer program needs especially to be emphasized in
times of tight budgets and hiring constraints.
Strategies:
• Support a constructive partnership with The Friends of Louisiana Wildlife Refuges, Inc.
• Develop corps of volunteers on a project-specific basis.
• Host resident volunteers at recreational vehicle site and interns at refuge housing.
• Establish a volunteer coordinator position.
• Recruit volunteers based on wildlife, habitat-related, and public use-related project needs,
including on-going monitoring.
• Develop and update, as needed, volunteer position descriptions that can be publicized
through Federal and local volunteer recruitment avenues (web sites, area offices).
Objective 3.9: Expand learning opportunities at Bayou Lacombe Centre that emphasize resource
management practices while maintaining incidental recreational use of the site.
Discussion: The Bayou Lacombe Centre parcel of Big Branch Marsh Refuge, which serves as the
site of Southeast Louisiana Refuge Complex headquarters, has distinctive historical and natural
qualities and attributes that make it a very non-typical part of this or any national wildlife refuge.
Former owners include prominent political figures and a Catholic religious order, and about one-fourth
of the grounds have been managed in the past as a commercial garden attraction. Significant
36 Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge
landscape and building resources offer unique opportunities for creative programming that can
highlight and complement many aspects of refuge and wildlife management.
Strategies:
• Continue to produce Wild Things event for National Wildlife Refuge Week.
• Continue to offer occasional public programs, such as garden tours, Junior Refuge Manager
Program, and educational programs, on a non-recurring basis.
Substrategies:
o Provide Junior Refuge Manager Program on a walk-up basis from headquarters.
o Provide educational exhibits and interpretive presentations as part of Wild Things and
other special events onsite.
o Conduct occasional special tours of the grounds on request that focus on cultural
and/or natural history topics.
o Continue to hold public meetings as needed for CCP preparation or other special
needs.
o Maintain pattern of incidental recreational use of the Centre.
o Maintain current status of hunting and fishing programs at Bayou Lacombe Centre: no
hunting permitted, fishing not promoted, and no facilities developed.
o Conduct occasional canoeing tours for special events and groups.
o Offer wildlife observation opportunities on the Bayou Gardens nature trail and at
hummingbird garden.
o Continue to allow access to the grounds during normal business hours of 8 a.m. to 4
p.m., Monday through Friday, for general visitation; maintain locked entrance gate at
other times.
o If staffing levels permit, open temporary visitor center in chapel building; meanwhile,
continue to provide public information (e.g., maps, brochures, and responses to visitor
inquiries) through reception area at refuge complex headquarters.
o Display interpretive exhibits at headquarters building.
o Maintain Friends of Louisiana Wildlife Refuges bookstore operation in Complex
headquarters, administered by both refuge staff and friends.
o With professional input from landscape architects or other specialists, develop a
holistic, strategic plan for optimum use of grounds and buildings at Centre as
resources for public use and resource interpretation.
o In partnership with Friends of Louisiana Wildlife Refuges, sponsor evening lecture
series to emphasize resource management topics and issues.
o Develop demonstration plots within Bayou Lacombe Centre that allow interpretation of
important practices and issues.
o Add environmental education program(s) that interpret the above.
o Seek opportunities to develop the existing chapel building at Bayou Lacombe Centre
as a full-fledged visitor center for the refuge complex, as identified in existing
conceptual studies of refuge facilities.
GOAL 4. Protect the natural and cultural resources of the refuge to ensure their integrity and to fulfill
the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Background: Inherent in ensuring that future generations can enjoy the refuge is protection of its
resources. Cultural resources include archaeological resources, historic and architectural properties,
and areas or sites of tradition or religious significance to Native Americans (614 FW 1, Policy,
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 37
Responsibilities and Definitions). No comprehensive survey of refuge cultural resources has been
completed, but local archaeologists and refuge staff have knowledge of several Native American
middens located along drainages. Enforcement of laws pertaining to wildlife and other natural
resources is fundamental and necessary, especially in areas of high public use. Safety and
protection of the people using the refuge is a priority. Also considered in this goal is protection of the
resources by acquisition of land included in the acquisition boundary recognized in the initiating
process of refuge establishment.
Objective 4.1: Protect known archaeological and historical sites on the refuge from illegal take or
damage in compliance with the Archaeological Resources Protections Act, the Native American
Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, and the National Historic Preservation Act.
Discussion: Although no thorough survey of the entire refuge has been accomplished, middens are
known to exist on banks of bayous within the refuge. These are obviously places where nomadic
groups camped as evidenced by mounds of clam shells left in the refuse piles. The slightly higher
elevation of the middens often create habitat for live oak trees.
Strategies:
• Within 8 years of plan approval, inventory and map the refuge’s known archaeological sites.
• Conduct law enforcement patrols at all known archaeological and historical sites on a regular
basis to inspect for disturbance and illegal digging and/or looting.
• Within 10 years of plan approval, compile a comprehensive literature review of past
archaeological, anthropological, and historical investigations within and near the refuge.
• Within 12 years of plan approval, develop and implement a plan to protect identified
archaeological sites in consultation with the Service’s Archaeologist, the State Historic
Preservation Office, Native American tribes, and the professional archaeological community.
Objective 4.2: Maintain marked refuge boundary and other identifying/directional signs.
Discussion: Big Branch Marsh Refuge is a relatively new refuge within the Refuge System, and is still
being surveyed to determine refuge boundaries. In addition, active acquisition within the approved
acquisition boundary is ongoing. Therefore, refuge boundary signing is of high priority. Because of
frequent storm damage and vandalism, sign replacement is necessary. Direction and informational
signs should be written in clear, concise language and placed in appropriate locations.
Strategies:
• Annually evaluate a minimum of 20 percent of refuge boundary. Delineate refuge boundaries
with signs and paint, as needed.
• Within 7 years of plan approval, evaluate all refuge signage and replace/add signs, as
needed.
Objective 4.3: Provide for visitor safety, protect resources, and ensure the public’s compliance with
refuge regulations.
Discussion: Big Branch Marsh Refuge is located in a quickly developing urban area and has many
visitors. Public uses are limited to those that are compatible with refuge purposes, realizing that
wildlife needs and requirements come first. Therefore, protection of wildlife resources and laws
pertaining to wildlife are a priority of refuge law enforcement. Because of high visitor use, law
38 Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge
enforcement personnel also deal with issues such as hunter safety, illegal drugs, vandalism, thefts,
littering, and safety of visitors. Visitors should be able to enjoy a pleasurable experience with
adequate and safe access. See Goal 3 pertaining to more specific visitor services.
Strategies:
• Within 2 years of plan approval, conduct a review of the refuge law enforcement program,
including reviewing and improving the 2001 refuge law enforcement plan.
• Use the National Wildlife Refuge System Law Enforcement Deployment Model to evaluate
and identify law enforcement staffing needs for present and future law enforcement positions.
• Identify and provide additional training and/or equipment to law enforcement officers that will
enhance their abilities to recognize, apprehend, and prosecute violators and the various types
of violations occurring on the refuge
• Begin a community policing program to liaison with refuge friends, partners, and staff. This
effort will educate and inform different groups of the community as to what their role is
regarding refuge law enforcement and how they can have an impact on protecting the natural
resources of the refuge, as well as its visitors.
• Work cooperatively with local, State, and other Federal law enforcement agencies to enhance
resource protection.
• Throughout the life of the plan, maintain and improve present primary road system; improve
road surfaces.
• Consider improvements to secondary roads/trails for better access in protecting and
managing activities.
Objective 4.4: Acquire those lands identified in the approved acquisition boundary.
Discussion: The 1994 establishing documents of Big Branch Marsh Refuge contain an approved
acquisition boundary, which was extended in two subsequent expansions. The current acquisition
boundary includes approximately 24,000 acres. Currently, fee title lands are approximately 17,366 acres.
Strategy:
• As land within the acquisition boundary becomes available from willing sellers, prioritize by the
land’s ability to support trust resources, and seek funding to acquire land.
Objective 4.5: Determine if any of the refuge land should be nominated for inclusion as a
Wilderness Area.
Discussion: The Wilderness Act of 1964 directs the Secretary of the Interior to review refuges and
other natural areas for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System, if certain criteria are
met. Big Branch Marsh Refuge has not yet had a formal review for Wilderness designation.
Strategy:
• As part of this planning process, conduct a wilderness review (Section B, Appendix H).
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 39
Objective 4.6: Maintain more than $3,000,000 worth of capitalized equipment for the Refuge
Complex of eight refuges to be used in all aspects of refuge administration, including habitat, wildlife,
public use, and protection projects and management.
Discussion: Since Big Branch Marsh Refuge is one of a complex of eight refuges, equipment is
shared among the refuges instead of being assigned solely to one refuge. The equipment referred to
here is not separate from the other refuges in the Complex. Project efficiency depends largely on
age, condition, and maintenance of the equipment needed to get work projects accomplished.
Strategies:
• Maintain a current data base containing all capitalized equipment and a maintenance
schedule.
• Replace or purchase additional equipment as needed in order to have well-maintained and
working equipment for all force account work planned.
40 Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 41
V. Plan Implementation
INTRODUCTION
Refuge lands are managed as defined under the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act
of 1997. Congress has distinguished a clear legislative mission of wildlife conservation for all national
wildlife refuges. National wildlife refuges, unlike other public lands, are specifically dedicated to the
conservation of the Nation’s fish and wildlife resources and wildlife-dependent recreational uses.
Priority projects emphasize the protection and enhancement of fish and wildlife species first and
foremost, but considerable emphasis is placed on balancing the needs and demands for wildlife-dependent
recreation and environmental education.
To accomplish the purpose, vision, goals, and objectives contained in this CCP for Big Branch Marsh
National Wildlife Refuge, this section identifies projects, funding and personnel needs, volunteers,
partnership opportunities, step-down management plans, a monitoring and adaptive management
plan, and plan review and revision on over 18,000 acres of pine flatlands, savannahs, hardwood
hummocks, and marshes.
This CCP focuses on the importance of funding the operations and maintenance needs of the refuge
to ensure the refuge staff can achieve the goals and objectives identified and are crucial to fulfill the
purpose for which the refuge was established. The refuge’s role in protecting and providing habitat
for endangered species, such as the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker, is important. Proposed
priority public use programs will establish and expand opportunities for wildlife-dependent recreation,
but not without specialized staff and resources for operations and maintenance.
PROPOSED PROJECTS
Listed below are the proposed project summaries and their associated costs for fish and wildlife
population management, habitat management, resource protection, visitor services, and refuge
administration over the next 15 years. This proposed project list reflects the priority needs identified
by the public, planning team, and refuge staff based upon available information. These projects were
generated for the purpose of achieving the refuge’s objectives and strategies. The primary linkages
of these projects to those planning elements are identified in each summary.
FISH AND WILDLIFE POPULATION MANAGEMENT
The refuge attracts 17 species of waterfowl, of which the mottled duck and wood duck nest on the
refuge. Shorebirds; wading birds; neotropical migratory songbirds; raptors, including osprey;
mammals; reptiles and amphibians; and numerous fisheries exist on the refuge. The threatened or
endangered red-cockaded woodpecker, bald eagle, eastern brown pelican, Gulf sturgeon, and,
occasionally, West Indian manatee, inhabit the refuge. The refuge marsh wetlands are spawning,
nursery, and feeding grounds for many aquatic species.
42 Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge
Project 1 – Manage and protect threatened and endangered species through recovery plans.
The areas on the refuge are the only government-owned habitats for the red-cockaded woodpecker
(RCW) within the Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes Ecoregion. The refuge population is designated
as a significant support population for the eventual recovery of the species. The refuge will play a
role to maintain the RCW’s intrinsic value and conserve genetic diversity for eventual immigration into
core recoverable populations. Refuge staff will:
• Conduct annual spring roost surveys and nest surveys.
• Annually survey 10 percent of refuge pine lands to look for new RCW nests.
• Annually maintain at least 4 available cavities per active cluster and install inserts, if needed.
• Participate in the translocation program when refuge meets population goal of 20 active clusters.
• Protect cavity trees annually by raking a 10’ circle of fuels to mineral soil.
• Monitor bald eagle nests identified by annual bald eagle surveys. Maintain proper distance of
equipment and other disturbance of 750-1,500 feet from active nests.
• Monitor sightings of manatees and coordinate sightings with Ecological Services Office.
• Coordinate with LADWF fish surveys on occurrence of Gulf sturgeon on near refuge waters.
Project 2 – Monitor species of concern, targeted species, and species of Federal responsibility.
National wildlife refuges are mandated to manage for threatened and endangered species if they
occur on the refuge. However, refuges are also responsible for management of all native species if
the action does not negatively impact the threatened or endangered species. Refuge management is
geared toward managing the ecosystem as a whole.
• An overall faunal species list will be compiled from surveys conducted by Fish and Wildlife Service
biologists and other researchers. This list will be made available to the public through the refuge
website. Within the list, refuge staff will prioritize species based on regional and state lists of
species of concern, at risk/target species identified by Partners in Flight, and other plans.
• Develop a wildlife inventory plan based on species selected as priority species.
• Annual waterfowl surveys will be conducted from October to February.
• Secretive marsh birds will be surveyed and monitored as species of concern. Adaptive refuge
management actions will reflect data collected.
Project 3 – Provide brood habitat and nest sites for wood ducks to support 250 hatching wood ducks
each year.
The wood duck population increase is a success story resulting from protection from hunting and
subsequent harvest regulations. Louisiana was the first state to close the season for 5 years beginning in
1904. A national closed season on wood ducks lasted until 1941, when it was determined that the
population had recovered to the point that the season could be reopened. The season was closed again
in 1954 and 1956 and by several states in the late 1950s. By 1962, the population status had improved to
the point that the limit was increased to 2 per day, which is where we are today.
Wood ducks are a common resident in freshwater wooded ponds today. Wood ducks seek tree cavities
within one mile of water. However, brood success is significantly higher when nests are next to water.
Forested wetlands, scrub/shrub areas, tree-lined bayous, and hardwood hummocks are the preferred
habitats of nesting wood ducks. By the early 1980s, artificial nest boxes had a positive influence on
production. Wood duck boxes contribute significantly to maintenance of wood duck populations.
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 43
• The refuge will install and annually maintain 50 wood duck boxes in hardwood hummocks, as well
as fingers of the bayous and drainages throughout the refuge.
Wood duck habitat on the refuge is minimally confined to these areas and success has been a
challenge in the past. Success rate has been 9-24 nests in 64 available boxes. Those 64 available
boxes have been realistically unavailable due to being placed in the wrong location, in disrepair, or
have not been checked and cleaned regularly. If maintained and checked, the wood duck may use
the same boxes three or four times throughout the year. Maintenance costs of $5,000 are needed
annually to maintain this program.
HABITAT MANAGEMENT
The refuge provides a diversity of habitats for resident and migratory faunal species, including
wetland, aquatic, forestland, and scrub/shrub habitats. The purposes for which the refuge was
established include providing natural habitat for wintering and nesting waterfowl, non-game birds, and
threatened and endangered species.
Project 1 – Manage and maintain fire in dense marsh habitats to ensure healthy and viable plant and
animal communities.
In order to provide adequate habitats with favorable conditions for waterfowl and other migratory birds
and native terrestrial and aquatic species, marsh management capabilities shall include the use of
fire management to encourage growth and development of plants used by wintering and nesting
waterfowl and secretive marsh birds.
• Annually prescribe burn at least 1,000 acres of dense marsh near and contiguous to forested
areas to manipulate timing of desirable plant growth and development.
Through the use of fire, these areas will have increased diversity of vegetation and decreased
vegetation density, improving wildlife habitat. This will increase mottled duck habitat and possibly
improve grassland-dependent and secretive marsh bird species. The refuge 2007 Fire Management
Step-down Plan will utilize research and monitoring to reduce the impact of burning on marsh
subsidence. A fire monitoring plan is already in place in marsh areas adjacent to forest lands and two
current research projects are in place to monitor marsh subsidence in non-prescribed fire areas. The
refuge fire management plan only prescribes burning marshes contiguous with forested lands being
burned until at least 2016. The fire management plan will be re-evaluated at that time based on
monitoring and subsidence research.
Project 2 – Restore marsh in open pond areas over 5 acres in size, fortify the shoreline of the refuge to
ensure healthy and viable plant and animal communities, and protect the integrity of the refuge habitats.
The reduction or attempted halt of marsh subsidence and marsh loss is considered critical through
marsh creation projects and plantings for marsh stabilization.
• Develop grants through CWPPRA, and partnerships with the Lake Pontchartrain Basin
Foundation, Nature Conservancy, and other organizations to restore marsh habitats in open water
ponds to encourage less than 5-acre pond sizes and resulting increased emergent marsh.
• Develop terracing, Christmas tree structures, dedicated dredging projects, etc., to accomplish
this objective.
• Once new lands are formed, plant desired marsh grass.
44 Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge
Project 3 – Manage and maintain pine flatwood areas and savannahs for ecosystems, which support the
endangered red-cockaded woodpecker on over 8,000 acres of mature and developing immature forest.
Pine savannahs and flatwoods provide a diverse habitat community, which in itself is under-represented
based on historical presence.
• Develop a Habitat Management Plan to provide open (Basal area 60-80 sq.ft./acre), mature
(100-year-old), and healthy pine stands with minimal midstory or hardwoods (10 sq.ft/acre),
while maintaining pockets of hardwoods in natural hammocks, sumps, or drainages.
• Develop a fire management plan to use prescribed fire to help maintain open pine flatwoods
and savannahs with groundstory development of broom sedges, bluestems, toothache grass,
etc., by treating over 2,000 acres annually. Within the fire management plan, a wildfire
response plan will allow staff to immediately respond to wildfires within the one-mile response
area to reduce the threat to refuge resources.
Project 4 – Restore over 300 acres of pine savannah to support the endangered red-cockaded
woodpecker.
Pine savannahs existed in pockets throughout the refuge with occasional longleaf pine trees
scattered throughout. Heavy logging in the early 20th century removed longleaf and landowners
planted loblolly pine as a replacement. Areas along Boy Scout Road contain remnant old slash pine
cat-facing created from the turpentine industry.
• Treat midstory species and overstory north of Paquet Road through mechanical control or
intensive prescribed burning to maintain or create an open savannah pine area with up to 13
trees per acre of slash and longleaf. When new lands are acquired in the Fritchie marsh area,
at least 240 acres will also be managed as a savannah.
• Savannah areas will be planted with longleaf pine on a 12-foot spacing to encourage historical
species presence and will be monitored for survival. Determine survival of planted vegetation
within one year of planting. The planting will be considered a success if 80 percent or more
survival exists after one year. Otherwise determine if the planted species needs to be
adjusted or abandoned.
• If savannah ground plants do not naturally develop within a few years of active savannah
management, selected native plants will be planted.
Project 5 – Implement an aggressive invasive species reduction program to remove exotic plant and
animal species from the refuge.
Chinese tallow trees and cogon grass are heavy invaders of the forest, reducing native vegetation.
Other exotic species are beginning to establish on the refuge. Some of these have caused damage
to important wildlife habitats or species. When cogon grass burns, it burns intensively even when
green, causing native plants to receive more intense fires, which results in changes in vegetation
composition. Chinese tallow trees crowd out ground vegetation native to pine savannahs and
flatwoods and provide undesirable midstory in RCW nesting areas, forcing the birds to abandon their
nests. When present in large numbers, Chinese tallow trees also reduce the ability of fire to maintain
an open forest with grassy understory by preventing fire.
Feral hogs destroy habitat by uprooting young trees and other native vegetation. Hogs continue to
root out other areas on the refuge, including roads used by staff and the public. Nutria destroy
habitat by uprooting native vegetation in the marsh, causing more marsh loss.
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 45
• Management efforts will emphasize the eradication or at least the management control of invasive
non-native species. Costs associated with this project include funding for herbicides, spray
equipment, trapping equipment, use of special use permits, and personnel to develop plans,
perform the work, monitor the results, and develop contracts. Start-up costs and staffing needs
are estimated at $250,000-$300,000 with recurring annual costs of $20,000-$25,000.
• Prescribed fire will be used to maintain invasive plants once under control with herbicides.
• Nuisance animal control programs will be utilized for nutria and hogs.
Project 6 – Develop monitoring programs for fire, forest management, marsh restoration, shoreline
fortification, submerged aquatic plants, and the impact of public use activities on the refuge to ensure
healthy and viable plant and animal communities and to protect the integrity of refuge habitats.
• Develop historic GIS maps of soils, habitats, and fire history.
• Establish salinity monitoring points and monitor monthly by taking readings, developing a
spreadsheet database, and evaluating changes. Coordinate with marsh survivability plots and
vegetation composition changes.
• Map vegetation types with the use of GPS and GIS to inventory special and unique areas of
the refuge requiring special management or protection.
• Implement a fire, forest management, and marsh subsidence monitoring plan to monitor the
effects of refuge habitat manipulations and the encouragement of wildlife plants, such as
three-square in the marsh and grasses in the forest. These plans will encourage adaptive
management, using the best possible information to make changes in management actions.
Operational funds should be dedicated for trained personnel performing basic wildlife inventories and
monitoring. One biologist and one technician are needed to perform inventorying, monitoring, and
managing restoration and management programs. Monitoring protocols and procedures will be
established with results that are recognizable and achievable. Sampling schemes will use photo
points and transects to monitor changes from management actions. These monitoring programs will
employ the use of field computers, data collectors, and GIS technology for documentation. Fuel
moistures will be monitored to match prescribed burning timing and intensity with desired results.
After one year of herbicide treatment, staff will evaluate treatment procedures, timing, and materials
and methods of treatment with success or failure.
RESOURCE PROTECTION AND REFUGE ADMINISTRATION
Project 1 – Provide adequate law enforcement protection for refuge resources, Federal trust species,
personnel, and the visiting public.
The refuge hosts approximately 49,000 visitors annually for hunting, fishing, and wildlife-dependent
recreation. Visitation is expected to increase as public use activities are added or expanded.
Visitation has increased dramatically as Hurricane Katrina has brought more residents into the parish.
The refuge will conduct a refuge Law Enforcement Program Review and revise the Law Enforcement
Plan. A full-time law enforcement position is needed to cooperate with State wildlife officers and the
local sheriff and city officers to:
• Protect hunters and other visitors from vandalism, burglary, assault, and otherwise provide a
safe experience while on the refuge.
• Enforce refuge regulations.
• Reduce drug trafficking.
• Reduce littering.
46 Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge
• Rescue lost hunters and aid visitors in need.
• Protect refuge infrastructure, equipment, and cultural and natural resources.
• Conduct patrols at all known archaeological and historical sites, looking for illegal digging or
looting.
Project 2 – Conduct an archaeological survey.
• The staff will prevent management disturbance to known Native American middens on the
refuge.
• Refuge staff will inventory and map archaeological sites and utilize an Unanticipated
Discovery Site Mitigation Plan when new sites are accidentally discovered.
• Develop an archaeological survey in coordination with the regional archaeologist and the
professional archaeological community.
Project 3 – Maintain marked refuge boundary and other identifying and regulating signs.
• Conduct refuge boundary surveys on all new lands when acquired and post accordingly.
• All existing refuge boundaries will be inspected and reposted by annually inspecting and
reposting 20 percent of the refuge boundary.
• Signs will be placed at all refuge entrance points along trails, water courses, and roads.
Project 4 – Acquire lands identified within the approved acquisition boundary
• Acquire lands from willing sellers with the assistance of the Service’s Realty Office.
• Prioritize land acquisitions by tract numbers or names to areas under the most threat to the
natural resources.
• Determine if any acquired lands deserve inclusion in the Wilderness System through a
wilderness review.
Project 5 – Meet current and expanded ability to maintain infrastructure for public use and
management capabilities of the refuge.
Since Big Branch Marsh Refuge is one of eight refuges in the Southeast Louisiana National Wildlife
Refuge Complex, equipment and maintenance responsibilities are shared.
• Staff, equipment, office space, roads and trails, observation platforms, boat launches, parking
areas, boardwalks, refuge facilities, equipment, and vehicles must be maintained regularly
through a maintenance management system.
VISITOR SERVICES
The refuge is near a rapidly growing community. St. Tammany has consistently been one of the
quickest growing parishes in the State of Louisiana. The need for providing opportunities for outdoor
recreation was identified within the purposes for which the refuge was established and expressed by
the landowner of the first donation to the refuge.
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 47
Project 1 – Maintain habitat on Bayou Lacombe Centre (Complex Headquarters) for public
interpretation/demonstration and cultural history.
The 112-acre site used for the refuge headquarters has 100 years of history. The site is the
administrative headquarters for a complex of eight refuges. Historically, the site began as a dairy
farm, then gardens and home for Governor Leche, and lastly, a Catholic high school and seminary
before becoming headquarters to the Southeast Louisiana Refuge Complex. The buildings on the
grounds have been and continue to be renovated for administrative use by the Service. When
possible, the architectural design will be maintained for its historical significance and beauty.
• Develop a landscape plan to identify areas with native and non-native vegetation for
aesthetics and maintenance of the historical use of the area. Create demonstration
management areas as backyard habitat or examples of refuge management. Use these
areas and indoor classrooms for environmental education and Friends Group-sponsored
lectures on refuge management and refuge resources. Restore a portion of the former
gardens to retain historical beauty. Maintain hiking trails through the historical garden areas
and through habitat demonstration areas. No active management for the purposes of wildlife
population control or management will be performed unless threatened or endangered
species are found. The site will be used for disaster response and will be shared among other
Service resources as needed and when fiscally feasible. The site is also used as the fire
center when detailed severity wildfire crews are dispatched, during sponsored events
promoting wildlife and refuges (e.g., Wild Things event), and other public events to promote
refuge management. Reside