Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge: Comprehensive Conservation Plan

摘要

The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 established a clear legislative mission of wildlife conservation for the National Wildlife Refuge System. Activities were initiated in 1997 to complement the direction of this new legislation, including an effort to complete 15-year management plans (i.e., comprehensive conservation plans) for all refuges. These plans, which are conducted with full public involvement, help guide the management of refuges, including providing management direction for natural resources, as well as recreation and education programs. The Act states that each refuge shall be managed to: (1) Fulfill the mission of the Refuge System; (2) Fulfill the individual purposes of each refuge; (3) Consider the needs of fish and wildlife first; (4) Fulfill the requirement of developing a comprehensive conservation plan for each unit of the Refuge System and fully involve the public in the preparation of these plans; (5) Maintain the biological integrity, diversity, and environmental health, cumulatively referred to as ecological integrity of the Refuge System; and (6) Recognize that wildlife-dependent recreation activities, including hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, wildlife photography, and environmental education and interpretation, are legitimate and priority public uses of national wildlife refuges.