The Avocet
Excerpts from Fall 2003 Avocet
As many of you know we have just closed one door on a Refuge-wide planning
process. We will be
releasing our Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) soon. This plan
will guide us in Refuge
management for the next 15 years, including public use. As we close one
planning door, another one invariably opens. This one is a step-down plan
to the CCP solely on Public Use.
This summer the refuge held a meeting with the Friends and the Refuge
Staff to start the ball rolling on the future of public use on all three
refuges: Baca, Alamosa, and Monte Vista. So you may be asking what is
public use on National Wildlife Refuges mean, don’t worry I ask myself
that all the time. Luckily the U.S Congress has outlined it nicely for
us. The National Wildlife Refuge Improvement
Act of 1997 outlined appropriate public uses on National Wildlife Refuges.
Congress described six major and compatible uses of National Wildlife
Refuges. We call these the “Big 6” and they are: wildlife observation,
interpretation, environmental education, hunting, fishing and wildlife
photography. All these uses are directly dependent on wildlife, which
makes them a good fit for public lands set aside for wildlife first. Other
uses, that aren’t directly related to wildlife must be put through
a compatibility determination, before it is allowed. Through the Big 6,
the Public Use Step Down Plan works to accomplishing the public use goal
outlined in the CCP. This goal strives to: Foster understanding,
appreciation, and stewardship of The National Wildlife Refuge System,
migratory birds and wetlands within the San Luis Valley (Upper Rio Grande
Ecosystem.). Following this lofty and admirable goal there are objectives
incorporating the “The Big 6” and other important public uses
partnerships. The most notable partnership objective encourages our relationship
with the Friends Group. Many ideas came from both the staff and Friends
public use brainstorming sessions. The following is just a few ideas from
each Big 6 category Interpretation • Development of Olsen property
as Living History Homestead and Refuge Interpretation Center • Interpretive
signs on Rio Grande Nature Trail • Interpretive materials at all
Refuges Environmental Education • K-12 Refuge Field Trip Programs
• Outdoor and Indoor Classroom sites at each Refuge Hunting •
Biannual Hunter surveys to assess quality and safety
of hunt • Waterfowl Hunter Education Program for Kids and Adults
Fishing • Continue with Kids Fishing Day • Incorporate more
education programming during Kids’ Fishing Day Wildlife ObservationPublic
Use Vision • Expand involvement in the Monte Vista Crane Festival
• Build more trails for wildlife viewing Wildlife Photography: •
Create permanent photo blinds for professional and
amateur photographers to photograph wildlife From these initial brainstorming
efforts, and input from other stakeholders we will develop a step-down
plan that will be our day to day guide for public use on the Refuge Complex.
Come see the sights of fall at Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge—
thousands of migrating cranes and Legacy of Partnerships Bureau of Reclamation,
several landowners and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region 6 Reality
staff, for their creativity, patience and commitment in expanding the
size of Alamosa and Monte Vista NWR=s by over 1,000 acres during the last
five years. Their work has simplified water management, benefitted the
endangered southwestern willow flycatcher and waterbird habitat in the
San Luis Valley. This event will happen but, for a number of reasons,
not during National Wildlife Refuge Week. So, once again, we ask for our
partners patience. Once again thanks to all that have helped weave Alamosa,
Monte Vista and Baca National Wildlife refuges into the ecological and
social fabric of the San Luis Valley. Your legacy will endure.