Assabet River NWR Final CCP - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

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Appendix C: Responses to Substantive Comments
actions have on the surrounding landscape. The patchwork of lands that create these
refuges creates unique challenges and partnerships. The Service mission and refuge
purposes must be our first priority. We understand that this priority does not always
mesh with adjacent landowners’ wishes and concerns. We are a part of the larger Refuge
System and must consider not only our role in the surrounding ecosystem, but our role in
the Refuge System, as well.
Priority Public Uses
Hunting – General
Hunting was the issue most frequently addressed in comments on the draft CCP. General
hunting comments include advocates for hunting on public lands and individuals that
are opposed to hunting in any form.
The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (Refuge Improvement
Act) lists hunting as one of six priority, wildlife-dependent public uses to receive enhanced
and preferential consideration in refuge planning and management. In addition to hunting,
other priority uses include fishing, wildlife observation and photography, environmental
education and interpretation. Our mandate is to provide high-quality opportunities for
these priority uses where they are compatible with respective refuge purposes, goals, and
other management priorities.
Regardless of individual opinions about the appropriateness of hunting on the refuges, the
Refuge Improvement Act requires that we give preferential consideration to the six
priority, wildlife-dependent uses. We are also concerned about the potential for hunting to
impact other priority uses. There appears to have been some confusion about where we
are proposing to allow hunting. We have outlined the areas where hunting is to be allowed
on the maps that are included as a part of the CCP.
We have included some of the additional details in regard to hunting in the Final CCPs. In
order to open the refuges to additional hunting opportunities, Federal regulations will
need to be changed. There will be an additional public comment period when proposed
hunting regulations are released in the Federal Register. This will likely occur during the
winter/spring of 2005.
Additionally, we will be developing a Hunt Management Plan for each Refuge that will
outline all of the details for each specific hunting program.
Each plan will be completed in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Fish
and Game (MA DFG), Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. Refuge areas that meet certain
criteria have been evaluated to determine tracts of land that have the ability to support a
high quality public hunt. We have determined that certain areas are appropriate for
certain types of hunting and not others. The criteria used included: 1) an area of sufficient
size to insure public safety; 2) an area more than 500 feet from occupied dwellings
(Massachusetts state law); and 3) an area that provides reasonable opportunities for a
successful hunt. An additional consideration that was considered in some instances is
Assabet River NWR