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

Appendix F: Staffing Charts
Public Review and Comment: The compatibility determination was included in the Draft
CCP/EA. The Draft CCP/EA was available for comment from July 20 through September
3, 2003. Refuge staff held four public meetings to collect public comments, written and
verbal, on the draft CCP/EA, including all compatibility determinations.
Determination:
Use is not compatible ___.
Use is Compatible with the following stipulations _X_.
The following stipulations are required to ensure compatibility:
The designated areas for fishing may need stabilization to prevent erosion before being
opened and or to curb erosion after use of these areas has begun.
Enforcement will be conducted to help curb illegal fires, disorderly conduct and littering.
Enforcement will also help to ensure that fishing regulations are observed, reduce creation
of unauthorized trails and serve as a direct contact to the fishing public. Public meetings
with local fishing clubs and interested parties will also be required to reinforce refuge
regulations. If these measures do not curb unauthorized activities, other measures will be
implemented to control activities and fishermen.
Law enforcement patrol of public use areas should minimize the above-mentioned types of
violations. The current “Refuge open ½ hour before sunrise to ½ hour after sunset”
regulation restricts entry after daylight hours, and should be maintained along with
“Public Use Restricted to Trails Only”.
Justification: The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (P.L. 105-
57) identifies six legitimate and appropriate uses of wildlife refuges: fishing, environmental
education, interpretation, hunting, wildlife observation and wildlife photography. These
priority public uses are dependent upon healthy wildlife populations. Where these uses are
determined to be compatible, they are to receive enhanced consideration over other uses in
planning and management.
Fishing is a wildlife-oriented activity that provides substantial recreational opportunities
to the public (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1992 and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
1997). Fishing is a traditional form of outdoor recreation.
These activities will not materially interfere with or detract from the mission of the
National Wildlife Refuge System or the purposes for which the refuge was established.
Literature Cited:
Burger, J. 1981. The Effect of Human Activity on Birds at a Coastal Bay. Biol. Conserv.
21:231-241.
Gregory, M.R. 1991. The Hazards of Persistent Marine Pollution: Drift Plastics and
Conservation Islands. J. Royal Soc. New Zealand. 21(2):83-100.
- 216 -
Assabet River NWR