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

Chapter 4: Management Direction
Chapter 4: Management Direction
The Service manages fish and wildlife habitats considering the needs of all
resources in decision-making. A requirement of the Refuge Improvement
Act is to maintain the ecological health, diversity, and integrity of refuges.
The refuge is a vital link in the overall function of the ecosystem. To offset
the historic and continuing loss of riparian and forested floodplain habitats
within the ecosystem, the refuge helps to provide a biological "safety net"
for migratory non-game birds and waterfowl, threatened and endangered
species, and other species of concern.
The vision and goals of the refuge translate the stated refuge purpose into
management direction. To the extent practicable, each goal is supported by
objectives with strategies needed to accomplish them. Objectives are
intended to be accomplished within 15 years, although actual
implementation may vary as a result of available funding and staff.
Refuge Complex Vision
The Complex will contribute to the mission of the Refuge System and
support ecosystem–wide priority wildlife and natural communities.
Management will maximize the diversity and abundance of fish and wildlife
with emphasis on threatened and endangered species, migratory birds, and
aquatic resources. The Complex will have a well-funded and communitysupported
acquisition program which contributes to wildlife conservation.
The refuges will be well known nationally and appreciated in their
communities. They will be seen as active partners in their communities,
school systems, and environmental organizations which will result in high
levels of support for the refuges. The refuges will be a showcase for sound
wildlife management techniques and will offer top-quality, compatible,
wildlife dependent recreational activities. Refuges open to the public will
provide staffed visitor contact facilities that are clean, attractive, and
accessible, with effective environmental education and interpretation.
Refuge Complex Goals
The following goals were developed for the Complex to support the mission
of the Refuge System and the Gulf of Maine Ecosystem Priorities. These
goals provide a general management direction for the refuges. Not all of
the goals are applicable to all eight of the Complex refuges. Each of the
goals is followed by the management strategies that will help refuge staff to
meet the appropriate goals.
Goal 1: Recover threatened and endangered species of the Complex.
There are no known federally listed threatened or endangered species at
Assabet River NWR. A number of the strategies and objectives that are
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