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

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Chapter 5: Refuge Administration
Refuge Buildings and Facilities
We will complete our architectural/engineering condition assessment and
historical significance review of the 9 structures remaining on the refuge.
All buildings with historical significance will be appropriately documented.
All 9 structures will be removed following review and documentation.
We will work with state, private and other federal partners to obtain
authorization and funding that will enable the construction of a visitor
contact station at the Assabet River NWR. The siting of the facility will be
determined at a later date, and will be based on the wildlife and habitat
management plans to be developed as well as the historical and condition
assessments of existing facilities. A location close to the former Main or
North Gates will be the most likely to be chosen for the center. The visitor
contact station will be no more than 4000 square feet
in size. It will provide space for interpretive exhibits, a
meeting room and administrative offices for refuge
staff. The current, proposed locations of these facilities
are depicted on Map 4-1.
As part of the Centennial Celebration for the Refuge
System, the Service identified ten refuges in the
country for new visitor centers. The Complex ranked
number three on the Service’s list. Refuges were
ranked on a number of factors including their need for
Redwing Blackbird chicks: USFWS photo
a facility and potential to provide opportunities for a
large audience. The site for the new facility is not identified in this
document. However, below are the criteria we will use to identify potential
sites. Sites chosen will be evaluated in a later Environmental Assessment.
The new center might be located at Great Meadows, Oxbow, or Assabet
River NWRs or off-site in the vicinity of one of these refuges. The new
facility will house exhibits focusing on a variety of environmental themes as
well as refuge management activities. We will implement recommendations
for interior facility design from the Complex Project Identification
Document, after it is finalized. We will evaluate each potential site with the
following criteria:
� Access from a major travel route (Route 2, 128, etc.)
� Access from public transportation
� Accessibility of utilities
� Presence of trust species, habitats or other important resources
� Opportunity for outdoor features associated with center, including
interpretive trails
� Topography
� Potential disturbance to habitats
� Presence of hazardous wastes
� Potential impacts to neighbors
� Buffer from current or predicted commercial activity
Assabet River NWR