Annual Report of LandsUnder Control of the U.S.Fish & Wildlife Serviceas of September 30, 2003

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

On the cover:Baca National Wildlife Refuge

On April 10, 2003, the Service acquired3,302 acres via transfer from the Bureauof Reclamation to establish the BacaNational Wildlife Refuge in the San LuisValley of Colorado. The establishment ofthe refuge is authorized by the GreatSand Dunes National Park and PreserveAct of 2000, Public Law 106-530.

The establishment of this refuge willprotect water resources; protect andmaintain irrigation water rightsnecessary for the protection ofmonument, park, preserve, and refugeresources; and minimize to the extentconsistent with protection of nationalwildlife refuge resources, adverse impactson other water users. The approvedrefuge boundary will consist ofapproximately 92,500 acres of wetlands,sagebrush, and riparian lands, of which atotal of 53,500 acres will be acquired andmanaged by the Service, with theremaining 35,700 acres in private andState ownership. Other land featureswithin the refuge include sand dunes,forested areas, and several thousandacres of ditch-serviced and irrigatedlands.

The refuge boundary abuts lands ownedor managed by other conservationentities such as The Nature Conservancy,the National Park Service, the U.S.Forest Service, and the Colorado LandBoard of Commissioners. The Servicealong with these neighboring landownerswill manage the largest and most diverseassemblage of wetlands in the State ofColorado. Most of these wetlands areidentified as Conservation Sites by theColorado Natural Heritage Program.These wetlands provide habitat for amyriad of water birds, including thelargest nesting colonies of snowy egrets,white-faced ibis, and black-crowned nightherons. This area also provides criticalmigration habitat for the entire RockyMountain population of greater Sandhillcranes. Under the preservation of theService, the wetlands can be managed ina coordinated fashion for the benefit ofnationally significant water birdpopulations and rare plant communitiesof global significance. The refuge landsoffer unique hydrological, educational,wildlife, recreational, and other diverseresources which will be preserved forfuture generations.

Cover Photo Courtesy of:Karen R. Hollingsworth, Three Black Ducks

Annual Report of Lands Under Controlof the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serviceas of September 30, 2003

Message from the Director ....................................................................................................1

Location Maps

Key to Real Property Numbers ................................................................................................2

Map of National Fish and Wildlife Management Areas ......................................................4

Map of Waterfowl Production Areas ......................................................................................6

Significant Land Acquisition Accomplishments in Fiscal Year 2003 ..................................7

Tables

1 Summary by Categories ......................................................................................................9

2 Summary by States, Associated Governments and Possessions ................................10

2A FY 2003 Summary by States, Associated Governments and Possessions ................12

3 National Wildlife Refuges ..................................................................................................13

4 Waterfowl Production Areas..............................................................................................29

5 Coordination Areas..............................................................................................................36

6 Administrative Sites............................................................................................................38

7 National Fish Hatcheries ..................................................................................................40

8 Wilderness Areas in National Wildlife Refuges and National Fish Hatcheries ......44

9 Migratory Waterfowl Refuges on Federal Water Resource Projects ........................47

Notes ......................................................................................................................................49

Compiled By: Division of Realty

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For more than a century, the NationalWildlife Refuge System has succeeded inconserving irreplaceable ecosystems,even as our nation’s population hasskyrocketed and urbanization hasspread. This extraordinary and vastexpanse of lands, now encompassing 542wildlife refuges across 95 million acres ofsome of the world’s best wildlife habitat,is our gift to the “unborn generations”for whom President Theodore Rooseveltcreated the refuge system on PelicanIsland, Florida, March 14, 1903.

This year’s report includes the additionof two new refuges––Baca NationalWildlife Refuge in Colorado andMountain Longleaf National WildlifeRefuge in Alabama. Baca NWR wasestablished April 10 when the Fish andWildlife Service accepted the transfer of3,302 acres of developed wetlands on theWhite Ranch from the Bureau ofReclamation. Mountain Longleaf NWR,the first mountain refuge in theSoutheast, was established May 29 andwill protect the best remaining forests ofmountain longleaf pine, habitat for theendangered gray bat and many neo-tropical migratory birds.

Today, the refuge system protects a richdiversity of fish and wildlife, includingmore than 700 species of birds, 220species of mammals, 250 reptile andamphibian species and more than 200species of fish.

Wildlife refuges are tools that have beenused to rescue and recover species fromextinction, providing habitat for morethan 250 threatened or endangeredplants and animals. Each year, millionsof migrating birds use wildlife refuges assteppingstones on which to rest as theymigrate thousands of miles south for thewinter and return north for the summer.

Perhaps most importantly, wildliferefuges are a consistent and visiblepromise by the United States to itscitizens that species, wild and free, willforever have a place on the land and inthe national consciousness.

Refuge landscapes are enormouslydiverse, ranging from tiny islands of lessthan three acres to vast expanses inAlaska. Habitats are equallydiverse––from arctic tundra andtowering mountain peaks in Alaska totallgrass and wet prairies in theDakotas, and tropical tree islands in theFlorida Keys.

In addition to managing refuges, therefuge system also administers 37wetland management districts thatencompass thousands of waterfowlprotection areas in 203 counties acrossthe United States.

Wildlife refuges have been calledAmerica’s best-kept secret. The yearlongRefuge System Centennial is changingthat perception. Nearly 40 million peoplehave visited wildlife refuges in the pastyear, coming in droves to festivals,dedications, fishing derbies, huntingexpos, and family days where theylearned the extraordinary story of therefuge system and the wonders ofunspoiled nature.

The future of wildlife is best assured bygiving people the chance to experience itfirsthand. A new generation will developa love for the natural world only ifyoungsters have a chance to cast theirfishing lines into the waters of a nearbycreek, listen to the whistling wings ofmallards, or search for songbirds amonga canopy of 100-year-old trees. With awildlife refuge just an hour’s drive frommost metropolitan areas, the refugesystem offers the best chance for today’s

youth––too often trapped in front of atelevision screen––to see firsthand ournation’s outdoor heritage.

The refuge system is also theembodiment of Interior Secretary GaleNorton’s “Four C’s”––consultation,cooperation, communication, all in theservice of conservation. Some 38,000volunteers form a cooperative workforce10 times larger than the refuge systemstaff. Volunteers accomplish 20 percentof the work done on refuges. More than240 community Friends groups are keypartners in achieving refuge goals, oftenraising funds for projects.

In 2003 alone, more than 1,400partners––especially our Friendsgroups––donated more than $10 millionin money, services, and labor to therefuge system, adding $5 of value toevery $3 budgeted.

The seed of an idea that began in 1903on a tiny Pelican Island––that eachgeneration has a responsibility to passon some untouched, unmarred places ofnatural wonder––has blossomed into theNational Wildlife Refuge System, theworld’s most expansive network ofprotected lands dedicated to wildlifeconservation.

Now, we begin to celebrate the secondcentury of the refuge system. There isno better was to salute the refugesystem’s achievements than by visiting awildlife refuge with binoculars, fishingrod, shotgun or camera in hand,surrounded by the next generation ofconservationists and outdoor enthusiastsin tow. So come out and enjoy yourNational Wildlife Refuge System.

Message from the Director

Director

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serviceacquired fee title or other interest innearly 511,000 acres of land in Fiscal Year2003, and the number of national wildliferefuges increased from 540 in FY 2002 to542 in FY 2003. New units established aspart of the National Wildlife RefugeSystem in Fiscal Year 2003 were the BacaNational Wildlife Refuge (NWR) inColorado and Mountain Longleaf NWR inAlabama, as authorized by law.

Baca NWR: Public Law 106-530authorized the establishment of the BacaNational Wildlife Refuge in San LuisValley, Colorado. The San Luis Valleycontains the largest and most importantconcentration of wetlands in Colorado.This refuge is established to protectwater resources, maintain water rights,and minimize to the extent consistentwith the protection of national wildliferesources, adverse impacts on otherwater users. The wetland areas areimportant habitat to a variety of water-dependent birds such as shorebirds andwaterfowl (also see cover).

Mountain Longleaf NWR: Public Law 107-314 authorized the transfer ofapproximately 7,759 acres of the formerFort McClellan in Anniston, Alabama forthe establishment of the MountainLongleaf NWR. The refuge is establishedto enhance, manage and protect theunique mountain longleaf pinecommunity. This forest type is beingrapidly lost in the southeastern UnitedStates and this population may representthe largest and most pristine example ofthe mountain longleaf pine forest. Thearea also provides habitat for theendangered gray bat and has historicallyprovided habitat for the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker.

Also, numerous partnership opportunitiesresulted in several additions to existingnational wildlife refuges. The Cahaba RiverNWR experienced significant growth inFiscal Year 2003. In partnership with TheNature Conservancy (TNC), the Serviceacquired an additional 1,857 acres. Therefuge was established in 2000 and is nowover eighty percent complete. The

Cahaba River is one of the nation’s mostbiologically diverse and threatened rivers.The river provides habitat for a numberof rare and imperiled fish, mollusks, andplant species.

The Red River NWR is comprised of fiveunits distributed along a 280 mile stretchin northwest Louisiana. Land acquisitionefforts began in 2002, and an additional2,960 acres have been acquired (SpanishLake Bottoms Unit, Headquarters Unitand Bayou Pierre Unit) doubling the sizeof the refuge. These land acquisitionefforts have been accomplished with theassistance of The Conservation Fund(TCF) and TNC. Eventually, the refugewill provide habitat and sanctuary forover 350 species of birds.

The Service acquired 6,924 acres at CatIsland NWR in Louisiana by partneringwith TNC. This refuge contains one of thehighest densities of old-growth baldcypress in the nation and the largest baldcypress known in the United States. Therefuge provides habitat for a naturaldiversity of fish and wildlife, includingnon-game neotropical migratory birds,breeding and wintering waterfowl,woodcock, wading birds, and thethreatened Louisiana black bear.

The Service acquired a 153-acre tract atDetroit River International Wildlife Refuge.This tract was formerly a diked farm onthe estuary shore of the Detroit Riverand represents the first acquisition at thenew international refuge. This vitalacquisition will provide feeding andnesting habitat for thousands of ducks,including canvasbacks.

The Service, in cooperation with the Stateof California completed acquisition of theCargill tract totaling 16,500 acres at DonEdwards San Francisco Bay NWR. TheService acquired approximately 9,600acres, and the remaining acreage wasacquired by the State. This propertyrepresents a unique environmentalopportunity to restore wetlands at theedge of the San Francisco Bay wherewetland loss has been significant.

The Siletz Bay NWR was established in1991 to protect and restore importantcoastal wetland habitats and uplandbuffers for a variety of estuarine-dependent fish and wildlife resources.Land acquisition efforts are focused onacquiring former diked tidelands that canbe restored. After six years ofnegotiations, the Service acquired twotracts of land totaling four acres. Theacquisition of these tracts were essentialfor a major tidal marsh restorationproject to proceed. The Millport SloughTidal Marsh Restoration Project willrestore 100 acres of tidal salt marsh. Our partners on this project includePacificorp, Ducks Unlimited, ConfederateTribes of the Siletz Indians, ForestService, Mid-Coast Watershed Council,Oregon Coastal Program, Oregon HabitatJoint Venture, and the American LandConservancy.

The Service acquired three tracts of landthat are essential to the tidal marshrestoration project within the Ni-les’tunUnit of the Bandon Marsh NWR. TheService purchased one tract, and TNCpurchased another tract for eventualacquisition by the Service whenappropriated funds are received. Thethird tract was donated and will precludethe need to construct expensive dikes andwater control structures as part of therestoration project, thus resulting inconsiderable cost savings to the refuge.When completed, this restoration projectwill be the largest ever constructed in thestate of Oregon. Partnerships with theBandon Dunes Golf Resort, DucksUnlimited, Coquille Indian Tribe,Confederate Tribes of the Siletz Indians,TNC, The Archaeological Conservancy,Shoreline Education for Awareness,South Slough National EstuarineResearch Reserve, Port of Bandon,Oregon Coastal Program, and OregonHabitat Joint Venture have allowed us toacquire 857 of the 1,000 acres in theapproved acquisition boundary.

The Nestucca Bay NWR was expanded in2000 to protect key habitats forthreatened and endangered species suchas Coho Salmon. This rare and unique

Significant Land AcquisitionAccomplishments in Fiscal Year 2003

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coastal bog ecosystem provides adiversity of habitats for migratory birds,mammals, amphibians, as well ascompatible wildlife-dependentrecreational activities. The Service nowpreserves all tidal salt marsh within therefuge boundary. The Service alsoaccepted a donation on the Marsh Unitthat serves as a buffer between a housingdevelopment and the marsh.

Palmyra Atoll NWR provides nestinghabitat for migratory seabirds. TheService purchased approximately 416acres of this beautiful and resource richatoll from TNC and established the landbase of the refuge. This importantacquisition also included a donation fromTNC for access and rights to use theinfrastructure and a site on Cooper andMenge Islands for refuge managementpurposes. The Service is workingcooperatively with TNC to implementrefuge management programs and permitcompatible public use for: wildlifeobservation and photography,environmental education andinterpretation, recreational fishing, andaccess by recreational sailboats andmotorboats.

The Clark County Conservation of PublicLand and Natural Resources Act of 2002

added 26,433 acres of land to the DesertNational Wildlife Range. This land waspreviously under the jurisdiction of theBureau of Land Management and willprovide additional habitat for the bighornsheep, desert tortoise, and a wide varietyof flora and fauna found where theMojave Desert and the Great Basin meet.

Public Law 106-398, as amended byPublic Law 107-107 authorized thetransfer of 14,573 acres from theDepartment of the Navy to the Secretaryof the Interior for the Vieques NWR inPuerto Rico. On April 29, 2003, theGeneral Services Administrationtransferred an additional 96 acres for atotal of 14,699 acres. Vieques NationalWildlife Refuge is the largest refuge inthe Caribbean. The refuge containsseveral ecologically distinct habitatsincluding: beaches, coastal lagoons,mangrove wetlands, and upland forestedareas. The marine environmentsurrounding the refuge contains coralreefs and sea grass beds.

The U.S. Army and Department of theInterior signed a Memorandum ofAgreement on September 26, 2003 totransition 9,404 acres of the SavannaArmy Depot Activity in Savanna, Illinois,into the National Wildlife Refuge System.

On the same day, the Departmentaccepted transfer of primary jurisdictionover two parcels totaling 3,022 acres. Thearea is now known as the Lost MoundUnit of the Upper Mississippi RiverNational Wildlife and Fish Refuge andprovides increased protection andconservation of the unique naturalresources found there. Habitat at LostMound includes sand prairie and sandsavanna––atypical sand formations at thesouthern zone of what is referred to asthe “driftless” area––and contains one ofthe largest natural grasslands in theMidwest. Most of Lost Mound isriverine/flood plain forest that provideshabitat for marsh and water birds,raptors, waterfowl, neotropical migrants,otter, beaver, muskrats and fish. Both theuplands and bottomlands of the Unit haveexcellent wildlife and biodiversity values.Lost Mound Unit will also provide futureopportunities for public recreation andecotourism in this area. The Service willmanage the area while Army continues toclean up the hazardous substances andother environmental contaminants foundthere. Lost Mound is jointly managed bythe Service and the Illinois Departmentof Natural Resources (ILDNR).

A complete list of new additions to the National Wildlife Refuge System is as follows:

State Unit Name Acres Date Est.

Colorado Baca NWR 3,302 4/10/2003

Alabama Mountain Longleaf NWR 7,759 5/29/2003

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In addition to the changes noted in theaccomplishments on page 7 and thosenoted below, the figures in our tables mayshow some changes from previous annualreports. For example, decreases inacreage figures may reflect expiredleases, real property disposals made inland exchanges, or property transfers.An increase or decrease may be notedafter new property surveys arecompleted or when additional informationis entered into the database after the datahas been transmitted from the regions forpublication. Other changes result fromcorrections that are made when errorsare found in the historical data previouslyentered into the database systems orwhen information was not previouslyentered into the database (e.g., see Table3, Clear Lake NWR in California where aduplicate entry was removed and CaboRojo NWR in Puerto Rico where the totalacreage is corrected due to a survey).

Table 2A: Negative acreage will appear inTable 2A when we dispose of or transfermore acres than we acquire during thefiscal year. For example, acreage totaling188 acres was exchanged on McNaryNWR, Washington, for other land withinthe acquisition boundary.

Table 3: Two additional refuges wereestablished: Baca NWR in Colorado andMountain Longleaf NWR in Alabama(see Accomplishments section of thisreport). Also, a Memorandum ofUnderstanding was signed with the Officeof Insular Affairs, and the Service is nowmanaging the surrounding submergedlands and waters of the Midway AtollNWR out to 12 nautical miles. Thispresents a significant acreage adjustmentat Midway.

Tables 3 and 4: The report summarizesFarm Service Agency (formerly FarmersHome Administration), Department ofAgriculture, units in Table 3 by state andin Table 4 by state and county. Theseentries, identified as “FSA Interest”consist of lands or interests in landsacquired from the Farm Service Agencythat are not located within existingproject boundaries. We include FSAunits in state and county acreage totals,but do not count them as separate units.

Table 4: The Waterfowl Production Areasare units of the National Wildlife RefugeSystem established under the MigratoryBird Hunting and Conservation StampAct. For purposes of this report, theacreage of the WPAs are rolled up bycounty in each state and the total numberof NWRS Waterfowl Production Areaunits are shown as the total number ofapproved counties with WPA acres.

Table 6: San Simeon, California wasremoved because the permit expired andLewis River, Alaska was also removed.We no longer have a property interest ineither site.

Table 7: The Ouray hatchery in Utah iscounted as a National Fish Hatchery butit is located on the Ouray NationalWildlife Refuge and the acreage isincluded in Table 3 rather than Table 7. The Hagerman National Fish Hatcheryin Idaho is managed by the Service, butthe remainder of the land is managed bythe State and appears in Table 5 as theHagerman Coordination Area.

Notes

U.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Fish & Wildlife ServiceDivision of Realtyhttp://realty.fws.gov/

April 2004