u.s. fish & wildlife service trempealeauin addition, on july 10, 2007, the refuge hosted a...

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

TrempealeauNational Wildlife Refuge

SummaryComprehensive Conservation Plan

August 2008

ContentsComprehensive Conservation Plan Approved! .................. 1

Where to Find the CCP........................................................ 1

The Planning Process .......................................................... 3

Vital Statistics ..................................................................... 3

Who We Are........................................................................ 4

Our Vision for the Refuge.................................................... 4

Our Refuge Goals ................................................................ 4

Highlights From the Plan ..................................................... 4

Plan Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation .............. 6

Into the Future ..................................................................... 8

Comprehensive Conservation Plan Approved!

A planning effort that involved neighbors, non-government organizations, local officials and inter-ested citizens has concluded with the completion of acomprehensive conservation plan (CCP) for Trem-pealeau National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in south-western Wisconsin. The U.S. Fish & WildlifeService completed an Environmental Impact State-ment in May 2008 and a Record of Decision wassigned June 17, 2008.

The comprehensive conservation plan lays outmanagement goals for the next 15 years and speci-fies the objectives and strategies needed to accom-plish these goals.

While comprehensive conservation plans guidemanagement and are used in strategic planning andprioritizing programs, they do not constitute acommitment for staffing increases or operationaland maintenance increases that may be detailed inthe plan. Where to Find the CCP

The CCP is available in a variety of formats andplaces.

A limited number of paper copies are availablefor individuals who want one. The CCP is alsoavailable as a pdf document on compact disk. Torequest either one, please call the Refuge at 608/539-2311.

If you have access to a computer, you can see theplan in portable document format (pdf) at theRefuge’s planning website:

http://www.fws.gov/midwest/planning/Trempealeau

Trempealeau Mountain. © Sandra Lines

August 2008 / Comprehensive Conservation Plan Summary

Location of Trempealeau NWR

Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge2


Paper copies and an electronic version of the planare available at the Shirley M. Wright MemorialLibrary in Trempealeau, Wisconsin, and the LaCrosse Public Library in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

The Planning ProcessScoping of issues began in September of 2002

with a public meeting in Centerville, Wisconsin toidentify issues. Key issues identified at the meetingand by Refuge staff, were summarized in 12 “factsheets” that provided the basis for discussiongroups at an all-day workshop in March of 2003.Workshop participants were “managers for a day”making tough decisions about how to balance oftenconflicting Refuge uses. A website was maintainedwith up-to-date news about the process. Follow-upmeetings with Wisconsin Department of NaturalResources and briefings with various commissions,associations, and Congressional offices occurredthroughout the process.

The Draft EIS/CCP was released for publicreview in June 2007 with a 60-day comment period.Summaries were mailed to 250 people, and full cop-ies were provided to 52 people, agencies, and non-government organizations. Paper copies were alsodistributed to eight libraries in the area surround-ing the Refuge.

The full EIS/CCP was posted on the Refuge’splanning website.

Twenty-six people participated in a public meet-ing hosted by the Refuge on June 28, 2007, in Trem-pealeau, Wisconsin. The purpose of the meeting wasto give people an opportunity to comment in personon the Draft EIS/CCP. Comments were also

accepted through the mail and via e-mail. Topics dis-cussed included:

O The history of Trempealeau NWR managementand current land conditions.

O The mission of the National Wildlife RefugeSystem and the purpose of Trempealeau NWR.

O The comprehensive conservation planningprocess and development of alternatives.

O Objectives and strategies of the preferredalternative, Alternative C .

In addition, on July 10, 2007, the Refuge hosted aworkshop focused on the waterfowl hunting objec-tive (Objective 3.5) in the preferred alternative. Twopeople not associated with the U.S. Fish & WildlifeService attended the workshop.

Substantive comments from the public, agencies,and other groups that were received on the DraftEIS/CCP were included in the Final EIS, along witha Service response.

The Final EIS/CCP was distributed to locallibraries and persons who requested the full docu-ment. The document was also posted on theRegion’s planning website. A Notice of Availabilityof the Final EIS/CCP was published in the FederalRegister by the Environmental Protection Agencyon April 25, 2008.

One comment, which restated concerns that hadbeen expressed in the Draft EIS comment periodand had been responded to in the Final EIS, wasreceived during the 30 days following publication ofthe Notice of Availability in the Federal Register.

Following the publication of the Final EIS/CCPin April 2008 and a 30-day waiting period, theRegional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,Twin Cities, Minnesota, determined that AlternativeC, the preferred alternative in the Final EIS, wouldbecome the Final CCP. This decision has beenrecorded in a formal Record of Decision included inthe final documents.

The Regional Director signed a Record of Deci-sion on June 17, 2008.

Vital StatisticsTrempealeau NWR was established by Executive

Order in 1936 as “a refuge and breeding ground formigratory birds and other wildlife.” The 6,226 acreRefuge is a backwater of the Mississippi River andis strategically located within an important migra-tion corridor, providing resting and feeding habitat

Aerial view of Trempealeau NWR pools adjacent to the Upper Mississippi River. © Robert Hurt.



for thousands of waterfowl and other birds duringspring and fall. The Refuge also includes more than700 acres of native prairie and oak savanna, habitattypes that are scarce in Wisconsin.

An estimated 70,000 visitors enjoy birding, hik-ing, biking, hunting, fishing, or photography at theRefuge. Over 2,000 young people learn about theirenvironment each year through educational pro-grams. A dedicated force of volunteers contributesto the quality of the visitor experience, as well assuccessful habitat management.

Who We Are Trempealeau NWR is part of a system of refuges

administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service(Service), the primary federal agency responsiblefor conserving, protecting, and enhancing thenation’s fish and wildlife populations and theirhabitats. The National Wildlife Refuge System wasfounded in 1903 when Pres ident TheodoreRoosevelt designated Pelican Island in Florida as asanctuary for Brown Pelicans.

Today, the Refuge System is a network of 547refuges in all 50 states.

Our Vision for the Refuge“Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge isenjoyed and appreciated by the people ofAmerica as a beautiful, scenic place where adiversity of native plants and animals thrive inhealthy prairies, forests, and wetlands.”

Our Refuge GoalsWe have established the following goals for

Trempealeau NWR. They set the direction for theRefuge over the next 15 years.

Landscape We will strive to maintain and improve the scenicand wild character, and environmental health ofthe Refuge.

Wildlife and HabitatOur habitat management will support diverse andabundant native fish, wildlife, and plants.

Public UseWe will manage public use programs and facilitiesto ensure sustainable, quality hunting, fishing,wildlife observation, wildlife photography, inter-pretation, and environmental education opportu-nities for a broad cross-section of the public; andprovide opportunities for the public to use andenjoy the Refuge for traditional and appropriatenon-wildlife dependent uses that are compatiblewith the purposes for which the Refuge wasestablished and the mission of the Refuge Sys-tem.

Neighboring Landowners and CommunitiesWe will communicate openly and work coopera-tively with our neighbors and local communitiesto help all benefit from the aesthetic and eco-nomic values of the Refuge.

Administration and OperationsWe will seek adequate funding, staffing, and facil-ities; and improve public awareness and supportto carry out the purposes, vision, goals, andobjectives of the Refuge.

Highlights From the PlanOver the course of the next 15 years, manage-

ment will focus on returning upland areas to pre-European settlement habitats, increasing flexibilityin wetland management within impoundments, andincreasing public use opportunities.

Boundary issues will be addressed with annualinspections, new surveying and installation of anautomatic gate at the main entrance. The remaining

Sunset at Trempealeau NWR. USFWS



Future Landcover, Trempealeau NWR



340 acres within the approved acquisition boundaryand 12 acres outside the current boundary will bepurchased as opportunities arise.

Prairie and oak savanna restoration will be a highpriority. Increased efforts to control invasive specieswill be made using biological, mechanical, and chem-ical methods. Prescribed fire and mowing will beused to manage 11 prairie units totaling 435 acres.Half of the trees in the pine plantations will beremoved through selective thinning.

Additional dikes and water control structures willbe placed within existing impoundments. The C2impoundment will be divided into three separateunits to allow for moist soil management. Theremaining three impoundments (Pools C1, D, and F)will reduce the size of Pool B to a manageable unit aswell as create additional emergent habitat. Islandswill be built in Pools A and B. Water level manage-ment in Pools A and E will continue on their presentcourse. Rough fish, particularly carp, will be man-aged in specified pools using commercial fishing andwater level management.

Researchers will be actively sought to conductstudies that will determine effects of managementstrategies. Grasslands, aquatic vegetation, and theextent of invasive plant species will be monitored.

The deer hunt will continue as in the past, exceptharvest levels will be based on population and habi-tat monitoring. Furbearer trapping will continueand the number of beaver and muskrat taken will bedetermined based on annual monitoring of harvestand of dike damage and interference with watercontrol structures.

Public use opportunities will be expanded. Envi-ronmental education programs will be promoted atlocal schools and to community groups and the gen-eral public. A multi-purpose room will be added tothe office/visitor contact station to accommodatelarger groups and provide a place for orientation.Waterfowl hunting opportunities will be expandedby opening the area west of the Canadian NationalRailroad dike to a limited hunt. Ski trails will bemaintained when conditions permit. Options to alle-viate flooding of the entrance road to provide year-round access to the Refuge will be explored.

Use of volunteers will be expanded in all pro-grams. A Trempealeau NWR Friends Group will bestarted. Outreach will be expanded to provideopportunities for awareness and understanding of

Refuge management and the National Wildlife Ref-uge System. Traveling exhibits that bring the Ref-uge to the people will be developed.

The staff will include the addition of three sea-sonal positions, including a biological technician, atractor operator, and a park ranger. Law enforce-ment duties will be covered by a new position sharedwith Winona District. A private lands biologist willalso be shared with Winona District.

Plan Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation

The CCP outlines an ambitious but achievablecourse of action for the future management ofTrempealeau NWR. Pursuing and ultimatelyachieving goals set out in the CCP will requireconsiderable staff and partnership commitment.Throughout the life of the CCP we will monitor ourprogress in achieving the goals, objectives andstrategies. On a periodic basis, the Service willevaluate Refuge activities in light of the CCP.Additional “step-down” management plans will alsobe necessary to provide more details on Refugeprograms such as visitor services, hunting, habitatm a n a g e m en t , w a t e r m a n a ge m e n t a n d l a wenforcement.

Forest opening, Trempealeau NWR. USFWS



Future Public Use Facilities, Trempealeau NWR



Into the FutureThroughout the comprehensive conservation

planning process, many people have contributedtime and ideas to make the Trempealeau NWR abetter document. We are grateful to everyone whocared enough about the Refuge and its future toparticipate in this planning effort. We will continueto welcome your thoughts on Refuge management.

To succeed, a refuge management plan has toadapt to nature’s ever changing conditions.Although the plan is complete, we expect to reviewit and, if needed, update it every 5 to 10 years inresponse to conditions that could not be anticipatedin planning.

Trempealeau NWR is a place for both wildlife andpeople to use and enjoy, now and in the future. Wehope that you will continue to care about andparticipate in conserving the Refuge’s wildlife andhabitat.

Environmental Education, Trempealeau NWR. USFWS


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