Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan
and Environmental Assessment for the

Flattery Rocks, Copalis, and Quillayute Needles
National Wildlife Refuges

Comprehensive Conservation Plans provide long term guidance for management decisions and set forth goals, objectives, and strategies needed to accomplish refuge purposes and identify the Service’s best estimate of future needs. These plans detail program planning levels that are sometimes substantially above current budget allocations and, as such, are primarily for Service strategic planning and program prioritization purposes. The plans do not constitute a commitment for staffing increases, operational and maintenance increases, or funding for future land acquisition.

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Table of Contents

Draft CCP/EA Abstract and Vision Statement

Chapter 1. Introduction, Purpose, and Need
1.1 Background …Page 1-1
1.2 Purpose of and Need for Action
…Page 1-3
1.2.1 Proposed Action
…Page 1-3
1.2.2 Purpose and Need
…Page 1-3
1.3 Location and Historical Overview of the Washington Islands National Wildlife Refuges
…Page 1-4
1.3.1 Location of Washington Islands NWRs
…Page 1-4
1.3.2 Historical Overview
…Page 1-4
1.3.3 Washington Islands NWR and Regional Management Jurisdictions
…Page 1-9
1.4 National Wildlife Refuge System Mission, Refuge Purpose, and Vision
…Page 1-10
1.5 Related Actions and Activities
…Page 1-11
1.5.1 Research Activities
…Page 1-11
1.5.2 Tribal Fish and Wildlife Programs
…Page 1-11
1.5.3 Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary
…Page 1-12
1.5.4 United States Coast Guard Activities
…Page 1-12
1.5.5 Environmental Education
…Page 1-12
1.5.6 Northern Pacific Coast Regional Shorebird Management Plan
…Page 1-13
1.5.7 Regional Seabird Conservation Plan
…Page 1-13
1.5.8 Regional Waterbird Conservation Plan
…Page 1-13
1.5.9 Comprehensive Plan for Coastline Management
…Page 1-14
1.6 Applicable Legal Mandates
…Page 1-14
1.6.1 Mandates Specific to the Washington Islands NWRs
…Page 1-14
1.6.2 Service and Refuge System Policies
…Page 1-15
1.7 Planning Issues and Opportunities
…Page 1-15
1.7.1 Public Involvement
…Page 1-15
1.7.2 Tribal Consultation
…Page 1-17
1.7.3 Summary of Key Planning Issues
…Page 1-19

Chapter 2. Alternatives, Goals, Objectives, and Strategies
2.1 Alternatives
…Page 2-1
2.1.1 Alternative A: No Action
…Page 2-1
2.1.2 Alternative B: Proposed Action
…Page 2-2
2.2 Goals, Objectives, and Strategies
…Page 2-2
2.3 Management Themes
…Page 2-3
2.3.1 Wildlife and Habitat Protection and Management (WH)
…Page 2-3
2.3.2 Sensitive Species Protection (SS)
…Page 2-8
2.3.3 Wilderness Protection (WP)
…Page 2-8
2.3.4 Cooperative Programs (CP)
…Page 2-9
2.3.5 Research and Monitoring Activity Management (RA)
…Page 2-14
2.3.6 Public Education Management (PE)
…Page 2-17
2.4 Common Features Among the Goals, Objectives, and Strategies
…Page 2-19
2.5 Comparison of Alternatives
…Page 2-20

Chapter 3. Affected Environment
3.1 Introduction
…Page 3-1
3.2 Climate and Ocean Conditions
…Page 3-1
3.3 Geology and Soils
…Page 3-2
3.4 Biological Resources
…Page 3-2
3.4.1 Vegetation
…Page 3-3
3.4.1 Vegetation
…Page 3-3
3.4.2 Wildlife
…Page 3-5
3.4.3 Species with Special Status
…Page 3-22
3.5 Cultural Resources
…Page 3-27
3.5.1 Ethnographic Information
…Page 3-27
3.5.2 Archaeology
…Page 3-33
3.5.2 Archaeology
…Page 3-28
3.5.3 History
…Page 3-29
3.6 Recreation/Public Use
…Page 3-30
3.7 Environmental Justice
…Page 3-32
3.8 Visual Resources
…Page 3-33
3.9 Socioeconomics
…Page 3-34
3.10 Public Health and Safety
…Page 3-35
3.11 Wilderness Resources
…Page 3-35

Chapter 4. Environmental Consequences
4.1 Introduction
…Page 4-1
4.2 Climate and Ocean Conditions
…Page 4-1
4.3 Geology and Soils
…Page 4-2
4.4 Biological Resources
…Page 4-3
4.4.1 Effects to Vegetation
…Page 4-3
4.4.2 Effects to Wildlife
…Page 4-4
4.4.3 Effects to Species with Special Status
…Page 4-10
4.5 Cultural Resources
…Page 4-12
4.6 Recreation/Public Use
…Page 4-13
4.7 Wilderness Resources
…Page 4-14
4.8 Environmental Justice
…Page 4-14
4.9 Unavoidable Adverse Impacts
…Page 4-14
4.10 Irreversible and Irretrievable Commitments of Resource
…Page 4-14
4.11 Short-Term Uses vs. Long-Term Productivity
…Page 4-14

List of Appendices
Appendix A: Glossary of Terms
Appendix B: References
Appendix C: Legal Materials Pertinent to the Washington Islands National Wildlife Refuges (follow)
Appendix C-1: Laws and Executive Orders Potentially Applicable to the CCP/EA
Appendix C-2: Executive Order 703
Appendix C-3: Executive Order 704
Appendix C-4: Executive Order 705
Appendix C-5: Presidential Proclamation by Franklin D. Roosevelt, July 30, 1940
Appendix C-6: Public Law 91-504
Appendix C-7: Public Law Order 4095
Appendix C-8: Public Law 100-226
Appendix C-9: Memorandum of Understanding with National Park Service, 1993
Appendix C-10: Memorandum of Understanding with United States Coast Guard, 2003 (hard copy in printed document)
Appendix D: List of Preparers
Appendix E: Draft Minimum Requirement Analysis and Draft Compatibility Determination (follow)
Appendix E-1: Draft Minimum Requirement Analysis
Appendix E-2: Draft Compatibility Determination
Appendix F: Summary of Washington Maritime NWRC Fire Management Plan
Appendix G: Implementation
Appendix G: Staffing Chart

List of Figures
1-1 Washington Islands NWRs and Vicinity
…Page 1-2
1-2 Flattery Rocks NWR
…Page 1-5
1-3 Quillayute Needles NWR
…Page 1-6
1-4 Copalis NWR
…Page 1-7
3-1 Biological Zones of Washington Islands NWRs and Vicinity
…Page 3-4

List of Tables
2-1 Comparison of Alternatives
…Page 2-21
3-1 Breeding seabirds of the Washington Islands NWRs, outer coast of Washington State.
…Page 3-12
3-2 Special Status Species and Habitats That Have Been Documented on the Washington Islands NWRs
…Page 3-23
3-3 Population and Density Information for Selected Areas
…Page 3-34
3-4 Median Household Income for Selected Areas
…Page 3-35

Comments on the Draft CCP/EA should be forwarded to Kevin Ryan,
by June 30, 2005, at the following address or fax:

Kevin Ryan, Project Leader
Washington Maritime NWR Complex
33 South Barr Road
Port Angeles, Washington 98362
Phone: 360/457-8451 Fax: 360/457-9778

Or e-mail your comments now (please use WA Islands in the subject).

Information Updated: May 2005