**[COMPATIBILITY DETERMINATION]{.underline}**

**Use:** Haying

**Refuge Name:** Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge (NWR)

**Establishing and Acquisition Authority:** Oxbow NWR was established in
1974 under an Act Authorizing the Transfer of Certain Real Property for
Wildlife, or Other Purposes (16 U.S.C. 667b).

**Refuge Purpose:** Oxbow NWR's purpose is its "\...particular value in
carrying out the national migratory bird management program." (16 U.S.C.
667b-d, as amended)

**National Wildlife Refuge System Mission:** To administer a national
network of lands and waters for the conservation, management, and where
appropriate, restoration of the fish, wildlife, and plant resources and
their habitats within the United States for the benefit of present and
future generations of Americans.

**Description of Use:**

*What is the use?*

Haying is a technique that can be effective at maintaining and managing
grasslands and open fields for a variety of nesting and migratory birds.
Haying is the mowing and baling of grass from refuge lands. The removal
of baled grass from the refuge for use by private citizens would have an
economic value and thus must be determined to be a compatible use and a
use that contributes to the purpose of the refuge. Mowing of refuge
lands by refuge staff is a management action and not subject to
compatibility.

*Is the use a priority public use?*

Haying is not identified in the National Wildlife Refuge System
Improvement Act of 1997 as a priority public use.

*Where would the use be conducted?*

Haying could occur within any of the refuge's fields that are actively
being managed to maintain grassland habitat for wildlife. Haying would
be allowed in fields at the discretion of the Refuge Manager, and would
be evaluated on an annual basis.

*When would the use be conducted?*

Haying could occur from early August through mid-November during years
when specific grasslands/fields are already scheduled for mowing anyway
by refuge staff.

*How would the use be conducted?*

Haying would be conducted via special use permit. Refuge grasslands and
open fields are currently mowed every 1-3 years depending on weather,
availability of personnel, and wildlife and habitat goals, including
suppression of non-native invasive plant species. Haying frequency and
intensity would be controlled to suppress broadleaf plant invasion and
develop a mosaic of grassland vegetation in fields where open grassland
is desired.

*Why is the use being proposed?*

Oxbow NWR was established to benefit migratory birds. One of the goals
identified in the January 2005 Oxbow NWR Comprehensive Conservation Plan
is the protection and enhancement of habitats that support
self-sustaining populations of Federal trust species and wildlife. One
of the refuge's objectives is to manage upland habitat to maintain
habitat and species diversity. Two strategies were identified to help
achieve this objective: 1) develop a long range Habitat Management Plan
within 2 years and 2) continue to protect habitat for migratory birds,
including existing old-field grass/shrub habitat, by mowing. As part of
the ongoing development of Habitat Management Plans, an analysis of all
lands on this refuge is being conducted to determine the best complement
of habitat types to provide maximum benefit to trust resources of the
refuges. Where possible, management on the refuge will restore or mimic
natural ecosystem processes or functions and thereby maintain biological
diversity, integrity, and environmental health. However, given the
continually changing environmental conditions and landscape patterns of
the past and present (e.g., rapid development, climate change, sea level
rise), relying on natural processes is not always feasible nor always
the best management strategy for conserving wildlife resources.
Uncertainty about the future requires that the Refuge manage within a
natural range of variability rather than emulating an arbitrary point in
time. This maintains mechanisms that allow species, genetic strains, and
natural communities to evolve with changing conditions, rather than
necessarily trying to maintain stability.

While we may abandon some grassland management on the refuge in the
future (due to insufficient field size or practicality of maintenance),
there are multiple large grasslands that provide habitat for grassland
birds. Grassland birds have declined more consistently and over a wider
geographic area than any other group of North American birds over the
last 30 years (Robbins et al. 1986, Askins 1993, Knopf 1995, Askins
1997, Sauer et al. 1997). As a result, most grassland birds appear on
lists of rare and declining species (NYSDEC 1997, Pashley et al. 2000,
U.S. NABCI Committee 2000, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2002). Without
active management, refuge grasslands would quickly become dominated by
non-native invasive species including purple loosestrife, multiflora
rose, winged euonymous, autumn olive, spotted knapweed and Japanese
knotweed.

Haying and mowing are useful grassland management techniques (U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service 1982). Mitchell et al. (2000) state that mowing is
an economical means of controlling invasion of grasslands by forbs and
woody plants. Further, mowing is generally a more convenient technique
to apply than prescribed fire or grazing. Herkert et al. (1993)
recommend rotational haying or mowing as a grassland management
alternative with subunits left idle. This strategy may provide a complex
of grassland successional stages to meet the respective nesting
requirements of a diversity grassland bird species. More specifically,
haying and mowing are recommended techniques for managing grasslands
used by nesting northern harrier (Berkey et al. 1993, Dechant et al.
2001a), upland sandpiper (Kirsch and Higgins 1976, Dechant et al.
2001b), horned lark (Dinkins et al. 2001), grasshopper sparrow (Dechant
et al. 2001c, Vickery 1996), savannah sparrow (Swanson 2001), bobolink
(Bollinger and Gavin 1992, Dechant et al. 2001d), and eastern meadowlark
(Lanyon 1995, Hull 2000).

**Availability of Resources:** A haying program will create minor costs
as biological staff administer and monitor haying activity. However
these costs will likely be offset because mowing and baling of grass by
volunteers will result in less mowing work to be conducted by
maintenance staff. No additional equipment, facilities, or improvements
will be required from the Service. Cooperators will be required to use
their own equipment.

**Anticipated Impacts of Proposed Actions:** A controlled haying program
would have positive impacts to the refuge's grassland habitat and
wildlife. Haying suppresses invasion of grasslands by perennial forbs
and shrubs. Consequently, grass-dominated plant communities are
maintained. Further, rotational haying will help to develop a mosaic of
grassland vegetation. Diverse grasslands provide habitat for a greater
diversity and abundance of grassland birds.

**Public Review and Comment:** This draft compatibility determination
will be made available for public review and comment for 14 days.

**Determination:**

**\_\_\_\_\_\_\_Use is Not Compatible**

**\_\_\_\_\_\_\_Use is Compatible With the Following Stipulations**

**Stipulations Necessary to Ensure Compatibility:**

Haying or mowing will be avoided during the early nesting season to
avoid destruction to the nests, eggs, and young of breeding grassland
birds, including potential northern harrier (Berkey et al. 1993, Dechant
et al. 2001a), upland sandpiper (Lokemoen and Beiser 1997, Dechant et
al. 2001b), grasshopper sparrow (Dechant et al. 2001c, Vickery 1996),
Henslow's sparrow (Smith 1992, Herkert 2001), savannah sparrow (Dale et
al. 1997, Swanson 2001), bobolink (Bollinger and Gavin 1992, Dechant et
al. 2001d), and eastern meadowlark (Granfors et al. 1996, Hull 2000).

Haying of fields will be determined on an annual basis to ensure it
supports wildlife and habitat goals.

**Justification:** Allowing haying of some fields where habitat goals
include maintenance of grassland habitat, will not materially interfere
with or detract from the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System
or the purposes of these refuges. Therefore, it is the determination of
the Service that haying, at the discretion of the Refuge Manager, is a
compatible use of the refuge and contributes to the purposes for which
the refuge was established.

**Signature: Refuge Manager:
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_**

**(Signature and Date)**

**Concurrence: Regional Chief:
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_**

**(Signature and Date)**

**Mandatory 10-year Re-evaluation Date:
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_**

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