Glossary

Glossary of Terms and Acronyms

■ Terms

■ Acronymns

Snow geese

USFWS photo
Glossary

Glossary-2 Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge Complex

accessibility — the state or quality of being easily approached or entered, particularly as it relates to complying

with the Americans With Disabilities Act

accessible facilities — structures accessible for most

people with disabilities without assistance; facilities that

meet UFAS standards; ADA-accessible [e.g., parking lots,

trails, pathways, ramps, picnic and camping areas, restrooms,

boating facilities (docks, piers, gangways), fishing facilities, playgrounds, amphitheaters, exhibits, audiovisual

programs, and wayside sites.]

aggregate — many parts considered together as a whole

agricultural land — nonforested land (now or recently

orchards, pastures, or crops)

alternative — a reasonable way to fix an identified

problem or satisfy a stated need [40 CFR 1500.2 (cf. “management

alternative”)]

amphidromous fish — fish that can migrate from fresh

water to the sea or the reverse, not only for breeding, but

also regularly at other times during their life cycle

appropriate use — a proposed or existing use on a refuge

that meets at least one of the following three conditions:

1. the use is a wildlife-dependent one;

2. the use contributes to fulfilling the refuge purpose(s),

the System mission, or goals or objectives described

in a refuge management plan approved after October 9, 1997, the date the National Wildlife Refuge

System Improvement Act was signed into law; or

3. the use has been determined to be appropriate as

specified in section 1.11 of the act.

approved acquisition boundary — a project boundary

that the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

approves upon completion of the planning and environmental compliance process. An approved acquisition boundary

only desig-nates those lands which the Service has authority to acquire or manage through various agreements. The

approval of an acquisition boundary does not grant the

Service jurisdiction or control over lands within the

boundary, and it does not make lands within the refuge

boundary part of the National Wildlife Refuge System.

Lands do not become part of the System until the Service

buys them or they are placed under an agreement that

provides for their management as part of the System.

anadromous fish — from the Greek, literally “up-running”; fish that spend a large portion of their life cycle in

the ocean and return to freshwater to breed

aquatic — growing in, living in, or dependent upon water

aquatic barrier — any obstruction to fish passage

aquifer — a formation, group of formations, or part of a

formation that contains sufficient saturated permeable

material to yield significant quantities of water to wells

and springs

area of biological significance — cf. “special focus

area”

area-sensitive species — species that require large areas

of contiguous habitat

assemblage — in conservation biology, a predictable

and particular collection of species within a biogeographic unit (e.g., ecoregion or habitat)

barrens — a colloquial name given to habitats with

sparse vegetation or low agricultural productivity

barrier — cf. “aquatic barrier”

basin — the land surrounding and draining into a water

body (cf. “watershed”)

benthic — living at, in, or associated with structures on

the bottom of a body of water

best management practices — land management

practices that produce desired results [n.b. Usually

describing forestry or agricultural practices effective in

reducing non-point source pollution, like reseeding

skidder trails or not storing manure in a flood plain. In

their broader sense, practices that benefit target species.]

biological diversity or biodiversity — the variety of

life and its processes and includes the variety of living

organisms, the genetic differences among them, and the

communities and ecosystems in which they occur

biological integrity — biotic composition, structure,

and functioning at genetic, organism, and community

levels comparable with historic conditions, including the

natural biological processes that shape genomes,

organisms and communities

bog — a poorly drained area rich in plant residues,

usually surrounded by an area of open water, and having

characteristic flora

breeding habitat — habitat used by migratory birds or

other animals during the breeding season

buffer zones — land bordering and protecting critical

habitats or water bodies by reducing runoff and nonpoint

source pollution loading; areas created or sustained to

lessen the negative effects of land development on

animals, plants, and their habitats

candidate species — species for which we have

sufficient information on file about their biological

vulnerability and threats to propose listing them
Glossary

Draft CCP/EIS - April, 2004 Glossary-3

catadromous fish — fish that spend most of their lives

in fresh water, but migrate to sea to reproduce

categorical exclusion[CE, CX, CATEX, CATX] —

pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act

(NEPA) , a category of Federal agency actions that do

not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect

on the human environment [40 CFR 1508.4]

CFR — the Code of Federal Regulations

Challenge Grant Cost Share Program — a Serviceadministered grant program that provides matching

funds for projects supporting natural resource education,

management, restoration, or protection on Service lands,

other public lands, and private lands

citizen monitoring projects — projects coordinated

locally to conduct environmental inventories; their data

expand what agencies know, and are available to anyone

interested

community — the locality in which a group of people

resides and shares the same government

community type — a particular assemblage of plants

and animals, named for its dominant characteristic

compatible use — “The term ‘compatible use’ means a

wildlife-dependent recreational use or any other use of a

refuge that, in the sound professional judgment of the

Director, will not materially interfere with or detract

from the fulfillment of the mission of the System or the

purposes of the refuge.”—National Wildlife Refuge

System Improvement Act of 1997 [Public Law 105-57;

111 Stat. 1253]

compatibility determination — a required determination for wildlife-dependent recreational uses or any

other public uses of a refuge

Comprehensive Conservation Plan — mandated by

the Improvement Act, a document that provides a

description of the desired future conditions and longrange guidance for the project leader to accomplish

purposes of the refuge system and the refuge. CCPs

establish management direction to achieve refuge

purposes. [P.L. 105-57; FWS Manual 602 FW 1.4]

concern — cf. “issue”

conifer — a tree or shrub in the phylum Gymnospermae

whose seeds are borne in woody cones. There are 500–

600 species of living conifers (Norse 1990)

conservation — managing natural resources to prevent

loss or waste [n.b. Management actions may include

preservation, restoration, and enhancement.]

conservation agreements — written agreements among

two or more parties for the purpose of ensuring the survival

and welfare of unlisted species of fish and wildlife or their

habitats or to achieve other specified conservation goals.

Participants voluntarily commit to specific actions that will

remove or reduce threats to those species.

conservation easement — a legal agreement between a

landowner and a land trust (e.g., a private, nonprofit

conservation organization) or government agency that

permanently limits the uses of a property to protect its

conservation values

cool-season grass — introduced grass for crop and

pastureland that grows in spring and fall and is dormant

during hot summer months

cooperative agreement — a usually long-term habitat

protection action, which can be modified by either party, in

which no property rights are acquired. Lands under a

cooperative agreement do no necessarily become part of

the National Wildlife Refuge System

critical habitat — according to U.S. Federal law, the

ecosystems upon which endangered and threatened species

depend

cultural resource inventory — a professional study to

locate and evaluate evidence of cultural resources within a

defined geographic area [n.b. Various levels of inventories

may include background literature searches, comprehensive

field examinations to identify all exposed physical manifestations of cultural resources, or sample inventories for

projecting site distribution and density over a larger area.

Evaluating identified cultural resources to determine their

eligibility for the National Register follows the criteria in

36 CFR 60.4 (cf. FWS Manual 614 FW 1.7).]

cultural resource overview — a comprehensive document

prepared for a field office that discusses, among other

things, project prehistory and cultural history, the nature

and extent of known cultural resources, previous research,

manage-ment objectives, resource management conflicts or

issues, and a general statement of how program objectives

should be met and conflicts resolved [An overview should

reference or incorporate information from a field offices

background or literature search described in section VIII of

the Cultural Resource Management Handbook (FWS

Manual 614 FW 1.7).]

database — a collection of data arranged for ease and

speed of analysis and retrieval, usually computerized

dedicated open space — land to be held as open space

forever
Glossary

Glossary-4 Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge Complex

degradation — the loss of native species and processes

due to human activities such that only certain components

of the original biodiversity persist, often including significantly altered natural communities

designated wilderness area — an area designated by

Congress as part of the National Wilderness Preservation

System [FWS Manual 610 FW 1.5 (draft)]

diadromous — fish that migrate from freshwater to

saltwater or the reverse; a generic term that includes

anadromous, catadromous, and amphidromous fish

digitizing — the process of converting maps into geographically referenced electronic files for a geographic

information system (GIS)

disturbance — any relatively discrete event in time that

disrupts ecosystem, community, or population structure and

changes resources, substrate availability, or the physical

environment

donation — a citizen or group may wish to give land or

interests in land to the Service for the benefit of wildlife.

Aside from the cost factor, these acquisitions are no

different than any other means of land acquisition. Gifts

and donations have the same planning requirements as

purchases.

drumlin — a ridge or oval hill with a smooth summit

composed of material deposited by a glacier

easement — an agreement by which landowners give up or

sell one of the rights on their property [e.g., landowners

may donate rights-of-way across their properties to allow

community members access to a river (cf. “conservation

easement”).]

ecological processes — a complex mix of interactions

among animals, plants, and their environment that ensures

maintenance of an ecosystem’s full range of biodiversity.

Examples include population and predator-prey dynamics,

pollination and seed dispersal, nutrient cycling, migration,

and dispersal

ecoregion — a territory defined by a combination of

biological, social, and geographic criteria, rather than

geopolitical considerations; generally, a system of related,

interconnected ecosystems.

ecosystem — a natural community of organisms interacting with its physical environment, regarded as a unit

ecosystem service — a benefit or service provided free by

an ecosystem or by the environment, such as clean water,

flood mitigation, or groundwater recharge

ecotourism — visits to an area that maintains and preserves natural resources as a basis for promoting its

economic growth and development

ecosystem approach — a way of looking at socioeconomic and environmental information based on the

boundaries of ecosystems like watersheds, rather than on

geopolitical boundaries

ecosystem-based management — an approach to

making decisions based on the characteristics of the

ecosystem in which a person or thing belongs [n.b. This

concept considers interactions among the plants,

animals, and physical characteristics of the environment

in making decisions about land use or living resource

issues.]

emergent wetland — wetlands dominated by erect,

rooted, herbaceous plants

endangered species — a Federal- or State-listed

protected species in danger of extinction throughout all

or a significant portion of its range

endemic — a species or race native to a particular place

and found only there

environmental education — curriculum-based

education aimed at producing a citizenry that is

knowledgeable about the biophysical environment and

its associated problems, aware of how to help solve

those problems, and motivated to work toward solving

them

environmental health — the composition, structure,

and functioning of soil, water, air, and other abiotic

features comparable with historic conditions, including

the natural abiotic processes that shape the environment

Environmental Assessment — (EA) a public document

that discusses the purpose and need for an action, its

alternatives, and provides sufficient evidence and

analysis of its impacts to determine whether to prepare

an environmental impact statement or a finding of no

significant impact (q.v.) [cf. 40 CFR 1508.9]

Environmental Impact Statement — (EIS) a detailed,

written analysis of the environmental impacts of a

proposed action, adverse effects of the project that

cannot be avoided, alternative courses of action, shortterm uses of the environment versus the maintenance

and enhancement of long-term productivity, and any

irreversible and irretrievable commitment of resources

[cf. 40 CFR 1508.11]

estuaries — deepwater tidal habitats and adjacent tidal

wetlands that are usually semi-enclosed by land but have

open, partly obstructed, or sporadic access to the ocean,

and in which ocean water is at least occasionally diluted

by freshwater runoff from land
Glossary

Draft CCP/EIS - April, 2004 Glossary-5

estuarine wetlands — “The Estuarine system consists

of deepwater tidal habitats and adjacent tidal wetlands

that are usually semi-enclosed by land but have open,

partly obstructed, or sporadic access to the open ocean,

and in which ocean water is at least occasionally diluted

by freshwater runoff from the land.”—Cowardin et al.

1979

exemplary community type — an outstanding example

of a particular community type

extinction — the termination of any lineage of organisms, from subspecies to species and higher taxonomic

categories from genera to phyla. Extinction can be local,

in which one or more populations of a species or other

unit vanish but others survive elsewhere, or total

(global), in which all the populations vanish (Wilson

1992)

extirpated — status of a species or population that has

completely vanished from a given area but that continues to exist in some other location

exotic species — a species that is not native to an area

and has been introduced intentionally or unintentionally

by humans; not all exotics become successfully established

Federal land — public land owned by the Federal

Government, including national forests, national parks,

and national wildlife refuges

Federal-listed species — a species listed either as

endangered, threatened, or a species at risk (formerly, a

“candidate species”) under the Endangered Species Act

of 1973, as amended

Federal-recognized Native American Tribe — A

group of Native American Indians recognized by the

United States as an Indian Tribe. This recognition

establishes a tribe as an entity with the capacity to

engage in government-to-government relations with the

United States, or individual states, and also as one

eligible to receive federal services. Federal recognition

is established as a result of historical and continued

existence of a tribal government; by Executive Order or

Legislation; and through the federal recognition process

recently established by Congress.

fee-title acquisition — the acquisition of most or all of

the rights to a tract of land; a total transfer of property

rights with the formal conveyance of a title. While a feetitle acquisition involves most rights to a property, certain

rights may be reserved or not purchased, including water

rights, mineral rights, or use reservation (e.g., the ability

to continue using the land for a specified time period,

such as the remainder of the owner’s life).

Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) — supported

by an environmental assessment, a document that briefly

presents why a Federal action will have no significant

effect on the human environment, and for which an

environmental impact statement, therefore, will not be

prepared [40 CFR 1508.13]

fire regime — the characteristic frequency, intensity, and

spatial distribution of natural fires within a given ecoregion

or habitat

fish passage project — providing a safe passage for fish

around a barrier in the upstream or downstream direction

floodplain — flat or nearly flat land that may be submerged by floodwaters; a plain built up or in the process of

being built up by stream deposition

focus areas — cf. “special focus areas”

forbs — flowering plants (excluding grasses, sedges, and

rushes) that do not have a woody stem and die back to the

ground at the end of the growing season

forest association — the community described by a group

of dominant plant (tree) species occurring together, such as

spruce-fir or northern hardwoods

forested land — land dominated by trees [For impacts

analysis in CCP’s, we assume all forested land has the

potential for occasional harvesting; we assume forested

land owned by timber companies is harvested on a more

intensive, regular schedule.]

forested wetlands — wetlands dominated by trees

fragmentation — the disruption of extensive habitats into

isolated and small patches. Fragmentation has two negative

components for biota: the loss of total habitat area; and, the

creation of smaller, more isolated patches of habitat

remaining.

GAP analysis — the use of various remote sensing data

sets to build overlaid sets of maps of various parameters

(e.g., vegetation, soils, protected areas, species distributions) to identify spatial gaps in species protection and

management programs

geographic information system — (GIS) a computerized

system to compile, store, analyze and display geographically referenced information [e.g., GIS can overlay multiple sets of information on the distribution of a variety of

biological and physical features.]

glade — an open space surrounded by forest
Glossary

Glossary-6 Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge Complex

grant agreement — the legal instrument used when the

principal purpose of the transact-ion is the transfer of

money, property, services, or anything of value to a

recipient in order to accomplish a public purpose of support

or stimulation authorized by Federal statute and substantial

involvement between the Service and the recipient is not

anticipated (cf. “cooperative agreement”)

grassland — a habitat type with landscapes dominated by

grasses and with bio-diversity characterized by species

with wide distributions, communi-ties being relatively

resilient to short-term disturbances but not to prolonged,

intensive burning or grazing. In such systems, larger

vertebrates, birds, and invertebrates display extensive

movement to track seasonal or patchy resources

grassroots conservation organization — any group of

concerned citizens who act together to address a conservation need

groundwater — water in the ground that is in the zone of

saturation, from which wells and springs and groundwater

runoff are supplied

guild — a group of organisms, not necessarily taxonomically related, that are ecologically similar in characteristics

such as diet, behavior, or microhabitat preference, or with

respect to their ecological role in general

habitat block — a landscape-level variable that assesses

the number and extent of blocks of contiguous habitat,

taking into account size requirements for populations and

ecosystems to function naturally. It is measured here by a

habitat-dependent and ecoregion size-dependent system

habitat fragmentation — the breaking up of a specific

habitat into smaller, unconnected areas [n.b. A habitat area

that is too small may not provide enough space to maintain

a breeding population of the species in question.]

habitat conservation — protecting an animal or plant

habitat to ensure that the use of that habitat by the animal

or plant is not altered or reduced

habitat — the place where a particular type of plant or

animal lives [n.b. An organism’s habitat must provide all of

the basic requirements for life, and should be free of

harmful contaminants.]

historic conditions — the composition, structure and

functioning of ecosystems resulting from natural processes

that we believe, based on sound professional judgement,

were present prior to substantial human-related changes to

the landscape

hydrologic or flow regime — characteristic fluctuations in

river flows

hydrology — the science of waters of the earth: their

occurrences, distributions, and circulations; their

physical and chemical properties; and their reactions

with the environment, including living beings

important fish areas — the aquatic areas identified by

private organizations, local, state, and federal agencies

that meet the purposes of the Conte Act

impoundment — a body of water, such as a pond,

confined by a dam, dike, floodgate, or other barrier,

which is used to collect and store water for future use

indicator species — a species used as a gauge for the

condition of a particular habitat, community, or ecosystem. A characteristic or surrogate species for a community or ecosystem

indigenous — native to an area

indigenous species — a species that, other than a result

as an introduction, historically occurred or currently

occurs in a particular ecosystem

informed consent — “the grudging willingness of

opponents to go along with a course of action that they

actually oppose.”—Bleiker

interjurisdictional fish — populations of fish that are

managed by two or more States or national or tribal

governments because of the scope of their geographic

distributions or migrations

interpretive facilities — structures that provide

information about an event, place, or thing by a variety

of means, including printed, audiovisual, or multimedia

materials [e.g., kiosks that offer printed materials and

audiovisuals, signs, and trail heads.]

interpretive materials — any tool used to provide or

clarify information, explain events or things, or increase

awareness and understanding of the events or things

[e.g., printed materials like brochures, maps or curriculum materials; audio/visual materials like video and

audio tapes, films, or slides; and, interactive multimedia

materials, CD-ROM or other computer technology.]

interpretive materials projects — any cooperative

venture that combines financial and staff resources to

design, develop, and use tools for increasing the

awareness and understanding of events or things related

to a refuge

introduced invasive species — non-native species that

have been introduced into an area and, because of their

aggressive growth and lack of natural predators, displace

native species
Glossary

Draft CCP/EIS - April, 2004 Glossary-7

invasive species — an alien species whose introduction

causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental

harm or harm to human health

invertebrate — any animal lacking a backbone or bony

segment that encloses the central nerve cord

issue — any unsettled matter that requires a management decision [e.g., a Service initiative, an opportunity,

a management problem, a threat to the resources of the

unit, a conflict in uses, a public concern, or the presence

of an undesirable resource condition.] [n.b. A CCP

should document, describe, and analyze issues even if

they cannot be resolved during the planning process

(FWS Manual 602 FW 1.4).]

kettle hole — a generally circular hollow or depression

in an outwash plain or moraine, believed to have formed

where a large block of subsurface ice has melted

keystone species — species that are critically important

for maintaining ecological processes or the diversity of

their ecosystems

lacustrine wetlands — “The Lacustrine system includes wetlands and deepwater habitats with all of the

following characteristics: (1) situated in a topographic

depression or a dammed river channel; (2) lacking trees,

shrubs, persistent emergents, emergent mosses or lichens

with greater than 30% areal coverage; and (3) total area

exceeds eight ha (20 acres).”—Cowardin et al. 1979

Land Protection Plan (LPP) — a document that

identifies and prioritizes lands for potential Service

acquisition from a willing seller, and also describes

other methods of providing protection. Landowners

within project boundaries will find this document, which

is released with environmental assessments, most useful.

land trusts — organizations dedicated to conserving

land by purchase, donation, or conservation easement

from landowners

landform — the physical shape of the land reflecting

geologic structure and processes of geomorphology that

have sculpted the structure

landscape — an aggregate of landforms, together with

its biological communities

late-successional — species, assemblages, structures,

and processes associated with mature natural communities that have not experienced significant disturbance for

a long time

limiting factor — an environmental limitation that

prevents further population growth

limits of acceptable change — a planning and management framework for establishing and maintaining acceptable and appropriate environmental and social conditions in

recreation settings

local land — public land owned by local governments,

including community or county parks or municipal watersheds

local agencies — generally, municipal governments,

regional planning commissions, or conservation groups

long-term protection — mechanisms like fee title acquisition, conservation easements, or binding agreements with

landowners that ensure land use and land management

practices will remain compatible with maintaining species

populations over the long term

macroinvertebrates — invertebrates large enough to be

seen with the naked eye (e.g., most aquatic insects, snails,

and amphipods)

management alternative — a set of objectives and the

strategies needed to accomplish each objective [FWS

Manual 602 FW 1.4]

management concern — cf. “issue” and “migratory

nongame birds of management concern”

management opportunity — cf. “issue”

management plan — a plan that guides future land

management practices on a tract [n.b. In the context of an

environmental impact statement, management plans may be

designed to produce additional wildlife habitat along with

primary products like timber or agricultural crops

(cf. “cooperative agreement”).]

management strategy — a general approach to meeting

unit objectives [n.b. A strategy may be broad, or it may be

detailed enough to guide implementation through specific

actions, tasks, and projects (FWS Manual 602 FW 1.4).]

mesic soil — sandy-to-clay loams containing moistureretentive organic matter, well drained (no standing matter)

migratory nongame birds of management concern —

species of nongame birds that (a) are believed to have

undergone significant population declines; (b) have small

or restricted populations; or (c) are dependent upon

restricted or vulnerable habitats

mission statement — a succinct statement of the purpose

for which the unit was established; its reason for being

mitigation — actions to compensate for the negative

effects of a particular project [e.g., wetland mitigation

usually restores or enhances a previously damaged wetland

or creates a new wetland.]
Glossary

Glossary-8 Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge Complex

moraine — a mass or ridge of earth scraped up by ice and

deposited at the edge or end of a glacier

National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) —

requires all Federal agencies to examine the environmental

impacts of their actions, incorporate environmental

information, and use public participation in planning and

implementing environmental actions [Federal agencies

must integrate NEPA with other planning requirements, and

prepare appropriate NEPA documents to facilitate better

environmental decision-making (cf. 40 CFR 1500).]

National Wildlife Refuge Complex (Complex) — an

internal Service administrative linking of refuge units

closely related by their purposes, goals, ecosystem, or

geopolitical boundaries

National Wildlife Refuge System (System) — all lands

and waters and interests therein administered by the

Service as wildlife refuges, wildlife ranges, wildlife

management areas, waterfowl production areas, and other

areas for the protection and conservation of fish and

wildlife, including those that are threatened with extinction

native — a species that, other than as a result of an

introduction, historically occurred or currently occurs in a

particular ecosystem

Native American Tribe — see “Federal-recognized Native

American Tribe.”

native plant — a plant that has grown in the region since

the last glaciation, and occurred before European settlement

natural disturbance event — any natural event that

significantly alters the structure, composition, or dynamics

of a natural community: e.g., floods, fires, and storms

natural range of variation — a characteristic range of

levels, intensities, and periodicities associated with

disturbances, population levels, or frequency in undisturbed

habitats or communities

Neotropical migrant — birds, bats, or invertebrates that

seasonally migrate between the Nearctic and Neotropics

non-consumptive, wildlife-oriented recreation —

wildlife observation and photography and environmental

education and interpretation (cf. “wildlife-oriented recreation”)

non-native species — See “exotic species.”

non-point source pollution — a diffuse form of water

quality degradation in which wastes are not released at one

specific, identifiable point but from a number of points that

are spread out and difficult to identify and control

(Eckhardt 1998)

nonforested wetlands — wetlands dominated by shrubs

or emergent vegetation

nonpoint source — a diffuse form of water quality

degradation produced by erosion of land that causes

sedimentation of streams, eutrophication from nutrients

and pesticides used in agricultural and silvicultural

practices, and acid rain resulting from burning fuels that

contain sulfur (Lotspeich and Platts 1982)

Notice of Intent — (NOI) an announcement we publish

in the Federal Register that we will prepare and review

an environmental impact statement [40 CFR 1508.22]

objective — cf. “unit objective”

obligate species — a species that must have access to a

particular habitat type to persist

occurrence site — a discrete area where a population of

a rare species lives or a rare plant community type

grows

old fields — areas formerly cultivated or grazed, where

woody vegetation has begun to invade [n.b. If left

undisturbed, old fields will eventually succeed into

forest. Many occur at sites marginally suitable for crops

or pasture. They vary markedly in the Northeast,

depending on soil and land use and management

history.]

outdoor education project — any cooperative venture

that combines financial and staff resources to develop

outdoor education activities like labs, field trips,

surveys, monitoring, or sampling

outdoor education — educational activities that take

place in an outdoor setting

outwash plain — the plain formed by deposits from a

stream or river originating from the melting of glacial

ice that are distributed over a considerable area; generally coarser, heavier material is deposited nearer the ice

and finer material carried further away

palustrine wetlands — “The Palustrine system includes

all nontidal wetlands dominated by trees, shrubs,

persistent emergents, emergent mosses or lichens, and

all such wetlands that occur in tidal areas where salinity

due to ocean-derived salts is below 0%.”—Cowardin et

al. 1979

Partners for Wildlife Program — a voluntary, cooperative habitat restoration program among the Service,

other government agencies, public and private organizations, and private landowners to improve and protect

fish and wildlife habitat on private land while leaving it

in private ownership
Glossary

Draft CCP/EIS - April, 2004 Glossary-9

partnership — a contract or agreement among two or

more individuals, groups of individuals, organizations,

or agencies, in which each agrees to furnish a part of the

capital or some service in kind (e.g., labor) for a

mutually beneficial enterprise

payment in lieu of taxes — cf. Revenue Sharing Act of

1935, Chapter One, Legal Context

pelagic — living in the water column, well above the

bottom and some distance from land, as do oceanic fish

or birds (contrast demersal and benthic)

phytoplankton — the ensemble of tiny plants that float

or drift in marine waters. These tiny plants can produce

such dense blooms in the Gulf of Maine that they turn

our waters green. Phytoplankton are the base of the food

chain on which ultimately most shellfish, fish, birds, and

marine mammals depend (the exceptions being those

that feed mostly on detritus from benthic plants). (See

also Zooplankton.)

point source — a source of pollution that involves

discharge of waste from an identifiable point, such as a

smokestack or sewage-treatment plant (Eckhardt 1998)

population monitoring — assessing the characteristics

of populations to ascertain their status and establish

trends on their abundance, condition, distribution, or

other characteristics

prescribed fire — the application of fire to wildland

fuels, either by natural or intentional ignition, to achieve

identified land use objectives [FWS Manual 621 FW 1.7]

priority general public use — a compatible wildlifedependent recreational use of a refuge involving

hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and photography,

or environmental education and interpretation

private land — land owned by a private individual or

group or non-government organization

private landowner — cf. “private land”

private organization — any non-government organization

proposed wilderness — an area of the Refuge System

that the Secretary of the Interior has recommended to

the President for inclusion in the National Wilderness

Preservation System

protection — mechanisms like fee title acquisition,

conservation easements, or binding agreements with

landowners that ensure land use and land management

practices will remain compatible with maintaining

species populations at a site (cf. “long-term ~”)

public — individuals, organizations, and non-government

groups; officials of Federal, State, and local government

agencies; Native American tribes, and foreign nations—

includes anyone outside the core planning team, those who

may or may not have indicated an interest in the issues, and

those who do or do not realize that our decisions may affect

them

public involvement — offering an opportunity to interested individuals and organizations whom our actions or

policies may affect to become informed; soliciting their

opinions. We thoroughly study public input, and give it

thoughtful consideration in shaping decisions about

managing refuges.

public involvement plan — long-term guidance for

involving the public in the comprehensive planning process

public land — land owned by the local, State, or Federal

Government

rare species — species identified for special management

emphasis because of their uncommon occurrence within a

watershed

rare community types — plant community types classified as rare by any State program; includes exemplary

community types

recharge — refers to water entering an underground

aquifer through faults, fractures, or direct absorption

recommended wilderness — areas studied and found

suitable for wilderness designation by both the Director

(FWS) and Secretary (DOI), and recommended by the

President to Congress for inclusion in the National Wilderness System [FWS Manual 610 FW 1.5 (draft)]

Record of Decision — (ROD) a concise public record of a

decision by a Federal agency pursuant to NEPA [n.b. A

ROD includes:

•the decision;

•all the alternatives considered;

•the environmentally preferable alternative;

•a summary of monitoring and enforcement, where applicable, for any mitigation; and,

•whether all practical means have been adopted to avoid or

minimize environmental harm from the alternative selected

(or if not, why not).]

refuge goals — “...descriptive, open-ended, and often

broad statements of desired future conditions that convey a

purpose but do not define measurable units.”—Writing

Refuge Management Goals and Objectives: A Handbook
Glossary

Glossary-10 Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge Complex

refuge purposes — “The terms ‘purposes of the refuge’

and ‘purposes of each refuge’ mean the purposes specified

in or derived from the law, proclamation, executive order,

agreement, public land order, donation document, or

administrative memorandum establishing, authorizing, or

expanding a refuge, refuge unit, or refuge subunit.”—

National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997

refuge lands — lands in which the Service holds full

interest in fee title or partial interest like an easement

relatively intact — the conservation status category

indicating the least possible disruption of ecosystem

processes. Natural communities are largely intact, with

species and ecosystem processes occurring within their

natural ranges of variation.

relatively stable — the conservation status category

between vulnerable and relatively intact in which extensive

areas of intact habitat remain, but local species declines and

disruptions of ecological processes have occurred

restoration — management of a disturbed or degraded

habitat that results in the recovery of its original state

[e.g., restoration may involve planting native grasses and

forbs, removing shrubs, prescribed burning, or reestablishing habitat for native plants and animals on degraded

grassland.]

restoration ecology — the process of using ecological

principles and experience to return a degraded ecological

system to its former or original state

riparian — referring to the interface between freshwater

habitats and the terrestrial landscape

riparian agricultural land — agricultural land along a

stream or river [n.b. We normally base our CCP analysis of

impacts on an estimated 50' of land on both banks, unless

otherwise stated.]

riparian forested land — forested land along a stream or

river

riparian habitat — habitat along the banks of a stream or

river [cf. note above]

riverine — within the active channel of a river or stream

riverine wetlands — generally, all the wetlands and

deepwater habitats occurring within a freshwater river

channel not dominated by trees, shrubs, or persistent

emergents

runoff — water from rain, melted snow, or agricultural or

landscape irrigation that flows over a land surface into a

water body (cf. “urban runoff”)

sandplain grassland — dry grassland that has resisted

succession due to fire, wind, grazing, mowing, or salt

spray [n.b. Characterized by thin, acidic, nutrient-poor

soils over deep sand deposits, sandplains primarily occur

on the coast and off-coast islands, or inland, where

glaciers or rivers have deposited sands.]

scale — the magnitude of a region or process. Refers to

both spatial size—for example, a (relatively small-scale)

patch or a (relatively large-scale) landscape; and a

temporal rate—for example, (relatively rapid) ecological

succession or (relatively slow) evolutionary speciation

Service presence — Service programs and facilities that

it directs or shares with other organizations; public

awareness of the Service as a sole or cooperative

provider of programs and facilities

shrublands — habitats dominated by various species of

shrubs, often with many grasses and forbs

site improvement — any activity that changes the

condition of an existing site to better interpret events,

places, or things related to a refuge [e.g., improving

safety and access, replacing non-native with native

plants, refurbishing footbridges and trailways, and

renovating or expanding exhibits.]

source population — a population in a high-quality

habitat where the birth rate greatly exceeds the death

rate, and the excess individuals emigrate

special focus area — an area of high biological value

[n.b. We normally direct most of our resources to SFA’s

that were delineated because of:

1. the presence of Federal-listed endangered and

threatened species, species at risk (formerly,

“candidate species”), rare species, concentrations

of migrating or wintering waterfowl, or shorebird

stopover habitat;

2. their importance as migrant landbird stopover or

breeding habitat;

3. the presence of unique or rare communities; or

4. the presence of important fish habitat.]

special habitats — wetlands, vernal pools, riparian

habitat, and unfragmented rivers, forests and grasslands

[n.b. Many rare species depend on specialized habitats

that, in many cases, are being lost within a watershed.]

special riparian project — restoring, protecting, or

enhancing an aquatic environment in a discrete riparian

corridor within a special focus area

species assemblage — the combination of particular

species that occur together in a specific location and

have a reasonable opportunity to interact with one another
Glossary

Draft CCP/EIS - April, 2004 Glossary-11

species at risk — a species being considered for Federal

listing as threatened or endangered (formerly, a “candidate species”)

species of concern — species not Federal-listed as

threatened or endangered, but about which we or our

partners are concerned

species diversity — usually synonymous with “species

richness,” but may also include the proportional distribution of species

species richness — a simple measure of species

diversity calculated as the total number of species in a

habitat or community (Fiedler and Jain 1992)

State agencies — natural resource agencies of State

governments

State land — State-owned public land

State-listed species — cf. “Federal-listed species”

step-down management plan — a plan for dealing with

specific refuge management subjects, strategies, and

schedules, e.g., cropland, wilderness, and fire [FWS

Manual 602 FW 1.4]

stopover habitat — habitat where birds rest and feed

during migration

strategy — a specific action, tool, technique, or combination of actions, tools, and techniques for meeting unit

objectives

succession — the natural, sequential change of species

composition of a community in a given area

surface water — all waters whose surface is naturally

exposed to the atmosphere, or wells or other collectors

directly influenced by surface water

sustainable development — the attempts to meet

economic objectives in ways that do not degrade the

underlying environmental support system. Note that

there is considerable debate over the meaning of this

term...we define it as “human activities conducted in a

manner that respects the intrinsic value of the natural

world, the role of the natural world in human wellbeing, and the need for humans to live on the income

from nature’s capital rather than the capital iteself.”

telecommunications — communicating via electronic

technology

telecommunications project — any cooperative

venture that combines financial and staff resources to

develop and use computer-based applications for

exchanging information about a watershed with others

terrestrial — living on land

threatened species — a Federal-listed, protected species

that is likely to become an endangered species in all or a

significant portion of its range

tiering — incorporating by reference the general discussions of broad topics in environmental impact statements

into narrower statements of envi-ronmental analysis by

focusing on specific issues [40 CFR 1508.28]

tributary — a stream or river that flows into a larger

stream, river, or lake, feeding it water

trust resource — a resource that the Government holds in

trust for the people through law or administrative act

[n.b. A Federal trust resource is one for which responsibility is given wholly or in part to the Federal Government by

law or administrative act. Generally, Federal trust resources

are nationally or internationally important no matter where

they occur, like endangered species or migratory birds and

fish that regularly move across state lines. They also

include cultural resources protected by Federal historic

preservation laws, and nationally important or threatened

habitats, notably wetlands, navigable waters, and public

lands like state parks and national wildlife refuges.]

turbidity — refers to the extent to which light penetrates a

body of water. Turbid waters are those that do not generally

support net growth of photosynthetic organisms

unfragmented habitat — large, unbroken blocks of a

particular type of habitat

unit objective — desired conditions that must be accomplished to achieve a desired outcome [n.b. Objectives are

the basis for determining management strategies, monitoring refuge accomplishments, and measuring their success.

Objectives should be attainable, time-specific, and stated

quantitatively or qualitatively (FWS Manual 602 FW 1.4).]

upland — dry ground (i.e., other than wetlands)

upland meadow or pasture — upland pastures are areas

maintained in grass for livestock grazing; upland meadows

are hay production areas [n.b. Meadows may occur

naturally in tidal marshes and inland flooded river valleys

or, more frequently, at upland sites where vegetation has

been cleared and grasses planted. Eventually, meadows will

revert to old fields and forest if they are not mowed,

grazed, or burned. Grasses in both managed meadows and

pastures usually are similar, but pasture herbs often differ

because of selective grazing.]

upwelling — a process whereby nutrient-rich waters from

the ocean depths rise to the surface; it commonly occurs

along continental coastlines
Glossary

Glossary-12 Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge Complex

urban runoff — water from rain, melted snow, or landscape irrigation flowing from city streets and domestic or

commercial properties that may carry pollutants into a

sewer system or water body

vernal pool — depressions holding water for a temporary

period in the spring, and in which various amphibians lay

eggs

vision statement — a concise statement of what the unit

could achieve in the next 10 to 15 years

warm-season grass — native prairie grass that grows the

most during summer, when cool-season grasses are

dormant

watchable wildlife — all wildlife is watchable [n.b. A

watchable wildlife program is one that helps maintain

viable populations of all native fish and wildlife species by

building an active, well informed constituency for conservation. Watchable wildlife programs are tools for meeting

wildlife conservation goals while at the same time fulfilling

public demand for wildlife-dependent recreational activities (other than sport hunting, sport fishing, or trapping).]

watershed — the geographic area within which water

drains into a particular river, stream, or body of water. A

watershed includes both the land and the body of water into

which the land drains.

watershedwide education networks — systems for

sharing educational information, like curriculum development projects, student activities, and ongoing data gathering; a combination of telecommunications and real-life

exchanges of information

well protected — in CCP analysis, a rare species or

community type is considered well protected if 75 percent

or more of its occurrence sites are on dedicated open space

wet meadows — meadows located in moist, low-lying

areas, often dominated by large colonies of reeds or grasses

[n.b. Often they are created by collapsed beaver dams and

exposed pond bottoms. Saltmarsh meadows are subject to

daily coastal tides.]

wetlands — lands transitional between terrestrial and

aquatic systems where the water table is usually at or near

the surface or the land is covered by shallow water. These

areas are inundated or saturated by surface water or

groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to

support a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted to life

in saturated soil conditions.

“Wetlands are lands transitional between terrestrial and

aquatic systems where the water table is usually at or near

the surface or the land is covered by shallow water.”—

Cowardin et al 1979

wilderness study areas — lands and waters identified

by inventory as meeting the definition of wilderness and

being evaluated for a recommendation they be included

in the Wilderness System (cf. “recommended wilderness”) [n.b. A wilderness study area must meet these

criteria:

1. generally appears to have been affected primarily

by the forces of nature, with the imprint of man’s

work substantially unnoticeable;

2. has outstanding opportunities for solitude or a

primitive and unconfined type of recreation;

3. has at least 5,000 contiguous, roadless acres, or

sufficient size to make practicable its preservation

and use in an unimpaired condition. (FWS Manual

610 FW 1.5 (draft)).]

wilderness — cf. “designated wilderness”

wildfire — a free-burning fire requiring a suppression

response; all fire other than prescribed fire that occurs

on wildlands [FWS Manual 621 FW 1.7]

wildland fire — every wildland fire is either a wildfire

or a prescribed fire [FWS Manual 621 FW 1.3]

wildlife-dependent recreational use — a use of a

national wildlife refuge involving hunting, fishing,

wildlife observation and photography, or environmental

education and interpretation (National Wildlife Refuge

System Administration Act of 1966).

wildlife management — manipulating wildlife populations, either directly by regulating the numbers, ages,

and sex ratios harvested, or indirectly by providing

favorable habitat conditions and alleviating limiting

factors

wildlife-oriented recreation — recreational activities in

which wildlife is the focus of the experience [“The

terms ‘wildlife-dependent recreation’ and ‘wildlifedependent recreational use’ mean a use of a refuge

involving hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and

photography, or environmental education and interpretation.”—National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement

Act of 1997]

working landscape — the rural landscape created and

used by traditional laborers [n.b. Agriculture, forestry,

and fishing all contribute to the working landscape of a

watershed (e.g., keeping fields open by mowing or by

grazing livestock).]