Type of action: Administrative

Lead agency: U.S. Department of the Interior,

Fish and Wildlife Service

Responsible official: Marvin Moriarty, Regional Director, Region 5

For further information: Nancy McGarigal, Planning Team Leader

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 5

300 Westgate Center Drive

Hadley, MA 01035

(413) 253–8562; northeastplanning@fws.gov

The Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for

Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge Complex fully compares four management

alternatives. Its eight appendixes provide additional information supporting our analysis.

A brief overview of each alternative follows.

Refuge expansion of 1,034 acres and continued current management. This is the “no

action” alternative required by regulations under the National Environmental Policy Act

of 1969. Although it would expand the Petit Manan refuge by 1,034 acres beyond the

current approved boundary, selecting this alternative would otherwise maintain the

status quo in refuge management actions over the next 15 years. Thus, it provides a

baseline for comparing or contrasting the three “action” alternatives.

Refuge expansion of 2,467 acres and notably expanded management and recreation.

Selecting this alternative would expand the Petit Manan refuge by 2,314 acres beyond

the current approved boundary on 87 nationally significant seabird, wading bird, or bald

eagle coastal nesting islands and 153 acres of wetlands on the mainland. It would add

six new seabird restoration projects to our present six, and intensify the focus of our

biological programs on birds of high conservation priority in the Gulf of Maine. It

would increase opportunities for wildlife-dependent recreation, especially in our

environmental education and interpretation programs, build new trails on the Gouldsboro

Bay, Sawyers Marsh, and Corea Heath divisions, and open the Petit Manan Point

Division for deer hunting. And, it would recommend that 13 Refuge Complex islands in

8 wilderness study areas be included in the National Wilderness Preservation System.

Refuge staffing and budgets would increase commensurately. We recommend this

alternative for approval.

Refuge expansion of 6,463 acres and greatly expanded management and recreation.

Selecting this alternative would expand the Petit Manan refuge by 6,463 acres beyond

the current approved boundary, adding 6,310 acres on all or parts of 151 seabird or bald

eagle nesting islands and 153 acres of wetlands on the mainland. Its wilderness proposal

mirrors the proposal in alternative B. It would create 12 new seabird restoration projects,

and allow trapping under refuge regulations on three mainland divisions and Bois

Bubert and Cross islands. New trails would be developed on refuge mainland divisions,

the same as alternative B. This alternative would also require the greatest budget and

staffing increases.

No refuge expansion beyond the current approved boundary and reduced management with minimal human intrusion. This alternative adopts a custodial or low

intervention approach to management. Selecting it would neither expand a refuge nor

recommend wilderness designation. It would restore only minimal seabird habitat, focus

our public use, environmental education and interpretation on offsite programs, and

close all refuge islands to public access. Except for our emergency intervention to avert

or mitigate catastrophic events, it would leave refuge habitats and species to the effects

of environmental processes.

Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge Complex

Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Impact Statement

The Gulf of Maine

Abstract

Alternative A

Current Management

Alternative B

Preferred Alternative

Alternative C

Alternative D