Appendix A: Glossary of Terms Page A-1 Nisqually NWR Final CCP/EIS

Appendix A: Glossary of Terms

1. ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

ACHP Advisory Council on Historic Preservation

ADA Americans with Disabilities Act

AFB Air Force Base

AHPA Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act

ARPA Archaeological Resources Protection Act

BCC Birds of Conservation Concern

BOD biological oxygen demand

BNSF Burlington Northern Santa Fe

BRT Biological Review Team

CCP Comprehensive Conservation Plan

CFR Code of Federal Regulations

cfs cubic feet per second

cfu colony-forming units

dB decibel

DDT Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane

DEA Draft Environmental Assessment

DEIS Draft Environmental Impact Statement

DNT/TNT di- and tri-nitrotoluelenes

DoA Department of the Army

DOI Department of the Interior

DOT Washington State Department of Transportation

DPS Distinct Population Segment

DU Ducks Unlimited

EA Environmental Assessment

EE environmental education

EIS Environmental Impact Statement

EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

ESA Endangered Species Act

ESU evolutionary significant unit

FHA Federal Highway Administration

FR Federal Register

FTE full-time equivalent

FWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (also, Service)

FY Fiscal Year

GIS Global Information System

GMA Growth Management Act

GPS Global Positioning System

HABS/HAER Historic American Building Survey/Historic American

Engineering Record

HB House Bill

HUD Housing and Urban Development

I-5 Interstate 5

Improvement Act National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997

MHHW mean higher high water

MHW mean high water
Appendix A: Glossary of Terms Page A-2 Nisqually NWR Final CCP/EIS

MLLW mean low low water

MOU Memorandum of Understanding

mph miles per hour

MPO Metropolitan Planning Organization

NA Nisqually Agriculture (zoning designation)

NAGPRA Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act

NGOs non-government organizations

NEPA National Environmental Policy Act

NGDV National Geodetic Vertical Datum

NHPA National Historic Preservation Act

NMFS National Marine Fisheries Service

NMML National Marine Mammal Laboratory

NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NPS National Park Service

NRHP National Register of Historic Places

NRTF Nisqually River Task Force

NWI National Wetlands Inventory

NWR National Wildlife Refuge

NWRS National Wildlife Refuge System

OAHP Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation

OFM Washington Office of Financial Management

ORV off-road vehicle

PCBs polychlorinated biphenyls

PDR Purchase of Development Rights

PGFSPDC Ad-Hoc Pacific Groundfish Fishery Strategic Plan Development

Committee

PHS Priority Habitats and Species

ppm parts per million

ppt parts per thousand

PRISM Program for Regional and International Shorebird Monitoring

PSRC Puget Sound Regional Council

PUNA Public Use Natural Area

PWC personal watercraft

RA Research Activity Management

RCRA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

RCW Revised Code of Washington

RI/RA/FS Remedial Investigation/Risk Assessment/Feasibility Study

RNA Research Natural Area

ROD Record of Decision

RONS Refuge Operating Needs System

RRP Refuge Roads Program

RTPO Regional Transportation Planning Organization

SEPA State Environmental Policy Act

Service U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (also, FWS)

SHB State House Bill

SHPO State Historic Preservation Office

SoC Species of Concern

SPI Superintendent of Public Instruction

SUP Special Use Permit
Appendix A: Glossary of Terms Page A-3 Nisqually NWR Final CCP/EIS

TES Threatened and Endangered Species

TM Thematic Mapper

TNC The Nature Conservancy

TPH total petroleum hydrocarbon

UGA Urban Growth Area

USC United States Code

USDA U.S. Department of Agriculture

USFWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

WAC Washington Administrative Code

WDFW Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

WDNR Washington Department of Natural Resources

WDOE Washington Department of Ecology

WNHP Washington Natural Heritage Program

WRIA Water Resource Inventory Area

WSDOT Washington State Department of Transportation

YCC Youth Conservation Corps
Appendix A: Glossary of Terms Page A-4 Nisqually NWR Final CCP/EIS

2. GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Achievement Strategy. See Strategy.

Adaptive Management. Refers to a process in which policy decisions are implemented within a

framework of scientifically driven experiments to test predictions and assumptions inherent in

management plan. Analysis of results help managers determine whether current management

should continue as is or whether it should be modified to achieve desired conditions.

Alluvial. Sediment transported and deposited in a delta or riverbed by flowing water.

Alternative. 1. A reasonable way to fix the identified problem or satisfy the stated need (40

CFR 1500.2). 2. Alternatives are different means of accomplishing refuge purposes and goals

and contributing to the System mission (draft Service Manual 602 FW 1.5).

Amphipod. Any of a large order of small, usually aquatic crustaceans with a laterally

compressed body (for example, beach fleas).

Anadromous. Migratory fishes that spend most of their lives in the sea and migrate to fresh

water to breed.

Basin. A region drained by a river system. 

Benthic. Refers to organisms associated with the bottom of the sea, lake, or river. 

Biological Diversity. The variety of life and its processes, including the variety of living

organisms, the genetic differences among them, and the communities and ecosystems in which

they occur (USFWS Manual 052 FW 1. 12B). The System’s focus is on indigenous species,

biotic communities, and ecological processes. Also referred to as Biodiversity.

Bivalve. Common term for pelecypods, members of the Mollusca in which the hard parts are

composed of 2 sections fitting together to enclose a space that contains the soft part of the

organism. 

Brown Farm Dike. The approximately 5-mile long dike that was built in the late 1800s and

early 1900s to convert salt marsh areas into farmland by preventing saltwater inundation.

Carrying Capacity. The maximum population of a species able to be supported by a habitat or

area.

Categorical Exclusion. A category of actions that do not individually or cumulatively have a

significant effect on the human environment and have been found to have no such effect in

procedures adopted by a Federal agency pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (40

CFR 1508.4).
Appendix A: Glossary of Terms Page A-5 Nisqually NWR Final CCP/EIS

Class A Noxious Weed. Those noxious weeds not native to the state that are of limited

distribution or are unrecorded in the state and that pose a serious threat to the state.

Class B Noxious Weed. Those noxious weeds not native to the state that are of limited

distribution or are unrecorded in a region of the state and that pose a serious threat to that region.

Class C Noxious Weed. Any other noxious weed.

Compatible Use. 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 (Draft Service Manual

603 FW 3.6). A compatibility determination supports the selection of compatible uses and

identifies stipulations or limits necessary to ensure compatibility.

Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP). A document that describes the desired future

conditions of the refuge, and provides long-range guidance and management direction for the

refuge manager to accomplish the purposes of the refuge, contribute to the mission of the

System, and to meet other relevant mandates (Draft Service Manual 602 FW 1.5).

Concern. See definition of “Issue.”

Cover Type. The present vegetation of an area.

Cultural Resources. The remains of sites, structures, or objects used by people in the past.

Cultural Resource Inventory. A professionally conducted study designed to locate and

evaluate evidence of cultural resources present within a defined geographic area. Inventories

may involve various levels, including background literature search, comprehensive field

examination to identify all exposed physical manifestations of cultural resources, or sample

inventory to project site distribution and density over a larger area. Evaluation of identified

cultural resources to determine eligibility for the National Register follows the criteria found in

36 CFR 60.4 (Service Manual 614 FW 1.7).

Delta. The alluvial deposit at the mouth of a river. 

Demersal. Organisms living at or near the bottom of a sea or lake but having the capacity for

active swimming. 

Disturbance. Significant alteration of habitat structure or composition. May be natural (e.g.,

fire) or human-caused events (e.g., aircraft overflight).

Ecosystem. A dynamic and interrelating complex of plant and animal communities and their

associated non-living environment.
Appendix A: Glossary of Terms Page A-6 Nisqually NWR Final CCP/EIS

Ecosystem Management. Management of natural resources using system-wide concepts to

ensure that all plants and animals in ecosystems are maintained at viable levels in native habitats

and basic ecosystem processes are perpetuated indefinitely.

Endangered Species (Federal). A plant or animal species listed under the Endangered Species

Act that is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range.

Endangered Species (State). A plant or animal species in danger of becoming extinct or

extirpated in Washington within the near future if factors contributing to its decline continue.

Populations of these species are at critically low levels or their habitats have been degraded or

depleted to a significant degree.

Environmental Assessment (EA). A concise public document, prepared in compliance with the

National Environmental Policy Act, that briefly discusses the purpose and need for an action,

alternatives to such action, and provides sufficient evidence and analysis of impacts to determine

whether to prepare an environmental impact statement or finding of no significant impact (40

CFR 1508.9).

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). A detailed written statement required by section

102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act, analyzing the environmental impacts of a

proposed action, adverse effects of the project that cannot be avoided, alternative courses of

action, short-term uses of the environment versus the maintenance and enhancement of longterm productivity, and any irreversible and irretrievable commitment of resources (40 CFR

1508.11).

Epibenthic. Pertaining to the environment and conditions of organisms living near the water

bottom.

Estuarine. Deepwater tidal habitats and adjacent tidal wetlands that are usually partly enclosed

by land but have some access to the open ocean and are diluted by freshwater. 

Estuary. The wide lower course of a river into which the tides flow. The area where the tide

meets a river current. 

Euryhaline. Organisms that are tolerant of a wide range of salinity. 

Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). A document prepared in compliance with the

National Environmental Policy Act, supported by an environmental assessment, 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).

Forb. A broad-leaved, herbaceous plant; for example, a columbine.

Gastropod. Any of a large class of mollusks, usually with a univalve shell or no shell and a

distinct head bearing sensory organs, such as snails and slugs. 
Appendix A: Glossary of Terms Page A-7 Nisqually NWR Final CCP/EIS

Gill Net. A type of fishing net utilized by commercial, tribal, and occasionally recreational

fishing operations. These nets are the center of much controversy due to the high incidence of

by-catch associated with their use.

Goal. Descriptive, open-ended, and often broad statement of desired future conditions that

conveys a purpose but does not define measurable units (Draft Service Manual 620 FW 1.5).

Habitat. Suite of existing environmental conditions required by an organism for survival and

reproduction. The place where an organism typically lives.

Habitat Type. See Vegetation Type.

Habitat Restoration. Management emphasis designed to move ecosystems to desired conditions

and processes, and/or to healthy ecosystems.

Improvement Act. The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997.

Intergrade. An individual occurring on the boundary between adjacent subspecies and which

possesses intermediate characters or traits. 

Introgression. The spread of genes of one population into the gene pool of another by

hybridization and backcrossing. 

Inversion. A state in which the temperature of the air increases with increasing altitude and

keeps the surface air and pollutants down. 

Issue. Any unsettled matter that requires a management decision (e.g., a Service initiative,

opportunity, resource management problem, a threat to the resources of the unit, conflict in uses,

public concern, or the presence of an undesirable resource condition) (Draft Service Manual

602FW 1.5).

Lacustrine. Pertaining to, or living in, lakes or ponds.

Landbird. A category of birds that obtains at least part of their food from the land and nest in

mainland areas (though some can also be found on islands). Landbirds include raptors and

songbirds among others.

Management Alternative. See Alternative.

Migration. The seasonal movement from one area to another and back.

Minimal Critical Staffing. The core staffing needed at Nisqually NWR to meet minimum

resource needs, approved by the Service pre-CCP.

Mission Statement. Succinct statement of a unit’s purpose and reason for being.
Appendix A: Glossary of Terms Page A-8 Nisqually NWR Final CCP/EIS

Monitoring. The process of collecting information to track changes of selected parameters over

time.

Mysids. A group of crustaceans, also known as opossum shrimps, that feed upon small

zooplankton.

National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Requires all Federal agencies, including

the Service, to examine the environmental impacts of their actions, incorporate environmental

information, and use public participation in the planning and implementation of all actions. 

Federal agencies must integrate NEPA with other planning requirements, and prepare

appropriate NEPA documents to facilitate better environmental decision making (from 40 CFR

1500).

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries. A branch of the

Federal government under the U.S. Department of Commerce. The mission of NOAA Fisheries

is to rebuild and maintain sustainable fisheries, promote the recovery of protected species under

the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and protect and maintain the health of coastal marine

habitats for marine animals.

National Wildlife Refuge. A designated area of land, water, or an interest in land or water

within the System.

National Wildlife Refuge System. Various categories of areas administered by the Secretary of

the Interior for the conservation of fish and wildlife, including species threatened with

extinction; all lands, waters, and interests therein administered by the Secretary as wildlife

refuges; areas for the protection and conservation of fish and wildlife that are threatened with

extinction; wildlife ranges; games ranges; wildlife management areas; or waterfowl production

areas.

National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (Public Law 105-57). Under the

Refuge Improvement Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is required to develop 15-year

Comprehensive Conservation Plans for all National Wildlife Refuges outside Alaska. The Act

also describes the six public uses given priority status within the NWRS (i.e., hunting, fishing,

wildlife observation, photography, environmental education, and interpretation). 

National Wildlife Refuge System Mission. The mission is 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.

Native Species. Species that normally live and thrive in a particular ecosystem.

Nematodes. Non-segmented roundworms of the phylum Nematoda. They range widely is size

and can be free-living or parasitic. 

Neritic. Pertaining to the marine zone between low tides and the edge of the continental shelf, a

depth of roughly 200 m. A neritic environment supports marine organisms, also described as
Appendix A: Glossary of Terms Page A-9 Nisqually NWR Final CCP/EIS

neritic, that are capable of surviving in shallow water with moderate exposure to sunlight.

Nisqually Reach. Portion of south Puget Sound extending northwest from DuPont Wharf,

including Nisqually River delta, to the southern end of Case Inlet at Johnson Point. 

Nisqually River Dike. The portion of the Brown Farm Dike that is located along the Nisqually

River.

Noxious Weed. A plant species designated by Federal or State law as generally possessing one

or more of the following characteristics: aggressive or difficult to manage; parasitic; a carrier or

host of serious insect or disease; or non-native, new, or not common to the United States,

according to the Federal Noxious Weed Act (PL 93-639), a noxious weed is one that causes

disease or had adverse effects on man or his environment and therefore is detrimental to the

agriculture and commerce of the Untied States and to the public health.

Objective. An objective is a concise target statement of what will be achieved, how much will

be achieved, when and where it will be achieved, and who is responsible for the work.

Objectives are derived from goals and provide the basis for determining management strategies.

Objectives should be attainable and time-specific and should be stated quantitatively to the

extent possible. If objectives cannot be stated quantitatively, they may be stated qualitatively

(Draft Service Manual 602 FW 1.5).

Obligate Species. Species that require a specific habitat type or plant species for their existence. 

Oligohaline. Pertaining to water having low salinity, 0.5-3 ppt for brackish or 17-30 ppt for sea

water.

Opisthobranchs. Members of a subclass of gastropods containing such groups as the sea hares

and nudibranchs.

Palustrine. Freshwater wetlands that are less than 2 meters deep at low water. They do not

include areas regularly impacted by waves or part of a bedrock shoreline. They are familiarly

known as marshes, swamps, bogs, wet meadows, prairies, and small shallow ponds. 

Passerines. See songbirds. 

Pelagic. Referring to organisms that inhabit open waters of the oceans or large lakes.

Personal Watercraft. Personal watercraft (PWC) are small vessels that use inboard motors

powering water jet pumps. They are known by such trade names as Jet-ski, Waverunner, and

Sea-Doo. Personal watercraft are high performance vessels, designed for speed and

maneuverability and are often used to perform stunts. They typically have loud 50 - 100

horsepower engines and are capable of traveling more than 60 mph.

Pinniped. A suborder of carnivores that are marine mammals, have flippers, and eat mostly fish

and marine invertebrates (e.g., sea lions, seals).
Appendix A: Glossary of Terms Page A-10 Nisqually NWR Final CCP/EIS

Plant Association. A classification of plant communities based on the similarity in dominants of

all layers of vascular species in a climax community.

Plant Community. An assemblage of plant species unique in its composition; occurs in

particular locations under particular influences; a reflection or integration of the environmental

influences on the site such as soils, temperature, elevation, solar radiation, slope, aspect, and

rainfall; denotes a general kind of climax plant community (e.g., Sitka spruce).

Polychaetes. Any of a class (Polychaeta) of chiefly marine annelid worms (such as clam

worms), usually with paired segmental appendages, separate sexes, and a free-swimming

trochophore larva. 

Preferred Alternative. This is the alternative determined [by the decision maker] to best

achieve the Refuge purpose, vision, and goals; contributes to the Refuge System mission,

addresses the significant issues; and is consistent with principles of sound fish and wildlife

management.

Priority Species. Fish and wildlife species that the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

believe require protective measures and/or management guidelines to ensure their perpetuation. 

Priority species include the following: (1) State-listed and candidate species; (2) species or

groups of animals susceptible to significant population declines within a specific area or

statewide by virtue of their inclination to aggregate (e.g., seabird colonies); and (3) species of

recreation, commercial, and/or tribal importance.

Public. Individuals, organizations, and groups; officials of Federal, State, and local government

agencies; Indian tribes; and foreign nations. It may include anyone outside the core planning

team. It includes those who may or may not have indicated an interest in Service issues and those

who do or do not realize that Service decisions may affect them.

Purpose(s) of the Refuge. The purpose of a refuge is specified in or derived from the law,

proclamation, executive order, agreement, public land order, donation document, or

administrative memorandum establishing, authorization, or expanding a refuge, refuge unit, or

refuge subunit.

Raptor. A category of carnivorous birds, most of which have heavy, sharp beaks, strong talons,

and take live prey (e.g., peregrine falcon, bald eagle).

Refuge Goal. See Goal.

Refuge Purposes. 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, a refuge unit, or refuge subunit (Draft Service

Manual 602 EW 1.5).

Rhizomes. A rootlike stem growing horizontally below the surface. The rhizome is used for

food storage and can produce roots and shoots. 
Appendix A: Glossary of Terms Page A-11 Nisqually NWR Final CCP/EIS

Riparian. Refers to an area or habitat that is transitional from terrestrial to aquatic ecosystems;

including streams, lakes wet areas, and adjacent plant communities and their associated soils

which have free water at or near the surface; an area whose components are directly or indirectly

attributed to the influence of water; of or relating to a river; specifically applied to ecology,

“riparian” describes the land immediately adjoining and directly influenced by streams. For

example, riparian vegetation includes any and all plant life growing on the land adjoining a

stream and directly influenced by the stream.

Riverine. Freshwater wetlands and deepwater habitats within a channel containing periodically

or continuously moving water. It includes wetlands with primarily or mostly submerged

vegetation but does not include those wetlands with mostly emergent vegetation or shrubs and

trees. This habitat encompasses a river or stream, its channel, and the associated aquatic

vegetation. 

Seabird. A group of birds that obtain at least some food from the ocean by traveling some

distance over its surface. They also typically breed on islands and along coastal areas. Seabirds

include gulls, alcids, pelicans, albatrosses, storm-petrels, and cormorants, among others.

Songbirds (Also Passerines). A category of birds that are medium to small, perching landbirds. 

Most are territorial singers and migratory.

Spionids. A type of polychaete.

Step-down Management Plans. Step-down management plans provide the details necessary to

implement management strategies identified in the Comprehensive Conservation Plan (Draft

Service Manual 602 FW 1.5).

Strategy. A specific action, tool, or technique or combination of actions, tools, and techniques

used to meet unit objectives (Draft Service Manual 602 FW 1.5).

Study Area. The area reviewed in detail for wildlife, habitat, and public use potential. For

purposes of this CCP/EIS the study area includes the lands within the currently approved Refuge

boundary and potential Refuge expansion areas. See page 3-1 for more details.

Sublittoral. Relating to or describing an organism living immediately below low-tide level.

Subsidence. Movement to a lower level or elevation.

Surge Plain. A type of riparian forest flooded during high tides and freshwater storm events

from up-river. 

Threatened Species (Federal). Species listed under the Endangered Species Act that are likely

to become endangered within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of

their range.
Appendix A: Glossary of Terms Page A-12 Nisqually NWR Final CCP/EIS

Threatened Species (State). A plant or animal species likely to become endangered in

Washington within the near future if factors contributing to population decline or habitat

degradation or loss continue.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Mission. The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is

working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish and wildlife and their habitats for the

continuing benefit of the American people.

Vegetation Type, Habitat Type, Forest Cover Type. A land classification system based upon

the concept of distinct plant associations.

Vision Statement. A concise statement of the desired future condition of the planning unit,

based primarily upon the System mission, specific refuge purposes, and other relevant mandates

(Draft Service Manual 602 FW 1.5).