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River Slough - USFWS

Planning Update

Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge

Planning Update #1

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Preparing New Management

Plan

You Are Invited to Help Plan the Future of

Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge

This is the first in a series of Planning Updates from

the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) to keep

you informed and involved in planning efforts for

the Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge

(Refuge). 

This Planning Update provides a brief background

of the Refuge, describes the planning and public

involvement process, and lets you know how you

can become involved (See Page 4). We will be

sending these planning updates periodically to local

landowners, government agencies, private

organizations, and others who express interest. 

Refuge Purpose

The purpose of the Refuge is to preserve, restore,

and enhance riparian (waterside) habitat for

threatened and endangered species, songbirds,

waterfowl, other migratory birds, anadromous

(migratory) fish, resident riparian wildlife, and

plants. 

The unique plants and watershed of the riparian

community supports a diversity and abundance of

wildlife, which makes it one of the most important

wildlife habitats in California and North America.

The Refuge Location

The Refuge is part of the Sacramento National

Wildlife Refuge Complex, consisting of six refuges

and three wildlife management areas, within the

Sacramento Valley. The Refuge is composed of 22

units along a 77-river mile stretch of the Sacramento

River between the cities of Red Bluff and Princeton. 

The Refuge includes, as part of its management, the

Llano Seco SI and SII Sanctuaries. 

The Refuge was established

in 1989 with a goal of

conserving 18,000 acres. As

of May 2001, the Refuge

consists of 9,423 acres of

riparian, wetland, and 

upland habitat; intensively

managed walnut, almond,

and prune orchards; and row

crops acquired in Tehama,

Butte, and Glenn counties. 

Plus 1,732 acres of Llano

Seco Sanctuaries I & II.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service May 2001
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Refuge Map (09 May 2001)

Refuge

Unit 
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Riparian Vegetation - USFWS

The Sacramento River 

Historically, 500,000 acres of riparian forests

occupied the Sacramento River flood plain, with

valley oak woodland covering the higher river

terraces. Use of trees for lumber and fuel, 

particularly cordwood for steamboats, reduced the

extent of the riparian forests in the Sacramento

Valley during the late 1800s. Since then,

urbanization and agricultural conversion have been

the primary factors eliminating riparian habitat. 

Water development and reclamation projects,

including channelization, dam and levee

construction, bank protection, and stream flow

regulation have altered the riparian system and

contributed to vegetation loss. There has been an 

approximate 89 percent reduction of riparian

vegetation along the Sacramento River and its 

tributaries.

Along portions of the Sacramento River, the

processes of flooding and channel movement

continue to sustain a small, viable, remnant riparian

community. The plants in the riparian forest of the

Sacramento River have many specialized

adaptations to life in an environment frequently

disturbed by flooding and deposition (new soil and

cobble). The 42 common plant species and

diversity of other plants provide food and cover for

approximately 11 endangered or threatened species,

126 bird species, many fish species and an array of

other wildlife.

The Comprehensive Conservation Plan

In 1997, Congress passed the National Wildlife Refuge

System Improvement Act. The Act presented the mission

for the Refuge System, and states that all wildlife refuges

must have a Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) in

place by the year 2013. These plans will provide a 15-

year guide, using the best available scientific knowledge,

to help managers achieve the purposes for which each

refuge was established, and to work toward the mission of

the National Wildlife Refuge System. The Act provides

the Service with guidance for managing refuges in a way

that ensures the long-term conservation of fish, wildlife,

plants, and their habitats. Maintenance of biological

integrity and diversity along with facilitating compatible

wildlife-dependent recreation in the refuge system are

two of the important principles laid out in the Act.

Planning Process

The CCP for the Sacramento River Refuge will outline

goals, objectives and management strategies for the

Sacramento River Refuge for a 15-year period. The

Service is preparing this plan for the following reasons:

• To ensure that management of the Refuge reflects

Refuge purposes and the mission, policies and goals

of the National Wildlife Refuge System.

• To provide the public with an understanding of the

reasons for

management actions on the Refuge.

• To provide a vision statement for the Refuge.

• To ensure the compatibility of current and future uses

of the Refuge

• To provide long-term continuity in Refuge

management.

• To provide budget justification for operation and

maintenance and facility development requests.

The CCP will be flexible and a “living document.” It will

be reviewed periodically to ensure that its goals,

objectives and implementation strategies and timetables

are still appropriate.
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The CCP will provide broad management direction

and guidance for the Refuge. The accompanying

Environmental Assessment will describe the

alternatives considered and their environmental

effects. You will have an opportunity to review and

comment on the draft CCP and Environmental

Assessment.

The key planning steps are listed below. Currently,

we are identifying issues and gathering data. This

list will be included in future planning updates so

you can track our progress through the planning

process.

Planning Process Steps

• Identify Public and Agency Issues 

• Gather Data

• Develop Goals and Objectives

• Develop Management Strategies

• Evaluate Environmental Impacts

• Prepare Draft CCP/EA

• Public Review of Draft EA

• Public Notice of Decision

Help Us Plan the Future

Over the next year, interested individuals, agencies,

Tribes, and organizations are invited to express their

concerns and share their visions for the Refuge. 

This is your opportunity to help us identify issues

and concerns, and for us to answer any questions

you may have. Your participation is critical to the

success of this planning effort. 

You are invited to our first four public scoping

meetings for the Refuge’s CCP. They will be held

in Willows, Chico, Red Bluff, and Colusa. These

meetings will be a good opportunity for you to meet

with Refuge staff and learn more about the Refuge,

the CCP process, and help us identify issues to be

addressed in the CCP. 

Public Scoping Meeting Locations

Location: Willows, CA

Where: Willows Memorial Hall

525 W. Sycamore St.

Willows, CA

When: 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM 

Date: Wednesday 30 May 2001

Location: Chico, CA

Where: Masonic Family Center

1110 W. East Ave.

Chico, CA

When: 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM 

Date: Monday 04 June 2001

Location: Red Bluff, CA

Where: Community Center- Rose Room

1500 South Jackson St.

Red Bluff, CA

When: 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM 

Date: Tuesday 05 June 2001

Location: Colusa, CA

Where: Colusa Industrial Properties- 

 Conference Room

50 Sunrise Blvd.

Colusa, CA

When: 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM 

Date: Wednesday 06 June 2001

Please join us, have some refreshments and share your

thoughts about the Refuge. We welcome your

suggestions, questions and comments. Maps are

available for each meeting locations, please call the

Refuge Planning Office at (916)414-6501.
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For More Information

We are available to provide additional information

regarding the Refuge and the planning process. 

Also, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff can

attend a meeting of your organization to discuss the

development of the Sacramento River Refuge CCP. 

Please notify us at least three weeks in advance to

avoid scheduling conflicts. 

If you have questions, comments, concerns, or

would like information about the Refuge, please

feel free to call, e-mail, or write us:

Kevin Foerster, Project Leader

Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service

752 County Road 99 W

Willows, CA 95988

(530) 934-2801

kevin_foerster@r1.fws.gov

Miki Fujitsubo, Refuge Planner

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service

CA/NV Refuge Planning Office

2800 Cottage Way, W-1916

Sacramento, CA 95825

(916) 414-6507

miki_fujitsubo@r1.fws.gov

Or check out the following sites on the Web:

http://pacific.fws.gov/sacnwrc/

http://pacific.fws.gov/planning/

Please pass this planning update along to anyone

you think might be interested in the planning

process. Thank you!

Call or write to us to be placed on our mailing list to

report a change in your mailing address, or if you want to

be removed from the mailing list.