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Posted - Oct 11 2007 : 1:10:28 PM
The island I once called home...
Conservation plan focuses on Protection Island, San Juan refuges
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has begun development of a comprehensive conservation plan for the Protection Island and San Juan Islands national wildlife refuges. The plans will guide the management of the refuges for the next 15 years.
Established in 1982 through the efforts of local residents, Protection Island refuge is especially important to seabirds. About 70 percent of Puget Sound’s breeding seabird population nests on the Island. Located near the mouth of Discovery Bay, the 316-acre refuge supports one of the world’s largest colonies of rhinoceros auklets, a small seabird.
The 449-acre San Juan Islands refuge encompasses more than 83 small islands, rocks and reefs scattered throughout the San Juans. In 1976, all the refuge islands were designated as wilderness areas, except for Smith, Minor and Turn islands and a 5-acre parcel on Matia. Although the area is largely closed to public access, the service manages wildlife-dependent public recreation on Matia and Turn islands.
For information, go to www.fws.gov/pacific/planning. To receive a paper copy of the planning update and comment form, or to submit comments, contact Washington Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Complex, 33 S. Barr Road, Port Angeles, WA 98362, or call 360-457-8451. Comments also can be sent by e-mail to FW1PlanningComments@fws.gov. Please include “Protection Island and San Juan Islands” in the subject line.
The comment deadline is Oct. 30.
http://www.thenewstribune.com/adventure/story/171089.html
The View From My Boots: www.bovesboots.blogspot.com
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