Download Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge About the Refuge

Monomoy
National Wildlife Refuge
About the Refuge
T
he 7,921-acre Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) protects wildlife and fragile coastal habitat on barrier islands
jutting off the southern end of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Established in 1944 to conserve migratory birds, Monomoy NWR
provides a haven for federally listed species and boasts the largest haul out site for grey seals on the Atlantic coast of the
United States. An astounding 86% percent of Monomoy NWR’s lands are wilderness, designated by Congress in 1970, comprising
the only wilderness found throughout highly developed New England.
Today, Monomoy NWR is under threat. Legislation to be introduced in Congress could change the western boundary of the refuge
to “mean low water.” Were this to go forward, it would give away 3985 acres — half of the entire refuge.
Monomoy NWR belongs to ALL Americans, and this blatant give away of our shared conservation resources will remove the
assurance these resources will be conserved and managed for wildlife and the American people in perpetuity while simultaneously set
a dangerous precedent for all public lands. Please help us urge Congress to reject any legislation that would give away our public
lands — including the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge.
Comprehensive Conservation Plan
Every national wildlife refuge must complete a Comprehensive Conservation Plan, or CCP, to determine the management plan
for the next 15-20 years. The Service went through an extensive public process, including a 6-month public comment period, to
produce the final CCP and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Monomoy NWR. While some were unhappy with the
final plan, the final CCP balances the historic uses on the Refuge with its wilderness character, wildlife needs, and competing public
interests. A boundary change would undermine that public process and would divest lands and waters that rigorous legal analysis
has confirmed to be a part of the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Further, to address the concerns of those unhappy with the final plan, the Service has been working with the Town of Chatham to
develop a Memorandum of Understanding to coordinate management of the eastern boundary of the Refuge. We urge the Town of
Chatham to consider expanding their existing MOU to include cooperatively implementing the CCP and drop their desire for this
dangerous divestment of refuge waters and submerged lands.
Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge, MA | USFWS
Conservation Impacts
Monomoy NWR is a dynamic ecosystem constantly being reshaped by the tides, wind, and ocean currents. The Monomoy
NWR CCP includes compatibility determinations on whether various recreational and commercial activities may occur in
the refuge. Altering the refuge’s western boundary would expose wildlife and the fragile habitats they depend on to activities
incompatible with the refuge’s biological integrity and environmental health such, horseshoe crab harvesting.
Monomoy NWR is one of the largest horseshoe crab spawning sites in the state of Massachusetts. Their eggs play an integral role in
the ecosystem as a food source for tens of thousands of migratory birds, including federally listed species like the red knot and piping
plover. These birds rely on horseshoe crab eggs to build up their food stores as they make their annual migration along the Atlantic
Flyway. Because horseshoe crabs are under increasing pressure from the recreational fishing and biomedical industries for use as bait
and in medical research, harvesting horseshoe crabs has been prohibited at Monomoy NWR since 2000 in an effort to increase their
population. Changing the western boundary to mean low water would expose horseshoe crabs to harvesters and rob migratory birds of
an irreplaceable resource.
Introduction
Map 1.3
Endangered Species and Other Wildlife
A pair of nesting common terns at Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge, MA | Ravin
Tomasson/USFWS
• Monomoy NWR is home to four federally listed
species: the piping plover (endangered), roseate
tern (threatened), red knot (threatened), and
northeastern beach tiger beetle (threatened).
• The International Shorebird Survey identified
Monomoy NWR as one of the top five out of 454
most important shorebird stopover locations
east of the Rockies.
•
The refuge has been designated both an
Important Bird Area and a Western Hemisphere
Network Regional site due to its incredible value
for migratory birds.
• Monomoy NWR hosts 10,500 breeding pairs of
common terns each year — the largest site on
the Atlantic seaboard.
• Nearly 20,000 grey seals utilize Monomoy NWR’s
beaches resulting in the largest grey seal haul
out site on the U.S. Atlantic coast.
• Monomoy NWR is one of the largest horseshoe
crab nurseries in the state of Massachusetts.
• Northeastern beach tiger beetles, a threatened
species, have been introduced to the refuge
and continue to thrive, providing hope for the
successful recovery of the species.
“Map 1.3, Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan | USFWS
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Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan
For questions or concerns, please contact Desiree Sorenson-Groves ([email protected]) or Taylor Tench ([email protected])
1001 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 905, Washington, DC 20036 • 202-417-3803 • www.refugeassociation.org