NORTHAMPTON — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has chosen a plan favored by environmental groups to guide management of the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge over the next 15 years.
The Conte Refuge includes land within the 7.2 million-acre Connecticut River watershed, which spans New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut.
The federal government currently owns 37,000 acres of land throughout the watershed, but under its new management framework will likely be authorized to acquire 197,000 more acres, roughly double what it is now authorized to acquire.
The Fish and Wildlife Service took comments last fall on the management plan process, which included four options.
The service’s and several environmental groups’ preferred plan was Alternative C, which provides a framework for more land acquisition, though not as much as Alternative D did.
The process now moves into a 30-day “review” phase. That ends Jan. 17, after which the framework will likely be implemented, said Andrew French, the refuge’s project leader.
Jasen Stock, executive director of the New Hampshire Timber Owners Association, said he was still reviewing the plan details, but said he was glad the service has committed to not using eminent domain to acquire land.
Still, he worries the agency is wrongly focused on acquiring land for conservation when it should be emphasizing public-private partnerships.
“When you look at the original vision (for the refuge) it was heavy toward working with landowners,” he said, “and much less about the federal government coming in and buying land.”
French said the agency likely wouldn’t pursue acreage already protected by conservation easement or other means.
“It allows us to sit down and have a conversation with a landowner should they be interested in selling some interest to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,” he said. “We’re just an item on the menu.”
He said a focus for the service will be acquiring “resilient” land for species in the face of climate change effects.
Kim Lutz, Connecticut River program director for the Nature Conservancy, said outdoor enthusiasts can also expect more recreation opportunities with new land acquisitions and partnerships.
“The potential for additional recreational access through the plan is one of the things we’re most excited about,” she said.
Andrew Fisk, of the Connecticut River Watershed Council based in Greenfield, said his group hasn’t yet taken in the entirety of the plan, but is hopeful that it will emphasize habitat restoration for migratory fish species.
“That needs as much weight as the terrestrial critters,” he said. “And our understanding is they’ve put more toward that end.”
The refuge, named after the late congressman from Massachusetts, was established in 1997 to conserve, protect and enhance Connecticut River populations of native species of plants, fish and wildlife.