Have you ever wondered where the Sherburne Complex ends and the Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) starts? What about that Bayou des Ourses area?

Well, you are probably not alone. The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) held a scoping meeting for a Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP), which is being developed for the Refuge. The CCP is mandated by Congress for every FWS Refuge in the country and the Atchafalaya is now at the top of the list. The public meeting in Lafayette, last night (see “Make Your Voice Heard, 1/22/2009), gave an overview of the combination of State and Federal lands that make up the protected area between Whiskey Bay Pilot Channel of the Atchafalaya River and the East Protection Levee, and between Interstate Highway 10 and US Highway 190. Then attendees were invited to voice or submit written comments concerning the long range operation of the Refuge.

The answer to the questions at the top of this post goes like this:
The State of Louisiana owns almost 12,000 acres of land at the northern and western edges of the area, and the State Land is the Sherburne Wildlife Management Area. The US Army Corps of Engineers and the US Fish and Wildlife Service each control more than 15,000 acres in a patchwork pattern to the south and east of the State Land. The intermingling of ownership is what makes it so confusing. In addition, there are still some private “in-holdings” mixed in with the Federal lands. However, both the FWS and the Corps have agreements with the LA Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (DWF), which allow DWF to manage the whole area as one Refuge.

The CCP will clarify the FWS policy and will affect the operation of the entire area, so it is important that you get your comments in if you want input on the operation of the Refuge. Some of the rules on usage are firm and will not be changed but operational policies can be affected by public comments. This may be important to you if you plan to spend time in the Refuge area. Some of the comments in the meeting dealt with forest management, special-use permits for commercial guide operations in the Refuge, limitations on air boats, and access by documentary photograhers.

You can send your comments to Ms. Tina Chouinard, Natural Resource Planner at the USFWS, 6772 Hwy 76 S, Stanton, TN  38069, until March 1, 2009. The comments will be incorporated into the draft of the CCP. You can also request a copy of the Draft document when you send in your comments.

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