Draft Habitat Management Plan and Environmental Assessment for Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (Service) Northeast Region, has prepared a Draft Habitat Management Plan (HMP) for Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) and is seeking input. Habitat Management Plans are dynamic working documents that provide refuge managers with a decision-making process, a long-term vision for managing ecosystems, and ensure continuity and consistency for habitat management on refuges.

These plans detail program levels that are sometimes above current budget and resource allocations. As such, HMPs are primarily for strategic planning and program prioritization purposes.

The 15-year HMP describes in detail the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s goal of actively managing the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge to improve habitat for fish and wildlife species. The Refuge provides breeding and migratory habitat for a variety of bird species, and habitat essential for brook trout and other water dependent species. The Refuge encompasses more than 29,000 acres of wetland, and forested upland habitat, including several rare plant communities. The plan outlines a combination of active and passive habitat management that aims to restore a diversity of forest successional stages, improve tree species composition, and continue improvements to stream function and connectivity.

Your comments on the Environmental Assessment and draft Habitat Management Plan for Moosehorn NWR, which can be accessed below, will help guide us through the development of the final plan. In order to be considered in the preparation of the final document, comments should note “Moosehorn NWR Habitat Management Plan” in the subject of an email addressed to: fw5rw_mhnwr@fws.gov. For further information, you may contact John Magera, Refuge Manager; Moosehorn NWR, 103 Headquarters Rd., Baring, ME 04694; or (207)454-7161; or john_magera@fws.gov.

The public comment period for this document will be open from September 3, 2024 - October 3, 2024.

Thank you for your continued support and interest in our fish and wildlife conservation efforts.