The comprehensive conservation plan sets the management and use of Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge for 15 years. The refuge is located in western Nebraska, on the eastern edge of the panhandle. A sea of grass in a sea of grass, Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge was established to concentrate native prairie and wetlands that attract a wide variety of wildlife, particularly migratory birds.
The legal purpose of the refuge is to serve as "a refuge and breeding ground for birds and wild animals" (Executive Order 5597).
The Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge lies on the southwestern edge of the Nebraska Sandhills, the largest sand dune in the Western Hemisphere. The Sandhills are characterized by rolling, vegetated hills and interdunal valleys. These habitats on the refuge are interspersed with 21 wetland complexes—shallow lakes, marshes, seasonal wetlands, wet meadows, and a small stream. Wildlife diversity, except large ungulates and their predators, is relatively unchanged since early settlement.
Major actions in the comprehensive conservation plan follow:
Comprehensive conservation plan (CCP)
CCP 2002 (3 MB PDF)
By section, for faster download:
Approval, contents, summary (PDF)
Chapter 1, introduction/background (1 MB PDF)
Chapter 2, planning process (PDF)
Chapter 3, refuge and resource descriptions (2 MB PDF)
Chapter 4, refuge goals, objectives, and strategies (PDF)
Chapter 5, implementation and monitoring (PDF)
Draft CCP and environmental assessment (EA)
Draft CCP and EA 2002 (3 MB PDF)