Annual wetlands & water management program for managed wetlands 2003

Senior Refuge Biologist

1. Reduce abundance of Phragmites and increase native aquatic vegetative cover by 10% each during 2003. 2. Provide optimum tidal, open-water wetland habitats for migrating and wintering waterfowl and shorebirds by allowing tidal flow to provide shallow-water and mudflat foraging habitats through 2003. 3. Provide improved nesting and brood-rearing habitats for Rallidae (especially black rails) by maintaining tidal flow through 2003 and by increasing native aquatic vegetative cover by 1 .Io during 2003. 4. Provide optimum foraging habitat for piscivorous migratory birds (e.g., Ardeidae [egrets and herons], Laridae [skimmers and terns] by allowing tidal flow to continue through 2003. 5. Use nest-flooding to reduce neshsuccess of breeding nuisance resident Giant Canada Geese (Branta canadensis maxima) by a minimum of 50% during the 2003 breeding season.