Sand Pond National Wildlife Area Management Plan: chapter 4


4 Goals and objectives

4.1 Vision

The long-term vision for Sand Pond National Wildlife Area (NWA) is to maintain and enhance habitat for native wildlife and plants and to minimize human disturbance.

4.2 Goals and objectives

Sand Pond NWA was initially established to provide habitat protection for a variety of migratory birds with a focus on waterfowl. More broadly, this site protects a unique diversity of wetland and upland habitat in accordance with the document A Wildlife Policy for Canada (Environment Canada 1990), the goal of which is:

“… to maintain and enhance the health and diversity of Canada’s wildlife, for its own sake and for the benefit of present and future generations.”

At the international level, Sand Pond NWA is classified under the International Union for the Conservation of Nature criteria for protected areas as a Category IV protected area. The site is protected for the preservation of species and genetic diversity and for scientific monitoring and research. It is not actively promoted as a tourism destination, and no public use facilities are maintained on the site. Public visitation, although not promoted, is currently not restricted. Subject to applicable federal and provincial regulations, some traditional activities, such as recreational fishing, hunting and trapping, are allowed.

The primary management goal for Sand Pond NWA is to ensure that the wildlife habitat is protected from human disturbances such that the potential for natural biological processes is maximized.

To ensure that this goal is attained, more specific goals and objectives have been established so that the Sand Pond NWA will maintain the quantity, quality and diversity of its natural habitats, while permitting non-conflicting human use.
Sand Pond NWA is a remote site where active management of habitat or human visitors is not required. Management activities are limited to responding to specific incidents as they may arise and planned site inspection visits. The goals and objectives listed below reflect a management approach of responding only to negative human activities as they may arise and within limitations related to financial and staff resources. The discussion of monitoring activities provides additional information on how the overall management goals will be addressed.
Specific goals and objectives are as follows:

Goal 1: Habitat necessary for staging, feeding and resting waterfowl is conserved and managed.

  1. Objective: Water levels within Sand Pond will be allowed to fluctuate according to natural conditions (including beaver activity).
  2. Objective: Aquatic ecosystems are protected from negative impacts of human activities, such as use of pesticides.

Goal 2: Atlantic Coastal Plain Habitat is conserved.

  1. Objective: Atlantic Coastal Plain Habitat is protected from negative impacts of human activities, such as off-road vehicle use, use of pesticides and illegal dumping of garbage.
  2. Objective: Water levels within Sand Pond will be allowed to fluctuate according to natural conditions (including beaver activity).

Goal 3: Habitat necessary for breeding and migrating migratory birds is conserved and maintained.

  1. Objective: Existing forested lands will be allowed to follow natural processes; timber harvesting will not be permitted.
  2. Objective: Terrestrial ecosystems are protected from negative impacts of human activities, such as use of off-road vehicles (ORV) and pesticides.

4.3 Evaluation

Annual monitoring will be performed within the limits imposed by the availability of financial and human resources. The management plan will be reviewed 5 years after its initial approval, and reviewed and updated every 10 years thereafter. The evaluation will take the form of an annual review of monitoring data obtained from the monitoring and research projects outlined below. This monitoring will be used to establish priorities for action and to allocate resources.

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