This Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment for Catahoula National Wildlife Refuge was prepared to guide management actions and direction for the refuge. Fish and wildlife conservation will receive first priority in refuge management; wildlife-dependent recreation will be allowed and encouraged as long as it is compatible with, and does not detract from, the mission of the refuge or the purposes for which it was established.

Waubay National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge), comprised of 4,650 acres, islocated in Day County in northeastern South Dakota (Map 1). The Refuge'smix of lakes, wetlands, prairie, forests, and cropland is home to a diversityof wildlife. More than 100 bird species nest on this small piece of habitat, with 37 mammals also calling it home. Waubay National Wildlife Refuge(NWR) was established by President Roosevelt in 1935 as "a refuge andbreeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife.