EP 1130-2-540
15 Nov 96
(b) Whenever the use of project lands and waters for fish and wildlife management
purposes is proposed, the Service or the appropriate state agency may request the preparation of
a General Plan for Fish and Wildlife Management. The formulation of a General Plan shall be a
joint cooperative endeavor by the District Commander, Regional Director of the FWS, and the
head of the appropriate state agency, by mutual exchange of information pertaining thereto,
discussions, and agreement. Normally, the Corps will initiate the preliminary draft of the General
Plan after determining the views of the other agencies. Such draft of a General Plan will be
submitted concurrently for comment to the other two agencies. Such draft of a General Plan will
be subject to approval of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works (ASA(CW)), the
Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish, Wildlife and Parks (ASI(FWP)), and the head of the
agency exercising administration over the wildlife resources of the State wherein the lands and
waters lie.
(c) After the field offices of the Corps (with ASA(CW) concurrence), the state and the
Regional FWS have reached agreement as to the form and context of the General Plan, signature
in triplicate by the appropriate state official will be obtained thereto signifying concurrence, and
the signed copies thereof will be forwarded by the Corps through channels to higher authority for
approval and execution by the ASA(CW) and ASI(FWP).
(d) After completion, conformed copies of the General Plan shall be supplied by the
ASA(CW) to each of the three respective parties.
(2) General Provisions for Preparation of General Plans.
(a) Every reasonable effort will be made to reach mutual agreement at an early date with
respect to the provisions of General Plan for Fish and Wildlife Management for a project. Where
a General Plan is to be prepared, wildlife agencies of the affected states and the FWS will be
consulted by the Corps on wildlife matters with a view to reaching tentative agreement on lands
and waters to be utilized for wildlife management purposes prior to published hearings on Master
Plans.
(b) Project lands and waters of particular value for the conduct of the national migratory
bird management program made available to the FWS may, subsequently through a cooperative
agreement, be administered by a state in accordance with Section 4 of the Coordination Act, if
such action appears to be in the public interest.
(c) Federal and state agencies managing the project lands for wildlife may utilize same for
the production of food for the wildlife involved.
f. Natural Resources Management Concepts. Natural resources management activities
shall be accomplished through the use of one or more of the following management concepts:
stewardship, mitigation, or enhancement.
(1) Stewardship. Natural resources management through a stewardship concept ensures
the conservation, preservation, or protection of those resources for present and future
generations. Stewardship focuses on sustaining ecosystems. Stewardship shall be applied in a
biological community context, thereby providing protection for the existing species populations,
communities, habitat types and ecosystems. "Special status species" and their habitats shall be
identified and accommodated in the Master Plan and OMP. The application of the stewardship
concept within ecosystems and their component biological communities (such as forests and
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