Air Quality

IMPROVE photos of Cape Romain National WIldlife Refuge in South Carolina, poor visibility is shown by placing mouse over image.

The Mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Air Quality Program is to protect and enhance air quality in
support of ecosystem management in the National Wildlife Refuge System.

Our Vision is a Refuge System free of impacts from human-caused air pollution and is consistent with the Refuge System Improvement Act, which requires that:

"…the biological integrity, diversity, and environmental health of the [Refuge] System are maintained…"

More than 550 units make up America's National Wildlife Refuge System, which is dedicated to the protection and preservation of wildlife. Our refuges are committed to conserving natural wildlife habitats, caring for endangered species, and helping Americans enjoy the outdoors. Proper management of air resources is vital to protecting and maintaining Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) resources.

Pursuant to the Clean Air Act, as amended in 1977, the Service has an affirmative responsibility to protect air quality related values on national wildlife refuges, with special emphasis on Class I Wilderness Areas (areas in excess of 5,000 acres formally designated as Wilderness prior to August, 1977). Congress gave the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), a Federal Land Manager (FLM) of Wilderness Areas, the responsibility to protect the air quality and natural resources, including visibility, of the area from man made air pollution. Polluted air injures wildlife and vegetation, causes acidification of water, degrades habitats, accelerates weathering of buildings and other facilities, and impairs visibility.

Fish and Wildlife Service responsibility is addressed primarily by the staff of the Division of Refuges Branch of Air Quality (BAQ), located in Denver, Colorado. The Branch's activities include:

Reviewing air quality permits
Monitoring air quality visibility
Modeling air quality impacts
Conducting special studies to evaluate air pollution impacts to resources
Identifying and inventorying resources sensitive to air pollution
Providing technical assistance to refuges and regional offices
Working on prescribed burning issues relevant to air quality
Providing input on State and Federal policy/regulatory development
Enhancing public awareness of air quality issues

The BAQ participates in nationwide air quality monitoring and modeling programs:

The IMPROVE (Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments) Program coordinates visibility monitoring
The National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) monitors pollutants in wet deposition.
IWAQM (Interagency Workgroup on Air Quality Modeling) develops recommendations on modeling analysis techniques for Class I areas.

The Federal Land Managers' Air Quality Related Values Work Group (FLAG)

FLAG was formed to develop a more consistent approach for Federal Land Managers to evaluate air pollution effects on their resources. Of particular importance is the New Source Review program, especially in the review of Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) of air quality permit applications. The goals of FLAG have been to provide consistent policies and processes both for identifying air quality related values (AQRVs) and for evaluating the effects of air pollution on AQRVs, primarily in Federal Class I air quality areas, but in some instances, also in Class II areas. The FLAG link provided below.

http://www2.nature.nps.gov/air/Permits/flag/flagDoc/index.cfm

Air Resources Information System (ARIS)

The Air Resources Information System (ARIS) provides information on parks and wilderness areas managed by the National Park Service (NPS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) as well as Inventory & Monitoring (I & M) networks. ARIS identifies air quality related values for Class I air quality areas and provides guidance on analysis for evaluating impacts to air quality related values. ARIS maintains information for 48 NPS Class I air quality areas and 21 FWS Class I areas.

http://www2.nature.nps.gov/air/Permits/ARIS/index.cfm

FWS Air Quality Branch Contact Information

Staff:

Name	Area of Expertise	Phone	Email
Allen, Tim	Meteorologist / Modeler & Acting Smoke Management Specialist	303-914-3802	Tim_Allen@fws.gov
Bond, Meredith	Deputy Chief, Branch of Air Quality	303-914-3808	Meredith_Bond@fws.gov
Collins, Catherine	Environmental Engineer	303-914-3807	Catherine_Collins@fws.gov
Gillam, Dean	Contractor-Reg. Haze Project Technical	303-914-3805	Dean_Gillam@fws.gov
Lyon, Linda	Air Quality Liason	703-358-2381	Linda_Lyon@fws.gov
Silva, Sandra	Chief, Branch of Air Quality	303-914-3801	Sandra_V_Silva@fws.gov
Webster, Jill	Environmental Scientist	303-914-3804	Jill_Webster@fws.gov
Wang, Gary	Contractor-Reg. Haze Project Coordination	303-914-3803	Gary_Wang@fws.gov

Mailing Address:

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
National Wildlife Refuge System
Branch of Air Quality
7333 W. Jefferson Ave., Suite 375
Lakewood , CO 80235-2017

Last updated: April 22, 2009