[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 49 (Friday, March 13, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12498-12500]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-6494]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Assessment and
the Draft Strategy and Guidelines for the Recovery and Management of
the Red-cockaded Woodpecker and It's Habitat on National Wildlife
Refuges
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of document availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the
availability of a Draft Strategy and Guidelines for the Recovery of the
Red-cockaded Woodpecker (RCW) and It's Habitat on National Wildlife
Refuges (Guidelines). Included in the Guidelines are population
management objectives for 644-654 active clusters of RCWs on
approximately 141,900 acres of pine and pine hardwood forest on 13
refuges in the southeastern United States. Actions proposed are
directed at protection of clusters, management of nesting habitat,
population management, management of foraging habitat, forest
management (including silvicultural activities), and management of RCWs
in federally designated Wilderness.
The Service also announces the availability of an environmental
assessment (EA) which includes an evaluation of the environmental
impact of four alternatives: (1) implementing the Guidelines as
proposed, (2) taking no action to comprehensively implement revised
recovery guidelines and strategies, (3) implementing the Guidelines,
intensifying management efforts and expanding the area to be managed
for RCWs, and (4) implementing the Guidelines on a smaller area of
refuge land.
Copies of the Strategy and Guidelines and the EA may be obtained by
making a request to the Regional Office (see ADDRESSES). Requests must
be in writing to be processed. This notice also advises the public that
the Service has made a preliminary determination that issuing the
Guidelines is not a major Federal action significantly affecting the
quality of the human environment within the meaning of Section
102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as
amended. The Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) is based on an
evaluation of the information contained in the Guidelines. The final
determination will be made no sooner than 60 days from the date of this
notice. This notice is provided pursuant to NEPA regulations (40 CFR
1506.6).
[[Page 12499]]
DATES: Written comments on the Draft Strategy and Guidelines and Draft
EA, should be sent to the Service's Regional Office (see ADDRESSES) and
should be received on or before April 27, 1998.
ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to obtain a copy of the Draft Strategy and
Guidelines, should submit a request in writing to: U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Southeast Regional Office, 1875 Century Boulevard,
Atlanta, Georgia 30345. (Attn: Assistant Regional Director, Refuges and
Wildlife). Copies may also be reviewed at the Southeast Regional Office
(address above) and at the following locations: Office of the Red-
cockaded Woodpecker Recovery Coordinator, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Clemson University, Department of Forest Resources, 261
Lehotsky Hall, Clemson, SC 29634-1003, and Office of the Refuge
Manager, Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge, Route 1, Brooksville, MS
39739. Documents will be available for public inspection by appointment
during normal business hours at these locations. Comments concerning
the Strategy and Guidelines or EA should be submitted in writing to the
Southeast Regional Office address above. Please reference the Draft
Strategy and Guidelines for the Red-cockaded Woodpecker and Its Habitat
on National Wildlife Refuges in your comments, or in requests for the
documents discussed herein.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Ralph Costa, Red-cockaded
Woodpecker Recovery Coordinator, Clemson Field Office, (see ADDRESSES
above), telephone: 864/656-2432; Mr. David Richardson, Biologist,
Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge (see ADDRESSES above), 601/323-5548,
or Mr. Jon Andrew, Fish and Wildlife Administrator, Southeast Regional
Office (see ADDRESSES above), telephone: 404/679-7123.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Service is the lead Federal agency responsible for preserving,
protecting and enhancing nonmarine endangered species. Pursuant to the
terms of the Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et
seq.) the red-cockaded woodpecker was listed as an endangered species
by the Service in 1970. In addition to responsibilities under the Act,
the Service administers National Wildlife Refuge system lands. There
are an estimated 141,900 acres of pine and pine-hardwood habitat
capable of supporting RCWs on 13 national wildlife refuges in the
southeast United States.
The RCW is a territorial, non-migratory cooperative breeding
species. RCWs live in social units called groups or clans which
generally consist of a breeding pair, the current year's offspring, and
one or more helpers (normally adult male offspring of the breeding pair
from previous years). Groups maintain year-round territories near their
roost and nest trees. The RCW is unique among the North American
woodpeckers in that it is the only woodpecker that excavates its roost
and nest cavities in living pine trees. Each group member has its own
cavity, although there may be multiple cavities in a single pine tree.
The aggregate of cavity trees is called a cluster. RCWs forage almost
exclusively on pine trees and they generally prefer pines greater than
10 inches in diameter at breast height. Foraging habitat is contiguous
with the cluster. The number of acres required to supply adequate
foraging habitat depends on the quantity and quality of the pine stems
available.
The RCW is endemic to the pine forests of the Southeastern United
States and was once widely distributed across 16 States. The species
evolved in a mature fire-maintained ecosystem. The RCW has declined
primarily due to the conversion of mature pine forests to young pine
plantations, agricultural fields, and residential and commercial
developments, and to hardwood encroachment in existing pine forests due
to fire suppression. The species is still widely distributed (presently
occurring in 13 southeastern states), but the remaining populations are
highly fragmented and isolated. Presently, the largest known
populations occur on Federally owned lands such as military
installations and national forests.
The most recent estimate of the status of RCW populations on
National Wildlife Refuge lands indicates that 237 to 242 active RCW
clusters are present.
The EA contains an evaluation of the environmental consequences of
four alternatives, including the proposed action. The proposed action
alternative would result in implementation of the Guidelines as
prepared by the Service. The No Action alternative would result in a
continuance of the current management activities with no revision to
the guidelines prepared in 1987. No management actions or recovery on
refuge lands would be implemented beyond those contained in the 1987
Guidelines and the recovery plan for this species. The third
alternative is to implement the Guidelines and expand their application
to include additional habitat on Alligator River, Piedmont and Santee
National Wildlife Refuges. The fourth alternative would result in the
implementation of the Guidelines on approximately one half of the area
identified for management under the revised Guidelines and a
reallocation of resources to other wildlife management needs.
As stated above, the Service has made a preliminary determination
that the issuance of the Guidelines is not a major Federal action
significantly affecting the quality of the human environment within the
meaning of Section 102(2)(C) of NEPA. This preliminary information may
be revised due to public comment received in response to this notice
and is based on information contained in the EA and the Guidelines. An
excerpt from the FONSI reflecting the Service's finding on the
application is provided below:
Based on the analysis conducted by the Service, it has been
determined that:
1. Issuance of the Guidelines would not have significant indirect
or cumulative adverse effects on the human environment.
2. Implementation of the Guidelines will contribute substantially
to the recovery of the RCW by providing for consistent application of
the most appropriate forms of management available on all refuge lands.
Application of the guidelines will also assure that forest management
will be accomplished in a manner which will result in accelerated
recovery of the species.
3. Population goals contained in the strategy and guidelines are
substantially higher than the current population levels and would
represent a major positive step towards recovery of the RCW.
The Service will also evaluate whether the issuance of the
Guidelines complies with section 7 of the Act by preparing an intra-
Service section 7 consultation. The results of the consultation in
combination with the above findings, and public comment will be used in
the final analysis to determine whether or not to issue and implement
the Guidelines.
Public Comments Solicited
The Service solicits written comments on the draft management
guidelines described. All comments received by the date specified above
will be considered prior to approval of final guidelines.
Authority
The authorities for this action are the Endangered Species Act (16
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), The National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C.
4321-4347) and the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of
1997 (Public Law
[[Page 12500]]
105-57 to be codified at 16 U.S.C. 668dd et seq.).
Dated: March 6, 1998.
Sam D. Hamilton,
Regional Director, Region 4.
[FR Doc. 98-6494 Filed 3-12-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
