[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 142 (Friday, July 24, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39884-39885]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-19727]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Notice of Intent to Prepare a Comprehensive Conservation Plan and
Associated Environmental Impact Statement
SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (Service) is preparing a Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP)
and an Environmental Impact Statement for Little Pend Oreille National
Wildlife Refuge, Stevens County, Washington. The Service is furnishing
this notice in compliance with Service CCP policy and the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and implementing regulations for the
following purposes: (1) to advise other agencies and the public of our
intentions; (2) to obtain suggestions and information on the
preliminary alternatives which have been drafted for the EIS; and (3)
to announce public open house meetings.
DATES: Submit comments on or before August 24, 1998. See Supplementary
Information for meeting dates and locations.
ADDRESSES: Address comments and requests for more information to:
Refuge Manager, Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge, 1310 Bear
Creek Road, Colville, Washington 99114.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa Langelier, Refuge Manager (509)
684-8384.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Service started the process of
developing a management plan for Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife
Refuge (Little Pend Oreille NWR) in 1995. Open houses and public
meetings were held in 1995, 1996, and 1997. A previous notice was
published in the Federal Register (61 FR 65591, Dec. 13, 1996).
Persons and organizations involved in the scoping process include:
the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service; U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Service; Washington
Department of Fish and Wildlife; U.S. Air Force; members of national,
state and local conservation organizations; timber industry
representatives; grazing permittees; inholders and neighboring
landowners; and other interested citizens. Comments and concerns
received have been used to identify issues and draft preliminary
alternatives.
Major issues to be addressed in the plan include grazing;
management of degraded aquatic and riparian habitats; overstocked
forest habitats; military training; and various recreational public
uses. The plan will include the following topics: (a) an assessment of
existing biological, physical, and cultural resources, and their
condition; (b) identification of the long term goals and objectives of
the refuge, consistent with the National Wildlife Refuge System
mission; (c) strategies for habitat management, including actions for
forests, riparian areas, water courses, reservoirs, wetlands, and old
farm fields; (d) strategies for management of public access and uses,
including hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and photography,
environmental education and interpretation, camping, horseback riding,
mountain-bike riding, and snowmobiling; and (e) strategies for
management of other special uses including military training and
grazing.
Draft management goals are intended to guide the future management
of Little Pend Oreille NWR. They are: (1) Conserve, enhance and restore
native forest, riparian, in-stream, and wetland habitats and associated
migratory birds, other wildlife, fish and plants. (2) Monitor, protect
and recover plants and animals that are threatened, endangered,
proposed, and candidate species and species of special concern. (3)
Provide opportunities for wildlife-dependent recreation, education, and
research to enhance public appreciation, understanding, and enjoyment
of refuge, wildlife, fish and their habitats.
A range of preliminary alternatives are being considered in the
plan:
(A) The No Action Alternative--Make no changes to the prevailing
practices and uses at the refuge.
(B) Restore Wildlife Habitat While Managing Existing public Uses--
This alternative combines an active forest and riparian restoration
program with minimal change to existing public uses.
(C) Restore Wildlife Habitat While Emphasizing Priority Uses--This
alternative adopts a greater emphasis on priority uses identified under
the Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (PL 105-57) and
eliminates or reduces non-priority uses. This alternative also
incorporates a strong forest and riparian restoration program.
(D) Manage the Refuge as an Ecological Reserve and Reduce Human
Disturbances--This alternative minimizes human access and use of the
refuge while conducting a moderate restoration program, with a greater
emphasis on hydrologic restoration than other alternatives.
(E) The Caretaker Strategy With Minimal Public Services
Alternative--This alternative minimizes management, reduces public
uses, and would minimize staffing needs.
With the publication of this notice, the public is encouraged to
attend
[[Page 39885]]
public open houses and/or submit written comments on the preliminary
management alternatives. Comments already received are on record and
need not be resubmitted.
Two public open houses will be held as follows:
July 29, 4pm-8pm, Colville High School, 154 Highway 20 East,
Colville, Washington. (Presentation on alternatives at 6:30 pm)
July 30, 4pm-8pm, Inland NW Wildlife Council Building, 616 North
Market St., Spokane, Washington. (Presentation on alternatives at 6:30
pm)
All comments received from individuals on Environmental Assessments
and Environmental Impact Statements become part of the official public
record. Requests for such comments will be handled in accordance with
the Freedom of Information Act, the Council on Environmental Quality's
NEPA regulations [40 CFR 1506.6(f)], and other Service and Departmental
policy and procedures. When requested, the Service generally will
provide comment letters with the names and addresses of the individuals
who wrote the comments. However, the telephone number of the commenting
individual will not be provided in response to such requests to the
extent permissible by law. Additionally, public comment letters are not
required to contain the commentator's name, address, or other
identifying information. Such comments may be submitted anonymously to
the Service.
The environmental review of this project will be conducted in
accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), NEPA Regulations (40
CFR 1500-1508), other appropriate Federal laws and regulations, the
National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, and Service
policies and procedures for compliance with those regulations.
We estimate that the draft CCP / Environmental Impact Statement
will be available in November, 1998.
Dated: July 10, 1998.
Don Weathers,
Acting Regional Director, Region 1, Portland, Oregon.
[FR Doc. 98-19727 Filed 7-23-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
