[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 151 (Thursday, August 6, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42055-42057]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-21014]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Notice of Intent to Prepare Comprehensive Conservation Plans
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare Comprehensive Conservation Plans.
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SUMMARY: This notice advises that the Fish and Wildlife Service intends
to gather information necessary to prepare Comprehensive Conservation
Plans and associated environmental documents for Medicine Lake National
Wildlife Refuge Complex in northeastern Montana, Red Rock Lakes
National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Montana, and Crescent Lake and
North Platte National Wildlife Refuges in western Nebraska. The
Medicine Lake NWR Complex includes the Medicine Lake National Wildlife
Refuge, Lamesteer National Wildlife Refuge, and the Northeast Montana
Wetland Management District. The Service is furnishing this Notice in
compliance with Service CCP policy to advise other agencies and the
public of its intentions and to obtain suggestions and information on
the scope of issues to be considered in the planning process.
DATES: Written comments should be received by September 8, 1998.
[[Page 42056]]
ADDRESSES: Comments and requests for more information regarding
Medicine Lake NWR should be sent to Allison Banks. Planning Team
Leader, Division of Realty, P.O. Box 25486, DFC, Denver, CO 80225.
Comments and requests for more information regarding Red Rock Lakes,
Crescent Lake, and North Platte NWRs should be sent to Carol Taylor,
Chief, Land Acquisition and Refuge Planning Branch, Division of Realty,
P.O. Box 25486, DFC, Denver, CO 80225.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Allison Banks, Planning Team Leader,
Division of Realty, P.O. Box 25486, DFC, Denver, CO 80225 (Medicine
Lake NWR). Carol Taylor, Chief, Land Acquisition and Refuge Planning
Branch, Division of Realty, P.O. Box 25486, DFC, Denver, CO 80225 (Red
Rock Lakes, Crescent Lake, and North Platte NWRs).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Service has initiated Comprehensive
Conservation Planning for the Medicine Lake NWR Complex. Red Rock Lakes
NWR, Crescent Lake NWR, and North Platte NWR.
Each National Wildlife Refuge has specific purposes for which it
was established and for which legislation was enacted. Those purposes
are used to develop and prioritize management goals and objectives
within the National Wildlife Refuge System mission, and to guide which
public uses will occur on the Refuge. The planning process is a way for
the Service and the public to evaluate management goals and objectives
for the best possible conservation efforts of this important, wildlife
habitat, while providing for wildlife-dependent recreation
opportunities that are compatible with each National Wildlife Refuge's
establishing purposes and the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge
System.
The Medicine Lake NWR Complex consists of Medicine Lake NWR,
Lamesteer NWR, and the Northeast Montana WMD. The Complex lies within
the mixed grass glaciated prairie pothole ecosystem in Sheridan,
Roosevelt, Daniels, Richland, Dawson, and Wilbaux Counties of northeast
Montana. Medicine Lake NWR (approximately 31,660 acres) was established
to protect breeding habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife in
1935. The 11,360 acre Medicine Lake Wilderness Area was designated by
Congress in 1976. Lamesteer NWR, near Wilbaux, Montana, is an 800-acre
easement refuge. The Northeast Montana WMD consists of fee Waterfowl
Production Areas (11,772 acres), wetland easements (7,967 acres), and
grassland easements (8,366 acres). Public use opportunities include
wildlife observation, photography, hunting, and fishing.
Cresent Lake NWR (45,985 acres) was established to protect breeding
habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife in 1931. The Refuge is
located in Garden County, 28 miles north of Oshkosh, Nebraska within
the western portion of the Nebraska Sandhills. The Refuge provides
breeding and migration habitat for Central Flyway waterfowl, other
migratory birds, and supports significant populations of the endangered
blowout penstemon. Public use opportunities include wildlife
observation, photography, environmental education, hunting, and fishing
on the Refuge.
North Platte NWR (2,909 acres) was established to provide breeding
and migratory habitat for native birds and for use by the Bureau of
Reclamation in 1916. The Refuge provides significant migration and
wintering habitat for waterfowl in the Chain of Lakes area in western
Nebraska (Lake Minatare, Winters Creek Lake, and Lake Alice). The
Refuge also provides year-round resident wildlife habitat on Stateline
Island in the North Platte River. Public use opportunities include
wildlife observation, photography, fishing, and environmental
education.
Red Rock Lakes NWR (44,483 acres) was established in 1935 to
protect habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife with emphasis on
the trumpeter swan. Located in Beaverhead County, Montana, the Refuge
is primitive and highly diverse, and includes meadows, sagebrush
grasslands, coniferous forests, and two large lake and marsh complexes.
In 1976, a 32,350 acre portion of the Refuge was designated as
Wilderness. The Refuge is also designated as a National Natural
Landmark. Wildlife observation, photography, hunting, fishing, and
camping are available on the Refuge.
The Service will conduct a comprehensive conservation planning
process that will provide opportunity for Tribal, Federal, State and
local governments, agencies, organizations, and the public to
participate in issue scoping and public comment. The Service is
requesting input on issues, concerns, ideas, and suggestions for the
future management of the National Wildlife Refuges included in this
notice. Anyone interested in providing input is invited to respond to
the following three questions:
(1) What makes the Refuge (Medicine Lake, Crescent Lake, North
Platte, Red Rock Lakes, or any specific unit) special or unique for
you?
(2) What concerns or issues do you want to see addressed in the
Comprehensive Conservation Plans?
(3) What improvements would you recommend for the Refuge (Medicine
Lake, Crescent Lake, North Platte, Red Rock Lakes, or any specific
unit)?
The Service has provided the above questions for your optional use;
no requirement to provide information to the Service exists. The
Planning Team developed these questions to facilitate gathering more
information about individual issues and ideas concerning these Refuges.
An opportunity will be given to the public to provide input at open
houses to scope issues and concerns (schedules can be obtained from the
Planning Team Leaders at the above addresses). Comments may also be
submitted anytime during the planning process by writing to the above
addresses. Comments received by the Planning Team will be used as part
of the planning process; individual comments will not be referenced in
our reports or directly responded to.
The environmental review of these projects 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, and
Service policies and procedures for compliance with those regulations.
All comments received from individuals on FWS NEPA documents 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 FWS and Departmental policy and procedures. When requested, FWS
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 FWS.
We estimate that the draft CCP's and environmental documents for
each Refuge will be available for review in September 1999.
[[Page 42057]]
Dated: July 30, 1998.
Terry T. Terrell,
Deputy Regional Director, Denver, Colorado.
[FR Doc. 98-21014 Filed 8-5-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-M
