Comment on FR Doc # E9-30424

I think it is a good decision to open the Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge for hunting. It is one of the few national wildlife refuges within close proximity to Spokane, Washington, where there is a large population of citizens interested in enjoying the outdoors. Rather than having to travel to the Columbia or Saddle Mountain National Wildlife Refuges in central Washington, Spokane residents will now be able to enjoy the outdoors in their own backyard. The natural marshes on the Turnbull Refuge make it an ideal hunting location for migratory waterfowl. And it is clear that the Fish and Wildlife Service has accounted for concerns of preserving the pristine environment of the Turnbull Refuge, with such sensible restrictions as: “Hunters may possess and carry no more than 25 nontoxic shotshells per hunter per day while in the field.” Moreover, it seems that a steady influx of hunters can contribute to a small, but important boost to the local economy of the communities surrounding the Turnbull Refuge. The Fish and Wildlife Service has completed its due diligence for opening up the Turnbull Refuge to limited hunting, which has included assessments of both the environmental and wildlife impact of allowing hunting to proceed. Those assessments have all pointed toward allowing hunting with sensible and appropriate regulations. Accordingly, the decision to open the Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge to hunting is a wise decision, one that will be applauded by many in the Spokane community.