[Federal Register: April 24, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 79)]
[Notices]
[Page 20680-20681]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24ap01-80]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Creating the Coldwater River National Wildlife Refuge,
Mississippi

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved
creating the Coldwater River National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) from the
existing Black Bayou Unit of the Tallahatchie National Wildlife Refuge
in Grenada, Quitman, and Tallahatchie Counties, Mississippi, to
eliminate public confusion and to assist in the Service's
administration and management activities. No other changes are
proposed.

DATES: This action was effective on January 30, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Thompson, Regional Chief,
National Wildlife Refuge System, in Atlanta, Georgia, 404-679-7152.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 30, 2001, the Director of the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved creating the Coldwater River
NWR from the existing Black Bayou Unit of the Tallahatchie National
Wildlife Refuge in Grenada, Quitman and Tallahatchie Counties,
Mississippi, to eliminate public confusion and to assist in the
Service's administration and management activities.
The Tallahatchie National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1991
with the acquisition of two separate units--the Bear Lake Unit and the
Black Bayou Unit. The two units are located in a rural area about 30
miles apart, with a total work area that spreads across approximately
126 miles.
Previously we jointly administered these units, even though they
had different public use programs, geographic work areas, and habitat
management needs that resulted in significantly different goals and
objectives for each unit. Joint administration made our biological
assessments, public use reviews and the comprehensive conservation
planning process more difficult and complex.
For example, because it is surrounded by lands owned or leased for
waterfowl hunting, the Coldwater River NWR (formerly the Black Bayou
Unit of the Tallahatchie NWR) is intensively managed and is closed to
public access. The Bear Lake Unit is larger and is open for public
hunting. However, the similarity of names and closeness in proximity of
the two units often resulted in confusion to the public.
Establishing the Coldwater River NWR from the existing Black Bayou
Unit of the Tallahatchie NWR eliminates these problems. This action
will allow the lands and programs of both the Tallahatchie NWR (Bear
Lake Unit) and the Coldwater River NWR to be managed and administered
more efficiently, will identify the two units by their major
geographical features (the Tallahatchie River and the Coldwater River),
and should eliminate confusion when we inform the public of our
management activities on each refuge.


[[Page 20681]]


Authority: National Wildlife Refuge Administration Act of 1966,
as amended (16 U.S.C. 668dd-ee).

Dated: January 30, 2001.
Marshall P. Jones, Jr.,
Acting Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 01-10142 Filed 4-23-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P