[Federal Register: July 25, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 144)]
[Notices]
[Page 43468-43469]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr25jy08-89]
[[Page 43468]]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R3-R-2008-N0118; 30136-1265-0000-S3]
Leopold and St. Croix Wetland Management Districts in Wisconsin
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability: Draft comprehensive conservation plan
and environmental assessment; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
availability of draft comprehensive conservation plans (CCP) and
environmental assessments (EA) for the Leopold and St. Croix Wetland
Management Districts (District(s), WMD(s)) for public review and
comment. In the draft CCP/EAs, we describe how we propose to manage
these districts for the next 15 years.
DATES: To ensure consideration, we must receive your written comments
by August 25, 2008. Open house style meetings will be held during the
comment period to receive comments and provide information on the draft
plan. Special mailings, newspaper articles, Internet postings, and
other media announcements will inform people of the meetings and
opportunities for written comments.
ADDRESSES: Send your comments or requests for more information by any
of the following methods. You may also drop off comments in person.
Agency Web Site: View or download a copy of the documents
and comment at http://www.fws.gov/midwest/planning/leopold and http://
www.fws.gov/midwest/planning/stcroix.
E-mail: r3planning@fws.gov. Include ``Leopold Draft CCP/
EA'' or ``St. Croix Draft CCP/EA'', as appropriate, in the subject line
of the message.
Fax: 608-745-0866 for Leopold WMD and 715-246-4670 for St.
Croix WMD.
U.S. Mail: Comments for Leopold WMD can be mailed to:
District Manager, W10040 Cascade Mountain Road, Portage, Wisconsin
53901. Comments for St. Croix WMD can be mailed to: District Manager,
1764 95th Street, New Richmond, Wisconsin 54017.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Kerr, St. Croix WMD, 715-246-7784
or Steve Lenz, Leopold WMD, 608-742-7100.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
With this notice, we continue the CCP process for Leopold and St.
Croix WMDs, which we started in 71 FR 20722 (April 21, 2006). For more
about the initiation process, see that notice. Leopold and St. Croix
WMDs are located in Wisconsin. Established in 1993, the Leopold WMD
manages 53 waterfowl production areas (WPAs) totaling more than 12,000
acres in 17 southeastern Wisconsin counties. The District also
administers 48 conservation easements within an eastern Wisconsin area
of 34 counties. The St. Croix WMD, also established in 1993, manages 41
WPAs totaling 7,500 acres within an eight-county District of west-
central Wisconsin. The District also administers 14 conservation
easements. WPAs consist of wetland habitat surrounded by grassland and
woodland communities. While WPAs are managed primarily for ducks and
geese, they also provide habitat for a variety of other wildlife such
as grassland birds, shorebirds, wading birds, mink, muskrat, wild
turkey, and deer.
Background
The CCP Process
The National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966, as
amended by the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997
(16 U.S.C. 668dd-668ee), requires us to develop a comprehensive
conservation plan for each national wildlife refuge and wetland
management district. The purpose in developing a CCP is to provide
managers with a 15-year strategy for achieving district purposes and
contributing toward the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System,
consistent with sound principles of fish and wildlife management,
conservation, legal mandates, and our policies. In addition to
outlining broad management direction on conserving wildlife and their
habitats, plans identify wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities
available to the public, including opportunities for hunting, fishing,
wildlife observation, wildlife photography, and environmental education
and interpretation.
CCP Alternatives and Our Preferred Alternative
Priority Issues
During the public scoping process, we, other governmental partners,
and the public identified several priority issues, which were organized
into five topics: Habitat management; habitat loss and fragmentation;
land acquisition; public use; and service identity. To address these
issues, we developed and evaluated the following alternatives during
the planning process. The themes and approaches within the alternatives
are consistent between the Districts.
Under all alternatives federally listed threatened and endangered
species would be protected; coordination would occur with the Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources; visitors would feel safe and the
resources would be protected through law enforcement; a proposal would
be developed to construct new headquarters and shop facilities; and any
undertaking would be analyzed for its potential to affect historic
properties.
Alternative 1, Waterfowl Emphasis--Current Management Direction
Under Alternative 1 the activities of the Districts would continue
as in the past with current staffing and resources. The target for each
District would be to restore 150 acres of grassland per year. The 15
year target for wetland restoration would be 50 percent of the drained
wetlands for Leopold WMD and 75 percent for St. Croix WMD. Up to 20
percent of the woodlands and oak savannah would be inventoried with the
objective of restoring approximately 25 percent of the identified
potential savannah. Invasive species would be inventoried and treated
with the recognition that only a small portion of the affected acres
would be dealt with. Land acquisition would continue as funds were
available with the intent of establishing larger complexes of wetlands
and grasslands. An objective would be to raise the quality of the
visitor services programs over time, reaching a higher level of rating
within 5 years. The rating would be based on the evaluation standards
of the Refuge Annual Performance Plan, which use the criteria for
quality described in the Service Manual. Five (Leopold) and two (St.
Croix) WPAs would be more fully developed with visitor services
facilities. The volunteer and partnership programs would continue at
2008 levels. Contacts with neighbors would continue to be limited and
general knowledge of the District and Service identity and missions
would remain unchanged.
Alternative 2, Waterfowl Emphasis With Increased Consideration for
Other ``Priority'' Species and Low/Moderate Consideration for Visitor
Services
Under Alternative 2, the types of habitat management activities of
the Districts would continue, but with more acres affected. Monitoring
of habitat and wildlife would increase compared to the
[[Page 43469]]
current direction. Visitor services would improve about at the rate and
extent of the current direction. The target for each District would be
to restore 200 acres of grassland per year. The 15 year target for
wetland restoration would be 75 percent of the drained wetlands for
Leopold WMD and 90 percent for St. Croix WMD. Up to 90 percent of the
woodlands and oak savannah would be inventoried with the objective of
restoring approximately 75 percent (Leopold) and 80 percent (St. Croix)
of the identified potential savannah. Invasive species would be
inventoried on 100 percent of the Districts and would be treated on 25
percent (Leopold) and 50 percent (St. Croix) of District lands. Land
acquisition would continue as funds were available with the intent of
establishing larger complexes of wetlands and grasslands. An objective
would be to raise the quality of the visitor services programs over
time, reaching a higher level of rating within 5 years. Five (Leopold)
and two (St. Croix) WPAs would be more fully developed with visitor
services facilities. The volunteer and partnership programs would
increase. Contacts with neighbors would increase slightly and general
knowledge of the District and Service identity and missions would
increase slightly. Full implementation of this alternative would
require the addition of 1.5 full-time equivalents (Leopold) and 2.5
full-time equivalents (St. Croix) to the current staff.
Alternative 3, Waterfowl Emphasis With Low Increase in Management for
Other Wildlife and Increased Consideration for Visitor Services
Under Alternative 3, the types and amounts of habitat management
activities undertaken by the Districts would be similar to Alternative
1. Visitor services would expand and improve in quality compared with
Alternative 1. Outreach activities would also be greater. An objective
would be to raise the quality of the visitor services programs over
time, reaching two higher levels of rating within 5 years. Seven
(Leopold) and four (St. Croix) WPAs would be more fully developed with
visitor services facilities. The volunteer and partnership programs
would increase. Contacts with neighbors would increase and additional
information would be provided to them. The general knowledge of the
District and Service identity and mission would increase among
neighbors and the community. Full implementation of this alternative
would require the addition of 1.5 full-time equivalents (Leopold) and
2.5 full-time equivalents (St. Croix) to the current staff.
Alternative 4, Waterfowl Emphasis With Increased and Balanced
Consideration for Other ``Priority'' Species, Their Habitats, Visitor
Services and Neighborhood Relationships (Preferred Alternative)
Alternative 4 incorporates components of Alternatives 2 and 3.
Under this alternative the types of habitat management activities of
the Districts would continue, but with more acres affected. Monitoring
of habitat and wildlife would increase compared to the current
direction. Visitor services would expand and improve in quality
compared to the current direction. Outreach activities would also be
greater. The target for each District would be to restore 200 acres of
grassland per year. The 15 year target for wetland restoration would be
75 percent of the drained wetlands for Leopold WMD and 90 percent for
St. Croix WMD. Up to 90 percent of the woodlands and oak savannah would
be inventoried with the objective of restoring approximately 75 percent
(Leopold) and 80 percent (St. Croix) of the identified potential
savannah. Invasive species would be inventoried on 100 percent of the
Districts and would be treated on 25 percent (Leopold) and 50 percent
(St. Croix) of District lands. The Districts would develop a monitoring
program to determine waterfowl recruitment. Land acquisition would
continue as funds were available with the intent of establishing larger
complexes of wetlands and grasslands. Seven (Leopold) and four (St.
Croix) WPAs would be more fully developed with visitor services
facilities. The volunteer and partnership programs would increase.
Contacts with neighbors and the expected effects would be the same as
Alternative 3. Full implementation of this alternative would require
the addition of 3.5 full-time equivalents (Leopold) and 3.5 full-time
equivalents (St. Croix) to the current staff.
Public Meetings
We will give the public an opportunity to provide comments at
public meetings. You may obtain the schedule from the addresses listed
above (see ADDRESSES). You may also submit comments anytime during the
comment period by writing to the above addresses.
Public Availability of Comments
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or
other personal identifying information, you should know that your
entire comment--including your personal identifying information--may be
made publicly available. While you may ask us in your comment to
withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. All comments become
part of the official public record, and we handle requests for such
comments in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act, NEPA, and
Service and Departmental policies and procedures.
Dated: May 22, 2008.
Charles M. Wooley,
Acting Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Fort
Snelling, Minnesota.
[FR Doc. E8-17106 Filed 7-24-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P