[Federal Register: October 23, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 206)]
[Notices]
[Page 63190-63192]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23oc08-89]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R7-R-2008-N0068; 70133-1265-000-S3]
Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge, Tok, AK
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability of the revised comprehensive
conservation plan and finding of no significant impact for
environmental assessment.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announce the
availability of our Revised
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Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) and Finding of No Significant
Impact (FONSI) for the Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Tetlin
National Wildlife Refuge (Tetlin Refuge). In this revised CCP, we
describe how we will manage this refuge for the next 15 years.
ADDRESSES: You may view or obtain copies of the revised CCP and FONSI
by any of the following methods. You may request a paper copy, a
summary, or a CD-ROM containing both.
Agency Web Site: Download a copy of the documents at http://
alaska.fws.gov/nwr/planning/tetpol.htm.
E-mail: fw7_tetlin_planning@fws.gov. Please include ``Tetlin
Refuge Revised CCP'' in the subject line of the message.
Mail: Mikel Haase, Planning Team Leader, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, 1011 East Tudor Road, MS 231, Anchorage, AK 99503-6199.
In-Person Viewing or Pickup: Call (907) 786-3357 to make an
appointment during regular business hours at the USFWS Regional Office,
1011 E. Tudor Road, Anchorage, AK 99503 or call (907) 883-5312 to make
an appointment during regular business hours at Tetlin Refuge, Mile
Post 1314 Alaska Highway, Tok, AK 99780.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mikel Haase, Planning Team Leader,
(907) 786-3402 or fw7_tetlin_planning@fws.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
With this notice, we finalize the CCP process for the Tetlin
Refuge. We started this process with a notice of intent in the Federal
Register (69 FR 70704, Dec. 7, 2004) and a revised notice of intent in
the Federal Register (71 FR 42116, July 25, 2006). We announced the
availability of the draft CCP and EA, and requested comments in a
notice of availability in the Federal Register (72 FR 56371, Oct. 3,
2007).
Tetlin Refuge is located northeast of the Alaska Range, adjacent to
the U.S.-Canada border in the headwaters of the Tanana River. It is
bordered by Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve to the south
and Canada to the east. The Alaska Highway runs adjacent to its
northeastern border. The Refuge lies within the Nabesna/Chisana River
Basin, in the Upper Tanana Valley. The large, flat basin of the Upper
Tanana River Valley is dominated by lakes, ponds, and wetland tundra.
Most of the Refuge is rolling lowlands; however, the Mentasta Mountains
in the refuge's southwest corner are rugged, glacier-carved peaks
reaching elevations of 8,000 feet. The Refuge boundaries encompass over
900,000 acres, of which about 700,000 acres are Federal lands. The
landscape provides valuable habitat for a wide variety of fish and
wildlife species. The Upper Tanana Valley, including Tetlin Refuge, is
one of the most significant migratory bird corridors in the world as it
is located along three major flyways. The extensive wetlands, rivers,
ponds, and forests of the Refuge provide resting and breeding habitats
for hundreds of thousands of migratory birds.
We announce our decision and the availability of the FONSI for the
revised CCP for the Tetlin Refuge in accordance with National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (40 CFR 1506.6(b)) requirements. We
completed a thorough analysis of impacts on the human environment in
the EA that accompanied the draft revised CCP.
The CCP will guide us in managing and administering the Tetlin
Refuge for the next 15 years. The revised CCP is Alternative B, the
preferred alternative in the draft CCP, developed in response to public
scoping comments.
Background
The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980 (94
Stat. 2371; ANILCA) and the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement
Act of 1997 (16 U.S.C. 668dd-668ee) require us to develop a CCP for
each Alaska refuge. The purpose for developing a CCP is to provide
refuge managers with a 15-year plan for achieving refuge 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. We will review and
update the CCP at least every 15 years in accordance with national
policy and ANILCA.
ANILCA requires us is to designate areas according to their
respective resources and values and to specify programs and uses within
the areas designated. To meet this requirement, the Alaska Region
established management categories for refuges including Wilderness,
Minimal, Moderate, Intensive, and Wild River management. For each
management category we identified appropriate activities, public uses,
commercial uses, and facilities. Only the Minimal, Moderate, and
Intensive management categories are applied to Tetlin Refuge.
Draft CCP Alternatives
Our draft CCP and EA addressed five issues and evaluated three
alternatives. The five significant issues raised during scoping were:
(1) The visitor services role of Tetlin Refuge in the upper Tanana
Valley; (2) refuge role in providing opportunities for access and
associated facilities for existing and expanding wildlife-dependent
uses of the Refuge; (3) management of fire on the Refuge to provide
adequate protection of refuge resources and private property within and
adjacent to the Refuge; (4) use of prescribed fire as a method of
habitat management; and (5) use of fishery management actions to
maintain native fish breeding stocks and enhance recreational fishing.
Alternative A (the no-action alternative--a NEPA requirement)
described what would happen with a continuation of current management
activities and served as a baseline for comparison of other
alternatives. Under Alternative A, management of the refuge would
continue to follow the current course of action as described in the
1987 Tetlin CCP and Record of Decision as modified by subsequent
program-specific plans. Refuge lands would remain in their present
management categories--about 564,300 acres (82.7 percent) in Minimal
management, 116,600 acres (17.1 percent) in Moderate management, and
1,700 acres (less than one percent) in Intensive management.
Under our selected alternative, Alternative B, refuge lands would
continue to be managed in their present management categories. New
regional policies and guidelines for national wildlife refuges in
Alaska would be incorporated. In addition to the actions included under
Alternative A, the Refuge would work to gain ``Gateway Community''
status for Tok, promote opportunities for current and new public uses
and facilities, continue to protect resources and property from fire,
emphasizing the use of natural fire and a variety of fire management
techniques, and native fisheries would be managed to maintain natural
diversity. See below for additional details.
Under Alternative C, no changes in land management classifications
would occur. New regional policies and guidelines for national wildlife
refuges in Alaska would be incorporated. In addition to actions under
Alternatives A and B, this alternative would expand the refuge
interpretive program and includes construction of additional
interpretive facilities, hiking trails, boat launches, other recreation
and access-related facilities, and public use cabins. It would also
establish a fee system at some campgrounds to support additional
amenities, and mark campsites and maintain portages on canoe routes.
Fire suppression would be the primary tool to protect resources and
property on the Refuge. Fisheries
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management would be the same as under Alternative B.
Comments on the Draft CCP
Comments on the draft CCP/EA for Tetlin Refuge were solicited by
the Service from October 3, 2007, through January 18, 2008. During the
public review and comment period the Service held public meetings in
Fairbanks, Northway, Tanacross, Tetlin, and Tok. The planning team
reviewed, analyzed, and summarized all comments received at the public
meetings and in writing. We received a number of comments which
supported plans for additional recreational opportunities and
facilities, additional access to the Refuge, and that all-terrain
vehicle use be restricted. Support was expressed for use of natural
fire management regimes, restricted use of prescribed fire, and use of
aggressive fire control only in or near intensive use areas and around
private inholdings. Several comments were made regarding management of
fish and wildlife populations-related specifically to invasive species,
non-native species, predator control, and trophy fisheries.
Selected Alternative--Alternative B
Under the selected alternative, refuge lands would remain in their
present management categories--about 564,300 acres (82.7 percent) in
Minimal management, 116,600 acres (17.1 percent) in Moderate
management, and 1,700 acres (less than one percent) in Intensive
management. Along with the actions described under Alternative A, the
Refuge would pursue additional management actions under Alternative B.
The Refuge would work with the local community to seek formal
recognition of Tok as a ``Gateway Community'' and to increase
opportunities for environmental education, interpretation, and
recreation off-Refuge and in support of or in conjunction with refuge
programs. Opportunities for current and new public use would be
promoted (canoe routes established and public outreach would encourage
use of administrative cabins); additional public use facilities would
be constructed, upgraded, or established (additional hiking trails and
primitive campsites at Seaton Roadhouse and sanitary facilities-in
conjunction with the Alaska Department of Transportation--at highway
pullouts). The Refuge would upgrade or establish additional access (to
promote day-use near the Alaska Highway, to increase season of use at
Lakeview and Deadman Lake campgrounds, and to provide additional
backcountry opportunities); and additional signing (for interpretive
pullouts and undeveloped trailheads and access points). There would
continue to be no use of all-terrain vehicles authorized on the refuge.
The Refuge would continue to protect resources and property using a
variety of fire management techniques including prescribed burning,
suppression, thinning, and wildland fire use. The use of natural fire
would be emphasized with prescribed burns based only on specific
project objectives (e.g. fuels reduction, habitat protection, or fire
effects research) and suppression to reduce potential for large-scale
wildfires and to maintain long-term ecological health of refuge lands.
Natural fire would be the primary tool to maintain and enhance habitat.
Native fisheries would be managed to maintain self-sustaining, healthy
populations to contribute to the natural diversity in the Upper Tanana
Valley; any new reintroduction plans will be based on historic
distribution.
Dated: October 10, 2008.
Thomas O. Melius,
Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Anchorage, Alaska.
[FR Doc. E8-25283 Filed 10-22-08; 8:45 am]
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