[Federal Register: October 29, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 210)]
[Notices]
[Page 64361-64363]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr29oc08-85]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R4-R-2008-N0195; 40136-1265-0000-S3]
Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge, Georgetown, Horry, and Marion
Counties, SC
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability: final comprehensive conservation plan
and finding of no significant impact.
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SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
availability of our final comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and
finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for Waccamaw National Wildlife
Refuge. In the final CCP, we describe how we will manage this refuge
for the next 15 years.
ADDRESSES: A copy of the CCP may be obtained by writing to: Waccamaw
National Wildlife Refuge, 1601 North Fraser Street, Georgetown, SC
29440. The plan may also be accessed and downloaded from the Service's
Web site: http://southeast.fws.gov/planning.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Craig Sasser, Refuge Manager,
Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge; Telephone: 843/527-8069; Fax: 843/
527-8494.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
[[Page 64362]]
Introduction
With this notice, we finalize the CCP process for Waccamaw National
Wildlife Refuge. We started this process through a notice in the
Federal Register on March 29, 2006 (71 FR 15757). For more about the
process, see that notice.
Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge is currently 18,251 acres in size
(within an approved acquisition boundary of 54,000 acres), and was
established in 1997 for the following purposes: (1) To protect and
manage diverse habitat components within an important coastal river
ecosystem for the benefit of threatened and endangered species,
freshwater and anadromous fish, migratory birds, and forest wildlife,
including a wide array of plants and animals associated with bottomland
hardwood habitats; and (2) to provide compatible wildlife-dependent
recreational activities, including hunting, fishing, wildlife
observation, wildlife photography, and environmental education and
interpretation.
The refuge acquisition boundary includes large sections of the
Waccamaw and Great Pee Dee Rivers and a small section of the Little Pee
Dee River. The wetland diversity of this refuge is what distinguishes
it from most others found along the east coast. Wetland habitats range
from historic, broken, and actively managed tidal rice fields, to black
water and alluvial floodplain forested wetlands. These tidal freshwater
wetlands are some of the most diverse freshwater wetland systems found
in North America and they offer many important habitats for migratory
birds, fish, and resident wildlife.
Over 400 species of animals are supported by the variety of
habitats in the refuge acquisition area, including several endangered
species. Birds, such as the swallow-tailed kite, osprey, wood stork,
white ibis, prothonotary warbler, and many species of waterfowl, can be
observed on a seasonal basis, while mammals, such as the American black
bear, frequent the refuge's forests year-round. Notably, the refuge
acquisition area supports the highest density of nesting swallow-tailed
kites in South Carolina and is the northernmost documented nesting area
for this raptor within its range.
Additionally, the refuge's wetlands play a critical role in the
filtration and storm water retention of the primary drinking water
resource for the greater Grand Strand region.
Popular recreation uses of the refuge include hunting and both
recreational and commercial fishing. Wildlife viewing and photography
programs, as well as environmental education and interpretation, are
also being developed on the refuge, especially in conjunction with a
visitor center now under construction.
We announce our decision and the availability of the final CCP and
FONSI for Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge in accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (40 CFR 1506.6(b))
requirements. We completed a thorough analysis of impacts on the human
environment, which we included in the draft comprehensive conservation
plan and environmental assessment (Draft CCP/EA).
The CCP will guide us in managing and administering Waccamaw
National Wildlife Refuge for the next 15 years. Alternative C, as we
described in the final CCP, is the foundation for the CCP.
The compatibility determinations for (1) Hunting; (2) fishing; (3)
wildlife observation and photography; (4) environmental education and
interpretation; (5) bicycling; (6) commercial services; (7) commercial
fishing; (8) research; (9) camping; (10) rights-of-way; and (11) forest
management--commercial timber harvest are also available within the
final CCP.
Background
The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (16
U.S.C. 668dd-668ee) (Improvement Act), which amended the National
Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966, requires us to
develop a CCP for each national wildlife 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. In addition to outlining broad management direction on
conserving wildlife and their habitats, CCPs identify wildlife-
dependent recreational opportunities available to the public, including
opportunities for hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, wildlife
photography, and environmental education and interpretation. We will
review and update the CCP at least every 15 years in accordance with
the Improvement Act.
Comments
Approximately 200 copies of the Draft CCP/EA were made available
for a 30-day public review period as announced in the Federal Register
on February 13, 2008 (73 FR 8343). Ninety-four written comments were
received from private citizens and a number of non-governmental
organizations, including American Rivers, Baruch Marine Field
Laboratory (University of South Carolina), Charleston Audubon, Coastal
Conservation League, Coastal Expeditions, Five Rivers Coalition,
Georgetown County League of Women Voters, Grand Strand Surfrider
Foundation, Historic Charleston Foundation, Morgan Park Committee,
National Rifle Association of America, The Nature Conservancy, Palmetto
Conservation Foundation, Republican Women of Myrtle Beach, SEWEE
Association, Swallow-tailed Kite Conservation Alliance, Waccamaw
Watershed Academy (Coastal Carolina University), Waccamaw Audubon
Society, and Winyah Rivers Foundation. Almost all commenters supported
the Service's proposed alternative, Alternative D.
Selected Alternative
After considering the comments we received, we have selected
Alternative D for implementation. This alternative is judged to be the
most effective management action for meeting the purposes of the refuge
by optimizing habitat management and visitor services throughout the
refuge. The Service would aim to improve wintering waterfowl habitat on
approximately 600 acres on Unit 1 by restoring hydrology. We would also
continue to conduct informal surveys on swallow-tailed kites and
Swainson's warblers on an occasional basis. Management of black bears
would be stepped up, and would include annual surveys and enlisting
public participation in gathering, recording, and compiling sightings.
Management of threatened and endangered species would involve
restoring the hydrology on Unit 1 to enhance the existing wood stork
rookery, restoring wood stork feeding areas on Unit 3, and red-cockaded
woodpecker nesting and foraging habitat on Unit 2. Recreational use of
the refuge would continue. This alternative would expand on hunting
opportunities for deer and hog by considering a hunt by mobility-
impaired individuals. It would potentially include a youth waterfowl
hunt on refuge management lands. Over the lifetime of the CCP, this
alternative would call for reducing deer herd density to improve herd
health and to improve habitat quality for other species.
This alternative would identify the 4,600-acre Bull Island as a
proposed Wilderness Study Area. The Service would maintain its
wilderness
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character, and within 10 years of approval of the CCP, would prepare a
wilderness study report and additional NEPA documentation on whether
Bull Island should be formally designated by Congress as a unit of the
National Wilderness Preservation System. The refuge would prepare and
implement a Visitor Services' Plan and expand most wildlife-dependent
public uses in a number of ways.
Authority: This notice is published under the authority of the
National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, Public Law
105-57.
Dated: July 22, 2008.
Cynthia K. Dohner,
Acting Regional Director.
Editorial Note: This document was received in the Office of the
Federal Register on October 24, 2008.
[FR Doc. E8-25840 Filed 10-28-08; 8:45 am]
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