[Federal Register: February 29, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 41)]
[Notices]
[Page 11137-11138]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr29fe08-95]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Willamette Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Corvallis, OR
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a comprehensive conservation plan
and environmental assessment; and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) intend to
prepare a Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) for the William L.
Finley, Baskett Slough, and Ankeny National Wildlife Refuges (Refuges).
We will also prepare an environmental assessment (EA) evaluating
effects of various CCP alternatives. The Refuges are located in the
Willamette Valley, within Benton, Linn, Marion, and Polk Counties,
Oregon. We are furnishing this notice to advise other government
agencies, Tribes, and the public of our intentions, and to obtain
public comments, suggestions, and information on the scope of issues to
be considered during the planning process.
DATES: We request your written comments on the scope of the CCP by
March 31, 2008. All comments received during scoping will be considered
during development of the Draft CCP and EA.
[[Page 11138]]
ADDRESSES: Address comments, questions, and requests for information
to: Doug Spencer, Project Leader, Willamette Valley National Wildlife
Refuge Complex, 26208 Finley Refuge Rd., Corvallis, OR 97333. Comments
may be faxed to (541) 757-4450, or e-mailed to
FW1PlanningComments@fws.gov. Include Willamette Valley Refuges CCP in
the subject line of your message. Additional information about the CCP
planning process is available on the Internet at: http://www.fws.gov/
willamettevalley/ccp.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Doug Spencer, Project Leader,
Willamette Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex, phone (541) 757-
7236.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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 all
lands within the National Wildlife Refuge System to be managed in
accordance with an approved CCP. A CCP guides refuge management
decisions, and identifies long-range goals, objectives, and strategies
for achieving the purposes for which the refuge was established. During
the CCP planning process many elements will be considered, including
wildlife and habitat protection and management, public use
opportunities, and cultural resource protection. Public input during
the planning process is essential. The CCP for the William L. Finley,
Baskett Slough, and Ankeny Refuges will describe desired Refuge
conditions and the long-term goals, objectives, and strategies for
achieving those conditions. To evaluate potential impacts of CCP
alternatives, we will prepare an environmental assessment in accordance
with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended
(42 U.S.C. 4371 et seq.)
Background
The Refuges were established in the 1960s under the Migratory Bird
Conservation Act ``for use as an inviolate sanctuary, or for any other
management purpose, for migratory birds * * * to conserve and protect
migratory birds * * * and to restore or develop adequate wildlife
habitat'' with emphasis on protecting dusky Canada geese. The Refuges'
habitats include wetlands, wet prairies, upland oak woodland, oak
savanna/upland prairie, mixed-deciduous woodlands, riparian, and
riverine. Agricultural lands, the majority managed as grass fields, are
also present on the Refuges. The Refuges support a significant portion
of the wintering dusky Canada goose population in addition to other
subspecies of Canada geese, and contain some of the last tracts of
native habitats in the Willamette Valley, particularly wet prairie and
oak savanna/upland prairie. The Refuges support key populations of
federally listed species, including Oregon chub, Fender's blue
butterfly, Bradshaw's desert-parsley, Kincaid's lupine, Nelson's
checker-mallow, and Willamette daisy. Many other rare, but not yet
listed species are also found on the Refuges. Additional information on
the Refuges is available at: http://www.fws.gov/willamettevalley.
Preliminary Issues, Concerns, and Opportunities
We identified the following categories of preliminary issues for
consideration in the planning process: The Refuges' role in wintering
Canada geese habitat; restoration and maintenance of native habitats;
maintenance and recovery of listed and rare species; managing Roosevelt
elk on William L. Finley Refuge; water and wetland management;
providing sustainable wildlife-dependent recreation; maintaining
historical structures; managing invasive species; and managing on-going
Refuge programs and commitments in an era of tight budgets. Additional
issues may be identified during public scoping.
Public Availability of Comments
All comments we receive become part of the public record. Requests
for comments will be handled in accordance with the Freedom of
Information Act, NEPA, and Service and Department of the Interior
policies and procedures. Before including your address, phone number,
e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your
comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including your
personal identifying information--may be made publicly available at any
time. While you can ask us to withhold it from public review, we cannot
guarantee we will be able to do so.
Dated: December 5, 2007.
David J. Wesley,
Acting Regional Director, Region 1, Portland, Oregon.
[FR Doc. E8-3898 Filed 2-28-08; 8:45 am]
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