[Federal Register: March 21, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 56)]
[Notices]
[Page 15186-15188]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr21mr08-85]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R4-R-2008-N0065; 40136-1265-0000-S3]
Upper Ouachita and Handy Brake National Wildlife Refuges and the
Louisiana Wetlands Management District
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability of the Draft Comprehensive Conservation
Plan and Environmental Assessment for Upper Ouachita and Handy Brake
National Wildlife Refuges and the Louisiana Wetlands Management
District.
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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service announces that a Draft
Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment (Draft
CCP/EA) for Upper Ouachita and Handy Brake National Wildlife Refuges
and the Louisiana Wetlands Management District in Morehouse, Union,
Richland, East Carroll, West Carroll, Natchitoches, and Grant Parishes,
Louisiana, is available for distribution. This Draft CCP/EA was
prepared pursuant to the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement
Act of 1997, and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. The
Draft CCP/EA describes the Service's proposal for management of these
refuges and the wetlands management district over the next 15 years.
DATES: Written comments must be received at the postal address listed
below no later than April 21, 2008.
ADDRESSES: To provide written comments or to obtain a copy of the Draft
CCP/EA please write to: Ms. Tina Chouinard, Refuge Planner, North
Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex, 11372 Highway 143,
Farmerville, Louisiana 71241; Telephone: 318/305-0643. The Draft CCP/EA
may also be accessed and downloaded from the Service's Internet Web
Site: http://southeast.fws.gov.planning.
[[Page 15187]]
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Tina Chouinard, Refuge Planner, at
Telephone: 318/305-0643; E-mail: Tina_Chouinard@fws.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Public Availability of Comments: 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 in your comments to
withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Background: The Upper Ouachita and Handy Brake National Wildlife
Refuges and the Louisiana Wetlands Management District are units of the
North Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Upper Ouachita Refuge
is in northeastern Louisiana. The northern boundary lies on the
Louisiana-Arkansas State line. The refuge borders both sides of the
Ouachita River, running north-south for 13.7 miles and extending 3.3
miles to the east and 16 miles to the west. The southernmost point on
the refuge is approximately 20 miles north of Monroe, Louisiana. The
current acquisition area encompasses 61,633 acres of which 42,594 acres
have been purchased, with 26,304 acres in Union Parish and 16,290 acres
in Morehouse Parish.
Upper Ouachita Refuge was established in November 1978. The
federally legislated purposes are ``for use as an inviolate sanctuary,
or for any other management purpose, for migratory birds'' (Migratory
Bird Conservation Act, 16 U.S.C. 715d); and for ``* * * the
conservation of the wetlands of the nation in order to maintain the
public benefits they provide and to help fulfill international
obligations contained in various migratory bird treaties and
conventions * * *'' (16 U.S.C. 3901 (b)). The refuge consists of 4,540
acres of pine and pine/hardwood mix, 19,767 acres of bottomland
hardwood forests, 9,236 acres of reforested bottomlands, 2,000 acres of
scrub/shrub, 1,182 acres of moist-soil plantings, 2,541 acres of
agricultural fields, 682 acres of fallow agricultural fields, and 2,910
acres of open water.
The Louisiana Wetlands Management District was established in 1990,
in response to growing Fish and Wildlife Service land-based
responsibilities off of traditional refuges. The Wetlands Office is
responsible for the administration of wetland easements and fee title
land transfers from the USDA Farm Service Agency ``* * * for
conservation purposes * * *.'' (Consolidated Farm and Rural Development
Act, 7 U.S.C. 2002). The wetlands management district includes the
first fee title tract transfer from the USDA Farm Service Agency to the
Fish and Wildlife Service with the establishment of Handy Brake
National Wildlife Refuge in 1988. The wetlands management district
includes 36 USDA Farm Service Agency easements, 7 fee title tracts, and
1 lease that are concentrated in northeastern Louisiana and encompass 6
parishes. The wetlands management district is spread across north
Louisiana in 44 units, ranging in size from 3 acres to 1,000 acres.
Handy Brake Refuge is primarily a permanent wetland of excellent
habitat for wintering waterfowl, wading birds, and many other wetland-
dependent species. A free lease of 35 acres of International Paper
Company land provides an upland area overlooking the wetland. An
observation deck in the upland area provides wildlife viewing
opportunities into the wetlands. Habitat management within the wetlands
management district focuses primarily on reforestation of marginal
agricultural areas and development and maintenance of moist-soil units.
These varied habitats provide for a diverse array of wildlife. There is
no hunting or fishing permitted throughout the wetlands management
district.
Significant issues addressed in this Draft CCP/EA include:
management of white-tailed deer, invasive species, waterfowl,
bottomland hardwood forest, and red-cockaded woodpecker, refuge access,
land acquisition, visitor services (e.g., hunting, fishing, wildlife
observation, wildlife photography, and environmental education and
interpretation), watershed protection, and cultural resource
protection. The Service developed three alternatives for management of
the refuge (Alternatives A, B, and C), with Alternative B as the
Service's proposed alternative.
Alternative A (Current Management)
Current management and public use would continue under this
alternative. Refuge management programs would continue to be developed
and implemented with limited baseline biological information and
limited monitoring, for mainly migratory waterfowl. Wildlife surveys
would still be completed for presence and absence of species and to
alert refuge staff to large-scale changes in population trends.
Cooperation with partners for monitoring waterfowl, eagle, fish, and
deer herd health surveys would continue. Upland forest management would
continue focusing on red-cockaded woodpecker guidelines for minimizing
hardwoods and maintaining a grassy understory in a portion of the mixed
pine and upland forests. Bottomland hardwood forest management would
continue at current rate of thinning to maintain a closed canopy forest
and retain as much water tupelo and bald cypress as possible. The open
fields would continue with manipulating water levels for moist-soil and
cooperative cropland management. Management of invasive species would
continue with opportunistic treatment and mapping. Partnerships would
continue with Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries for
several biological programs, hunting regulations, and law enforcement
issues. A Partners program would still work with interested parties to
develop projects for carbon sequestration and invasive species.
Hunting and fishing would continue to be the priority focus of
public use on Upper Ouachita Refuge, with no expansion of current
opportunities. Current restrictions or prohibitions would remain.
Environmental education, wildlife observation, and wildlife photography
would be accommodated at present levels, with a few interpretive sites
added. Staffing would remain at current level with no new positions
added, but current vacancies would be advertised and filled.
Alternative B (Proposed Action)
The biological potential of historical habitats would be restored
and enhanced. Most management actions would emphasize natural
ecological processes to foster habitat functions and wildlife
populations. The biological program would be enhanced with inventories
and monitoring so that adaptive management could be implemented
primarily for migratory birds, but for other species of wildlife as
well. A close evaluation of migratory bird use and nesting success on
the refuge would be evaluated with granting opportunities and
partnerships. Partnerships would be developed to establish
scientifically, valid protocols and collaboratively work on research
projects associated with information needed to manage the habitats and
wildlife, or in other words how forest management is affecting
wildlife. Upland forest management would focus on restoring the
biological integrity of a mixed hardwood/pine forest by promoting
upland hardwood species and reducing pine basal area. The red-
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cockaded woodpecker habitat unit would be managed using a more historic
fire regime while providing red-cockaded woodpecker habitat as required
in the recovery guidelines. An historic fire regime would ultimately
benefit red-cockaded woodpeckers by creating a more herbaceous
understory. A forest inventory defining current conditions would be
conducted to implement bottomland hardwood forest management.
Bottomlands would have management increased to open the canopy cover
and increase understory vegetation. Water control structures and
pumping capability would be improved to enhance moist-soil and cropland
management for the benefit of wintering waterfowl. Invasive species
would be mapped and protocols for control established with the addition
of a forester. Partnerships would continue to be fostered for several
biological programs, hunting regulations, law enforcement issues, and
research projects.
Public use would be similar to current management with a few
improvements. Deer harvests would rely on monitoring results of the
availability, diversity, and deer use of understory woody and
herbaceous plants and deer herd health checks. This would allow the
refuge to better understand the pressure being exerted on the habitat,
and therefore make better habitat and harvest recommendations. On Upper
Ouachita Refuge, youth turkey hunting would be allowed, and fishing
events and boat launch facilities would be improved. Environmental
education, wildlife observation, and wildlife photography would be
accommodated at present levels with minimal disturbance to wildlife and
habitat with an enhanced interpretive nature trail, interpretive
panels, and ``check-out kits'' for teachers developed. Law enforcement
would be increased to gain better compliance with refuge regulations.
Staffing would increase with four positions (e.g., biological
technician, forestry technician, one maintenance worker, and one law
enforcement) to increase biological inventory and monitoring, enhance
forest management, increase control of invasive species, enhance public
use program, and provide safe and compatible wildlife-dependent
recreation.
Alternative C (Minimize Management and Public Use)
This alternative would reduce the habitat and wildlife management
and public use programs. Biological information would continue to be
enhanced but management programs would be implemented less frequently,
yet the refuge would still strive to accomplish the objectives.
Extensive baseline inventory and monitoring programs would be conducted
with several partners to provide a solid foundation of current
conditions of refuge habitat and wildlife, while monitoring for changes
in trends. Additional research projects would be implemented in the
alternative by gaining granting opportunities and partnerships with
other agencies and universities. Upland forest management would focus
on red-cockaded woodpecker guidelines for minimizing hardwoods and
maintaining a grassy understory in the entire mixed pine and upland
forests, resulting in an intensive prescribed burning program which
would include monitoring forest conditions. Bottomland hardwood forest
management would be developed, using an intensive inventory to define
current conditions and to monitor natural successional changes.
Management in the bottoms would be limited to promote natural
succession, as defined in a revised habitat management plan. The open
field would be allowed to go through natural succession to a bottomland
hardwood forest and the moist-soil units would not be maintained.
Management of invasive species would become a priority to establish
baseline information on location, density, and protocols for control.
Partnerships would continue to be fostered for several biological
programs, hunting regulations, law enforcement issues, and research
projects.
Public use would be limited, with custodial-level maintenance.
Public use would be monitored more closely for impacts to wildlife, and
with negative impacts, new restrictions or closures would result. Deer
hunting would be allowed when data demonstrated the population was
exceeding the habitat carrying capacity, indicating that a reduction
was necessary. Monitoring of the deer population and associated habitat
conditions would be implemented. Several species, such as quail,
woodcock, feral hog, and coyote, would no longer be hunted. Fishing
would continue as under the current management alternative, but the
open field would be closed to fishing during the wintering period and
would be monitored for future impacts. Environmental education,
wildlife observation, and wildlife photography would be accommodated at
present levels but access limited to July-October and February-April to
minimize disturbance to migratory birds. Staffing would increase with
four positions (e.g., biologist, forestry technician, and two
maintenance workers) to handle the increase in biological inventory and
monitoring, invasive species control, and a fire program associated
with implementing the red-cockaded woodpecker guidelines.
Authority: This notice is published under the authority of the
National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, Public Law
105-57.
Dated: October 29, 2007.
Cynthia K. Dohner,
Acting Regional Director.
Editorial Note: This document was received at the Office of the
Federal Register on March 18, 2008.
[FR Doc. E8-5717 Filed 3-20-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P