[Federal Register: April 16, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 74)]
[Notices]
[Page 20704-20706]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16ap08-93]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R4-R-2008-N0009; 40136-1265-0000-S3]
Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Jackson County, MS, and
Mobile County, AL
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability: draft comprehensive conservation plan
and environmental assessment; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the availability
of a draft comprehensive conservation plan and environmental assessment
(Draft CCP/EA) for Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge for public review
and comment. In this Draft CCP/EA, we describe the alternative we
propose to use to manage this refuge for the 15 years following
approval of the Final CCP.
DATES: To ensure consideration, we must receive comments by May 16,
2008.
ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the Draft CCP/EA should be addressed
to: Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge, 6005 Bayou Heron Road, Moss
Point, MS 39562; Telephone: 601/475-0765. The Draft CCP/EA may also be
accessed and downloaded from the Service's Internet Web site http://
southeast.fws.gov/planning. Comments on the Draft CCP/EA may be
submitted to the above address or via electronic mail to: mike--
dawson@fws.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mike Dawson, Refuge Planner, Jackson,
MS; Telephone: 601/965-4903, Ext. 20.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
With this notice, we continue the CCP process for Grand Bay
National Wildlife Refuge. We started the process through a notice in
the Federal Register on December 29, 2005 (70 FR 77176).
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,
requires us to develop a CCP for each national wildlife refuge. The
purpose in 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 and NEPA.
CCP Alternatives, Including Our Proposed Alternative
We developed four alternatives for managing the refuge and chose
Alternative C as the proposed action. Each alternative would pursue the
same four broad refuge goals. These goals are (1) Wildlife; (2)
habitat; (3) public use; and (4) refuge administration.
Alternatives
A full description of each alternative is in the Draft CCP/EA. We
summarize each alternative below.
Alternative A: Current Management (No Action)
Alternative A would maintain the current management direction, that
is, the refuge's habitats and wildlife populations would continue to be
managed as they have in recent years. Public use patterns would remain
relatively unchanged from those that exist at present.
We would support national and regional plans to promote management
actions that would provide for viable populations of native fish and
wildlife species and habitats, with special emphasis on wet pine
savanna.
There would be no active, direct management of waterfowl or other
migratory bird populations. All sightings and the presence of
threatened and endangered species would be documented on the refuge.
However, no active efforts would be undertaken to inventory other
wildlife.
We would maintain approximately 1,000 acres of pine savanna, which
is the existing acreage. No active management would be undertaken to
improve the habitat condition of forested wetlands. We would continue
to utilize prescribed fire to manage habitats and reduce hazardous
fuels on approximately 1,000 acres; furthermore, we would attempt to
set prescribed fires on a 2- to 3-year rotation and to suppress
wildfires. In partnership with the National Estuarine Research Reserve
(NERR), we would annually control 20-30 acres of cogongrass and Chinese
tallow.
We would identify and protect natural and cultural resources of the
refuge. We would seek to acquire 90 percent of all lands within the
approved acquisition boundary within 15 years of CCP approval. Through
a partnership with NERR, we would protect shell middens on the refuge.
In order to pursue these and other objectives, we would provide one
full-time law enforcement officer.
We would provide opportunities for quality, wildlife-dependent
public uses, leading to greater understanding and enjoyment of fish,
wildlife, and the Gulf Coast ecosystems contained within the refuge.
We would continue to serve the public without a Visitor Services'
Plan. In partnership with NERR, we would operate a joint research,
office, and education facility/visitor center to
[[Page 20705]]
provide benefits to refuge visitors. We would continue to allow fishing
and provide hunting for deer, squirrel, and waterfowl in keeping with
State regulations and seasons.
With our limited support, NERR would continue environmental
education and interpretation at current levels. This would include
participation in community events, on- and off-site environmental
education, guided tours, and interpretive trails. Also in partnership
with NERR, we would maintain current wildlife observation and
photography programs and facilities.
We would cooperate with NERR to provide for sufficient staffing,
facilities, and infrastructure to implement a comprehensive refuge
management program. We would maintain Grand Bay Refuge's current staff
of two--the refuge manager and one law enforcement officer.
Alternative B: Custodial or Passive Management
Alternative B would emphasize custodial management, also called
passive management, which, in general, means that we would not actively
intervene in the process of natural succession. There would be no
active habitat management, including no use of prescribed fire or
selective logging to open up dense forest understories.
We would support national and regional plans to promote management
actions that would provide for viable populations of native fish and
wildlife species and habitats, with special emphasis on wet pine
savanna. We would work toward achieving a number of objectives in
pursuit of the wildlife goal.
There would be no active, direct management of waterfowl or other
migratory bird populations. Sightings and presence of threatened and
endangered species would be documented on the refuge; however, this
would be a more constrained effort than in Alternative A. Moreover, no
active efforts would be undertaken to inventory other wildlife.
Alternative B does not have a wet pine savanna objective. This
habitat type would neither be encouraged nor discouraged at Grand Bay
Refuge under this alternative. Likewise, there would be no active
management to improve the habitat condition of forested wetlands. In
addition, we would not utilize prescribed fire to set back succession
or manipulate habitats and plant communities. However, we would
suppress all wildfires, in keeping with our policy.
Control of invasive plant species would continue on a limited basis
under this alternative. In partnership with NERR, we would annually
control 5-10 acres of cogongrass and Chinese tallow on the refuge.
We would identify and protect natural and cultural resources of the
refuge. We would pursue land protection programs and would provide law
enforcement. We would seek to acquire 90 percent of all lands within
the approved acquisition boundary within 15 years of CCP approval.
Through a partnership with NERR, we would continue to protect shell
middens on the refuge. We would not undertake any additional efforts on
behalf of discovering, protecting, and interpreting cultural resources,
such as preparation and implementation of a Cultural Resources'
Management Plan.
There would be no Service-provided law enforcement on the refuge
under the custodial or passive management alternative. As a result, no
public hunting would be permitted, because the presence of hunters on
the refuge necessitates a law enforcement presence to ensure public
safety and enforce compliance with State hunting regulations and refuge
rules.
We would continue to serve the public without the overall guidance
and direction of a Visitor Services' Plan. NERR would operate the joint
research, office, and education facility/visitor center. We would
continue to allow fishing in State waters on the refuge.
NERR would continue environmental education and interpretation at
current levels, including participation in community events, on- and
off-site environmental education, guided tours, and interpretive
trails. NERR would also maintain current wildlife observation and
photography programs and facilities.
Due to scaled-back direct management responsibilities for habitat,
wildlife populations, and visitor services, under this alternative
there would be no staff present on Grand Bay Refuge. The nearest
Service personnel would be located at Mississippi Sandhill Crane
National Wildlife Refuge.
Alternative C: Optimize Wildlife and Habitat Management (Proposed
Action)
Alternative C would optimize wildlife and habitat management on
Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge. We would support national and
regional plans to promote management actions that would provide for
viable populations of native fish and wildlife species and habitats,
with special emphasis on wet pine savanna.
Within 15 years of CCP approval, we would support the annual
population objective of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan by
contributing 20 percent (3,600 ducks) of a midwinter population of
approximately 18,000 ducks in the Coastal Mississippi Wetlands
Initiative Area. For all other migratory birds, within 15 years of CCP
approval, we would provide habitats sufficient to meet population goals
of regional and national bird conservation plans.
We would create and enhance favorable conditions for gopher
tortoises (200 acres) and for the possible reintroduction of 12-15
Mississippi sandhill cranes (5-7 nesting pairs) and the gopher frog
(creating two ponds). Over the same timeframe, we would develop and
maintain inventories for small mammals, butterflies, reptiles,
amphibians, and possibly other taxa.
Within 15 years of CCP approval, we would restore 2,500 acres of
wet pine savanna habitat, supporting primarily grassy-herbaceous
dominated conditions to benefit grassland birds. We would also aim to
restore forest structure to promote super-emergent trees, cavities, and
understory structure on approximately 2,000 acres to benefit migratory
land birds. We would utilize prescribed fire to manage habitat and
reduce hazardous fuels on approximately 5,000 acres; we would aim to
set prescribed fires on a 2- to 3-year rotation with 50 percent of
burns during the growing season. We would suppress wildfires.
In partnership with NERR, we would annually control 50 acres of
cogongrass and Chinese tallow, while controlling other invasive flora
opportunistically.
We would identify and protect natural and cultural resources of the
refuge. We would seek to acquire 100 percent of the lands with the
approved acquisition boundary within 15 years of CCP approval. We would
develop and begin to implement a Cultural Resources' Management Plan
that would be used to provide overall management direction for cultural
resources at Grand Bay Refuge. In order to protect these resources, we
would provide one additional law enforcement officer.
In partnership with NERR, we would operate a new joint research,
office, and education facility/visitor center to provide benefits to
refuge visitors. We would also continue to allow fishing and provide
hunting for deer, squirrel, and waterfowl consistent with State
regulations and seasons. With limited refuge support, NERR would
continue environmental education and interpretation at current levels,
including participation in community
[[Page 20706]]
events, on- and off-site environmental education, guided tours, and
interpretive trails. In partnership with NERR, we would maintain
current wildlife observation and photography programs and facilities.
We would have the same staff as under Alternative A, plus one
biologist, one park ranger, one biological technician, one equipment
operator, and one law enforcement officer, for a total of seven
employees.
Alternative D--Optimize Visitor Services
Alternative D would optimize visitor services on Grand Bay National
Wildlife Refuge. This alternative would attempt to substantially expand
opportunities for public use on the refuge.
We would support national and regional plans to promote management
actions that would provide for viable populations of native fish and
wildlife species and habitats, with special emphasis on wet pine
savanna.
There would be no active, direct management of waterfowl or other
migratory bird populations. All sightings and the presence of
threatened and endangered species would be documented on the refuge.
Also, within 15 years of CCP approval, we would develop and maintain
inventories for small mammals, butterflies, reptiles, amphibians, and
possibly other taxa. We would maintain approximately 1,000 acres of
pine savanna, which is the existing acreage. No active management would
be undertaken to improve the habitat condition of forested wetlands. We
would continue to utilize prescribed fire to manage habitat and reduce
hazardous fuels on approximately 1,000 acres; furthermore, we would
attempt to set prescribed fires on a 2- to 3-year rotation. We would
suppress wildfires. In partnership with NERR, we would annually control
20-30 acres of cogongrass and Chinese tallow.
We would aim to acquire 100 percent of lands within the approved
acquisition boundary within 15 years of CCP approval. Through an
ongoing partnership with NERR, we would protect the refuge's shell
middens. In order to protect resources and the public at Grand Bay, we
would provide two law enforcement officers.
Within three years of CCP completion and approval, we would develop
a Visitor Services' Plan to be used in expanding public use facilities
and opportunities on the refuge. As in Alternative A, under Alternative
D, in partnership with NERR, we would operate a new joint research,
office, and education facility/visitor center to provide benefits to
refuge visitors. In addition, we would develop a new welcome center
along Interstate 10 near the interchange with Franklin Creek Road (Exit
75).
Within five years of CCP approval, we would develop a Hunt Plan
that coordinates hunting with other increased public uses, such as
wildlife observation and photography.
We would also implement our own program of expanded environmental
education and interpretation to complement NERR's efforts, in keeping
with the new Visitor Services' Plan. In partnership with NERR, we would
implement expanded opportunities for wildlife observation and
photography, such as a canoe/kayak trail, photo blind(s), and an
elevated marsh observation platform at the ``Goat Farm.''
In order to provide for expanded visitor services under Alternative
D, we would increase the size of the staff from the current two
employees. The new positions Alternative D calls for include: One
assistant manager, one park ranger, one equipment operator, and two law
enforcement officers for a total of seven employees.
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 comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
Next Step
After the comment period ends for the Draft CCP/EA, we will analyze
the comments and address them in the form of a Final CCP and Finding of
No Significant Impact.
Authority: This notice is published under the authority of the
National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, Public Law
105-57.
Dated: February 8, 2008.
Cynthia K. Dohner,
Acting Regional Director.
[FR Doc. E8-8109 Filed 4-15-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P