[Federal Register: August 27, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 165)]
[Notices]
[Page 43716-43718]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr27au09-93]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R4-R-2009-N124; 40136-1265-0000-S3]
Central Arkansas National Wildlife Refuge Complex
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability: draft comprehensive conservation plan
and environmental assessment; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
availability of a draft comprehensive conservation plan and
environmental assessment (Draft CCP/EA) for the Central Arkansas
National Wildlife Refuge Complex (Complex), consisting of Bald Knob,
Big Lake, Cache River, and Wapanocca National Wildlife Refuges, for
public review and comment. In this Draft CCP/EA, we describe the
alternative we propose to use to manage this complex for the 15 years
following approval of the final CCP.
DATES: To ensure consideration, we must receive your written comments
by September 28, 2009.
A meeting will be held to present the Draft CCP/EA to the public;
mailings, newspaper articles, and posters will be the avenues to inform
the public of the date and time for the meeting.
ADDRESSES: Send comments, questions, and requests for information to:
Mr. William R. Smith, Central Arkansas National Wildlife Refuge
Complex, 26320 Highway 33 South, Augusta, AR 72006. The Draft CCP/EA is
available on compact disk or in hard copy. The Draft CCP/EA may also be
accessed and downloaded from the Service's Internet Site: http://
southeast.fws.gov/planning.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. William R. Smith; telephone: 870/
347-2074; e-mail: william_r_smith@fws.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
With this notice, we continue the CCP process for Bald Knob, Big
Lake, Cache River, and Wapanocca National Wildlife Refuges. We started
this process through a notice in the Federal Register on January 3,
2007 (72 FR 142).
Background
The CCP Process
The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (16
U.S.C. 668dd-668ee) (Improvement Act), which amended the National
Wildlife Refuge
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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 strategy 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.
Bald Knob National Wildlife Refuge (Bald Knob NWR) is near the town
of Bald Knob in White County, Arkansas, and was established in 1993 to
protect and provide feeding and resting areas for migrating waterfowl.
Bald Knob NWR, totaling 16,100 acres of forested wetlands, moist-soil
impoundments, and croplands, hosts one of the largest populations of
wintering pintails in the State. The refuge is a crucial staging area
for pintails migrating to the coastal areas of Louisiana and eastern
Texas.
Big Lake National Wildlife Refuge (Big Lake NWR) is near the town
of Manila in Mississippi County, Arkansas, and was established in 1915
by Executive Order of President Woodrow Wilson, to serve as a reserve
and breeding ground for native birds. Big Lake NWR encompasses 11,038
acres of lake and swamp habitats, including 2,144 acres designated as
Wilderness. Big Lake NWR provides important migratory bird habitat and
is designated as a ``National Natural Landmark Area.'' The American
Bird Conservancy also has listed the refuge as a ``Globally Important
Bird Area.''
Cache River National Wildlife Refuge (Cache River NWR) is near the
towns of Augusta and Brinkley, Arkansas, and was established in 1986 to
provide critical wintering habitat for waterfowl and other migratory
and resident wildlife species. Although the land acquisition boundary
is approved for 185,574 acres, Cache River NWR presently encompasses
66,350 acres situated within Jackson, Monroe, Prairie, and Woodruff
Counties. Cache River NWR is noted as part of the most important
wintering habitat for mallards in North America.
Wapanocca National Wildlife Refuge (Wapanocca NWR) is 20 miles
northwest of Memphis, Tennessee, and near the town of Turrell in
Crittendon County, Arkansas. Wapanocca NWR was established in 1961 to
provide a wintering area for migratory waterfowl, and presently
encompasses 5,620 acres of agricultural land, grassland, bottomland
hardwood forest, and flooded cypress/willow swamp. Wapanocca NWR is
important as a nesting area for resident wood ducks and provides
significant habitat along the Mississippi River that is heavily used by
migrating and wintering waterfowl. The American Bird Conservancy has
listed the refuge as a ``Continentally Important Bird Area.''
Significant issues identified in the Draft CCP/EA include: (1)
Management of waterfowl, other migratory birds, and other native
wildlife species; (2) bottomland hardwood reforestation and management;
(3) management of moist-soil impoundments and croplands; (4) water
quality; (5) invasive species management; (6) land acquisition; and (7)
visitor services (e.g., hunting, fishing, wildlife observation,
wildlife photography, environmental education and interpretation,
access, and facilities).
CCP Alternatives, Including our Proposed Alternative
We developed three alternatives for managing the refuges within the
Complex and chose Alternative C as our proposed alternative. A full
description is in the Draft CCP/EA. We summarize each below.
Alternative A--Maintain Current Management (No Action)
Under Alternative A, we would continue current management of each
refuge within the Complex. We would continue to restore, protect, and
manage bottomland hardwood forests, wetlands, cropland units, moist-
soil units, open-water areas, grassland/scrub-shrub areas, and the Big
Lake NWR Wilderness. Management activities would continue to focus on
afforestation and reforestation, restoration of wetlands, invasive
plant and nuisance animal management, cooperative farming, inventorying
and monitoring, and priority public uses (e.g., hunting, fishing,
wildlife observation, wildlife photography, and environmental education
and interpretation). We would seek to acquire land from willing sellers
within the approved acquisition boundaries.
Alternative B--Minimal Management Alternative
Under Alternative B, we would undertake minimal wildlife, habitat,
and infrastructure management. Under this ``let nature take its
course'' alternative, there would be no more active reforestation
efforts; no moist-soil impoundments and croplands; and no more road,
beaver dam, or invasive species management and maintenance programs. We
would let natural succession proceed unchecked, and provide for
development of early stage or successional forest habitat on abandoned
lands, with no silvicultural treatments in existing forest stands being
conducted. We would implement a custodial or passive stewardship
approach to management and would monitor natural succession and
wildlife populations over time. Both quality and quantity of habitats
for wildlife would be expected to decline, along with wildlife use of
these habitats. There would likely be reduced associated public use,
because roadways and facilities would not be maintained and the quality
of visitor services would diminish. There would be no change in the
acreage or amount of waterfowl sanctuaries. We would seek to acquire
land from willing sellers within the approved acquisition boundaries.
Alternative C--Enhanced Habitat Management and Public Use Programs
(Proposed Alternative)
By implementing the proposed alternative, we would actively expand
and improve habitat management and public use programs. We would
intensify and enhance forest, moist-soil, scrub-shrub, grassland, and
aquatic management programs in order to increase benefits for
waterfowl, shorebirds, water birds, other migratory birds, and other
species of native wildlife. We would expand wetlands and forest
restoration projects. We would increase invasive plant and animal
control projects. A full range of inventorying, monitoring, and
research programs would be developed and implemented to enable adaptive
management. We would continue habitat conservation and restoration
projects. We would expand our land acquisition projects by working with
willing sellers. We would also pursue boundary expansions. As part of a
comprehensive visitor services program, we would improve environmental
education and interpretation programs. Opportunities for hunting,
fishing, and wildlife observation would be expanded, and law
enforcement coverage would be increased for more effective protection
of resources and visitors. We would recruit additional staff, acquire
additional equipment, and improve facilities to enable
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implementation of these projects and programs.
Next Step
After the comment period ends, we will analyze the comments and
address them.
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.
Authority
This notice is published under the authority of the National
Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, Public Law 105-57.
Dated: June 25, 2009.
Cynthia K. Dohner,
Acting Regional Director.
[FR Doc. E9-20665 Filed 8-26-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P